After starting the game, the main menu will appear on the screen.
The first icon from the left will let you start a new game. You will need to fill out a new in the motel register which is not in use yet.
The second icon from the left will let you restore an old game. Select the game from the list of previously saved game to continue where you left of.
The third icon from the left took you to the webpage of the game, but the webpage no longer exists at this point, so it has become useless.
The fourth icon from the left will show you the game credits. Press escape to return to the main menu.
Click the fifth and last icon to quit the game.
Game toolbar
While playing the game, the game toolbar will be visible across the bottom of the screen.
Life Essence
Your life essence is the neon green stripe in the middle of the toolbar. It recedes when you carry a prayer stick (Bahos) around or when you get attacked. If Darkcloud does something that threatens your life, you also lose life essence. You gain life essence when you put a prayer stick in the correct location in the kiva. there are also specific places that you can find and regain life essence (small spiral shapes on the walls of the canyon).
Flashback
If you want to look at something you've found, click on the "Flashback" button and then choose from the selection. You can only look at something that you've already seen through exploration in the game. To return to the game, click on the Flashback button again.
Map
Use the map to jump from place to place within town. Click on the place you want to go to on the map and you will be transported to the street location closest to it. It might be handy to use the map to return to town when you are in the canyons or kiva. But beware, you can only jump to places you've already visited.
Options
When you click on the options, the following screen appears.
From left to right you can 1) continue playing the game 2) restore an old game 3) configure the settings 4) save the game or 5) exit. When you click the middle (configuration) button, you can enable or disable captions, enable or disable the smart cursor (a smart cursor lights up when you hover it over an interactive object), chose to display the movie sequences at full or half screen (by default it starts at half screen, so set it to full screen the first chance you get), adjust the volume, brightness, sound performance, pan speed and pan window size. You can also automatically solve a puzzle by clicking on the "Solve current puzzle" button (you need to be at the close-up of a puzzle for this to work).
Inventory
You can hold up to twelve inventory items at a time. If you want to view an inventory item, click on it and it will become the cursor. then click on the eyeball with the inventory icon to view it. To return the item to the inventory, click on the eyeball or outside of the inventory item's image. To use an inventory item, select it from the toolbar, so it becomes your cursor, and click it on a location on the game screen. If the item cannot be used, nothing happens. Once the inventory item is used, it will disappear from your inventory, unless you need the item again later in the game (such as the chewing gum item). To combine inventory items, look at one item in close-up, select the second inventory item and use it on the item that is displayed in close-up. If the two items cannot be combined, it will return to its place in the toolbar.
Quick keys
F2: this changes the screen resolution (4 resolutions available)
F3: pressing F3 turns on or off the captions
F4: Press F4 to turn on or off the smart cursor
F5: F5 reduces or increases the window screen of the movie sequences.
CTRL-S: Quick-save under the current name.
Bahos sticks, petroglyphs and the kiva
Before grabbing a Bahos stick, make sure to note the symbol that goes along with it. It is always displayed in direct view. Take the stick (the cursor will change to a stick) and go immediately for the canyon on the outskirt of Cyclone. There are 3 areas where petroglyphs will decorate the canyon walls. Find the petroglyph with the symbol you saw when you picked up the Bahos and click on it with the Bahos stick cursor. Do so fast because, while you are roaming in the canyon, your life essence will reduce. Once you run out of life essence, you die. You will have to manage the pieces of the puzzle so they perfectly fit in the shape. Once you have done so, head further through the canyon and into the kiva where the altar is, and place the bahos in the altar slot with the same symbol. You will have to find and bring 12 bahos sticks to complete the game.
