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Retro Arcade puts Snake, Tetris, Breakout, Flappy, 2048, Minesweeper, Sudoku, and Gomoku behind one browser-based arcade interface. Its author, Minjia Hu, describes the project as a plain-TypeScript application using Canvas 2D, a shared game shell, and on-demand game imports. The headline figure of about 35 kB gzipped applies to the whole build with fonts excluded; it is the author’s published claim, not an independently verified benchmark.
What the arcade includes
The eight games share a cabinet-style interface rather than behaving like unrelated pages. A common shell provides the top bar, play area, hints, pause, mute, back controls, and result overlay. Individual game modules plug into that shell and can add optional interface elements.
The project describes keyboard and touch input. Its eight games span different interaction styles: grid-based puzzles such as Sudoku and Minesweeper, action games such as Breakout and Flappy, and familiar board or tile games including Gomoku and 2048.
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How the TypeScript architecture works
Keep game rules separate from drawing
Each game separates rule logic from presentation. In the project’s pattern, logic.ts holds state transitions and rules without DOM or Canvas calls; index.ts draws the current state and translates user input into calls to the logic. That separation makes rules easier to test independently of the screen. Hu uses 2048 row merging as an example: a merge can be tested as a regular function without rendering a board.
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- Wide Compatibility: LED Kit supports Windows Arcade Games, PC Games, DIY Projects, Arcade Raspberry Pi for RetroPie system and MAME applications
Use Canvas for the board, DOM for controls
Canvas 2D draws the game boards, grids, blocks, and sprites. Controls that benefit from being interactive interface elements—such as digit entry or difficulty choices—remain DOM buttons. Hu’s stated rationale is that native buttons provide built-in focus and keyboard access and make it easier to size touch targets. This hybrid approach avoids treating every visible control as part of the canvas image.
Share the shell and game context
The shell gives each game a consistent place to render and access shared interface behavior. A common module interface and context keep game-specific rules in their own modules while allowing the arcade to manage navigation and cabinet-level controls centrally.
Rank #2
- Compatible with Switch and Windows.
- Supports ultimate software - customize button mapping and create macros
- Dynamic button layout - button mapping changes with mode functionally and visually
- Ultra-moddable arcade stick - Universal mounting plate supports Sanwa arcade sticks
- Three ways to connect: Bluetooth, 2.4g and wired USB-C. The included 2.4g receiver has a special hidden compartment to store it safely.
What “35 kB” does—and does not—mean
Hu states that the whole build is about 35 kB gzipped, excluding fonts. This is a project-author figure, not a result from an independent measurement. It describes the compressed build size, not a guaranteed download time, startup time, or frame rate.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe project also uses dynamic imports so a game’s module can load when that game is selected. That changes when code is requested, not how much code exists in the complete build: total build size and initial payload are different measures. The available project description does not give an independently measured initial transfer size or load-time benchmark.
Rank #3
- Small Form Factor Fight Stick featuring an 8-button layout and 8ft. cable
- Great for both Arcade and Fighting Games
- Compact, lightweight and portable design
- Features Classic 8-Button Layout and HORI’s Original Joystick with V-cut Housing
- Officially Licensed by Sony
How Gomoku keeps search work off the interface thread
For Gomoku’s computer opponent, Hu describes minimax with alpha-beta pruning running in a Web Worker at three search depths. Moving the search into a worker keeps that computation from running directly on the browser’s main UI thread.
When a game is restarted, the app increments a token; worker responses carry a token, and replies from earlier work are ignored if their token is stale. This protects the current game from an obsolete result, but it does not cancel the old search. The worker may continue using CPU until that search finishes.
Rank #4
- 2.4G Wireless on Xbox and Windows PC – Officially licensed and compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows.
- Leverless. Ultimate Precision – Features an all-button arcade layout with quad-movement design for unmatched accuracy and ultra-fast inputs. Execute combos with greater speed and control.
- Ultra Thin and Compact – Nearly the size of an A4 sheet and as thin as 1.6 cm. Fight anytime, anywhere.
- Hot-swappable PCB - Features 16 Kailh Wizard low-profile mechanical switches, allowing you to customize with other switches that fit your needs.
- Programmable and Practical – Two programmable buttons with fast mapping, replaceable lock caps, independent control panel, and built-in 3.5mm audio jack and volume control.
Tests, requirements, and project disclosures
Tests and local commands
Hu reports 269 unit tests and 28 Playwright end-to-end tests in CI. These are project-reported counts and status, not results of an independent test run. The repository README provides the local test commands alongside its development instructions: Retro Arcade on GitHub.
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The repository README lists Node 20.19+ or 22.12+ for development and Chrome 99+, Safari 16+, and Firefox 112+ as supported modern browsers. These are the project’s stated requirements and support claims, not a cross-device compatibility test.
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Network and saved scores
Hu says there is no backend, scores are stored in localStorage, and Google Fonts are the only third-party requests. The README likewise says there is no tracking and identifies Google Fonts as the only network request. These are the project’s disclosures; network traffic was not independently inspected.
Known rough edges
Hu flags the icon-only Tetris touch controls and ongoing mobile layout and touch tuning as areas for improvement. That qualification matters for anyone evaluating the project as a mobile-first arcade: the stated support for touch does not mean every touch interaction is already polished.
Quick Recap
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