Getting the game running on PC

# PS1 Release:

This one is the easiest and most accessible, however it is slightly inferior to the PC version.

First, you have to get the game CD images. Usually in the *.bin *.cue format. You can find them online (or rip from your copy if you have it and a CD drive).

Then, you'll have to download a PS1 emulator. The one I recommend using is DuckStation. You can find how to download it on your system of choice on the [website](https://www.duckstation.org/).

It will ask for a BIOS, which you can find [here](https://ps1emulator.com/bios).

You don't have to configure anything except for your controller, if it doesn't pick it up automatically.

When you'll be prompted to change the disc after level 3, open the menu with ESC and choose "Change Disc"

![](https://files.catbox.moe/i5jgpd.png)

Very straightforward

![](https://files.catbox.moe/p1s867.png)

# PC Release

(I don't use Windows 11 and don't guarantee it will work for you, but it probably will)

The first thing you have to do is to get the game disc image - in a \*.iso/\*.bin, *.cue format.

Then you need to mount it, so your system sees it as a real disc. For this, I would recommend the program [Daemon Tools](https://www.daemon-tools.cc). Or [an open source alternative](https://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/). You can try both, but WinCDEmu caused me problems with the US release for some reason (and worked fine with the EU release!).

At this point, you should be able to launch the game, but only in full screen. To fix this, there are three programs: [DxWnd](https://sourceforge.net/projects/dxwnd/), [D3DWindower](https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/733-d3dwindower-english/), or [dgVoodoo](https://github.com/dege-diosg/dgVoodoo2). Once again, you can try out all three, but most people use DxWnd and have no issues with it, so you should try that one and only look into the rest if it causes problems.

If your gamepad doesn't work with the game, that's most likely because it's a modern XInput compatible gamepad. The game expects an old DirectInput compatible gamepad. To fix this, I recommend [AntiMicroX](https://github.com/antiMicroX/antimicrox/), a program that translates your gamepad inputs into keyboard buttons.

You will have to mount the disc image and run AntiMicroX every single time you want to play the game, which is cumbersome. That's why the PS1 release is more accessible, and you should look into that one if this is too much fiddling for you.

## HoDe:

This is just a side note. [HoDe](https://cyxdown.free.fr/hode/) (Heart of Darkness engine) is a reverse engineering of the game's engine, ported to multiple platforms. It is a bit buggy, and I'm not sure if playing with it allows your run to be in the leaderboard. Still, if you really want it, here's how to set it up:

If you're trying to use the Windows build, initially it won't work without [SDL2](https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL/releases). Download it from the link I provided (make sure you're downloading SDL2, not SDL3) (and the x86/32-bit one, not x64/64-bit) and place the SDL2.dll into the game folder.

The game still won't launch, though. It needs the assets from the game, since it doesn't come with them. From the already installed original game folder, copy the "Setup.dat" file and every single *.lvl, *.mst and *.sss and optionally the "SETUP.CFG" file that contains your save data into the HoDe folder. And don't forget to also copy the "hod.paf" file from the game CD.

And now you can play it! Also, you can adjust some settings in the hode.ini config.

PS1 (Emulator) easy

In Level 1 you can skip having to kill the dark thing that pounds on the ground by grabbing the ladder and waiting for the dark thing to pound the ground to reveal another black thing.
https://youtu.be/u8fwDtqLbsg

While practicing level 4, I found you can skip the dark things blocking the bridge by jumping through them. You can do it consistently. Video proof https://youtu.be/Lk_xzAtA4Nc

PS1/PC HARD

Most of these I got from other runs, some I found myself. Almost every one of them is in [my latest run](https://youtu.be/1uCM1uixsEQ). Not all of these are guaranteed to be the fastest, but as far as I'm aware they are. Or at least most of them. Also, most of these aren't exclusive to HARD. It's just my main difficulty, but if you play on EASY, I'm sure some of these will also be helpful to you. There are also no skips exclusive to either PS1 or PC, the games are the same except for the loading screens and compressed assets on the PS1 and some other minor differences that won't affect anything you see here.

# Level 1: Canyon of Death

https://files.catbox.moe/8h7nx1.mp4

On this screen, you can just run forward to avoid the specter hug. They're not lethal, but you should avoid as much of them as you can to save time.

On the next screen, enemies won't spawn immediately, unless you run to the middle of it (and back)

https://files.catbox.moe/s45asi.mp4

While shooting specters, stay at about 10 pixels or fewer from the left edge, and specters from behind won't be able to attack you. Not having to turn around to shoot them saves time (and is infinitely safer).

