What you can change, how to find it, and the limitations to consider before playing.
Availability reviewed 28 October 2026: public build 566 on Steam, covering Windows, macOS and Steam Deck. This guide describes that release. Later updates may differ; check the patch notes.
Hauntworks is an isometric haunted-house management game with character movement, building, aiming and text dialogue. It has accessibility options, but we cannot yet promise full keyboard-only or screen-reader play. The game contains stylized blood, vomiting, scares and flashing effects.
Finding and changing settings
Before playing: choose Settings on the main menu.
During play: press Esc or controller Start / Menu, or click the HUD gear, then choose Settings. The pause menu stops the night.
Starting a new game: the character-selection page has a Settings card for Glowing Hints and Skip Intro.
The six tabs are Volume, Accessibility, Display, Graphics, Preferences and Controls. Graphics is hidden on Steam Deck.
Mouse: click a tab and its controls. Controller: LB / RB changes tabs. Keyboard: Up from a tab's top row, or Shift+Tab from its first setting, reaches the tab row. Left / Right changes tabs; Down, Tab or Enter enters the selected tab. On Volume, Up / Down adjusts a fader, so use Shift+Tab to reach the tab row. Tab from Back wraps to the tabs.
Most changes save immediately on your computer and apply across saves. Quest chevrons and objective glow belong to each save. Reset All asks before restoring defaults, including text size and accessibility preferences; Cancel is selected first. It preserves input bindings and telemetry consent. Controls has separate Reset to Defaults confirmations for each device.
Text, contrast and color
These settings are on the Accessibility tab. Choose Font Size first, then check the dialogue preview with the backing and contrast you prefer.
Font Size
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
100%, 110%, 120%, 130%
Default
100%; 120% on first launch on Steam Deck
Effect
Enlarges menu, HUD and dialogue text. Applies while menus are open. Some world labels also follow this setting.
Limits
The game does not offer 200% text size. Some decorative world text and 3D prompts have their own sizing.
Plain Fonts
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Replaces decorative headings and speaker-name lettering with the plain body typeface, retaining bold and italic.
Limits
Does not replace lettering baked into artwork.
High Contrast UI
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Adds solid text backings and strengthens menu text, disabled text, borders and focus outlines.
Limits
Does not recolor the game world, artwork, icons or visual effects. A game-wide contrast certification is not available.
Dialogue Background
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Game Style, Black, Charcoal, Navy, Oxblood, Forest
Default
Game Style
Effect
Chooses the backing color for dialogue panels and speech bubbles. A preview appears below the setting.
Limits
Game Style keeps each dialogue surface's authored appearance.
Dialogue Opacity
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Game Style or 0%–100%, in steps of 10%
Default
Game Style
Effect
Changes the opacity of the dialogue backing. Higher opacity separates text from the scene more strongly.
Limits
At 0% the backing is transparent. The preview lets you check background and text together.
Custom Cursor
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Default, Inverted, Disabled
Default
Default
Effect
Inverted swaps the game pointer's light and dark colors. Disabled uses your operating system's pointer.
Limits
Applies to mouse use; it does not change controller aiming.
Placement Colors
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Blue & Orange or Red & Green
Default
Blue & Orange
Effect
Changes the pair used for available and blocked building placement, invalid previews and rejected machine links.
Limits
This changes the placement pair, not every color in the game.
Gain/Loss Colors
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Green & Red or Blue & Orange
Default
Green & Red
Effect
Changes the pair used for increases and decreases, such as report and patron favor changes.
Limits
Does not apply a whole-screen color filter.
Audio
The Volume tab has eight independent faders. Use a speaker button to mute, or focus the fader and press Enter on a keyboard or A on a controller. On a controller, Left from Master or Right from Voices reaches Mono Audio without reducing a fader.
Volume channels
Where
Settings → Volume
Choices
0%–100%, in steps of 1%, with a mute button for each channel
Default
All channels 100%, unmuted
Effect
Master controls all audio. Music controls music; Ambient environmental background sounds; SFX general effects; Screams guest screams; Vomit vomiting sounds; UI interface sounds; Voices character voice sounds.
Limits
Screams and Vomit can be lowered or muted separately from other effects. Voices needs NPC Voices enabled in Preferences.
Mono Audio
Where
Settings → Volume, below the faders
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Plays the left and right audio channels in both ears, including story-film sound.
Limits
Listening on every Windows, macOS and Steam Deck audio setup has not been verified.
