Frequently Asked Questions.

For Players

Do I need to create an account to play?

No. There are no player accounts, no login screens, and no cookies. You can play every game on the site anonymously.

What is "Member login" in the header, then?

That portal is strictly for creators to manage their pages and for approved Raters to submit their scores. Players never need to log in.

How do saves work? Why is a game asking for a password?

We use a Retro Save System inspired by classic NES games. Instead of forcing you to create an account, games that support saving generate a 12-character Hash Code (e.g., TF-8X2P-99KM). Your game state is encrypted in your browser before it leaves the page — the server stores the encrypted block, keyed by a one-way hash of the code, and never sees the plaintext. Write it down. When you return, type it in, and your browser decrypts your save locally. If you lose the code, the save is gone forever.

How does multiplayer work?

Just like the save system. One player creates a room and gets a Room Code. They send that code to a friend, who types it in to join the session.

Why do some Python games take a second to load?

Because we run Python in an isolated container per call, not as a persistent process. Every time a Python-backed work asks its backend to do something, we spin up a fresh container, pipe JSON in, get JSON out, and destroy it. There is no idle container sitting around between calls, and no five-minute warm-up. The call itself is fast; the container boot is the delay — usually about a second. See the Python page for the full container spec.

For Creators

How do I submit a game?

The only way to submit is to join our Discord and drop your files in the submission channel. There are no automated upload buttons. Check the Submission Criteria for all the technical requirements.

Can I submit a Unity or Godot game?

No. We only accept self-contained, lightweight web works. That means vanilla, unminified JavaScript; HTML + Python pairs (the HTML is the submission, the Python is a 16KB backend function — see the Python page); or WebAssembly with the original source ZIP and a public GitHub repo.

Why is there a 5MB file size limit?

Because we want the site to load instantly, even on slow connections or cheap phones. The smaller the file, the more people who can experience it. The only exception is sequenced JavaScript choreography videos.

What are tinyjam and python-classic?

They are the two annual competitions on tinyfiles.tv. tinyjam runs in spring (May 6 – June 6) and is the JavaScript-and-WebAssembly jam, hard-capped at 64KB. python-classic runs in fall (November 11 – December 11) and is the Python jam, hard-capped at 32KB total across the HTML + Python pair. Both are judged by the same Rater jury. Winning works are enshrined permanently in the collection with badges. Note the size difference: the site accepts works up to 5MB, but each competition has its own hard cap — 64KB for tinyjam, 32KB for python-classic.

Can my multiplayer game have a live chat feature?

No. To keep the site safe and completely PG-13, we do not allow live, uncontrolled text chat. You must make use of our standardized "64" preset phrases and emotions (similar to Rocket League or Hearthstone). If you need custom commands, they can be requested on a case-by-case basis. There is no uncontrolled talking allowed.

Can I put a link to my Patreon or itch.io on my game page?

Yes. We allow up to 3 donate links and 3 marketplace links on your creator profile. However, we do not allow social media links (Twitter, TikTok, Instagram).

Can I put ads or tracking in my game?

Absolutely not. All code must be self-contained and fully readable. No external API calls, no tracking pixels, no ad networks.

About the Platform

What exactly does "PG-13" mean here?

It means the site should be safe enough to send your kids to play without worrying about the content. Specifically:

• Language: Zero curse words or slurs.
• Violence: Totally fine. You can have fighting games, explosions, and action. Just keep it within standard video game norms (no hateful or real-world grotesque violence).
• Suggestive Content: Zero nudity, sexual content, or suggestive themes.

What is the ranking system? What are "Raters"?

Instead of a public upvote system that can easily be botted, we use a trusted group of Raters. Raters are given a secret key to score pieces. The voting is entirely blind — the curators don't know who voted on what.

If a game's average score drops below 50%, it is immediately pulled from the main feeds and sent to the Asset Graveyard, where it remains playable but no longer promoted. Anyone who has a program hosted on the site is automatically eligible to be a Rater, and outside applications are accepted occasionally. You can read the full breakdown on the About page.

Are there ads?

No. The site is funded entirely by donations and out of pocket. We do not run ads.

Do you track me?

We use basic server-side analytics (IP address, user agent, request logs) to keep the site online and block malicious traffic. We do not use Google Analytics, cross-site trackers, or cookies.

Where do I report a security issue?

If you find a vulnerability in the platform itself — the site, the API, the auth flow — email mikemabes1986@gmail.com. Do not post it publicly, and do not test against submitted works. The full safe-harbor terms and disclosure guidelines are on the Security page.

Who runs this site?

tinyfiles.tv is maintained and organized by Retrogames10000 and curated by committee vote. You can read more about the project on the About page.