Free in the Dark

If you're looking for an open source version of the engine used in the Alone in the Dark (AITD) and its sequels, then Free in the Dark is definitely worth checking out. It allows AITD1 to be completable, saving and loading supported, but with only one slot available. Unfortunately, the screen to select the save position is not implemented. Free in the Dark supports loading a save from the original game, provided it is named "save0.itd" - remember to rename it if necessary. Free in the Dark also allows for the loading of a FITD save in the original engine. However, users should be aware that there is a problem with projectiles in the AITD1 game. Guns won't work, and throwing objects may result in strange outcomes. It's a good idea to save before throwing anything, to avoid the possibility of the object appearing in a wall.

AITD2 is supported but currently uncompletable due to a regression in the script engine, resulting in a buggy introduction. To get around the issue, simply hit 'esc' to skip the intro (both parts) and continue playing. Save/load is currently unsupported. The same is true for JACK, which is also supported but uncompletable, with save/load unsupported. AITD3 is also supported but uncompletable, with save/load unsupported.

Installation of Free in the Dark is relatively straightforward. Simply build (with configure and make) and put the binary in the game data directory (where all the .pak files are). Once installed, start FITD to play. It's worth noting that the CD version of AITD1 hasn't been tested with Free in the Dark, so it may not work. Overall, Free in the Dark is an interesting open source version of the engine used in Alone in the Dark and its sequels, and worth trying out for fans of the series.