I got an email saying that there was a new update for this, I updated it, and it was flagged by my antivirus software. The same thing happened with the daymare town collection, which was also in the email. just checking in case it was a false alarm. by the way, this post is an altered copy of the one I made on the daymare town collection comment board, just to spread the word.
it is a false alarm. I updated these games and windows just doesnt like exe files downloaded from the internet. Don't worry. And thanks for the update. :D
Compatibility info for Linux and Mac users: I've just finished replaying all of the games on Linux. I mostly used the HD versions that I purchased a decade ago, but I realised that although I definitely bought Submachine 10 I didn't have a copy of the SWF anywhere (although I did have the free web version), so I repurchased the latest EXE version of that specific game. I was able to extract the SWF without any issues using the Python script linked from this page.
I assume that the collection is still fully playable in the standalone flash player, although I have not tested this directly with these new builds (unfortunately I'd already played through my old copies of 1-9 when I found this page). These games have brought me a lot of joy over the years, so I will probably buy this collection soon and replay them again, using all of the new builds, and report back.
I was able to play through most of the collection using the latest version of Ruffle, with some exceptions:
1. Submachine 10 struggled visibly in some graphics-heavy sections and eventually crashed when I played it on a laptop with 8G of RAM (and Firefox open!). I then moved to a laptop with a lot more memory available, and it was fine, except...
2. Submachine 10 consistently crashed towards the end of the game when I clicked on a specific portal. I don't know if this is an issue with this specific version of Ruffle, or this new build of Submachine 10, or my specific graphics hardware or software. I was able to copy the save file from just before the crash from Ruffle to Flash, play that short section in the standalone flash player that I still have, then copy the save file back and play the rest of the game in Ruffle.
WARNING: the game only saves progress (in Ruffle) if you exit the program normally. If you play the whole game without saving and it crashes, you will lose all of your progress. I did this twice, because I don't learn from my mistakes, and then started quitting periodically to save.
3. 32 Chambers has a glitch in Ruffle which breaks the game. I played this whole game in the standalone flash player.
It's worth noting that Ruffle is an actively developed project with multiple contributors. While I was looking into these issues, I found a lot of reports of previous problems in the Submachine games which have since been resolved -- so these outstanding issues may also be fixed soon.
I just followed your example and found the same thing. Weird thing is: This collection doesn't save, but the original HD versions I bought way back when DO save progress. I know it's down to the Flash cookies on that end, but makes me wonder how this collection works.
I emailed Mateusz himself and he gave me these instructions: " right click on the game [as in on the game window after launching], go to settings and find local storage there. enable some, 1 Mb is more than enough. exit, restart the game, should work."
Hello Mr. Skutnik, I'm a long term fan. I know you are working on Submachine Legacy but I want to share an Idea I have for multiplatform compatibility for your current collection.
There is an open source program called Ruffle and it plans to be a replacement for Adobe Flash Player. Not only does it restore Flash on web browsers, but also has stand alone programs for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is incomplete currently, but enough support seems to have been done for your submachine games to work in it, although have not thoroughly tested them.
Maybe you could use that instead to have more compatibility with other Operating Systems?
Help button text is really good advice for a horror game but also fits the submachine games well due to how desolate they are. Played the flash games recently and decided to buy the entire collection as it was on sale, to support the dev.
If you can get the Flash movie files (.SWF) then you can run them through the old Standalone Flash Player, which has been archived in a few places and still runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS (on 64-bit Intel CPUs, or through Rosetta II). Here's one archive, but there are also several others on archive.org: https://archive.org/download/flashplayer_standalone_projectors
If you have issues with it complaining about Standalone Flash Player being from an "Unidentified Developer" then you'll have to look up how to turn off that requirement for your version of macOS.
About how to get .SWF files:
EXE distributions of Flash games are just wrappers around .SWF files. You might be able to extract the SWF file with a tool. Here's a very simple tool that should work on macOS: https://github.com/GTcreyon/swf-unbundler#usage You have to run it through Terminal—there are instructions on that page.
