Retro Hideout.

Field notes / Choosing an edition

Browser recreations vs original game players

Two pages can both say “play in your browser” and still mean different things. Here is what each edition in this arcade actually runs, what you need to bring and what progress it remembers.

Content reviewed · Retro Hideout project · How we test

3 minute read · Six browser editions

Compare the six browser editions

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare every column.

GameWhat runsBefore playingIncluded scope
Feudalism IIMultiplayerNo game-file importOriginal towns, world map, recruitment, shops, quests, sieges and champion battles.
Sammy the SuricateBrowser recreationNo game-file importEight recreated trails with gems, colored keys and checkpoints.
Bud Redhead: The Time ChaseBrowser recreationNo game-file importThree reconstructed forest courses with required coin totals and time portals.
Lost Idols: Puzzle CrusadeBrowser portNo game-file importAll 100 original campaign maps and two publisher bonus puzzles.
Dig McDugBrowser recreationNo game-file importThirty recovered original 15 × 10 mine layouts.
Captain ClawOriginal demo playerImport original demo filesBrowser execution of your original Windows demo executable.
Bookworm AdventuresOriginal trial playerImport trial files + runtimeBrowser execution of the unchanged original 2007 PopCap trial.

Recreated browser gameplay

Sammy, Bud and Dig McDug use browser implementations with recovered original resources. You do not import your original game files to start these editions.

Their scope differs: Sammy has eight recreated trails, Bud has three reconstructed forest courses, and Dig McDug uses 30 recovered mine layouts. Original artwork or maps do not establish identical original physics, timing or enemy behavior.

A browser port with original puzzle maps

Lost Idols includes the 100 original campaign maps plus two bonus puzzles, along with recovered scenery and audio. The browser implementation runs those maps with its own engine.

This makes “Are the levels original?” a different question from “Does every effect and movement match the Windows game?” The maps are original; complete native parity has not been certified.

Players for the original executable

Captain Claw and Bookworm Adventures run your original executable through a browser compatibility runtime. They require imported game files rather than supplying the game as an instant-launch recreation.

Claw’s tested setup uses its original demo files. Bookworm’s verified setup uses the unchanged 2007 trial and a separate Wine 6 runtime ZIP. Running the original executable does not remove a trial’s limits or establish full retail compatibility.

Local progress is not cloud progress

The recreations store unlocks or best times in the browser. Original-file players store imports and runtime data on the device. Neither description should be read as a promise of a cross-device campaign profile.

Bud’s Load Game starts the highest unlocked course afresh; it does not restore the exact checkpoint from an earlier session. Sammy Multiplayer records completions separately from Classic and has its own private-room session behavior.

Treat browser storage as device-specific. Keep copies of original imported files and exported level-editor files outside the browser.

Touch controls and device compatibility

The game pages describe keyboard and touch actions. On-screen buttons provide a way to interact with the game, but they do not guarantee identical performance on every phone.

WebGL-based games need graphics support. The Claw compatibility player needs shared WebAssembly memory. Bookworm also needs enough memory for its browser runtime. Read setup requirements before starting a large import.

Choose the edition that fits

Choose a no-import browser edition when you want to start with the included recreation or puzzle maps. Choose an original-file player when you have the matching files and want to run the tested demo or trial.

Use the game pages for exact controls and edition limits, and the setup guides for import instructions. The library labels each edition so you can compare them before starting.

What this comparison is based on

This comparison summarizes the recorded scope for our browser editions. See per-game coverage, retained screenshots and testing limits.

It does not establish complete native, retail or physical-device compatibility.

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