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[AdamButcher]

TOBIAS AND THE DARK SCEPTRES is an epic platforming puzzle-adventure, 13 years in the making.





Download the game!

Visit the website!

GAME DESCRIPTION

• Solve ingenious puzzles
• Run, jump and swipe through fantastical locations
• Fight a huge cast of strange enemies
• Battle multi-stage bosses
• Play through an epic cinematic story

And if you want to know what took me so long, watch below:

I'd love to hear your thoughts below!

[fidelcashflow]

After trying the game for a few minutes I would really really really like to be able to rebind the keys. Is there anyway to do this?

[rikfuzz]

That trailer is amazing.  Congratulations! 

[qria]

Congratulations on releasing an amazing game :D

I found a bug where when I alt-tab out of the game and back, some things disappear. Such as, ch.6 purple goo-like platform that comes out when you beat the brown eyeball worm thingy, and the hammered down signpost. I've yet to find situation that it makes the game unproceedable because it comes back when i re-enter the room.

By the way, I'm stuck after I got the heavy feather help please :S

[AdamButcher]

Hey, thanks for the replies so far guys!

After trying the game for a few minutes I would really really really like to be able to rebind the keys. Is there anyway to do this?

Sorry, I tried to make it flexible but couldn't programme a complete rebinder. Try Settings.exe to change ASX to ZXC?

I found a bug where when I alt-tab out of the game and back, some things disappear.

That's an old bug from MMF's "Paste to background" function. I tried fixing it but it's not perfect. I recommend that you play it in Windowed mode (see Settings) if you want to Alt-Tab all the time. I think it can cause nasty game-ending bugs!

By the way, I'm stuck after I got the heavy feather help please :S

I'd recommend trying the Puzzle Solver.exe that's in the game folder. Chap 6 is maybe a bit random in it's puzzles and I got carried away! Clue: the first screen has something unexpected...



Happy to get more feedback. I know the game's not perfect and so do you!

Also - is everyone hearing music ok? I'm paranoid it doesn't play my mp3s...

[Twario]

The farthest I've gotten is level 3, and I'm really, really liking the game. Unfortunately though, it keeps crashing at random intervals. Sometimes the game resumes normally when I click the 'cancel' button in the error box that pops up, but other times it boots me back to the desktop with a constant loud noise being emitted (which doesn't go away unless I reboot the computer). I feel it's worth pointing out that at first I played the game in the "Tobias and the Dark Sceptres" folder that I extracted from the zip file, but after it crashed a few times I deleted the folder and installed the game using the Tobiasinstall.exe file thinking that would fix it. It's a shame because I was having a blast, I hope there's a fix.

[SquareMilk]

Learning this did not work on Windows 8 has been the saddest moment of my day... I don't blame you in any way though. I would jut love to appreciate all the work that you put in to this game. Maybe some other time friend.

[Scyto]

I got it working on Win8 by running the compatibility wizard.  I used recommended settings, told it it didn't work and when it gave me more options I checked them all and then when I clicked test it worked.

*update* better instructions
right click 'tobias and the dark scepters.exe'
select properties
select compatibility tab
click 'run this program in compatibility mode for:'
select Windows XP Service Pack 3
Check the box 'run this program as administrator'
click ok

now you should be good to go on windows 8 - I played at least 3 screens. alt+f4 to exit :-)

**update** more info
set the same settings on settings.exe

Also make sure you have UAC turned on before you install.  Turning UAC off is just about the worst thing you can do on Vista upwards because it will break old programs.  UAC being on allows the program to 'fake write' to parts of the OS that will be blocked when UAC is turned off (this is known as UAC virtualization).

PS yes I hear music ok, would prefer space harrier theme :-p

[SquareMilk]

I got it working on Win8 by running the compatibility wizard.  I used recommended settings, told it it didn't work and when it gave me more options I checked them all and then when I clicked test it worked.

*update* better instructions
right click 'tobias and the dark scepters.exe'
select properties
select compatibility tab
click 'run this program in compatibility mode for:'
select Windows XP Service Pack 3
Check the box 'run this program as administrator'
click ok

now you should be good to go on windows 8 - I played at least 3 screens. alt+f4 to exit :-)

**update** more info
set the same settings on settings.exe

Also make sure you have UAC turned on before you install.  Turning UAC off is just about the worst thing you can do on Vista upwards because it will break old programs.  UAC being on allows the program to 'fake write' to parts of the OS that will be blocked when UAC is turned off (this is known as UAC virtualization).

