How do I run html games without a browser?

Jul 5, 2018
131
52
So I generally dislike the way most browsers run html, save systems only have a few slots and files go poof if you move or rename the directory, clearing browsing data probably does that as well but haven't confirmed, you need to save as file which is extra work because it auto names them poorly and I have to move my download directory every time I go to play a different game. Altogether it feels pretty barebones and unsatisfying. So I'm looking for a tool that is more functional and most importantly has a decent save function. Searching things like "html reader" and "how to run html games without a browser" are not giving my good results so I thought I'd ask here.
 
Last edited:

scrumbles

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2019
1,069
1,096
save systems only have a few slots
Increase them. Open the HTML file in a text editor and insert Config.saves.slots =20 or any number you like (8 is the default value).
This line must go into the right section, for instance below any other Config.saves... instruction.
This trick should work with all Twine games.
files go poof if you move or rename the directory
You can move them into a pen drive.
Or create a folder with symbolic links pointing to the real HTML files, so that even if you move the latter, the former is still in the same place.
clearing browsing data probably does that as well but haven't confirmed
You can use a different browser just for playing HTML games. Maybe a standalone version. or one of the multiple clones of Chrome.
Searching things like "html reader" and "how to run html games without a browser" are not giving my good results so I thought I'd ask here.
Browsers are the best HTML/CSS/Javascript interpreters.
Alternatively, you could download Twine. It has an internal viewer: you could open the HTML game as a new project and launch it. The viewer is still a simplified version of Chrome though.

There is a totally different solution: you could change the HTML into an app, by means of Electron or NW.js. It isn't hard, but it looks more cumbersome to me (and again, the app will be just the game combined with a simplified version of Chrome).

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