About ARCADE

ARCADE is a comprehensive gaming platform designed for entrepreneurs who want to launch their own profitable gaming website. Built with modern web technologies, ARCADE provides everything you need to create an engaging gaming community with advanced social features.

The platform combines traditional gaming functionality with innovative features like a virtual chatroom, real-time social interactions, and comprehensive admin tools to help you manage and grow your gaming business.

Key Highlights

Required Software

The following software components must be installed on your server:

• Node.js - Version 20.19 LTS or higher
• MySQL - Version 5.7 or higher
• Nginx - For reverse proxy and static file serving
• PM2 - For process management (optional but highly recommended)

Upload Requirements

To upload the ARCADE platform files to your server, you'll need:

• FTP/SFTP Client - FileZilla, WinSCP, or similar
• SSH Access - For command line operations
• Root/Sudo Access - For installing dependencies

Step 1: Upload Files

Upload the ARCADE files to your server using FTP/SFTP:

1. Connect to your server via FTP/SFTP
2. Navigate to your web root directory (usually /var/www/html)
3. Upload all the contents of Install folder to the server

Step 2: Set File Permissions

Connect to your server via SSH and set proper file permissions:

# Navigate to your ARCADE directory
cd /path/to/arcade

# Set proper permissions
chmod -R 777 .
                    

Step 3: Install Dependencies

Install all required Node.js modules:

# Install all dependencies from package.json
npm install

# If you encounter permission issues, use:
sudo npm install
                    

Step 4: Database Setup

Create your MySQL database through cPanel:

1. Log into your hosting control panel (cPanel)
2. Navigate to MySQL Databases section
3. Create a new database (e.g., arcade_db)
4. Create a database user with a secure password
5. Assign the user to the database with ALL PRIVILEGES
6. Note down your database name, username, and password for the .env file

Step 5: Run Deployment Setup

ARCADE provides two deployment options for your convenience:

# Test your deployment configuration safely
npm run deploy:simulate

# After testing with simulation, run the actual deployment
npm run deploy

Step 6: Start the Application

Start ARCADE using one of these methods:

# Method 1: Direct start (for testing)
npm start

# Method 2: Using PM2 (recommended for production)
npm install -g pm2
pm2 start app.js --name "Arcade"
pm2 save
pm2 startup
                    

Security & Performance Configuration

ARCADE includes comprehensive security and performance settings that can be customized in your .env file:

# General API rate limiting (for /requests/ endpoints)
RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=900000          # 15 minutes window
RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS=1000         # 1000 requests per window

# Authentication rate limiting (for login, register, password reset)
AUTH_RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=900000     # 15 minutes window
AUTH_RATE_LIMIT_MAX=5                # 5 attempts per window

# Body Size Limits
BODY_SIZE_LIMIT=100mb                # Form data upload limit
JSON_SIZE_LIMIT=10mb                 # JSON payload limit

Requirements

• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS - Fresh VPS installation without any pre-installed software
• Root or Sudo Access - Required for system package installation
• Domain Name - For SSL certificate generation via Let's Encrypt

Installation Steps

Follow these steps to deploy Arcade with full automation:

1. Configure DNS Records

   Point your domain to your VPS IP address using A records:

   A | @ | YOUR_SERVER_IP
   A | www | YOUR_SERVER_IP

2. Upload Arcade Files

   Use FTP client (like Filezilla) to upload all Arcade installation files to the /home directory on your VPS.

3. Connect via SSH

   Login to your VPS using SSH with root or sudo privileges.

4. Update System Packages

   Update the system to ensure all packages are current:

   sudo apt -y update && sudo apt -y upgrade

5. Run Auto Setup Script

   Execute the automated installation script:

   cd /home && ./autosetup.sh

6. Follow Interactive Prompts

   The script will prompt for your domain name. All passwords and database credentials are auto-generated securely. Installation typically completes in 10-15 minutes.

