Archipelago vs VARIA Randomizer

Archipelago randomizes supported games and connects them in a shared multiplayer experience. An item found in one player's game can be assigned to another player and sent over the internet. Sessions may be synchronous, with everyone playing at once, or asynchronous, with players connecting at their own pace. Supported games can also be generated as single-player experiences through the website or installed generator software. Website generation uses an uploaded YAML configuration or ZIP of configuration files and the current Archipelago release. To host a game, users can upload a locally generated ZIP or multidata file, then provide a tracker and patch files to players. Race games are made without spoiler logs and use protections that vary by game, such as ROM encryption or cheat-mode removal. The project lists included games and provides guides, including instructions for macOS clients; it directs players and developers to Discord for questions. Archipelago is free and open source, with Linux, macOS, web, and Windows support. Its supported-games page also points to guides for custom worlds and other games.

VARIA Randomizer has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.