FLAMES is a classic relationship compatibility game where you enter two names and discover the type of relationship - Friends, Lovers, Affection, Marriage, Enemies, or Siblings. It originated as a popular schoolyard game played with paper and pencil.

How does FLAMES calculate the result?

FLAMES works by removing common letters from both names, counting the remaining letters, and then eliminating letters from "FLAMES" based on that count until one letter remains. Each letter represents a relationship type.

Is FLAMES game free to play?

Yes! FLAMES game is completely free to play online. No registration or payment required. Just enter two names and get instant results.

What does each letter in FLAMES mean?

F = Friends, L = Lovers, A = Affection, M = Marriage, E = Enemies, S = Siblings. The final remaining letter reveals your relationship compatibility.

Can I share my FLAMES result?

Yes! After getting your result, you can share it via social media, copy a link, or download a beautiful result card image to share with friends.

Is my data saved when I play FLAMES?

We only store anonymous statistics to show global trends. We do not save the names you enter or any personal information.

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Igniting Flames...

Finding your destiny...

FLAMES API

API Documentation

Build with FLAMES

Integrate the classic FLAMES relationship calculator into your applications with our simple RESTful API. Fast, fun, and nostalgic!

JSON responses6 relationship typesRate limitedInput validation

View API info

Avg Latency

<50ms

Lightning fast calculations

Rate Limit

20/min

Per IP address

Uptime

99.9%

Reliable service

Uptime 99.9%Last deploy recentlyPOST /api/flames

POST

/api/flames

● 99.9% uptime

FLAMES Calculation Endpoint

Calculate the relationship between two names. Send a simple JSON request with two names and receive the FLAMES relationship result with meanings and fun taglines.

Request format

example.sh

Content-Type: application/json
Body format: JSON with name1 and name2
Max length: 50 characters per name
Characters: Letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes
Rate limit: 20 req / 60 sec

Response format

response.json

• F (Friends)
• L (Love)
• A (Affection)
• M (Marriage)
• E (Enemy)
• S (Sibling)

Request lifecycle

1. Send two names
POST a JSON body with name1 and name2 fields. Names are validated and sanitized before processing.
2. Algorithm calculation
The classic FLAMES algorithm removes common letters, counts remaining, and cycles through F-L-A-M-E-S.
3. Receive the result
Get back the relationship type (Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemy, or Sibling) with a fun tagline.

Guaranteed safeguards

Consistent results
Same names always produce the same FLAMES result.
Input validation
Names are validated for length, characters, and similarity.
Rate limit headers
Each response includes X-RateLimit-* headers for tracking usage.

API Reference & Live Testing

POST

/api/flames

Select a programming language to see implementation examples, then test the API directly.

Code Example

example.js

Sample Names

AliceName 1

BobName 2

Try It Live

Click "Try It!" to test the API

The request will send sample names to the API and show the real response

Request Details

Content-Type:: application/json
Body format:: JSON with name1 and name2
Max length:: 50 characters per name
Characters:: Letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes
Rate limit:: 20 req / 60 sec

Response Format

Format:: JSON
Results:: F, L, A, M, E, or S
Meaning:: Full word (Friends, Love, etc.)
Tagline:: Fun message with emoji
Timestamp:: ISO 8601 format

Rate Limits & Usage

API usage limits and response headers

API Limits

Requests / window

Time window

60 seconds

Max name length

50 chars

Algorithm

Sliding window

Illustrative usage10/20 requests

Response headers

X-RateLimit-Limit

Total allowed requests (20)

X-RateLimit-Remaining

Requests left in window

X-RateLimit-Reset

Seconds until reset

0–15 requests

Safe zone

All requests processed normally without any delays.

16–19 requests

Warning

Approaching limit—consider slowing down your requests.

20+ requests

Cooldown

Subsequent calls receive HTTP 429 until the 60s window resets.

Rate limit best practices

Respect the X-RateLimit-Reset header before retrying to avoid cascading failures.

• Check X-RateLimit-Remaining before making requests
• Implement exponential backoff for 429 responses
• Cache results for repeated name combinations
• Handle rate limits gracefully in your UI

Error Codes

Common responses, failure modes, and mitigation strategies

Bad Request

HTTP 400

Invalid or missing parameters

Common causes

• Missing name1 or name2
• Invalid characters in name
• Names are identical
• Name too long

How to handle

• Ensure both name1 and name2 are provided
• Only use letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes
• Keep names under 50 characters
• Make sure names are different

Response example

400_response.json

Error Handling Tips

Build resilient clients by treating every non-200 response explicitly.