If you don't have any luck with that method, you could try politely asking if the developer is willing to provide the original .SWF files as an alternative download. This would allow people to easily play the old games in their original forms for years to come. I'm really happy to see that Submachine Legacy is nearly here, but I'll always want an archive of old versions of the games. I still love the original free low-resolution Submachine 4 for the iconic obnoxious teleporter, complete with the Star Wars lightsabre sound effects and bright flashing light. Captivated me once upon a time.
Came here as soon as I saw Submachine being available over here. Longtime follower of the series, can't wait for the rerelease on Steam! Buying this immediately! Thanks for your work, Skutnik.
liked this game and i love your work thanks for beautiful games and art Mateusz sir. i have one question in my mind that the game "slice of sea" is a master piece and i love the music and game so much sir. but i am still wondering how we solve the last puzzle this is so tough enigma for me any clue sir. thank you
Oh man, I'm so glad this exists! Your Submachine games had a profound effect on me and my sense of atmosphere as a teenager and I'm really happy to see that you and it are still around.
You really should translate it to polish. I'm disappointed since I first played this game on flash, that i can't play polish game in polish language. But anyway, great game, I will think about buying it. (sadly flash died...). Now I'm playing Submachine Universe becouse I didn't buy the full version yet, and it works.
I have a question, if I buy this will I be able to play them still after Abode Flash Player dies in December 2020? To my understanding they were made in Flash Player, or not these retouched ones? I'm gonna be so sad if I'll never be able to play Submachine again..
I don't care. I just rebought the games again (my win10 broke down and took them all with itself) and started enjoying myself. Ruffle or Flash player by Adobe will allow me to play the downloaded games after 2020. But I do need a steam key from you, Mr. Skutnik, after you figure out the remastered piece :) Fingers crossed.
Will this game be available for Mac? I'd love to purchase it but I only have a Mac. I've already played the free online versions so I know about those :)
Dang. Thanks anyway. I can still play the free online versions so I'll be fine :) A shame though! I love your work and would love to play in full resolution! :)
Whats supposed to happen at the end of 32 ? I filled the ring with all the gem slivers. Is that the end of it? rotated the rings correctly. No end game at that point. Retraced everything and dont think I missed anything.
I am a bit confused. I can see that the itch.io client downloaded all the applications, but when I launch it through the client it only starts Submachine 0. Am I missing something, or is this collection just not compatible with itch.io?
I said to myself I would wait untill the Legacy, but I could not wait anymore. I have to say that from my 7 year old self to my 15 year old self, I had a blast playing the games. Chears!
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I got an email saying that there was a new update for this, I updated it, and it was flagged by my antivirus software. The same thing happened with the daymare town collection, which was also in the email. just checking in case it was a false alarm. by the way, this post is an altered copy of the one I made on the daymare town collection comment board, just to spread the word.
it is a false alarm. I updated these games and windows just doesnt like exe files downloaded from the internet. Don't worry. And thanks for the update. :D
Compatibility info for Linux and Mac users: I've just finished replaying all of the games on Linux. I mostly used the HD versions that I purchased a decade ago, but I realised that although I definitely bought Submachine 10 I didn't have a copy of the SWF anywhere (although I did have the free web version), so I repurchased the latest EXE version of that specific game. I was able to extract the SWF without any issues using the Python script linked from this page.
I assume that the collection is still fully playable in the standalone flash player, although I have not tested this directly with these new builds (unfortunately I'd already played through my old copies of 1-9 when I found this page). These games have brought me a lot of joy over the years, so I will probably buy this collection soon and replay them again, using all of the new builds, and report back.
I was able to play through most of the collection using the latest version of Ruffle, with some exceptions:
1. Submachine 10 struggled visibly in some graphics-heavy sections and eventually crashed when I played it on a laptop with 8G of RAM (and Firefox open!). I then moved to a laptop with a lot more memory available, and it was fine, except...
