li;IJ.

11@4 lri@h@i

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS COMPUTER GRAPHICS ARTISTS

Patrick Ketchum, Rolf Klug & Jean Klug Julia Viano, Joby Rome-Otero & Paul Ryan
PRODUCERS ACTORS CREDITS ....... .. .. ..... ... ...... ... ..... ... ........ ... ....................................................................... 2
Ari Minasian, Harald Seeley & Mike Dawson Mike Dawson, John Krause, Paul Drzewiecki
CONCEPT & Heidi Marendi
Mike Dawson, John Krause & Patrick Ketchum ABOUT H.R. GIGER ......... ... ....................................................... ..... ... .... ........ ........... 4
ENGLISH DIGITIZED VOICES
DESIGNERS David A. Bean, Lennard Feddersen, Kitty Gunn,
Mike Cranford & Mike Dawson Deem Bristow, Gabriella Straus, Eric Allen & Gary Gillett
ADDITIONAL DESIGNERS
Harald Seeley & Lennard Feddersen
GAME TEXT THE CREATION OF DARK SEED .............................................................................. 6
Michel Horvat
CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER
John Krause MARKETING/P.R.
James Lamorticelli & Mark Scriven THE BEGINNING ............... ......... ... ...... .. .............. ... .......................... ........ .. ... .. .......... 9
PROGRAMMING
John Krause, Gary Vick, Chris Granger, Lennard PACKAGE DESIGN
Feddersen, Brian Fitzgerald, Mike Dimambro, Brighi & Associates
David A. Bean & Dong Seo Game Channel BACKGROUND MANUAL
MUSICAL SCORE
HELPFUL HINTS .... .. ... ................. .. ..................... ............. ............................... .... .. ... 15
Jamile G. Mafi, Bill Simpson & Julia Viano
Gregory Alper
PURCHASING & PRODUCTION
MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS Pamela Lum
Chris Granger & David A. Bean HINTS & TIPS ............................................ ................................. .. ............................ 16
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
ART & ANIMATION DIRECTOR
Brummbrsr & Paul Drzewiecki Jamie Ottilie, Steven Grabowski & Alison Ryan
DARK WORLD ART ATIORNEY AT LARGE LIMITED WARRANTY .................... .................................... ........ .. ... ... ......................18
H.R. Giger's fantastic library Matthew Hostomsky, Esq.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ................ .................... .. ..... .... ... ... .... ............................. 19
VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:
H.R. Giger for his incredible visions
Rolf and Jean Klug for their commitment
Mia for her hospitality and support
Jim Cowan & Leslie Barany for their assistance
 1+1.1111:1;•ri1%• l.j,t.lllill;ldl9j;p

R. Giger was born in Chur, Switzerland in 1940. As a child, he developed a

powerful fascination with all things surreal and macabre. His need to express
himself and share the unique aspects of his vivid imagination, drew him to " Giger's Oscar-winning
the visual arts. Giger's own dreams and the brilliant imagery of such fantastique genius- " Giger is the master of work on ALIEN changed
es as Gustav Meyrink, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Kubin and H.P. Lovecraft, combined to form fantastic art." the look of science fiction "
OMNI MAGAZINE CINEFANTASTIQUE
a rich soil from which the amazing imagery of Giger's art has come to sprout. It has
grown into the vast canon of exotic women, wondrously disturbing landscapes and
frightening creatures that has captured the fascination of millions of fans worldwide.
" Giger knows "his silence is as profound
Meticulously detailed, Giger's paintings are done on large canvases and worked and what we fear" as his genius "
reworked by this maestro of the airbrush . It was Giger's popular art book , HARLAN ELLISON CLIVE BARKER
Necronomicon, that caught the eye of director Ridley Scott as he was searching for the
right look for a creature in his upcoming film . That creature, of course, turned out to be
the Alien , and Giger's masterful designs for the film of that same name garnered him a
much deserved Academy Award. " Brilliantly perverse "
" One of Europe's leading
NEWSWEEK
fabulist artists."
Giger's fascinating biomechanical style, that brilliant synthesis of flesh and machine, has PENTHOUSE
been realized not only through his paintings, but also through sculpture pieces, elegant
furniture, and architectural and interior design projects. His paintings have been dis- "H.R. Giger creates eerie
played in galleries and museums throughout the world. H.R. Giger has earned his place erotic fantasies with a
" The evolutionary
in the international art scene. nightmare imagination
genius ... Giger"
and an airbrush "
TIMOTHY LEARY
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
 1n9;1u1!.11•·•·H;ifiH·' 1n9a111¥1.g.n1114y.;

