User Manual/Playing a game with ScummVM
| WORK IN PROGRESS, HELP NEEDED |
| If you want to contribute, send us a sample of text you'd write for the new manual, and we will consider adding you an account. You can work on the manual in the Wiki, but if you prefer, supplying us with HTML or TeX sources is fine, too (we will then translate them for the Wiki).
You can have a look at our TODO page for a list of tasks that need to be done. |
Contents
- 1 Running a Game from the ScummVM Launcher
- 2 Running ScummVM from the command line
- 3 ScummVM Hotkeys for all games
- 4 Controls
- 5 Copy protection
- 6 Game specific instructions
- 6.1 LucasArts Games (SCUMM Engine)
- 6.2 Revolution Software Games
- 6.3 Adventure Soft Games
- 6.4 Bud Tucker in Double Trouble
- 6.5 Dragon History
- 6.6 Flight of the Amazon Queen
- 6.7 Future Wars
- 6.8 Nippon Safes
- 6.9 The Legend of Kyrandia
- 6.10 Teen Agent
- 6.11 Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer
- 6.12 Cruise for a Corpse
Running a Game from the ScummVM Launcher
Make sure the desired game is selected on ScummVM's list and press 'Start'. You can also press 'Load' to restart the game from a previously saved state.
Running ScummVM from the command line
As well as starting your ScummVM games using the graphical Launcher, you can also start them from the command line. The simplest way to run a game from the command line is to type, for example:
scummvm samnmax
Note this command is dependent on your system. You may have to specify exactly where ScummVM is installed to, for example in Windows:
c:\games\scummvm\scummvm.exe samnmax
Or in Unix:
/home/username/scummvm/scummvm samnmax
The short game name you see at the end of the command line ("samnmax" in this case) specifies which game is started. It either corresponds to a user-defined target (i.e. one that has been added using the Launcher: this is the case in the example above), or to a built-in gameid. A brief list of the latter can be found in the supported games section.
There are many different options that can be specified to make ScummVM run the game just the way you want, and these are listed in the table below. The meaning of most long options (that is, those options starting with a double-dash) can be inverted by prefixing them with "no-". For example, "--no-aspect-ratio" will turn aspect ratio correction off. This is useful if you want to override a setting in the configuration file.
Command line options
The list below contains only the most useful options. A list of all the ScummVM command line options is available in Appendix.
| Short | Long | Description |
|---|---|---|
| -v | --version | Display ScummVM version information and exit |
| -h | --help | Display a brief help text and exit |
| -z | --list-games | Display list of supported games and exit |
| -c | --config=CONFIG | Use alternate configuration file |
| -p | --path=PATH | Path to where the game is installed |
| -f | --fullscreen | Force full-screen mode |
| -F | --no-fullscreen | Force windowed mode |
Examples of Command Line Usage
- Running Monkey Island, fullscreen, from a hard disk (Win32)
C:\Games\LucasArts\scummvm.exe -f -pC:\Games\LucasArts\monkey\ monkey- Running Full Throttle from CD, fullscreen and with subtitles enabled (Win32)
C:\Games\LucasArts\scummvm.exe -f -n -pD:\resource\ ft- Running Monkey Island, fullscreen, from a hard disk (Unix)
/path/to/scummvm -f -p/games/LucasArts/monkey/ monkey- Running Full Throttle from CD, fullscreen and with subtitles enabled (Unix)
/path/to/scummvm -f -n -p/cdrom/resource/ ft
ScummVM Hotkeys for all games
ScummVM supports various in-game hotkeys. The table below summarizes the hotkeys common to all games. Hotkeys specific to a game are listed in the Game specific instructions section.
Note for Mac users: To use Function keys as function keys, e.g. F5, you may need to use the "fn" key in addition to the function key, e.g. fn+F5. (Alternatively you can change the default behavior of these keys in the System Preferences).