2. Submachine 10 consistently crashed towards the end of the game when I clicked on a specific portal. I don't know if this is an issue with this specific version of Ruffle, or this new build of Submachine 10, or my specific graphics hardware or software. I was able to copy the save file from just before the crash from Ruffle to Flash, play that short section in the standalone flash player that I still have, then copy the save file back and play the rest of the game in Ruffle.
WARNING: the game only saves progress (in Ruffle) if you exit the program normally. If you play the whole game without saving and it crashes, you will lose all of your progress. I did this twice, because I don't learn from my mistakes, and then started quitting periodically to save.
3. 32 Chambers has a glitch in Ruffle which breaks the game. I played this whole game in the standalone flash player.
It's worth noting that Ruffle is an actively developed project with multiple contributors. While I was looking into these issues, I found a lot of reports of previous problems in the Submachine games which have since been resolved -- so these outstanding issues may also be fixed soon.
I have the exe files now and I can play the games but it doesn't save my progress if I close the flash player window. Is there a way to save progress
I just followed your example and found the same thing. Weird thing is: This collection doesn't save, but the original HD versions I bought way back when DO save progress. I know it's down to the Flash cookies on that end, but makes me wonder how this collection works.
Any idea if there is something I can do to the files to make them save?
I emailed Mateusz himself and he gave me these instructions:
" right click on the game [as in on the game window after launching], go to settings and find local storage there. enable some, 1 Mb is more than enough. exit, restart the game, should work."
(brackets are additional context)
I tested it myself, it works.
Hello Mr. Skutnik, I'm a long term fan. I know you are working on Submachine Legacy but I want to share an Idea I have for multiplatform compatibility for your current collection.
There is an open source program called Ruffle and it plans to be a replacement for Adobe Flash Player. Not only does it restore Flash on web browsers, but also has stand alone programs for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is incomplete currently, but enough support seems to have been done for your submachine games to work in it, although have not thoroughly tested them.
Maybe you could use that instead to have more compatibility with other Operating Systems?
Help button text is really good advice for a horror game but also fits the submachine games well due to how desolate they are. Played the flash games recently and decided to buy the entire collection as it was on sale, to support the dev.
Dear Skutnik, will this game be available on Mac in the near future?
No, Mac does not allow such files to be opened on their OS.
Aw bugger, such is life. Thanks for answering.
If you can get the Flash movie files (.SWF) then you can run them through the old Standalone Flash Player, which has been archived in a few places and still runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS (on 64-bit Intel CPUs, or through Rosetta II). Here's one archive, but there are also several others on archive.org: https://archive.org/download/flashplayer_standalone_projectors
If you have issues with it complaining about Standalone Flash Player being from an "Unidentified Developer" then you'll have to look up how to turn off that requirement for your version of macOS.
About how to get .SWF files:
EXE distributions of Flash games are just wrappers around .SWF files. You might be able to extract the SWF file with a tool. Here's a very simple tool that should work on macOS: https://github.com/GTcreyon/swf-unbundler#usage You have to run it through Terminal—there are instructions on that page.
If you don't have any luck with that method, you could try politely asking if the developer is willing to provide the original .SWF files as an alternative download. This would allow people to easily play the old games in their original forms for years to come. I'm really happy to see that Submachine Legacy is nearly here, but I'll always want an archive of old versions of the games. I still love the original free low-resolution Submachine 4 for the iconic obnoxious teleporter, complete with the Star Wars lightsabre sound effects and bright flashing light. Captivated me once upon a time.
one of the greatest video game series i've ever played.
Came here as soon as I saw Submachine being available over here. Longtime follower of the series, can't wait for the rerelease on Steam! Buying this immediately! Thanks for your work, Skutnik.
Any update on Submachine Universe? I am so curious of the coordinates 666 and wish there was more to explore.
This is easily one of my all-time favourite game series!