.r he creation of a ground-breaking computer game like DARK SEED takes the time
U / ~~d talents of a team of creative experts. The talents need span a broad range
of disciplines from prog rammers to artists, from designers to producers, to a
publisher like Cyberdreams, willing to support the entire produ ction endeavor until every
aspect meets the highest standard.
Brummboer, Pau l Drzewiecki , Joby-Rome Otero, Pau l Ryan and Julia Ulano . Each
brought his or her own skills and areas of expertise to t he project. Ultimately, each
worked on locations, characters, game objects and animation .

Toward the end of produ ction , Michael Cranford returned to the team to work with
Harald Seeley on fine-tuning the gameplay aspects.
The original con cept for DARK SEED was a collaborative effort between Mike Dawson,
John Krause and Patrick Ketchum . Later, Michael Cranford joined Mike Dawson to do DARK SEED consists of two entirely distinct locations: the Normal World, whose cre-
the actual game design . Mike's name was eventually used for DARK SEED's main char- ation involved combin ing imagery pieced together from various architectural sources
acter {designer prerogative) . with original art, in order to create that world ' s unique look-and the Dark World, which
was constructed from Giger's artwork. One of the sign ificant steps in the art design
As fans of the art of H.R. Giger, the team cons idered ways to incorporate his artwork into process was to create customized palettes for the Dark World locations and finalize the
the ir game. When the detailing of the design and specification was completed, Giger color selection for the Normal World . Due to the precedence of biomechanical beings in
was approached. After lengthy negotiations, two trips to Switzerland, dozens of faxes much of Giger's work, the Dark World' s coloring was designed to reflect the ominous
and telephone conferences-along with the assistance of Giger's U.S. publisher, Jim mood of Giger's nightmarish imagery.
Cowan- Giger agreed to lend his artwork, provided Cyberdreams used only high-resolu-
tion graphics mode, in order to avoid the " square and jagged " look of low-resolution. The determination of which pieces of Giger's work were to be incorporated within DARK
SEED involved extensive research through Giger's artwork library-worth millions-to
The actual development of DARK SEED from design to completed game required the tal - which Cyberdreams had access. Some of the works selected and included in DARK
ent and experience of the entire Cyberdreams team. Leading the group was senior pro- SEED are: Work No. 453 "N.Y. City Ill" {straight). Work No. 350 "Hommage a Bocklin "
ducer Harald Seeley and junior producer Mike Dawson . The programming aspects (1977). and Work No. 251 " Li II" (1974). The various background locations used in the
required two programmers, Lennard Feddersen, who had been developing an engine for game were created by first selecting a portion of one of Giger's works. Then , using a
this type of game since September, 1990, and John Krause who constructed the promo- scanner, the image was captured and saved as a computer file . Next, considerable time-
tional disk and the nightmare and title sequences . The Art Department included consuming work was done cutting out, cleaning up and proportionately sizing each pie-
 IMri;ihli.!.11•1•h;iiJijj.¥ IM:IJ@iiifr!.4

