Signal Flare

Can't find a game? Send up a flare. The community will help you track it down.

3 active flares • 1 games found • 6 clues submitted

Active 1990s

Space pirates game with a ship builder - late 90s PC

by GlitchGuru · 2 months ago · 3 clues

I played this game around 1997-1999 on PC. You were a space pirate and could build/customize your own ship. It had a top-down view during combat but 3D during exploration. The ships had modular parts you could swap out. I think it had multiplayer over LAN.

What I remember:

PC game, late 90s. Top-down combat, 3D exploration. Modular ship building. Space pirate theme. Might have had LAN multiplayer. Not Escape Velocity or Star Control.

Community Clues

🔎 Clue ZenithZero 2 months ago

Could this be Smugglers? It had ship customization and was top-down.

🔎 Clue ByteBard 2 months ago

Sounds like it could be Starshatter or maybe Space Empires. Was it turn-based?

💭 Memory RuneWalker 2 months ago

I remember a game like this! The ship builder had drag-and-drop parts. You could see your ship from the side in the builder but it was top-down in fights.

Active 2000s

Browser-based medieval kingdom builder from 2005-2008

by TerraTracker · 2 months ago · 1 clue

I used to play this browser game where you managed a medieval kingdom. It had text-based menus but some graphics. You could trade resources with other players, build armies, and declare war. It was free to play but had some premium features. The community was really active.

What I remember:

Browser game (no download). Medieval theme. Kingdom management. Text-heavy with some graphics. Trade, armies, wars. Active around 2005-2008. Free with optional premium. NOT Tribal Wars, Kingdom of Loathing, or Travian.

Community Clues

🔎 Clue GlitchGuru 2 months ago

Could be Utopia? It was a text-based kingdom game from the late 90s/2000s with trading and wars.

Active 2000s

Colorful puzzle platformer with paint mechanic - maybe Wii or DS

by ByteBard · 2 months ago · 0 clues

I have this vivid memory of a puzzle platformer where you could paint the world to change it. Like painting a platform to make it solid, or painting water to make it freeze. Really colorful art style. I think it was on Wii or DS around 2008-2010.

What I remember:

Wii or DS. Puzzle platformer. Paint mechanic - paint surfaces to change their properties. Very colorful. 2008-2010 era. NOT de Blob (similar but different).

Found 2000s

Dark fantasy ARPG with a possession mechanic

by DungeonDiver42 · 2 months ago · 2 clues

There was this action RPG where you could possess enemies and play as them. Dark fantasy setting, maybe early 2000s. It was on PS2 I think. You started as a ghost or spirit and had to take over bodies to fight. Each body had different abilities.

What I remember:

PS2, early 2000s. Action RPG. Dark fantasy. Possession mechanic - take over enemy bodies. Each body = different abilities. Started as a spirit/ghost.

Community Clues

🏆 ID Match TerraTracker 2 months ago

This is Geist for GameCube! You play as a ghost who possesses people and objects. Not PS2 though.

🔎 Clue DungeonDiver42 2 months ago

THATS IT! Geist! I was wrong about PS2, it was GameCube. Thank you so much!

Help Find Lost Games

Tips for a Good Flare

Art style matters. Was it pixel art, 3D polygons, hand drawn, isometric, or side scrolling? Even rough descriptions help narrow things down fast.
Name the platform. PC, console, arcade, browser, or mobile? If you remember the operating system (Windows 95, DOS, Mac OS 9) even better.
Pin down the era. You do not need an exact year. "Late 90s" or "around 2004" is enough to cut the search in half.
Describe one specific moment. A boss fight, a puzzle, an opening cutscene, a weird game over screen. Unique moments are the easiest thing for others to recognize.
Think about the genre. Was it an RPG, platformer, strategy, puzzle, racing, or something you could not quite categorize? Knowing the type of game helps the community search smarter.
Remember any characters? Names, appearances, or even vague descriptions like "a blue robot" or "a kid with a sword" can be the detail that cracks it.
Music and sound stick. If you can hum the theme or remember a specific sound effect (a jingle when you collected something, a voice line) mention it. Audio memories are powerful.
Where did you play it? A friend's house, a school computer lab, a demo disc, a cereal box CD ROM, an arcade at the mall? The context of how you found the game can help identify it.
Packaging and physical media. Do you remember the box art, disc label, cartridge color, or manual cover? These are often catalogued in retro game databases.
Try a search first. Before posting, check the Archive and try a few keyword searches. It might already be here.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Was it single player or multiplayer?
Did it have a story or was it purely gameplay?
Was it a full game or a demo, shareware, or flash game?
Did you ever see it in a store, magazine, or on a website?
Could you save your progress or did you start over each time?
Were there levels, an open world, or a menu based structure?
Was it in English or another language?

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