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-F5 | Displays the Global Menu (see also Global Main Menu). |
| Cmd-Q | Quit (MacOS) |
| Ctrl-Q | Quit (other unices including Linux) |
| Ctrl-Z OR Alt-X | Quit (other platforms) |
| Ctrl-U | Mute all sounds |
| Ctrl-M | Toggle mouse capture |
| Ctrl-Alt 1-8 | Switch between graphics filters (see also Graphic filters) |
| Ctrl-Alt + and - | Increase/Decrease the scale factor (see also Graphic filters) |
| Ctrl-Alt A | Toggle aspect-ratio correction on/off (see also Graphics settings) |
| Alt-Enter | Toggles between full screen and windowed mode |
| Alt-S | Make a screenshot |
Controls
Personal Computers
These instructions concern any computer that has a keyboard and a mouse (e.g. running Windows, Mac OS, Linux). As for most applications running on computers, you will need the mouse and the keyboard to control ScummVM and the games. When you are in the Launcher you can configure ScummVM and games as well as start games, all with the mouse. When running a game there are a number of hotkeys to which ScummVM will respond (e.g. to save a game, take a snapshot, quit ScummVM).
The games supported by ScummVM are point-and-click games. This means that you need to use the mouse to control them. In some of the games (e.g. the older AGI games) you may also need to use the keyboard to type actions to perform (e.g. "look door"). The exact controls for each game depend on the game. For example, in most LucasArts games you can click on a verb to perform an action or use a shortcut (e.g. press ‘t’ for talk), but the Curse of Monkey Island has a different control system from the other games. Usually you can find the instructions on how to control a specific game in the manual that came with it.
Mapping for other devices
See Appendix: Controls.
Copy protection
The ScummVM team does not condone piracy. However, there are cases where the game companies (such as LucasArts) themselves bundled 'cracked' executables with their games -- in these cases the data files still contain the copy protection scripts, but the interpreter bypasses them (similar to what an illegally cracked version might do, only that here the producer of the game did it). There is no way for us to tell the difference between legitimate and pirated data files, so for the games where we know that a cracked version of the original interpreter was sold at some point, ScummVM will always have to bypass the copy protection.
In some cases ScummVM will still show the copy protection screen. Try entering any answer. Chances are that it will work.
ScummVM will skip copy protection in the following games:
- Maniac Mansion
- Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders
- Loom (EGA)
- The Secret of Monkey Island (VGA)
- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
- Lure of the Temptress
- bypassed with kind permission from Revolution Software.
- Beneath a Steel Sky
- bypassed with kind permission from Revolution Software.
- Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb (Floppy version)
- bypassed with kind permission from Wyrmkeep Entertainment, since it was bypassed in all CD releases of the game.
- Simon the Sorcerer 1 (Floppy version)
- Simon the Sorcerer 2 (Floppy version)
- bypassed with kind permission from Adventure Soft, since it was bypassed in all CD releases of the game.
Game specific instructions
LucasArts Games (SCUMM Engine)
Hotkeys
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl 0-9 | Load game state |
| Alt 0-9 | Save game state |
| Crtl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Crtl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| Crtl-g | Runs in really REALLY fast mode |
| Crtl-t | Switch between 'Speech only', 'Speech and Subtitles' and 'Subtitles only' |
| Tilde (~) | Show/hide the debugging console |
| [ and ] | Music volume, down/up |
| - and + | Text speed, slower/faster |
| F5 | Displays a save/load box (see ScummVM in-game menu). |
| Alt-F5 | Displays the original save/load box, if the game has one (see ScummVM in-game menu). |
| i | Displays IQ points (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis) |
| Space | Pauses |
| Period (.) | Skips current line of text in some games |
| Enter | Simulate left mouse button press |
| Tab | Simulate right mouse button press |
This is the menu that you get by pressing F5 in the LucasArts games. It replaces the original menu present in some of the games. You can still access the original menu using Alt-F5 and you can save and load games using this, however it is not intended for this purpose, and may even crash ScummVM in some games.
This menu can be used to load and save games as well as change the game settings (e.g. music volume).
A more detailed description of this menu is available on the ScummVM Interface page.
