NOTICE: this guide was made on a Windows 10 computer.
Miss your favorite DeviantArt flash? Can't find it on Flashpoint or the Internet Archive, but you still have the DeviantArt link with the download enabled on it? You can still play it! Here's how.
First of all, you're going to want to download an offline copy of Flash player that won't betray you and obliterate itself. You can find that Here. Open it up for good measure so your OS recognizes it as an app that you can open up files with.
Second of all, you're gonna need a DeviantArt account. Sorry.
Next, log in - you're gonna want to download the flash in question. Your mileage may vary on this - some authors may have downloads disabled, or it may take a few page refreshes for a download button to show up. If the stars align, you'll end up on a page that looks like this:
Hit that downwards facing arrow in the bottom right corner. This will start the download. Once it's done, you should see the equivalent download complete prompt in your browser.
Now, time to play!
Right click your downloaded file and hover over the "Open with" prompt. Flash player should show up as an option (if not, hit the "choose another app" prompt below to add it manually, or open up Flash player and choose to open the file in there instead).
Now, just play! Note that it may look odd in fullscreen since these were designed to be played in browser windows, so if that's applicable to your flash of choice, consider playing it in windowed mode. Enjoy!
If you are looking to upload these flashes for archival purposes, please see Flashpoint archive's guide on uploading flashes with Ruffle emulation to the Internet Archive Here, so people can enjoy these games right from their browser.
If you are interested in submitting a flash to the Flashpoint archive itself, please see The curation guide.
And finally, if downloads are disabled on the flash you're looking for, try reaching out to the creator or see if they reuploaded on a different platform! I thought one of my favorite old flashes was gone, until I realized the creator had simply uploaded a new version on Sheezy. You can also try the wayback machine, but your mileage may vary.