When you choose the "Build EXE" option in the Editor, a "Compiled" sub-directory is created in your game's folder, where more subdirectories are created in turn. "Compiled/Data" subfolder is made always. It will contain the "raw" game files that cannot be used on their own, but may be run by the AGS engine executable. From this folder these files will be then copied into other subfolders, each for one build target (platform) you selected in the project's General Settings. For example, "Compiled/Windows" subfolder will be created if you have Windows build enabled, and "Compiled/Linux" subfolder if you have Linux build enabled. The contents of those subfolders may be now distributed to corresponding operating systems. So, for example, if you want to distribute Windows version of your game, you need to take the contents of "Compiled/Windows" subfolder. At its simplest this will just be your game executable and the setup program, but you may also have audio and speech libraries (AUDIO.VOX and SPEECH.VOX); and if you have selected to split resources files, you will also have several files named "game.001", "game.002", and so forth.
It is not possible to load the exe file back into the AGS Editor. This means two things when only the EXE file is available: (1) other people can't edit your game's data, and (2) you can't either. Always keep a backup of the other files produced (.CRM, GAME.AGF, etc) as they are what the Editor needs to be able to load your game for editing.
You can make a "Loading..." style splash screen to be displayed while your game starts up. To do so, simply save the image as PRELOAD.PCX (must be the same resolution and colour depth as the game) in the game folder, and build the game. It should then display while the game is loading.
The AUDIO.VOX file contains audio clips that you have marked as "InSeperateVOX" in the editor. This allows you to have an optional audio download, if your game uses lots of sound files but you don't want the player to have to download them.
Due to the licenses of code used by AGS, your documentation should acknowledge the following:
You must also comply with the licence for AGS: Artistic License 2.0
If you wish, you can use your own custom icon when you build a Windows EXE file. To do this, simply place your icon in your game's folder, and name it USER.ICO. Then, load the editor and save the game.
NOTE: The icon must be a proper Windows .ICO file, not just a renamed BMP file. Icon editors, such as AX-Icons from https://www.axialis.com, will convert it for you.
You can also have a custom icon for the Setup program generated. To do so, create your icon as above but name it setup.ico in the game folder.
Some people found that once their game became large, the single EXE file was slow to load due to anti-virus checkers scanning the whole file. AGS includes an option to split up the resource files into smaller chunks to avoid this happening. On the General Settings pane you'll notice a setting "Split resource files into X Mb sized chunks".
If you tick this, then type in a number such as 1 or 2, then save the game, the game data will be split up into chunks that size, named GAME.001, GAME.002 and so on.
Some resources are still combined into the EXE file but all the rooms will be placed into the other files. If you use this option, you need to distribute your game's EXE file plus all the GAME.00? files.