Day of the Tentacle: Maniac Mansion Easter Egg
At one point in the game, you come across a computer that allows you to play the original Maniac Mansion as an easter egg. ScummVM supports this, with a few caveats:
- ScummVM will scan your configuration file for a game that's in a 'Maniac' sub-folder of your Day of the Tentacle folder. If you've copied the data files from the CD version, this should already be the case but you have to add the game to ScummVM as well.
- To return to Day of the Tentacle, press F5 and select "Return to Launcher".
- This means that you could in theory use any game as the easter egg. Indeed, there is a "secret" configuration setting, "easter_egg", to override the ID of the game to run. Be aware, though, that not all games support returning to the launcher, and setting it up to use Day of the Tentacle itself as the easter egg game is not recommended.
Revolution Software Games
Beneath a Steel Sky
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| Crtl-g | Runs in really REALLY fast mode |
| F5 | Displays a save/load box |
| Escape | Skips the game intro |
| Period (.) | Skips current line of text |
Broken Sword 1
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| F5 or Escape | Displays save/load box |
Broken Sword 2
Hotkeys
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| p | Pauses |
Configuration
This game has some specific configuration settings described in the Configuration section.
Adventure Soft Games
Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl 0-9 | Load game state |
| Alt 0-9 | Save game state |
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| F1 - F3 | Text speed, faster - slower |
| F10 | Shows all characters and objects you can interact with |
| Escape | Skip cutscenes |
| - and + | Music volume, down/up |
| m | Music on/off |
| s | Sound effects on/off |
| b | Background sounds on/off (Simon the Sorcerer 2 only) |
| p | Pauses |
| t | Switch between speech and subtitles |
| v | Switch between subtitles only and combined speech and subtitles (Simon the Sorcerer 2 only) |
Simon the Sorcerer's Puzzle Pack
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| - and + | Music volume, down/up |
| m | Music on/off |
| s | Sound effects on/off |
| p | Pauses |
The Feeble Files
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| F7 | Switch characters |
| F9 | Hitbox names on/off |
| s | Sound effects on/off |
| p | Pauses |
| t | Switch between speech and subtitles |
| v | Switch between subtitles only and combined speech and subtitles |
Bud Tucker in Double Trouble
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Show/hide the debugging console |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| F1 | Toggle verb style between icons and text |
| F2 | Show/hide subtitles |
| Escape | Skip cutscenes, skip current line of text |
| Period (.) | Skip current line of text |
| p | Pause |
Dragon History
Use left mouse button click to walk and right mouse button click to use an item or talk. You can also use any mouse button click to skip the current spoken sentence. In addition the following hotkeys are supported:
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| F5 | Display Global Main Menu |
| i | Show inventory |
| m | Show map |
| Escape | Skip the intro, exit map/inventory |
| q | Turn on/off quick walking |
Flight of the Amazon Queen
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| F1 | Use Journal (saving/loading) |
| F11 | Quicksave |
| F12 | Quickload |
| Escape | Skips cutscenes |
| Space | Skips current line of text |
Future Wars
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| F1 | Examine |
| F2 | Take |
| F3 | Inventory |
| F4 | Use |
| F5 | Activate |
| F6 | Speak |
| F9 | "Activate" menu |
| F10 | "Use" menu |
| Escape | Show command menu |
Nippon Safes
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
| l | Load game |
| s | Save game |
The Legend of Kyrandia
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl 0-9 | Load game state |
| Alt 0-9 | Save game state |
| Ctrl-Alt-d | Starts the debugger |
Teen Agent
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| F5 | Display Global Main Menu |
Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl-f | Toggle fast mode |
| F5 | Displays options |
| F9 | Turn fast walk mode on |
| F10 | Turn fast walk mode off |
| Escape | Quit |
| Space | Skips current line of text |
| t | Switch between 'Voice only', 'Voice and Text' and 'Text only' |
Cruise for a Corpse
You can bring up the save menu by press both mouse button simultaneously.
| Prev: Configuring a game in ScummVM | Back to Table of Content | Next: Removing a game from ScummVM |
