How to play Abashera.

Click here to read frequently asked questions about Abashera.

Movement

Besides using the keyboard you can also use the mouse to look around in the game.

Desired action:

Keys to use or things to do:

Move forward.

Arrow up or Right mouse button

Move backward.

Arrow down or Left mouse button

Move sideways, left (strafe).

Move sideways, right (strafe).

Look up.

Page up or Arrow up + Shift

Look down.

Page down or Arrow down + Shift

Climb or swim down. (Note that when you are under water for a while your air will expire, the screen will then turn red and if you do not surface you will drown.)

Climb or swim up.

Space

Look over a ledge.

Walk to the ledge and look down, you will then lean out over the ledge.

To menus.

Esc

"Suicide"

Pick up an item.

Move over it.

Check how many items there are left.
to pick up.

Look straight up. The number of flowers indicate how many more items you need to pick up.

Kill a beast.

Use your imagination and lure it into doing something stupid.

Complete a level.

Find the Sun, if it spins then your mission is accomplished and you may exit the maze by going into the spinning sun. If it does not spin you have to do something such as kill all beasts or pick up a certain number of items.

Use a joypad or a joystick or a similar device.

Use the directional pad or stick to look around. Hold down button 1 and move the pad or stick to move. Hold down button 2 and move the pad or stick to climb.
Note that in order to use a joypad or such you have to enable it in the "performance"-menu in the Abashera game.

You can climb trees and similar objects by pressing "A" to move up and "Space" to move down.

"Ladder shaped" bridges can be climbed, you press "A" to move up on a bridge and "Space" to climb down through a bridge, same as with trees.

When you approach bridge; if you look slightly up you will climb up on it. If you look down you will go under it.

If you are uncomfortable with these settings you can change them if you - in the game - click on "Setup" and then on "Keyboard".

How to install new mazes.

You may need a program that can decompress zipped files in order to install new mazes. Unzip or put the already unzipped files into the "Mazes" folder which is located with the Abashera game and the game will find the new mazes automatically.

How to use the Maze Editor.

Making your own labyrinths

The Maze Editor is built up to be largely self-explanatory. Click around and test things to learn how it works. There are some things which are good to know though. When you click on a function a description of it will appear in the "Help" field in the "Description window".

Each "Maze" (I will refer to "levels", "labyrinths" etc. as "Mazes") consists of two files, a .maz file and a .dat file which are created automatically when you save your maze. When you distribute your mazes you need to submit both these files for the game to work properly. The Editor places your mazes in the "Mazes" folder in the Abashera game environment by default. When playing, the Abashera game will find and list all maze files in the maze folder. You can save your mazes on other locations as well but then they will not be found by the game.

Under the tab "Misc" in the editor you can set the name and other text-messages for your maze. Note that this name is not the file name of the maze, you set the filename when you save a maze with the "Save as"-option.
Further down you will see a button where you can "lock" your maze. If you lock your maze it will not be possible to load it into the editor and look at it or edit it further. If you feel it necessary to lock your maze before distributing it, be sure to save a unlocked copy of your maze before you lock it.

When using monuments and such it is hard to calculate how each monument will behave exactly, you will have to try and err a few times if you need to put a monument at an exact location.

The pins are a good help if you make intricate mazes, you can use pins to mark the right path through the maze for instance. These will not be visible in the game and they will not affect performance.

You can run the Abashera game and the Maze Editor at the same time by running Abashera in a window. To do this click on the small black square in the upper right corner of the menus in the Abashera game.

If you want to submit one or more mazes to be included in the next Maze Pack, download-able from MaxMagnusNorman.com, then E-mail no more than five mazes at the time, preferably zipped, to mazes@maxmagnusnorman.com (do not use this address for anything else). If your mazes are judged to be good enough they will be included in an upcoming Maze Pack.
You also have all rights to publish mazes you have made yourself on your own homepage or on other locations, if so I would be grateful if you linked back to the Abashera homepage (MaxMagnusNorman.com).

Updates, registering, further assistance etc.

Registering, and contacting Max Magnus Norman

If you have downloaded the game you will need a registering code to unlock it. (If you have bought the game on a CD you do not need to read this section - your game is already registered and unlocked). If you register you can play the now locked mazes, download more mazes, make your own mazes and spread them if you wish.

Payment for this game is much needed money, by paying for the game you will be a great help for me as an artist.

Registration fee is 100 Svenska kronor (SEK) / €10 / $10 *. By visiting MaxMagnusNorman.com you can pay via PayPal. You can also pay by sending this money cash (use a safe way of mailing and do not make it visible on the outside of the the envelope that it contains money) to:

Max Magnus Norman
Nylandsvagen 19F
S-862 91 Kvissleby

Sweden

Do not forget to submit a valid preferable E-mail or post address to where the registration code should be sent. If you feel reluctant about sending cash you can also use a check, but then the registration fee is €20 / $20 / 200 SEK * in order to cover the bank's fee for cashing in foreign checks.
You may also order the game on CD, it will then cost €15 / $15 / 150 SEK.

Uninstall or repair Abashera

Run the installation program again or use Windows Add/Remove Programs-function in the Windows' Control Panel for best results.

Updates, message boards, further inquiries

Visit MaxMagnusNorman.com where you can download more mazes, ask and answer questions in the message board and check for eventual update patches. To report eventual bugs please use the E-mail form at MaxMagnusNorman.com.
but most important: Look at and buy the art of Max Magnus Norman. (The paintings on the walls in the game are actually original paintings by him and can be bought as prints and in some cases as originals)