This entire section should be beaten about like that:

https://files.catbox.moe/hfwiaq.mp4

On the first screen, enemies run out at about 0:55 into the run, on the second at about 1:33 into the run (on the PS1 release). Usually earlier.

Not killing the enemies to our left can lead to unpredictable consequences. In this example, not a single goat spawned:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvt34cK70I8

I don't exactly know how this despawning of enemies functions, so for now, it is essentially random. This works on both the PS1 and PC releases, just like any other trick in the guide. And don't worry, that's not the last time it will be used!

On the screen with the goats, if you get to the ladder and one of them touches you, you become invincible until the end of the level:

https://files.catbox.moe/o8pjax.mp4

This is faster, but you'll miss out on any specters respawning since about 70% of the time you won't get it first try and everything restarts once you die. Also, it's a little hard.

You can double jump on the canyon:

https://files.catbox.moe/rfrucg.mp4

(excuse the Silent Hill music in the background)

Now, the climbing section might look a little confusing at first, which is why I included my inputs alongside the footage:

https://files.catbox.moe/gb9k1s.mp4

As long as you hold your jump key, Andy will grab the wall automatically. In the PS1 version, the bone on the last screen will fall a little faster.

# Level 2: Swamplands

This is where it gets a little tricky. Watch how I beat the first few screens.

https://files.catbox.moe/hhpm8f.mp4

You can jump (but better use double jump for safety) onto the rope at the edge of screen 3, and that's mostly it. Except I got lucky with that leaf that the piranha plant ate, if I hadn't, it would have played its rising animation, and in that case you can double jump through it:

https://files.catbox.moe/04aq1s.mp4

In the next section, you have to jump as soon as you get your feet underwater:

https://files.catbox.moe/0nfzzz.mp4

If you fail to jump (or jump too early), you'll have to wait about 3–5 seconds:

https://files.catbox.moe/s7dva0.mp4

Which isn't that bad of a time loss, but still mostly avoidable.

If you get the timing right, you can also just dodge them:

https://files.catbox.moe/blg0z2.mp4

For more on dodging, here's me beating this entire section without crouching:

https://files.catbox.moe/41tfkn.mp4

To clarify, this ISN'T something you should do in a regular run, just something to keep in mind. Again, you should experiment as much as possible, and maybe you'll find some new skips: I started writing this guide three days ago, and since then found a few, including this dodging exploit.

On this screen, stand at exactly this pixel:

![](https://files.catbox.moe/o7ifc4.png)

This is where the piranha plant can't hurt you (only give a little smooch) and where you can also double jump to hit the leaves (or whatever that thing is)

Demonstration:

https://files.catbox.moe/bubjmm.mp4

If you step 2 or more pixels closer, you're dead.

Another demonstration of how this would look in a real run:

https://files.catbox.moe/renrww.mp4

(You have to move in small steps, or you're also dead because of a bigger walking hitbox)

On a later screen, if you hold jump and right at the apex of your swing, this can happen:

https://files.catbox.moe/1268zc.mp4

# Level 3: Magic Lake

When you touch the rock, if you just hold down, it'll send you to the left, but if you hold down left right before touching it, it'll send you to the right:

https://files.catbox.moe/3ga1ob.mp4

In the second water section, if you stay near the left wall, you can avoid the first hazard:

https://files.catbox.moe/7b3fsv.mp4

On the next screen, you can just hold down-left:

https://files.catbox.moe/knbyz0.mp4

In this one spot, new players get a bit confused, but the trick is that there's a zone where no hazards can affect you:

![](https://files.catbox.moe/jzyb9z.png)

Here's how that looks in-game:

https://files.catbox.moe/nnqfbt.mp4

The next one has no tricks, but I just wanted to show it because a lot of new players struggle here:

https://files.catbox.moe/cgqbok.mp4

You just have to stop holding right when there's a hazard in front of you.

On the screen with piranha plants, you only have to hit one:

https://files.catbox.moe/bw84dt.mp4

Or the faster way:

https://files.catbox.moe/dxuiz3.mp4

To do that one, you have to start holding your run button while still swimming.

If you time it correctly, on the next screen you can skip killing the specters and hitting the tree:

https://files.catbox.moe/jszomk.mp4

Here's how that should play out:

https://files.catbox.moe/t2kb66.mp4

You might also die to the specters after falling, which is alright because they're at a checkpoint. However, I would recommend killing them before going up.

Skip two piranha plants and the specters afterward:

https://files.catbox.moe/k3ozdq.mp4

And here's how you beat the next (and last) section:

https://files.catbox.moe/3gprwf.mp4

In case you didn't know, if you throw your special power projectile diagonally on the floor, instead of disappearing it will just roll on the ground. Also, you can't fall on the last screen, so feel free to jump!