Bientôt sur STEAM ?
liked this game and i love your work thanks for beautiful games and art Mateusz sir. i have one question in my mind that the game "slice of sea" is a master piece and i love the music and game so much sir. but i am still wondering how we solve the last puzzle this is so tough enigma for me any clue sir. thank you
this is not a puzzle. You're in a bigger world than just this game, some things are just there as flavor.
ok thank you sir.
This game might be a bit old but I had a lot of fun.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL60DPQciFWzWGTpMgYamVDejozmN8JisS
Submachine Collection
All submachine games here
Submachine
Submachine 1 : the Basement
Submachine 2 : the Lighthouse
Submachine 3 : the Loop
Submachine 4 : the Lab
Submachine 5 : the Root
Submachine 6 : the Edge
Submachine 7: the Core
Submachine 8 : the Plan
Submachine 9 : the Temple
Submachine 10 : the Exit
Submachine Zero : the Ancient Adventure
Submachine : 32 chambers
Submachine: Future Loop Foundation
Oh man, I'm so glad this exists! Your Submachine games had a profound effect on me and my sense of atmosphere as a teenager and I'm really happy to see that you and it are still around.
You really should translate it to polish. I'm disappointed since I first played this game on flash, that i can't play polish game in polish language. But anyway, great game, I will think about buying it. (sadly flash died...). Now I'm playing Submachine Universe becouse I didn't buy the full version yet, and it works.
you can still play flash games but it is just harder
Just bought this game because of how much i loved the Flash series so much. Excited to start playing!
I have a question, if I buy this will I be able to play them still after Abode Flash Player dies in December 2020? To my understanding they were made in Flash Player, or not these retouched ones? I'm gonna be so sad if I'll never be able to play Submachine again..
Not sure. I think it'll work, as it contains standalone flash player.
Thank you so much for your reply, I think I will wait to buy the remastered version on Steam then. Your games are amazing!
Will the Steam versions work on a Mac? :)
I don't care. I just rebought the games again (my win10 broke down and took them all with itself) and started enjoying myself. Ruffle or Flash player by Adobe will allow me to play the downloaded games after 2020. But I do need a steam key from you, Mr. Skutnik, after you figure out the remastered piece :) Fingers crossed.
no problemo. Hit me up once it's all on Steam.
That's very nice of you! Thank you!:)
Will this game be available for Mac? I'd love to purchase it but I only have a Mac. I've already played the free online versions so I know about those :)
No, Apple blocks such applications (.app created by flash, not code-signed and not notarized).
Dang. Thanks anyway. I can still play the free online versions so I'll be fine :) A shame though! I love your work and would love to play in full resolution! :)
this man Markiplier is unbearable !!! the game looks great
You might be right. I'll change that trailer to something else.
Whats supposed to happen at the end of 32 ? I filled the ring with all the gem slivers. Is that the end of it? rotated the rings correctly. No end game at that point. Retraced everything and dont think I missed anything.
did you rotate a face? it should to be rotate.
I am a bit confused. I can see that the itch.io client downloaded all the applications, but when I launch it through the client it only starts Submachine 0. Am I missing something, or is this collection just not compatible with itch.io?
The collection is compatible with itch, but to get them all you need to install them separately thru the itch install menu
hope this helps :)
What's a game's name?
Dear Mateusz. What's about "I have submachine in HD but is 0 FLF 32 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9"? What I can do? (From 2014)
SPOILER
Where is 596 in Submachine 4?
Maybe buy Submachine 10 HD seperate? Or send him a direct messige?
sub4 HD removed the Annex which is why there is also 1 less secret ite
Quite pricey would love to see some video game play. Just not enough information to buy and commit 25.00 to.
You can play non-retouched versions of the entire series online here, or try Submachine Universe to get a feel for it.
I said to myself I would wait untill the Legacy, but I could not wait anymore. I have to say that from my 7 year old self to my 15 year old self, I had a blast playing the games. Chears!
Ahh, this series takes me back