How to start playing
A short guide for newcomers. The game is text-based: the whole screen is made of headings, paragraphs and buttons, so it works well with a screen reader. For now the game itself is in Russian, so the Russian names of buttons are given with a translation.
First steps
- Open the game with the «Играть» (Play) button on the home page. It runs in the browser on a computer or a phone; nothing needs to be installed.
- Choose a login and a password and press «Создать новый аккаунт» (Create a new account). No email is needed. After registering, write down the recovery code: without it a forgotten password cannot be recovered. One account works in all games on the site, and your progress is stored on the server, so you can continue from another device.
- Create a character: choose a gender and a race and enter a name. The race («раса») affects your start and your relations with other peoples.
- Follow the tutorial. The current step is shown at the top of the screen, for example "Tutorial, step 1 of 9". Nine short steps show the basics of the game.
- Sections are switched in the menu: «Полёт» (Flight), «Система» (System), «Рынок оборудования» (Equipment market), «Задания» (Quests), «Корабль» (Ship), «Экипаж и НПС» (Crew and NPCs). The other sections are under «Ещё разделы» (More sections).
- If something is unclear, open «Справка» (Help) inside the game: it describes travel, combat, trade, crew and other players.
Sound and music
Open «Управление» (Controls). There you can choose the sound mode (off, important only, all), the volume, the background music, and listen to the catalogue of all game sounds.
Other players
A new character cannot be attacked during the first three real days, and cannot attack either. You can switch the protection off in «Управление». The «Игроки» (Players) section gives you private messages, chat, alliances, leaderboards and the chronicle of the universe.
Saving and help
The game saves itself about every 20 seconds and after important actions. If something is broken or inconvenient, write to me through the page Contacts.
«Demon Invasion»: getting started
«Demon Invasion» is a cooperative text game inspired by the board game Eldritch Horror. One to eight people can play: all the investigators win or lose together. The goal is to uncover the demon's three mysteries before Doom, the shared countdown, runs out.
- Open the «Games» section and press «Play Demon Invasion». You need a site account: it is the same account as in «Endless Space», so you do not have to create a new one. If you are not signed in yet, the game page shows a sign-in form.
- Press «Open the game». The whole screen is made of headings and a list of actions. The main section is «Actions»: it always holds the buttons you can press right now. The «Result» section tells you what happened, and «State» reads out the overall situation. At the top of the page there are links «Skip to actions» and «Skip to the handbook».
- Choose a game mode: solo, or online with other people. Your name in the game, in the chat and in the hall of fame is always the login of your account, so records are saved under your name and nobody can pass themselves off as someone else.
Solo game
Choose «Solo game: you alone, with one investigator». There are four steps: difficulty, Myth deck, demon and investigator. The name of the step is in the heading above the list, for example «Step 2 of 4. Choose the Myth deck». If you make a mistake, press «Back» at the end of the list. For a beginner, easy difficulty, the normal deck and any demon are a good choice. You can save the game and continue later: a save is kept for two weeks.
Playing with friends: create a room
Choose «Play online with other people», then «Create your own room». Choose how many players the room can hold (from two to eight), the difficulty, the Myth deck and the demon, and then the type of room. An open room is visible to everyone in the list, anyone can join, and spectators can watch but cannot write or move. A closed room can only be entered with a code. The game shows a six-digit room code. Tell it to your friends any way you like: by phone, in a messenger, in a chat. You automatically become the host.
Playing with friends: join a room
Your friend chooses «Play online with other people», types the code into the field «Room code, six digits» and presses «Join by code». Open rooms are shown in the list and can be joined with one press. Before the game starts, everybody sees who is in the room, and the lobby has a shared chat. When everyone has arrived, the host presses «Start the game», and then each player in turn chooses their investigator.
During the game
The game has a chat between players, hints for beginners and a handbook with the rules. You can save the game and continue it together later. All numbers and the state are read out by the «Read…» buttons at the start of the action list; they cost nothing. A victory is recorded in the hall of fame automatically.