Game help
Controls, saves and common questions
Learn how to play on your phone or computer, save progress and troubleshoot loading problems. Translated pages explain the game and its controls; they do not translate the original game, menus or manuals. We keep original game names so you can identify the correct release.
How do touch controls work?
Select PLAY and wait for the game to load. Touch devices show a direction pad and action buttons. Hold and slide across the pad to change direction, or move to a corner for diagonal input. You can hold an action button with your other hand at the same time. Start, confirm, menu and documented help keys have a separate row, including S to start the original Duke Nukem.
In landscape fullscreen, the direction pad sits on the left and four action slots sit on the right. Each game uses its own defaults: Ctrl jumps in the original Duke Nukem, while Duke Nukem 3D uses A. Open More keys for weapon selection, save/load keys and the control reference. Opening this panel does not pause the game; use the game's menu first if you need to pause.
After a DOS game loads, open Configure to choose the four action buttons, direction keys and start/menu shortcuts. You can leave unused slots empty. Save controls applies your changes and stores them for this game in this browser, shared between language versions. Cancel discards unsaved changes; Restore defaults followed by Save controls resets the layout. Every key remains available through Keys.
Select Also save as my personal preset before saving to reuse your direction and action keys in other DOS games. Load the preset manually in the next game's settings; its menu shortcuts stay unchanged. Check the game's instructions before applying it: this only changes the keyboard inputs sent by the screen buttons, not the game's own control scheme. GB/GBA games use the emulator's native gamepad rather than these DOS keyboard mappings. Games with many keyboard commands or precise mouse input are still easier on a computer.
How do GB, GBA and NES controls work?
GB, GBA and NES use a native controller with A/B and Start/Select; GBA also has L/R shoulder buttons. On small screens the controls sit below the picture, and wide landscape players put the direction pad and action buttons on opposite sides. Open the menu in the corner of the game for Control Settings, Save State and Load State. These are emulator controls, separate from the DOS key editor. Use the sound button above the game to mute before starting or while playing.
Why are the keys different from modern games?
Many DOS games use arrow keys to move and Ctrl or Alt for actions rather than WASD. Check the control reference for the specific release. If arrow keys scroll the page on your computer, click the game screen to return keyboard focus to the player.
What is the difference between in-game saving and the player's Save button?
Save using the game's own system first, such as F2 in Doom. Then use Save in the player toolbar to keep changed game files in this browser. The toolbar does not take an instant snapshot and cannot bypass the game's save restrictions.
For example, Duke Nukem (1991) only allows saves in the small hallways between levels. Local records do not automatically move to another browser or device. Sign in and upload a cloud backup, or download a local backup file before switching.
What if the game does not start, has no sound or looks wrong?
Allow time for the files to download. On phones, you may need to press PLAY before the browser allows sound. Try refreshing after a failed launch. If fullscreen is unavailable, play within the page. Compatibility varies between devices and browsers.
If the problem continues, use Report a problem on the game page and describe the game, your device and what happened. Do not include passwords or other sensitive information.
What does shareware include?
Shareware is a limited release published by the original author, often containing only the first episode. It is not the complete commercial game and remains copyrighted. Original menus may show episodes that are not included; check the release notes on each game page.
How do I move a save to another device?
On the original device, save inside a DOS game first, then open Saves and upload the game files. Supported native games need a normal in-game save or exit followed by a page reload before backup. GB/GBA/NES backups use an emulator snapshot while the player is running. Games without their own persistent saves may only retain settings.
On the second device, sign in to the same account and open the same game. For DOS and native games, restore before pressing Play, then use the game’s Load or Continue menu. For GB/GBA/NES, start the player first, then restore the snapshot. Confirm the replacement; a copy of existing device data downloads first. Close other tabs running that game.
Free accounts can keep one current cloud backup for one game, up to 16 MB. Members can keep up to 50 games, five slots per game and ten versions per slot within 256 MB total. Membership purchases are not available yet. Device file backups remain free. Version checks prevent loading a backup into an incompatible game package or emulator.