NPC Voices
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Enables wordless character voice sounds while dialogue appears. Every line remains visible as text. Set their loudness with the Voices fader.
Limits
These are not recorded spoken dialogue or screen narration.
Reading and information cards
Preferences controls dialogue timing and floating information. Auto-Advance Dialogue: Off is the option for reading each line at your own pace.
Text Speed
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
Slow, Normal, Fast
Default
Normal
Effect
Changes how quickly dialogue letters appear. Slow takes twice as long as Normal; Fast takes half as long.
Limits
This does not change how long a finished line waits; use Auto-Advance Dialogue for that.
Auto-Advance Dialogue
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
Off, Slow, Fast
Default
Slow
Effect
Off waits for input on each line. Slow advances a finished line after 30 seconds without input. Fast advances shortly after typing finishes.
Limits
Choose Off if you need unlimited reading time between lines.
Language
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
English
Default
English
Effect
Chooses the interface and dialogue language.
Limits
English is the only language offered in this release.
Tooltip Position
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
Cursor, Bottom Left, Bottom Right
Default
Cursor
Effect
Places information cards near the pointer or at a fixed corner.
Limits
A fixed corner can keep cards away from what you are pointing at. The release does not explain every setting inside Settings.
Proximity Tooltips
Where
Settings → Preferences, while using a controller
Choices
On / Off
Default
On
Effect
Opens descriptions when you approach placed items.
Limits
This row is shown only for controller input.
Patron Nameplates
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
On / Off
Default
On
Effect
Shows patrons' names above them in the world.
Limits
Turning names off does not hide the patrons themselves.
Guest Barks
Where
Settings → Preferences
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Shows guests' short speech bubbles. Turning it off can reduce floating text in a busy house.
Limits
These short reactions are mainly flavor text, rather than a sound-effects caption system.
Motion, flashing and vibration
Set these before starting if they are important for you. Story films are not changed by Reduced Motion or Reduce Flashing. The game has not been formally assessed for photosensitivity safety.
Reduced Motion
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Suppresses frame-moving feedback such as zoom punches and hit pauses. Automatic camera pans use final framing; the traveling camera uses still shots. Some attention cues remain steady.
Limits
Some decorative menu, building and preview motion remains in this release. Sounds and small feedback remain. Story-film pictures are unchanged.
Reduce Flashing
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Dims and softens supported bright effects, including scream flashes, the Knock Knock hit and Soulstorm's strobe, and stops supported decorative light flicker.
Limits
Does not alter story-film pictures or guarantee that every flashing source is removed. No formal photosensitivity assessment has been made.
Camera Shake
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
On / Off
Default
On
Effect
Controls screen shaking separately from the Reduced Motion preference.
Limits
Turning shake off does not remove every kind of animation.
Controller Rumble
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
Off, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%
Default
100%
Effect
Changes vibration strength. Lowering it or turning it off stops vibration already running.
Limits
Vibration strength has not been physically checked on every controller.
Time, pause and guidance
You can slow the night and choose when quest guidance appears. These options do not remove every timed or directional action.
Game Speed
Where
Settings → Accessibility
Choices
100%, 75%, 50%
Default
100%
Effect
Slows the simulation to give more time to read, aim and decide. From the pause menu it applies immediately; from the main menu it applies when a game loads.
Limits
This is a speed setting, rather than a separate difficulty mode. Prices, rewards and objectives do not change.
Chooses when floor chevrons and glowing quest targets appear for the new save.
Limits
Only objectives with guidance targets can be pointed out.
Glowing Chevrons / Glowing Objectives
Where
Settings → Accessibility, opened from the pause menu
Choices
Off, Wait 30s, Immediate
Default
Wait 30s for a new game
Effect
Changes floor-arrow and target-glow guidance independently for the current save.
Limits
These belong to that save and are not shown in main-menu Settings.
Unstuck Player
Where
Settings → Preferences, opened from the pause menu
Choices
Press Unstuck
Default
No automatic action
Effect
Moves your character to a safe position, then resumes the game.
Limits
Use it if movement is blocked. It does not rewind other events.
Display and performance
Display and Graphics options may help you find a comfortable presentation. Available choices and starting quality vary by platform.
Gamma
Where
Settings → Display
Choices
Brightness slider
Default
1.00 (neutral)
Effect
Adjusts brightness across the frame, including the interface.
Limits
It does not replace High Contrast UI or change individual scene colors.