ture for use in the game. Electronic Arts Deluxe Paint lle and Newtek's Digiview 5.0 were regg Cameron and I had just closed one of the biggest deals in our combined
used extensively during the entire process. By using the perspective tool, an image twenty-one years at the agency, making the prospect of staying with Cameron,
could be manipulated to create doors, walls, floors and even many of the characters Dawson and Tillich even more lucrative. I'm Mike Dawson . Not only did I claim
which appear in the Dark World . Detailing in the form of highlights, shadows, and one third of the firm's name, I am the Chairman of the Board. That kind of money is hard
translucent overlays were added to further enhance each picture. In creating the anima- to pass up, especially when you're the head of one of the biggest ad agencies in San
tion of all Normal World characters, a video camera was employed to record , frame- Francisco.
by-frame , the specific movements which make up the animated sequences. Live actors
were videotaped performing each of the various actions which were to be used within But writing was my calling. And for writing, I needed a quiet spot where I could collect
the game. These video images were imported to computer disk and then cleaned up and my thoughts and be receptive to the ever elusive blessing of inspiration .
sized according to their particular use within DARK SEED.
The ad in the paper shattered all doubts-a large, fully furnished Victorian-style house in
During production, a special trip was made to Switzerland to allow Giger the opportunity Woodland Hills, Cal ifornia . " Seclusion" was the first word that caught my eye. No
to view the game and make suggestions. His first comment upon sitting down at the noise, no competition, no rat-race . " Bargain " was the second. In fact, it was dirt cheap.
computer and booting -up was, " It's beautiful! " Giger, who possessed some previous I couldn't see how the owner could make any profit at that asking price. Apparently, the
knowledge of computer graphics capability, was very impressed and interested. He property was just put on the market, and it was a steal. It was a killing . It was the ideal
offered several helpful suggestions about scaling, placement and other detailed com- novel-writing environment.
ments. In addition, he elaborated upon many other ideas for future computer games.
During a recent business trip, I flew by prop plane to a small privately-owned airport just
Near the end of development, in order to insure that the best product be created, an outside of Woodland Hills. I was, through a series of embarrassing circumstances,
extra 6 months of development time was added to produce additional locations, objects delayed at the airport. By the time I got to the house I only had enough time to give it a
and programming to further enhance the gameplay and look of the game. The entire quick walk through . The only impression I was able to get of the house at night was that
Cyberdreams team dedicated not only their time in creating DARK SEED, but collaborat- it was very large and dead quiet. This was the only criteria that needed verifying, in my
ed in joining together their continuous creative energies to bring into being a game that mind. I continued my trip confident that I would own that house very soon.
met their highest standard of excellence. Their sole purpose: your gaming enjoyment.
 llttl:IJ9@11/ici

My eagerness to purchase the house was obviously palpable, as the real-estate agent, After arriving at the small airport, I called a taxi to take me the rest of the way to my new
Beverly, commented over the phone. So palpable, in fact, that the sellers offered to pay home. Looking out of the window from my back seat vantage, the rural setting was still
for the move. How soon? A week. Not even enough time to give the house a complete and refreshing .
look-over. She even offered to activate the utilities and phone, which made the offer
almost too good to resist. Still, I had some reservations. The cab driver and his taxi, however, were relics from a long past era. The sign on the

Frankly, the agent seemed over-zealous. I asked her why the previous owner had wished
to sell the house. Following a long pause, during which her breath was ominously audi-
ble, she issued the noncommittal excuse: " Uh, he had family obligations. " This was fol-
lowed by a number of reparative statements obviously aimed at mending any doubts I
might have had regarding the quality of the house. I then asked who the owner was.
I door said,"Andy's Taxi Service." The cab looked as if it had seen its best days sometime
in the 50's, its chrome bumpers peeling and askew, the mohair upholstery threadbare
and unrelenting in its odor of antiquity. If the cab was old, the driver, presumably Andy,
was ancient. Thin, bent and balding, his stained oversized seersucker slacks were held up
by suspenders safety-pinned to his T-shirt.

She stated he was located out of state, desired anonymity and that the price was low He seemed noticeably apprehensive when I asked him to take me to my new home, the
because he didn't want to be bothered by a long, drawn out transaction . The agent sug- old Victorian house on Ventura Drive. I asked him what was wrong . "Oh , just a bit of a
gested that she would take care of everything and move the sale along quickly. I was migraine, " was the feeble and obviously emotionless reply. I hoped the rest of the town
naturally curious, but still, the house was in a great neighborhood, and I had a feeling was better endowed in the hospitality department than Andy.
about it. This was the one.
It wasn 't. As we drove through the narrow byways of "downtown" Woodland Hills, I was
I hastily wrapped up my current business endeavors and notified my partners of my
plan. Grudgingly, they agreed to a one year sabbatical; the exorbitant raises in pay they l greeted by fleeting sideways glances and suspicious demeanors at every street corner.
Strange town . I figured I was lucky to be in one of the marginally secluded areas,
received helped dissipate their objections. The few belongings I was planning to bring
with me and some of my favorite furniture would be picked up by a moving van and J because the small-town mentality which pervaded the heart of Woodland Hi lls was a
potentia l let-down . I asked Andy to speed up as I was very excited about getting to my
delivered to the new house on the same day that I planned to arrive. I was ready for new home.
Woodland Hills.
 ldj:ij@l/ii.ih# idj@@frii/!.A

To my chagrin, I discovered that my new house was not quite as far from the center of Oh, well , I thought, no harm in going in and exploring for myself, I paid off the cab driver
town as I might have wished. It was, however, surrounded on most sides by trees, which and walked down the driveway and up the entrance stairs.
afforded adequate privacy.
The massive oaken double doors yielded easily, revealing a large entrance hall. One of
I lost all doubt about outside distraction when viewing the house for the first time in the the doors from the entrance led to an ornate living room . Among many outstanding
daylight. It was solitary and incongruent with its surroundings. It was almost al ien . pieces of antique furniture and decoration, one eerie portrait stood out. It was a haunt-
There seemed an apparent vacuum around it, an envelope of silence which framed it like ingly beautiful young woman-beautiful in another worldly sense, anyway. Dark tones
a painting . It was secluded, all right. and an obscure background highlighted a pale face with piercing eyes. I wondered who
she was.
Visually, the house was an enigma. Strange mixtures of architectural components and a
bit of missing paint made it seem wanting at first glance. It looked like it had not been The fading sunlight filtered through the semi -curtained windows and created yellow bars
inhabited for decades, although apparently someone had been maintaining it enough to of light reflecting off of thousands of turbulent dust motes. I was marveling at the
prevent deterioration . But as I took in the sheer magnitude of it I realized that, though a immaculate but lived-in quality of the room when the feeling came over me.
fixer-upper, it was utterly beautiful in its antiquity.
It wasn 't a feeling , so much as a sound. A high, nearly imperceptible whine, like some-
My pleasure was interrupted by the realization that the moving van I had expected to be one somewhere was blowing on a broken dog whistle. It so bordered on the inaudible
there when I arrived, wasn 't in sight. There was no sign of the movers anywhere. Either that it was easier described as a buzzing vibration emanating from the inside of my head.
they got lost, or they must have been in a real hurry to finish . My eyes glazed over and my mouth sagged open.

Also , I had been expecting the agent to meet me to give me a tour. I had already bought I was tired. Not just tired, but suddenly exhausted. My eyes felt as if they were sand-
the house through a series of unbelievably convenient overnight delivery transactions. (I bags, my tongue felt like cotton . There must be a bedroom somewhere in here, I
meant to thank her about that.) She must have been delayed somewhere else. thought. As I groped my way up the stairs I wondered if I should wait for the agent.
What was her name?
 ll?lj:ij@i@!.i l!!JIHlll@lfl

Just a nap, that's all. 1. Save your game regularly. If you make a mistake and haven't saved your game, you
will have to start over from the beginning. Also, at the end of every day, it's a good idea
Now, what was her name? to save your game before going to bed - just in case you find out later that there was
something you needed to get done that day, but forgot to do!
She had no name-I never asked.
2. Pause your game if you have to step away from your computer. Time is suspended at
No, I did ask, I just can 't remember. That's odd. I must be sure to ask her name when
the load/save/game options screen . If you forget to do this, then time will continue to
she gets here. But first, sleep. I must find a bed . Where are my things? Where did the
pass, and Dawson doesn't have a lot of it left to waste! His days are numbered.
mover put them?

Nowhere. The movers never came. 3. Look at everything . Sometimes you won't learn everything about Jn object on the
first look; you may have to look more closely a second time. Don 't forget to "look" at
I've got to remember to tell the agent about that, too. items you acquire in your inventory. Also, some objects won 't make their appearance
until you have obtained the necessary clues to their existence. Some events in the game
After trying several doors, I discovered one of the bedrooms. I was hard pressed to must be performed on particular days. Remember, it's not what you know that counts,
keep my legs from giving up their uphill battle for support. I collapsed on the bed face it's what Dawson knows that's important. Keep that in mind if you need to start the
first, my palms down. The down comforter was cool and resilient under my cheek but game again from scratch.
unable to conceal the bed 's underlying lumpiness.
4. Pay attention to the changes in the cursor shapes as you move them over objects and
But now, I need sleep. I must remember to wake up soon for the agent, but first, a backgrounds, as they provide important clues about your environment.
short nap.

The whine suddenly crescendoed to a roar. It felt like a waterfall had cascaded, accom-
panied by a tremendous clanger, into my brain .

Sleep. A voice in my head that wasn't mine beckoned me to slumber. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep .. .
 l@IJJ:ji@I MllfrlH·i•@•
IN NORTH AMERICA ... IN EUROPE ...
The DARK SEED Hint Book is available from your local retailer or Cyberdreams, Inc. To The DARK SEED Hint Book is available directly from Cyberdreams UK Ltd.
order your Hint Book from Cyberdreams, Inc., please send your check or money order To order, send your cheque or money order (U.K. currency only) in the amount of
(U.S. currency only) in the amount of $9.95 plus $2.50 shipping & handling. £8.45 if you are in the UK or £9.20 if you are outside of the UK in Europe
For non-California residents, please send a total of $12.45. For California residents, (applicable taxes , shipping and handling included) to :
please send a total of $13.27 (includes 8.25% sales tax) . Mail your order to:

CYBERDREAMS, ING. CYBERDREAMS UK LTD.

23586 Calabasas Road , Suite 102 9A Canfield Place
Calabasas, California 91302 London , NW6 3BT
Attention: DARK SEED HINT BOOK Attention: DARK SEED HINT BOOK

We welcome your questions, comments or other feedback regarding We welcome your questions, comments or other feedback regarding
DARK SEED or any of our products. DARK SEED or any of our products.

In the meantime, if you find yourself stumped and need a nudge in the right direction , call In the meantime, if you find yourself stumped and need a nudge in the right direction, call
Cyberdreams direct at (818) 222-9348. Simply leave a message on our voice mail system that Cyberdreams direct at (071) 372-4307. Simply leave a message on our voice mail system that
includes your name, phone number, and a brief description of where you are in the game. A includes your name, phone number, and a brief description of where you are in the game. A
Cyberdreams representative will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible during normal Cyberdreams representative will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible during normal
business hours. business hours.
 13folllj.l'fbl;hii• IH§ii/iiff.'*MiHi.fo§I
LIMITED WARRANTY CYBERDAEAMS , INC . warran1s 10 lhe original consumer purchaser that Iha diskettes or CD·AOM furnished
In this product (hereinafter , "Software") will be free from defects 1n materials and workmanship under normal use tor a period of IN THE USA .. .
ninety (90) days from the date of purchase (as evidenced by the rece1p1 ol purchase) If you are experiencing difficulties with DARK SEED and are a registered user, you may call our technical
CONSUMER REMEDIES . CYBEROREAMS , INC . entire habi11ty and the orlg1nal consumer purchaser's exclusive remedy shall be ,
support department for assistance at (818) 222-9348. Simply leave a message on our voice mail system
at CYBERDREAMS, INC opllon , repair or replacement of the Software that does not meet CYBEADREAMS . INC .' s Um11ed that includes your name and phone number. A Cyberdreams technician will respond to your inquiry as
Warranty and whlch Is returned to CYBERDAEAMS , INC . wl!h a copy of the rece ipt of purchase. This Limited Warranly is vold If soon as possible during normal business hours. To better serve you , please have information regarding
lal1ure of the Software has resulted from accident . abuse , or mlsapptlcat1on . Any replacement Software wlll be warranted for the
remainder of !he orlglnat warranty period or 30 days. whichever is longer the manufacturer, model , operating system , available memory and system configuration of your computer
when you contact us.
PRODUCT IS SOLD "AS IS" THE SOFTWARE. DISKETTES OR CD·ROM . DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER ITEMS ARE
PROVIDED "AS IS" THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY . NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
USE . AND NO OTHER WARRANTY OF ANY KIND , EIT HER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED REGARDING THE SOFTWARE. DISKETTES IN EUROPE ...
OR CD·ROM. OR DOCUMENTATION , EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDE D IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAP HS. THE ENT IRE If you are experiencing difficulties with DARK SEED and are a registered user, you may call our technical
RISK AS TO THE use , RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE , DISKETTES OR CD·ROM , AND DOCUMENTATION
IS ASSUMED BY THE CONSUMER
support department for assistance at (071) 372-4307. Simply leave a message that includes your name
and phone number. A Cyberdreams technician will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible during
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES . IN NO EVENT SHALL CYBERDREAMS , INC .. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO THE normal business hours . To better serve you , please have information regarding the manufacturer, model ,
CONSUMER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR INDIRECT DAMAGES RESULTING FROM
POSSESSION , USE OR MALFUNCTION OF TH IS PRODUCT , INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION , DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
operating system , available memory and system configuration of your computer when you contact us.
AND , TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DAMAGES FO R PERSO NAL INJURY, EVEN IF CYBERDREAMS , ING. HAS BEE N
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGES OR LOSS . SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON THE ON-LINE SUPPORT VI A COMPUS ERVE
DURATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND/ OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES , AND THUS TH E PRECEDING LIMITATION AND/ OR EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY For on-line support of DARK SEED via CompuServe, call (800) 524-3388 (in North America) and ask for
Representative #503 to get your FREE introductory membership and $15 usage credit. If you are already
LEGAL RIGHTS. THIS WA RRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS . AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS DEPENDING a member of CompuServe, type the command GO GAMAPUB at any ! prompt to get the Cyberdreams
ON THE LAWS 1N YOUR STATE. YOU AGREE THAT THE LIABILITY OF CYBEROREAMS . ING. ARISING OUT OF ANY KIND OF
LEGAL CLAIM (WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU OR IGINALLY PAID support area (Section/Library 5) , or contact our technical support department at ID# 72662 ,120.
FOR THE USE OF THIS PRODUCT
WHAT IS COMPUSERVE?
COPYRIGH T. The enclosed software product and th is manual are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by CYBERDREAMS , INC.
No pert ol lhls manual or any of the accompanying materials may be copied . reproduced , or 1ransla1ed In any form or medium CompuServe is the world's largest international network of personal computer users (over 1.3 million
without the prior wrlllen consent of CYBERDREAMS . INC members worldwide) and has over 1,700 products and services to choose from . You can talk directly to
NOTICE. CYBE RDREAMS. JNC. reserves the right to make Improvements In the product described In this manual at any time and
software publishers, download free software , and get the latest news and sports of interest with a personal
wllhout notice . clipping service . Check out the weather forecast with Accu Weather maps. Plan , schedule and book your
own flights. Do your own research with an on-line encyclopedia and look at the latest up-to-the-minute
CYBERDREAMS, ING. stock reports. Utilize international electronic mail capabilities , software support and much , much more .
23586 Calabasas Road, Suite 102
Calabasas, California 91302