Velocity Blocks 1.3.5

New in 1.3.5: keep and trade runs with your friends.

• Runs: a new menu where every run you import or open is kept. Watch it, race it, or delete it.
• Save a run as a .vbst file (great on PC) and open it in any Velocity Blocks: phone, PC or browser.
• Run links can now open in the app, and the web game has an Open in the app button.
• The game tells you when an update is out, with what's new. Update now, later, or skip it.
• Cleaner racing: the floating label over the ghost is gone; the gap panel stays.

What's new

Runs: your collection of shared laps

• Main menu > Runs keeps every run you open from a link or import from a file: track, driver, time, vehicle, date, and whether your game verified it.
• Watch a run with its full telemetry, Race it to chase it as your ghost, or delete it.
• Import run file (.vbst) and Paste a link are on the same screen. On a PC you can also drop a .vbst file on the game window.
• The same run opened twice is kept once; the newest are on top (up to 100).

Save runs as files (.vbst)

• Save run file is next to Share run in every replay that has an input log. It saves a .vbst file (on Android through the Save as screen), named like VelocityBlocks-A01-Warm-Up-Shaurya-0-10-60.vbst.
• What's inside: the track, driver, time, vehicle, walls, the date, the game version and whether the run was verified, then the run itself (readable JSON).
• Opening one: use Runs > Import run file in any version of the game. On Windows, double-click the file (the installer registers .vbst).
• Verification: your game drives every opened run itself and only shows ✓ verified when it finishes at the claimed time. A file edited to claim a faster time opens, but shows "not verified".

Run links open in the app

• Android: run links from velocityblocks.vercel.app now open straight in the app when it's installed. The website vouches for the app (.well-known/assetlinks.json), which Android 12 and later require.
• Browser: a run link opened in a browser has an Open in the app button (velocityblocks://). It opens the installed Android or Windows app.
• Windows: the game registers velocityblocks:// links when it starts. A link opens the game, or goes to the one already running. The portable .exe takes a little longer because it unpacks itself first.

Update prompt in the apps

• When it checks: the Android APK and the Windows app look for a new release at every start, at most once an hour.
• What it shows: what's new (this summary), with Update now, Later, Skip this version and Full release notes.
• How the update installs: the Android APK downloads the update in the game. The Windows installer downloads and runs the new installer. The portable .exe opens the download in your browser.

Racing

• No more floating tag over the ghost: the "PB ▲ 0.42" label is gone, because it pulled focus while driving. The gap panel on the left, the ghost car and its line on the road stay.

Good to know

• Android links: opening run links in the app needs this version and the updated website. On an older version, links still open the web game, and its Open in the app button works.
• Windows file types: the portable .exe can't register .vbst files. Use Runs > Import run file, drop the file on the window, or Open with.

For developers

• New code:
  • src/game/runLibrary.ts (Runs, in localStorage vb.runs).
  • In runShare.ts: the .vbst format (runFile, runFileName, parseRun reads files and velocityblocks:// links) and APP_LINK_BASE.
• Android:
  • AndroidManifest.xml: autoVerify on the https link filter, plus a velocityblocks scheme filter.
  • The site serves /.well-known/assetlinks.json (the release certificate 8A:B1:92:36:…) as JSON.
• Windows (desktop/main.cjs): reads .vbst paths and velocityblocks:// links from the command line and from second instances, registers the protocol (the portable by its own path), and shows the release notes in the update prompt. build-desktop.mjs adds fileAssociations and protocols.
• Updates: updates.ts checks at most once an hour (it was 24 h) and adds noteSummary (the text before the first heading) and the release page link. updateUi.ts adds the Full release notes button.
• Tests: 1558 passed, 1 skipped. New: tests/runShare.test.ts (links, .vbst files, forged times, Runs) and the notes summary in tests/updates.test.ts.