Skip to content

Ruffle - General Guide

Ruffle logo

An open source Flash Player emulator.

Note:

Ruffle is a W.I.P emulator that is under heavy development.

Some games might not work at all or control right.


Resource Link
Ruffle - Blog Link
Ruffle - Compatibility List Link
Ruffle - Webpage Link

Where to put the games?

Flash games should be put under the retrodeck/roms/flash/ directory.


What file formats are supported?

File Format Description
.swf Shockwave Flash file

Does Ruffle require BIOS or Firmware?

No


Directory structure

Type Directory Comment
Cache ~/.var/app/net.retrodeck.retrodeck/cache/ruffle/
Config ~/.var/app/net.retrodeck.retrodeck/config/ruffle/
Data ~/.var/app/net.retrodeck.retrodeck/data/ruffle/
ROMs retrodeck/roms/flash/
Saves retrodeck/saves/flash/

Controls in Games

Most flash games were designed for mouse and/or keyboard controls, with each game having its own unique setup.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution for game inputs.

Some games might use the keyboard (WASD, arrow keys, numpad), the mouse, or a combination of these.

Suggestions on how to control games:

  • Use a real keyboard and mouse.
  • Use RetroDECK's Steam Input Layouts to emulate mouse input using a joystick.
  • Use the built-in touchpads on controllers or devices like the DualSense, DualShock 4, Steam Deck and Steam Controller.
  • Use the built-in touchscreens on devices like the Steam Deck.
  • Summon built-in virtual keyboards in SteamOS or your Linux distribution with a button combo.

Can I use Ruffle to play Flash videos and not just games?

Yes, you can add Flash videos (.sfw files) to the retrodeck/roms/flash/ folder to play them.

You might want to organize videos and games into separate subfolders, but it's optional.

Example:

retrodeck/roms/flash/videos/
retrodeck/roms/flash/games/