• Always check the success field in the response
• Parse error messages for detailed information
• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 429/500 errors
• Validate names client-side before sending
• Monitor rate limit headers to prevent 429 errors

Loading documentation...

FLAMES API

API Documentation

Build with FLAMES

Integrate the classic FLAMES relationship calculator into your applications with our simple RESTful API. Fast, fun, and nostalgic!

JSON responses6 relationship typesRate limitedInput validation

View API info

Avg Latency

<50ms

Lightning fast calculations

Rate Limit

20/min

Per IP address

Uptime

99.9%

Reliable service

Uptime 99.9%Last deploy recentlyPOST /api/flames

POST

/api/flames

● 99.9% uptime

FLAMES Calculation Endpoint

Calculate the relationship between two names. Send a simple JSON request with two names and receive the FLAMES relationship result with meanings and fun taglines.

Request format

example.sh

Content-Type: application/json
Body format: JSON with name1 and name2
Max length: 50 characters per name
Characters: Letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes
Rate limit: 20 req / 60 sec

Response format

response.json

• F (Friends)
• L (Love)
• A (Affection)
• M (Marriage)
• E (Enemy)
• S (Sibling)

Request lifecycle

1. Send two names
POST a JSON body with name1 and name2 fields. Names are validated and sanitized before processing.
2. Algorithm calculation
The classic FLAMES algorithm removes common letters, counts remaining, and cycles through F-L-A-M-E-S.
3. Receive the result
Get back the relationship type (Friends, Love, Affection, Marriage, Enemy, or Sibling) with a fun tagline.

Guaranteed safeguards

Consistent results
Same names always produce the same FLAMES result.
Input validation
Names are validated for length, characters, and similarity.
Rate limit headers
Each response includes X-RateLimit-* headers for tracking usage.

API Reference & Live Testing

POST

/api/flames

Select a programming language to see implementation examples, then test the API directly.

Code Example

example.js

Sample Names

AliceName 1

BobName 2

Try It Live

Click "Try It!" to test the API

The request will send sample names to the API and show the real response

Request Details

Content-Type:: application/json
Body format:: JSON with name1 and name2
Max length:: 50 characters per name
Characters:: Letters, spaces, hyphens, apostrophes
Rate limit:: 20 req / 60 sec

Response Format

Format:: JSON
Results:: F, L, A, M, E, or S
Meaning:: Full word (Friends, Love, etc.)
Tagline:: Fun message with emoji
Timestamp:: ISO 8601 format

Rate Limits & Usage

API usage limits and response headers

API Limits

Requests / window

Time window

60 seconds

Max name length

50 chars

Algorithm

Sliding window

Illustrative usage10/20 requests

Response headers

X-RateLimit-Limit

Total allowed requests (20)

X-RateLimit-Remaining

Requests left in window

X-RateLimit-Reset

Seconds until reset

0–15 requests

Safe zone

All requests processed normally without any delays.

16–19 requests

Warning

Approaching limit—consider slowing down your requests.

20+ requests

Cooldown

Subsequent calls receive HTTP 429 until the 60s window resets.

Rate limit best practices

Respect the X-RateLimit-Reset header before retrying to avoid cascading failures.

• Check X-RateLimit-Remaining before making requests
• Implement exponential backoff for 429 responses
• Cache results for repeated name combinations
• Handle rate limits gracefully in your UI

Error Codes

Common responses, failure modes, and mitigation strategies

Bad Request

HTTP 400

Invalid or missing parameters

Common causes

• Missing name1 or name2
• Invalid characters in name
• Names are identical
• Name too long

How to handle

• Ensure both name1 and name2 are provided
• Only use letters, spaces, hyphens, and apostrophes
• Keep names under 50 characters
• Make sure names are different

Response example

400_response.json

Error Handling Tips

Build resilient clients by treating every non-200 response explicitly.

• Always check the success field in the response
• Parse error messages for detailed information
• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 429/500 errors
• Validate names client-side before sending
• Monitor rate limit headers to prevent 429 errors