TOTALLY FORGOT THAT WAS A THING. TRYING IT NOW. THANKS MAN!

[Scyto]

TOTALLY FORGOT THAT WAS A THING. TRYING IT NOW. THANKS MAN!

let us know if it works for you too.

[SquareMilk]

I got past Chapter 3 and the game is really fun! I do agree it would be cool for key rebinding but it just takes some time to learn the controls. I also love a lot of the random elements of this game like the way the gas works and how you incorporated it in to the boss. It is very well designed to teach and guide players about the trials ahead. The shield feels a little OP and I might have shot off the majority of my arrows when I first got the crossbow because I thought it was infinite but besides that it is really awesome!
The art style is also very unique and interesting. I love the first major boss. The way you showed it deteriorating was so cool. And the opening cut scene felt epic even with this simpler art style. The music and sounds are also spot on. Overall I can see you put a lot of work in to this and it is pretty interesting. Defiantly going on my games to play list. Thanks for completing this and sharing it with the world :D

[SeanNoonan]

Found your video on

- nice wee story there. Really cool that you stuck at something for so long. Gonna give it a download

[epiles]

I have two suggestions,
One. Create a torrent of your game so we can download faster than 30KB/s.
Two. New forum hosting company. NEVER SEND A PASSWORD AS PLAIN TEXT. I was a little more than pissed the account verification email contained my password, not okay.

<edit> If you dont create a .torrent I will and will post the link here when my download finishes. Unless you have a problem with this and dont want it as a torrent.

[saluk]

This game is a total anomaly. It falls short in ways games usually don't and succeeds where most games don't. Some of it's positives seem pointless. Like the shading - I never would have noticed that without watching your video, but it doubled the effort! The flickering candles in the chapter 4 boss fight are cool, the way the acid melted down the rock right before that - this game has a lot of great little details that stand out. The ladders, feel of jumping, pauses when the music loops... these are annoyances, but it's all just so charming. It really does feel like a klik and play game and makes me a little nostalgic for that time before indie meant $$$indie$$$. But then it also feels like a klik and play that could never have been made. But you made it.

I am stuck on the chapter 4 boss fight by the way. After I hit him with the rock 3 times he flies off the screen and the music stops. But then there is nothing left I can do. Was that supposed to trigger a cutscene?

Congrats on finishing, and great video. Makes me think about some of my abandoned albatrosses that I managed to pull myself away from. I'm not certain if leaving them was the right thing to do or not, but then again, the finish always feels right around the corner doesn't it?

[joseph ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Man that's really cool. Congrats on finishing it.

[AdamLovesGames]

Really cool story and fun game! Your dedication actually inspired me to try doing a gameplay video on youtube, If you want to see someone having a blast with your game, here it is

[AdamButcher]

Great feedback thank you all!

If you dont create a .torrent I will and will post the link here when my download finishes. Unless you have a problem with this and dont want it as a torrent.

That'd be great if you made a torrent - if you do, I'll put it on the website. (I kinda don't know how to do torrents myself).

I am stuck on the chapter 4 boss fight by the way. After I hit him with the rock 3 times he flies off the screen and the music stops. But then there is nothing left I can do. Was that supposed to trigger a cutscene?

Arg, yes that's meant to trigger a cutscene! You'll find this annoying but have you tried doing it again? Let me know if that bug keeps on happening.

it keeps crashing at random intervals.

I've never seen that. Sounds horrible. What OS are you running? What's the error message?

[nnn]

I can't get past the font installation prompt - and the font is already installed!

[Twario]

The farthest I've gotten is level 3, and I'm really, really liking the game. Unfortunately though, it keeps crashing at random intervals. Sometimes the game resumes normally when I click the 'cancel' button in the error box that pops up, but other times it boots me back to the desktop with a constant loud noise being emitted (which doesn't go away unless I reboot the computer). I feel it's worth pointing out that at first I played the game in the "Tobias and the Dark Sceptres" folder that I extracted from the zip file, but after it crashed a few times I deleted the folder and installed the game using the Tobiasinstall.exe file thinking that would fix it. It's a shame because I was having a blast, I hope there's a fix.

Nevermind, it seems like it's fixed now. Turns out you have to run the game as an administrator or it will crash randomly, not sure if that applies to all PCs though.

[AdamButcher]

I can't get past the font installation prompt - and the font is already installed!

Just press any key to make the prompt disappear. Then you'll have to boot up "Tobias and the Dark Sceptres.exe" again. Is it still coming back?