FLAG GAME · START HERE

Your first game, step by step

Follow steps 1–7 in order — no technical knowledge needed

Before you start
Use a Windows 10 or 11 PC with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome
No installer, account sign-in or extra unzip software is needed to play

  1. Download on your Windows PC

    Open your Payhip order email on the Windows PC you will use for the game, then open its download link

    Click Download beside FlagGame-Windows-v2.1.2.zip and wait until the download finishes

    Bought on your phone? Open that same email on your Windows PC — you do not need to buy again

  2. Find the downloaded ZIP

    Hold the Windows key and press E to open File Explorer, then click Downloads on the left

    Find FlagGame-Windows-v2.1.2.zip — Windows may hide the .zip part of its name

    Saved it somewhere else? In Edge or Chrome, press Ctrl + J, find the download and choose Show in folder

  3. Unzip the whole game

    Right-click the ZIP — use the right mouse button once, or tap your touchpad with two fingers

    Choose Extract All…, leave the suggested folder location as it is, then click Extract

    Wait for Windows to finish — extracting makes an ordinary folder containing the game

    Windows can do this itself — no WinZip purchase or extra unzip app is needed

  4. Open the extracted Flag Game folder

    If the new folder does not open automatically, return to Downloads and open the new FlagGame-Windows-v2.1.2 folder with two quick left clicks

    Inside it, double-click Flag Game — you are in the right place when you can see these items together

    • 0 - START HERE.html this guide
    • 1 - Start Flag Game.exe opens the game
    • 2 - Stop Flag Game.exe closes the game
    • Game Files keep this folder
    • Creator Extras optional presets and ideas

    Keep all these items together — do not move just the Start file onto your desktop or open it from inside the ZIP

  5. Open the game

    Double-click 1 - Start Flag Game.exe once and allow a few seconds for the windows to appear

    You should see two windows: Flag Game - Director is your control panel and Flag Game - Stage shows the game

    Windows may hide .exe in the filename — choose the numbered Start application, not a file inside Game Files

  6. Play your first round

    In the Stage window, wait for READY TO PLAY, then click Play Now

    The default is Single Short — watch the 3–2–1 countdown, one complete game and the winner reveal

    The winner stays on screen — in Director, click Next round when you want another game

    You can play straight away with the default look — custom colours and recording are optional

  7. Close the game when you finish

    Return to the extracted Flag Game folder and double-click 2 - Stop Flag Game.exe to close both game windows

    Alternatively, click X on both Stage and Director — closing only one leaves the other open, and minimising does not close the game

    Next time, open the same extracted folder and double-click 1 - Start Flag Game.exe — no repeat download or extraction is needed

Ready for more?

Try these after your first game is working

Run continuous rounds for a livestream

  1. Leave Director open and close the current Stage using its X
  2. In Director, click Open continuous stage
  3. Check the new Stage says CONTINUOUS · REPEAT ROUNDS, then click Play Now
  4. Leave Keep the show running switched on in Director so each winner reveal leads into the next round

To return to Single Short, close Stage, click Open Shorts stage in Director and then Play Now — keep only one Stage open at a time

Continuous rounds keep playing while the game is open — separate streaming software is needed to broadcast them

Change the flags, colours and channel name

  1. In Director, find Your flags. Your look. and choose your flags and colours — select at least two flags
  2. Click Save appearance to apply your look
  3. Click Next round to see changes to the flag lineup, flag size or arena size in a new game
  4. For your own footer, enter your Channel handle and click Save handle separately — leave it blank and save to hide it

The colour wheel lets you create custom colours beyond the six starting palettes

Optional: choose Import preset, open Creator Extras → Starter Presets and pick a JSON file, then review it and click Save appearance — save the handle separately if wanted

Record a Short or broadcast a livestream

  1. Open your recording or streaming software — this is separate from Flag Game
  2. Use a portrait 9:16 canvas, such as 1080 × 1920
  3. Capture Flag Game - Stage only — keep Director, your desktop and the window title bar out of the picture
  4. Keep Stage visible and make a short recording to check the picture and game audio
  5. For a fresh Short, leave Director open, close Stage, then click Open Shorts stage in Director — start recording before you click Play Now. If a Short is already showing its winner, start recording and click Next round instead. Let the countdown, game, winner announcement and confetti finish before stopping your recording

If you use OBS, Window Capture is the straightforward starting option — advanced Browser Source notes are under Capture and audio setup in Director

Flag Game does not save MP4 files or upload to YouTube — Export preset saves settings, not a video

Need a hand?

Choose the problem you see

I cannot find Extract All

Right-click the downloaded ZIP and choose Open with → Windows Explorer, then use Extract all in File Explorer

If you already see an ordinary folder containing both numbered applications and Game Files, use that extracted folder instead

The game does not open or says files are missing

Check you finished Step 3 and are using the ordinary extracted folder, not the ZIP

Both numbered launchers must sit beside Game Files — if anything is missing, extract the complete ZIP again into a new folder

Use a Windows 10 or 11 PC with Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome — macOS, Linux and phones cannot run this Windows download

Windows shows a security warning

The launcher is unsigned, so Windows may show a warning or your device policy may block it

Confirm the download came from your own Flag Game Payhip order — if you are unsure or it stays blocked, send the exact warning to support

Keep antivirus and Windows security enabled — do not disable protection or buy an app to get around a warning

There is no sound

Turn up Windows volume and check your speaker or headphone output, then click Enable stage audio on the Stage if shown

In Director, open Audio controls and check the sound levels and mute setting

If you can hear the game but your recording is silent, check audio capture in your recording software and make a short test

It says CLOSE THE OTHER STAGE or Stage offline

Keep Director and just one Stage open — close any extra Stage window

If shown, click RETRY CONNECTION on the remaining Stage

If you closed Stage, reopen it from Director using Open Shorts stage or Open continuous stage

My new flags or colours are not showing

Click Save appearance and then Next round in Director

The design preview can show unsaved changes — check the actual Stage after saving

Your channel name uses its own Save handle button

I need my download link again

Open your original Payhip order email and use its download link — check your spam or junk folder if you cannot find it

If the link fails or the download limit has been reached, email support with your order reference — do not buy the game again just to ask for help

Still stuck?

Email colorzones@proton.me with your order reference, Windows version, the step you reached and the exact message you see

A screenshot can help — hide personal details, passwords and payment information first