Borderless Fullscreen / Window
Where
Settings → Display, desktop
Choices
Fullscreen toggle; window-size selector and Apply
Default
Borderless fullscreen; window size follows your display until saved
Effect
Chooses fullscreen or windowed presentation. Apply previews a window-size change, and confirmation keeps it.
Limits
Desktop-only controls are hidden on Steam Deck. Let the confirmation expire to revert an unusable change.
Confirmation Timer
Where
Settings → Display, desktop
Choices
10, 30, 60 or 100 seconds
Default
10 seconds
Effect
Sets the time allowed to keep display changes and a switch from controller to Mouse & Keys before automatic reversion.
Limits
Choose a longer timer before making the change. Hidden on Steam Deck.
Max FPS / V-Sync
Where
Settings → Display
Choices
30 or 60 FPS; V-Sync Off, On or Smooth
Default
60 FPS; V-Sync Smooth on desktop, On on Steam Deck
Effect
Limits frame rate and selects display synchronization. Smooth uses mailbox presentation when the display supports it.
Limits
Max FPS is fixed on Steam Deck; V-Sync remains adjustable. A driver may override synchronization. These are not photosensitivity controls.
Effects Quality
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
Low, Medium, High, Ultra, Custom
Default
High on desktop; Medium fixed profile on Steam Deck
Effect
Applies a bundle of image-quality settings. Custom lets individual choices differ from the presets.
Limits
Graphics is hidden on Steam Deck. MSAA and upscaling changes wait for restart; other changes apply under a transition.
Anti-Aliasing (MSAA)
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
Off, 2x, 4x, 8x
Default
2x
Effect
Smooths jagged edges. Higher values use more graphics processing power.
Limits
Requires a restart. Steam Deck uses its fixed profile.
Render Scale
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
50%, 75%, 100%
Default
75%
Effect
Sets the resolution of the 3D scene. Lower values can improve performance, with less detail.
Limits
The interface remains at native resolution. Steam Deck uses its fixed 75% profile.
Upscaling
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
Bilinear, FSR 1.0
Default
FSR 1.0
Effect
Chooses how a lower resolution 3D scene is enlarged for the display.
Limits
Requires a restart. Steam Deck uses its fixed profile.
Glow
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
On / Off
Default
On
Effect
Enables blooming around bright surfaces.
Limits
This is separate from Reduce Flashing. Turning it off does not remove all bright effects.
Ambient Occlusion
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
On / Off
Default
On on desktop; Off on Steam Deck
Effect
Adds shading where surfaces meet, using more graphics processing power.
Limits
The Steam Deck profile is fixed.
Animated Portraits
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
On / Off
Default
On
Effect
Enables moving character portraits instead of still portraits.
Limits
Does not stop all other preview or interface motion. The Steam Deck profile is fixed.
Reflection Probes
Where
Settings → Graphics, desktop
Choices
On / Off
Default
Off
Effect
Enables reflections captured from the surrounding scene.
Limits
Uses more graphics processing power. The Steam Deck profile is fixed.
Dialogue and story films
Dialogue is shown as text with the speaker named. Advance Dialogue defaults to E or Enter on keyboard and A on controller; clicking a line also advances it. Skip Dialogue defaults to F or controller B, moving ahead to the next choice or the end of a conversation. A choice must be answered before skipping continues. Both actions can be remapped under Controls → Dialogue.
Dialogue Log defaults to L and lets you reread recent conversation. There is no controller shortcut for it by default. Recent completed quests can be viewed in the grimoire, but the release does not display a full quest history.
Skip Intro: on the new-game Settings card, turn this On to start at the front door. The default is Off. It is available even on your first game. The opening contains an accidental death and stylized blood.
During story films, Esc or Start / Menu pauses playback and opens the pause menu. Closing it resumes playback. In the ending cutscene, Advance reads the next line and Skip ends the scene.
Films have no audio description or written transcript. Reduced Motion and Reduce Flashing do not change their pictures. Mono Audio applies to their sound. There is no separate captioning option for sound effects.
Keyboard, mouse and controller
Input Device at the top of Controls offers Auto, Mouse & Keys or Controller; Auto is the default and follows the device you use. The row is hidden on Steam Deck. The tab shows bindings for the active device. Switching from controller to Mouse & Keys requires confirmation with a keyboard or mouse; the controller can cancel, and the previous input returns if the timer expires.
Arrow keys move between many menu controls, Enter confirms and Esc goes back; Tab moves between inventory items. These paths do not establish that every game action is usable without a pointer. Controller button names below use Xbox-style labels; prompts can vary by device.
