When the game is started, you will see a screen with the following options:
Start new game: Click on this button to start a new game.
Continue old game: Click on this button to continue a game you've already started. You will be asked to choose which game you'd like to continue from a list of your saved games. This option will not be available until you've saved a game.
Quit: Click on this button to quit your game. You will be asked to confirm the choice.
The interface bar
The interface appears across the bottom of the screen. It consists of the icon bar, score box, text box and current inventory item box.
Feet: Walk. If your are in a close-up screen, the "feet" will be replaced by "exit" in order to return to the regular game screen.
Eyes: Look
Hands: Take, give or manipulate
Mouth: Talk
Help: If you don't know, push this button. This button allows you an explanation of what each button on the interface does.
Pockets: Access the inventory window.
Control: Access the control panel.
At the far right your score is displayed. Although the maximum score of Space Quest 6 should be 500, only 498 can be achieved as on few occasions different points are awarded in the game than listed in the game's hint book.
The rectangle in the bottom-right corner of the screen is your inventory box - your most recently selected inventory item will appear here. To select a different item, go to the inventory window.
The large box on the bottom of the screen displays all text such as conversations, narrator comments and so on, provided the "text" option in the control panel is enabled. you can use the scroll buttons to see previous texts.
The cursor
The cursor is what enables you to effect an action on-screen. With the cursor you can pick an item up, walkover to something, examine an object, or talk to someone. The sensitive part of the cursor is at the top point. If you wish to look at an object for example, click the cursor on the eye which appears on the icon bar. The eye icon will now appear in the cursor. Position the cursor with the top point on the object you wish to examine and click it. You can also toggle the cursor type by right-clicking the mouse.
Inventory
If, in the course of the game you come across an object you would like to acquire, click on the hand icon and then on the object. Note that some objects will automatically be given to you. Any acquired object will move to your inventory. In order to pull up your inventory box, click on "pockets" in the toolbar.
Select: Select an inventory item and press "play" to return to the main game screen and use it there. A selected inventory item will appear in the inventory item box in the toolbar. You can also select an inventory item and use it on another inventory item in the inventory window, which may result in a new combined inventory item.
Eyes: Select the eyes and use it on an inventory item to examine it.
Hands: Select the hands and use it on an inventory item to manipulate it, for instance to activate a remote control.
Help: If you don't know, push this button. This button allows you an explanation of what each button in the inventory window does.
Play: Select this option to return to the game, with or without a selected inventory item.
Control Panel
In the main game screen, click "Control" to access the control panel.
In the control panel, you can save your progress or restore a previously stored game. You can also see which version of the game it is and enable or disable speech, text, or scrolling (several locations are multiple screens wide or high - disabling scrolling will make the game screen jump to the next area rather than gradually scroll to it).
Use the sliders to alter the game speed, game detail, sound and music volume and text speed.
Press "quit" to exit the game or "play" to continue playing.