Update Process

Updating your ARCADE platform to the latest version is simple and preserves all your data:

1. Create a backup of your existing installation
2. Upload and replace all files (except .env file)
3. Install dependencies: npm install
4. Build assets: npm run build
5. Run migration command: npm run migrate:up
6. Restart the application

Backup Considerations

Before updating, create backups of:

• Database (MySQL dump)
• .env configuration file
• uploads/ directory (user content and games)
• cache/ directory (optional, can be regenerated)

# Create database backup
mysqldump -u username -p database_name > backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).sql

# Create file backups
cp .env .env.backup
tar -czf uploads_backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz uploads/

Troubleshooting Updates

If you encounter issues during updates:

# Check migration status
npm run migrate:status

# View detailed migration information
npm run migrate

User Registration & Authentication

ARCADE provides multiple ways for users to register and authenticate:

User Profiles & Social Features

Each user gets a comprehensive profile with social features:

• Profile Customization - Avatar, bio, and personal information
• Game Statistics - Playing history, favorite games, and achievements
• Social Connections - Follow other players and build friendships
• Privacy Settings - Control profile visibility and data sharing

Experience Points & Ranking System

Keep players engaged with a comprehensive progression system:

Admin User Management

Comprehensive admin tools for managing your user base:

Multi-Format Game Support

ARCADE supports multiple game formats to maximize your content library:

Game Upload Process

Simple and intuitive game upload workflow:

1. Access the admin dashboard and navigate to Games section
2. Choose upload method (ZIP file, SWF file, ROM file, or external URL)
3. Fill in game details (title, description, category, tags)
4. Upload game thumbnail (automatically optimized)
5. System processes and publishes the game automatically

Game Categories & Organization

Organize your games effectively with a robust categorization system:

• Custom Categories - Create unlimited game categories
• Tag System - Flexible tagging for detailed organization
• Search & Filter - Advanced search capabilities
• Featured Games - Highlight popular or new games

Revolutionary Social Experience

ARCADE's most unique feature is its groundbreaking chatroom system that sets it apart from traditional gaming platforms. Players can interact in a fully immersive virtual environment with animated characters.

Character Animation System

Each character comes with a complete set of animations:

• Idle State - Breathing and subtle movements when standing
• Walking & Running - Smooth movement animations
• Combat Moves - Multiple attack animations and defense poses
• Directional Support - Left and right facing animations

Real-time Communication

Advance communication system:

Dashboard Overview

The ARCADE admin dashboard is a comprehensive control center built with Node.js, Express, and EJS templating. It provides complete administrative control over your gaming platform with role-based access control, real-time analytics, and advanced content management capabilities.

🏠 Main Dashboard (Overview)

The main dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your platform's performance:

👥 User Management System

Comprehensive user administration with advanced controls:

🎮 Advanced Game Management

Professional game library administration with multi-format support:

Game Upload Process:
1. Access: /dashboard/games
2. Upload Methods:
   • HTML5 Games: ZIP file upload with automatic extraction
   • Flash Games: .SWF file upload with Ruffle emulator
   • ROM Games: Retro console ROMs with built-in emulators
   • External Games: URL linking with iframe support
3. Automatic Processing:
   • Thumbnail generation and optimization
   • WebP conversion for faster loading
   • Metadata extraction and validation
   • Game slug generation for SEO
4. Configuration:
   • Game details (title, description, tags)
   • Category assignment
   • Activation status
   • Featured game settings
                    

📝 Content Management Suite

Professional content management with moderation tools:

• Custom Pages - Create and manage custom pages with SEO optimization
• Comment Moderation - Approve, edit, or remove user comments
• Category Management - Create categories with Heroicons and custom colors
• Media Library - Organize and optimize images and game assets

🏆 Experience & Gamification System

Advanced user engagement and progression system:

📊 Analytics & Reporting Dashboard

Comprehensive analytics with real-time data and historical trends:

🔍 Advanced Search & Filter System

Powerful search capabilities throughout the dashboard:

• Search Query Analytics - Track what users are searching for
• Dashboard Search - Quick search across all dashboard tables
• Advanced Filters - Filter by date, status, category, user type
• Export Capabilities - Export filtered data to CSV/Excel

📧 Communication & Monitoring

Comprehensive monitoring and communication tools:

Game API Overview

ARCADE provides a comprehensive JavaScript API that allows HTML5 and embed games to interact with the platform. Since games are loaded through iframes on the ARCADE platform, the API uses the parent object to communicate between the game (child iframe) and the main platform (parent window). Game developers should include these API calls directly in their game's index.html file.

Getting Help

Multiple support channels are available for ARCADE users: