Blackout 97

WARNING

Blackout (1997) contains themes, imagery, and narrative elements that some players may find disturbing. This game is not suitable for children. It is rated M by the ESRB (equivalent to PEGI 18+). User discretion is advised. It is intended for mature audiences only.

Blackout is a 1997 Danish psychological horror adventure created by writer Michael Valeur and developed by Deadline Games. While it utilizes a point-and-click interface reminiscent of Myst, the game does not have traditional puzzles in favor of a narrative-driven experience akin to modern "walking simulators" or visual novels like Firewatch.

Originally published by IQ Media Nordic, the game saw commercial releases in Danish, Swedish (starring Mikael Persbrandt), and Norwegian. Although a full U.K. English version was completed, it was never distributed. This was likely due to the era’s strict censorship of cinematic violence in the U.K. and U.S., as well as the difficulty of securing a Western publishing partner at the time.

After nearly 30 years in storage, this "lost" English version is being made available here for the first time with the permission of the copyright holders.

Writer Michael Valeur is renowned for his experimental storytelling. He designed Blackout as an "internal journey," arguably making it one of the earliest examples of a psychological walking simulator years before the genre was defined.

The below information was taken from Deadline Games site captured on 2001 using The Wayback Machine:

Black Out is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular games ever released, and it's Danish.

The game is a psychological thriller where you are the main character. It is you who wakes up in a deserted apartment, it is you who remembers nothing and it is you who finds a headless body that you have no idea where it came from! Through the search of a mysterious city and the meeting with different people you find out that this seemingly classic murder mystery covers a complicated story with strong psychological undertones. In order toTo solve the mystery, you must use all your knowledge, your human understanding and, not least, your intellect.

The story: The framework of the story is a murder mystery, in which you yourself play the main role. Unlike previous CDs, the key is not to be found in “a cigarette butt left at the crime scene” , but in the psychology of the murderer. Through the search of a city that you move around in, and a series of memories and flashbacks, it will already dawn on you early in the game that you yourself are the murderer.

The scoring system in Black Out is unique. It operates hidden from the player by recording the player's choices and categorizing them according to four temperaments, which are divided into the four elements of earth, water, fire and air. Throughout the game, the player will be presented with a series of choices. Each time a question is answered or a choice is made, the computer will register it. The personality with the most points at any given time will determine how the game reacts and what information the reader has access to.

The player does not know at any time that the computer is registering the choices, but will be able to sense that the game reacts significantly differently depending on the choices made. The player will therefore be forced to act by intuition and the player's own personality will determine the development of the game as well as the ending of the game. The individual choices will not be fatal, but together they lead to the player's fate.

Copy text from the pc game box: Black Out is the game that will challenge your mind and explore your subconscious. At the start of the game, you have no idea who you are. Slowly you get to know the city of Black Out and through it yourself. Through conversations with people and experiences of deja vu, you soon realize that your soul carries dark secrets. Your fate is set if you don't do something - quickly! 

In addition to the game's unique concept, Black Out takes place in a revolutionary environment. The entire city is built in real miniature models with houses, street lamps, a harbor district and last but not least, living dolls. 

Interacting with 60 different characters in over 30 realistic environments will give you a gaming experience like you've never experienced before. As your actions control the game and the setting is constantly changing, you'll discover new dimensions every time you play Black Out. 

A crazy exciting game. 

Literally...

Preservation Project

My initial goal was to produce a full remaster of Blackout using a modern engine with high-resolution assets and footage. The game was originally filmed on Betacam While that project remains a possibility for the future, I have coordinated with the copyright holders to release these emulated versions in the meantime to ensure the game is preserved and playable today.

[SPOILERS]

Because the game is cryptic about these personalities, I have included details uncovered from the game’s internal script and source code:

• Personality 1 - Razor (Fire): Violent, cynical, and sadistic. (Triggered by aggressive choices, drinking, or visiting the brothel).
• Personality 2 - Kenneth (Air): Carefree, easy-going, and playful.
• Personality 3 - William (Earth/Fire): Quiet, shy, and modest.
• Personality 4 - Kim (Water): Childish, fearful, and lonely.

Technical Instructions

Emulator Controls: 

 - Ctrl + Alt + Page Up: Toggle Fullscreen. 

- Middle Mouse Button: Release cursor from the game window.

When you download the zip file, the emulator works best if you just keep the folder where you download it and don't move it. When you go into the folder you click on the "Blackout_Launcher.exe" file to play the game. You don't have to worry about the other files.

- Also even if the downloaded folders say "Linux or Android" they are all for Windows. I had to pick different versions when I uploaded via Butler due to their files sizes and if I kept picking Windows it would just update the version I had uploaded on here. The Danish version was the original version released. There's no sub-titles. The English/U.K version is an unreleased version that 3was meant for the Western markets but never actually saw a release. This is the first time it's been available ever since 1997.

HOW TO SWAP DISCS (When prompted by the game):

1. Press the Middle Mouse Button to release your cursor.
2. At the top of the window, go to: Media > CD-ROM 0 > Select Existing Image.
3. Choose BLACKOUT2.ISO or BLACKOUT3.ISO from the main folder.
4. Click back inside the game window to re-capture your mouse and resume.

HOW TO EXIT SAFELY:

1. Save your game in one of the slots.
2. Exit the game to reach the Windows 95 desktop.
3. Shut Down: Go to Start > Shut Down inside the emulator.
4. Wait: Once you see the orange text "It is now safe to turn off your computer," you can simply click the X on the 86Box window.

Known Issues & User Persistence (see Devlog Discussion Board): 

Issue 1: During the development of this wrapper, it was observed that the game requests a Name and Date of Birth upon every launch. This is hard-coded behavior for the original engine's session management. Even though your Save Games are stored on the virtual drive, you must enter these details to reach the Main Menu. Once at the menu, simply select 'LOAD GAME' to continue.

FAQ
Q: Windows says the file is from an unknown publisher—is it safe? A: Yes. Because this is an independent preservation project, the installer is not digitally signed. Windows SmartScreen may show a warning. Click “More info” → “Run anyway” to continue.

Full Credits: MobyGames Credits Page

Blackout © 1997 Deadline Games, Simon Jon Andreasen, Chris Mottes, and Michael Valeur. Released with permission from the current copyright holders.