And in case you get lucky, you don't have to kill a single specter here.

So that was it for disc 1, if you were playing the PS1 release. Now onto the rest:

# Level 4: Space Island

Now, this one is one of my favorite skips in the run: just like on easy, you can just jump through the specters here. Takes a bit of practice, but generally isn't too hard:

https://files.catbox.moe/ra90tf.mp4

The rest of the level is fairly short and there's not much to explain, so I'll let you watch my gameplay for yourself:

https://files.catbox.moe/ku98dw.mp4

With some notes, of course.

The death in the beginning only happened because I was setting up the recording too long. In a real run, you are 100% safe if you jump immediately.

On the screen with builder worms, you have to kill 3 before you can kill the two above.

And that's it!

# Level 5: Rivers of Fire

Probably my least favorite so far. There's not much you can do in terms of skips, so just avoid dying. Which on this level is not that easy (mostly because of the introduction of spiders)

So in the beginning, what you have to remember is that you don't have to kill each and every enemy:

https://files.catbox.moe/rvi237.mp4

Only shoot the ones in your way.

In the next section, once again, just try to avoid dying:

https://files.catbox.moe/83atjd.mp4

(I got lucky with the bottom specter here, but you should be able to do everything else in your run)

The one thing you can do to save a bit of time is to not shoot the second builder worm. That one is a dud and can't hurt you, it's just there to waste time.

The strategy with spiders is to stay in the lower left of the screen and kill 1-2 and then go a little up. When you climb up, the spiders get more aggressive and will start running towards you. If two spiders are running at you, you're dead. But you can in most cases deal with one.

The rest of the level is also quite straightforward:

https://files.catbox.moe/d7lbvd.mp4

If you didn't die during the last section, some lava eruptions here might despawn.

Which brings us yet closer to the end, with:

# Level 6: Caverns of Doom

The shortest level in the game. There are no skips here.

https://files.catbox.moe/7s4ogn.mp4

The next two levels are (not only my favorite, but also) the last levels in the game. It will be harder from here. This is why I recommend you practice them exclusively before trying to go into a run and ruin your WR in the very end. THAT WAS PAINFUL AND I HOPE YOU WON'T GET TO EXPERIENCE THAT.

# Level 7: Into the Lair

The point of no return!

Getting into the lair is straightforward:

https://files.catbox.moe/y4aqib.mp4

After you get into the lair, just run and avoid as many enemies as you can! Jump through the specter at the crusher and you'll be fine. You can also stand between the crusher by the way.

https://files.catbox.moe/npwxmy.mp4

If you die after returning to the crusher, don't worry! There's a checkpoint there.

# Level 8: Heart of Darkness

On the first screen, push the enemies to the next screen and stay at the edge of it, just like on level 1. If a specter is falling from the ceiling, just jump:

https://files.catbox.moe/si9hwv.mp4

After that, you can skip some enemies here:

https://files.catbox.moe/esqe37.mp4

Just kill all the enemies on the next screen, there's no skips there:

https://files.catbox.moe/3i98yf.mp4

You don't have to kill the ones on the ceiling if they don't bother you.

When collecting the third shard, you can also skip enemies:

https://files.catbox.moe/hz8kz1.mp4

This, however, is way more dangerous, so I would recommend you practice that part (and the next one) before going into a real run.

Also, you can see ground fireballs just passing through me. That's because I was standing at the edge of the screen. If I was crouching or if I was standing a little further to the right, it would have got me. You can see more of it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ9H_B5R9X8

You can double jump to skip some enemies before the bridge:

https://files.catbox.moe/cajnxa.mp4

As for the bridge, it's in fact my favorite part of the game!

Here's my fastest walkthrough of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h0D4CD-t54

As you can see, I didn't know about the glitch with the ground fireballs yet. The strategy is this:

1. Skip the three specters in the beginning (which prevents the spawning of the same type of enemy on a later screen)
2. Stay on the left edge until you can proceed
3. Get as many specters flying as you can (by shooting while crouching)
4. Jump through specters if you're feeling lucky

The double ground fireballs from the Master of Darkness shouldn't be too bad if you get the timing right.

And that's it! There aren't any skips in the last screen ("Absolute Darkness"), so I didn't include it here. Thanks for reading, and I hope it helps!

If you want to contact me for any questions, you can on Discord: inqurity

Name	Author
Getting the game running on PC	Inqurity 2 months ago
PS1 (Emulator) easy	emerldminer 5 years ago
PS1/PC HARD	Inqurity 2 months ago