Remapping
Choose an action in Settings → Controls, then press a new key, supported mouse button or controller button. Esc or a left click cancels keyboard capture; Start / Menu cancels controller capture. If another action uses the input, Keep Current leaves it alone, Swap exchanges bindings, and Replace leaves the other action unbound where allowed. Cancel / Close and controller Advance Dialogue are protected from being left unbound. Reset to Defaults asks first.
Inventory: Tab (also I); Pipe View: T; Pause: P; Open / Close House: O; Open Map: unbound; Minimap: M; Dialogue Log: L; Quicksave: F5; Screenshot: Page Up.
Esc, menu-confirm Enter, left and right mouse clicks, wheel zoom and the numpad zoom aliases are fixed. Middle and side mouse buttons can be assigned to actions. A new Advance binding replaces its default Enter aliases; saved binding conflicts can leave Skip unbound, so check its row after remapping.
Undertakers / Quests: LT; Guests / Ghosts: RT; Resource Bar View: right stick click.
System
Inventory: Y; Enki: View; Summon VIP: D-pad Left; Close / Cancel: B.
Both analog sticks, left stick click for Pipe View, Start / Menu for pause, menu-confirm A and fixed placement controls cannot be remapped. Start / Menu is reserved. Close / Cancel can use B, X, Y or View; Spell Wheel cannot take LB, which wires machines. There are no stick sensitivity, inversion or dead-zone settings.
Holding, aiming and alternatives
Spell Wheel: hold RB, aim with the right stick and release to cast. Or press and release RB, choose with the D-pad, then press A or RB to cast. Close / Cancel backs out. Keyboard number keys cast directly.
Move Item: tap to move; hold about 0.6 seconds to remove, using G, its controller binding or right mouse.
Disconnect machines: hold C on keyboard or use fixed LB on controller. There is no non-hold alternative.
Room Designer wall drawing: mouse press-drag-release; keyboard direction keys aim, Space anchors and Space again builds, Shift toggles straight lines, Esc cancels, Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Y undo and redo. Controller normally holds A and steers; L3 switches to press-to-draw for that session, where A anchors and builds and LT toggles straight lines.
Directional movement and aiming are still required; the game is not playable with a single button. Some stairs and crafting prompts still show fixed controller hints. Long key names may not fit every 3D dialogue prompt.
Saving and recovery
Quicksave is available from the pause menu and defaults to F5. The game also uses automatic saves. To stop the night without a menu, press P or click the HUD pause button. The pause menu, inventory and grimoire pause the night; item placement slows it. The pause menu also opens when the Steam overlay opens or the active controller disconnects.
Cloud Saves is in Preferences and defaults to On. With Steam Cloud available, it uploads saves and checks for downloads or conflicts at launch. It does not replace keeping a local save. Cloud conflicts ask which save to use.
Send Gameplay Data in Preferences defaults to On and controls gameplay telemetry. You can turn it Off. This is separate from submitting a bug report.
Known limitations
Screen readers: some HUD and Settings controls expose names and values to the operating system. Actual Narrator, NVDA and VoiceOver play has not been verified. Please do not rely on screen-reader support.
Text: in-game Font Size stops at 130%, and some world text and prompts have separate sizing. This guide does not claim full 200% in-game scaling or measured legibility on every display.
Motion and flashing: some decorative motion remains. Story-film images are unchanged by the motion and flashing settings. No formal photosensitivity safety assessment has been made.
Sound: there are no sound-effects captions, film transcripts or audio descriptions. Mono Audio and rumble levels still need listening and physical-device checks across hardware.
Controls: full keyboard-only play and every remapped prompt are not verified. Some actions still require holding, dragging or analog input. There is no single-button mode or stick adjustment menu.
Assistance: there are no separate difficulty settings or assist modes beyond the speed, pause and guidance options described here. English is the only available language.
This is a feature guide, not a certification of WCAG conformance or a promise that the game will meet every access need.
Getting help or requesting a feature
Email [email protected] or visit the Hauntworks community on Discord. Tell us which device, input method and game version you use, what blocks you, and what would help. You do not need to share medical information.
Report a Bug is on the main and pause menus. Choose Crash, Stuck, Visual or Other, describe the problem, and optionally give an email address for a reply. Reports include game version, hardware, graphics settings, the current log and your save. Steam Deck text fields open Steam's on-screen keyboard.
If a statement here is wrong or an option you need is missing, please contact us. We will use that information to correct the guide and prioritize improvements.