How to play

Tap a game's cover on Tab5, then ▶. The game sits in the middle of the screen, not stretched; big buttons sit on both sides. Tap the scene to walk or pick something: it works like a mouse click.

Tab5 screen layout: LEFT, RIGHT, MOVE and volume on the left, the game in the middle, MENU, SKIP, KEYS and MUTE on the right

LEFT: Clicks where the pointer is. Handy after you've moved the pointer with MOVE.
RIGHT: Right mouse button. In Beneath a Steel Sky it uses an object; other games may use it differently.
MOVE: Turn it on (it lights yellow), move the pointer without clicking, then press LEFT or RIGHT. Press MOVE again to go back to normal tapping.
MENU: Save stores your progress, Load brings it back, Resume returns to the game. Return to Launcher opens the game list.
SKIP: Works like the Esc key: skips an intro or closes some game screens. The game decides what can be skipped.
KEYS: Opens the on-screen keyboard. In a menu, a two-finger tap opens it too.

Saving

Save when a cut scene or a conversation has ended: MENU → Save → an empty slot → Save. The suggested name is fine. Wait until the game is back before you unplug. Nippon Safes saves differently: KEYS → s → ✓, then an empty slot.

Sound

The lower − / + buttons on the left change the volume. MUTE / UNMUTE on the right switches the sound off and on. While muted, “+” changes the level without turning the sound on. Tab5 remembers these settings.

Looks

Settings → GUI → Theme: Tab5 Light, Tab5 Dark or Tab5 Black. Settings → Tab5 → Sidebars: Dark blue, Light, Black or Follow menu skin. A dark menu with light side buttons works too. See the look picker on Tab5.

Your profile

On the game screen, open Profile to see your active play time, favourite worlds and points. “Back to games” returns to the list. Points reward trying new titles; they don't say how far into a story you are.

Tips for individual games

Beneath a Steel Sky

To use an object, turn MOVE on, point at it, then tap RIGHT. Your items are along the top edge of the scene.

Flight of the Amazon Queen

Choose an action in the game's bottom panel, then an object or a person. SKIP moves through intro scenes that can be skipped.

The Curse of Monkey Island

To talk, use KEYS → t → ✓. Holding your finger on the scene shows the action wheel, but choosing from it by gesture is still being tested.

Sołtys

Walk up close to an object, then use MOVE → the object → RIGHT. The Polish message about distance means the hero is too far away.

Dráscula

Turn MOVE on. Point at WALK at the top → LEFT, then at a place in the scene → LEFT. Do the same for LOOK, TAKE and TALK, so you don't pick the wrong action by accident.

Nippon Safes, Inc.

Start: choose JAPANESE / ENGLISH, then the closed new-game book, then RIGHT.
Playing as Dino, press the tiles NE, RI, HO, WA, I, KI (6, 4, 7, 2, 5, 8, counting from the bottom left). Tap the text to move the opening conversation on.
Save: KEYS → s → the green ✓, then an empty slot.
Load during play: KEYS → l → ✓. After a restart choose EN and the open SAVED GAME book.
MENU → Save and loading from the game list don't work in this game.