CGA-2025-09 🕹️🚂 INSERT CARTRIDGE 🟢 The Last Express
Introduction
July, 1914. Paris.
Tensions are high all around the European continent. A long-growing discontent has reached a sharp peak not even a full month earlier with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. In the midst of these ever-uneasy days, a young American doctor by the name of Robert Cath gets a sudden invitation from his best friend, urging him to join him on the now-legendary Orient Express.
As he boards the train, he cannot predict the chaos that will follow. Luxurious as the train may be, this will not be an idyllic trip, but the scene of a murder. Blood will be shed, conspiracies will unfold, secrets will be revealed and romance will have a chance to blossom. With the official beginning of the Great War only a matter of days away, he may be the last passenger to step aboard what will be...
The Last Express
Welcome everyone to the first month of the Colossal Game Adventure! I am sure most people reading this will know the details already given the activity on the setup threads. Just to reiterate though, the Colossal Gaming Adventure is a monthly event where we will be playing through older games together. While @kfwyre organized the voting and nomination phases, each month will have a different host. We have seven months' worth of games already scheduled through March 2026, and I have the honor of being the conductor for the inaugural round!
As you saw above, our first leg of this grand journey will have us board The Last Express, a 1997 adventure game about a mystery on the Orient Express. I myself have not played it yet and will be experiencing it for the first time with most people here, because this game seems to be the poster child for hidden gems. A game that received critical acclaim and praise from critics and players alike, and clearly a work with serious passion and effort, but according to Wikipedia it sold only 100,000 copies on its initial release.
Luckily for us, one of those 100,000 copies belongs to kfwyre, who brought it to my attention with this passionate recommendation back in May. That link has some mild spoilers for the very beginning of the game, so you may not want to read it, but here's the key takeaway that made this game so interesting: this game plays out in real time. As you explore the train, characters will go about their set routines and events will unfold off screen regardless of you being present to witness them. These events can set up unknown domino effects that will impact you, and your own choices can also have unforeseen consequences that won't come into play until much later.
To that end, don't be discouraged by failure. Many adventure games of this era rely on trial and error but in this game failure is particularly integrated into the gameplay. Someone might somehow get the luckiest run ever and manage to complete the game on their very first playthrough without ever encountering a fail state, but ultimately, this game will call for a bit of patience. And maybe guides if you have the original version or the hints don't help. Which I personally think is pretty neat. Doesn't get much more classic/retro than looking up walkthroughs on GameFAQs!
So all aboard The Last Express, and enjoy the ride.
Game Information
Versions: Original Release and DotEmu/Gold Edition. The DotEmu version is a re-release which has additional features such as hints and tutorials, which may make it easier.
Platforms: Windows, MacOS, MS-DOS, iOS, Android
Genre(s): Adventure, Mystery, Point-and-Click
Stores:
- GOG, Original: The original 1997 release, in all its 1990’s glory for purists. (Also may come with some extras like a soundtrack and "making of" from a 2011 Collector’s Edition published by DotEmu, but which is now wiped from the internet...?)
- Steam, Gold Edition: The remake/remaster released by DotEmu with added hints and tutorials, as well as interface tweaks. (Note: while it lists macOS, the game is 32-bit, which is unsupported by any macOS versions beyond 10.14 Mojave.) This version is on sale for only 11 more hours at the time of this topic being posted!! An extreme time crunch for sure, so if you see this message, now's the time to buy it!!
- iOS (Apple App Store) and Android (Google Play Store). These ports are also by DotEmu and predate the Gold Edition.
Game Setup
The main purpose of this topic is to get people up and running with the game. As such, it's recommended that you:
- Share which version of the game you're playing
- Share what hardware you're playing it on
- Share if there are any tools/mods that you recommend
- Share anything you think is important for people to know before they start the game
- Ask questions if you need help
Another purpose of this topic is to revisit the game and its time period:
- Do you have any memories or associations with this game itself?
- What about its system or era?
- What aspects of retro gaming were common at the time?
- What other games from the same time period are you familiar with?
- What are you expecting from this game in particular?
Finally, this topic is the beginning discussion for people starting to play it:
- Post updates sharing your thoughts as you play.
- Ask for help if you get stuck.
- Offer help to others.
It is recommended that you reply to your own posts if you are making consecutive updates so that they are in the same thread.
IMPORTANT: Any links to the game should be legal distributions of the game only. Please do NOT link to any unauthorized copies.
IMPORTANT: Put any spoilers in a dropdown block. Copy/paste the block below if needed.
<details>
<summary>Spoilers</summary>
Spoiler text goes here.
</details>
FAQ
What is CGA?
Colossal Game Adventure (CGA) is Tildes' retro video game club.
Each month we will play a different retro game/games, discuss our thoughts, and bask in the glorious digital experiences of yesteryear!
Colossal Game Adventure is a reference to Colossal Cave Adventure. It's one of the most influential games of all time, one of the first text-based interactive games, and one of the first games to be shared online.
What do we want to do with this group? Play influential games; interact with each other through text; and share the love for retro games online!
It also abbreviates to CGA (because we love chunky pixel art), and its name communicates the Colossal amount of fun and excitement that we have with retro video Games in our shared Adventure of playing them together.
Do I have to sign up?
No. Participation is open to all.
There is a Notification List that will get pinged each time a new topic goes up. If you would like to join that list, please PM u/kfwyre.
Are there restrictions on what/how to play?
Each month will have a focus game or games that will guide our discussions. Beyond that, there are no restrictions. The philosophy of CGA is to play in a way that works for you!
This means:
- Choose whichever version of the game you want.
- You can use cheats, save states, mods, etc.
- You can watch a streamer or longplay instead of playing it.
If you have already played a game and want a different experience:
- Try a randomizer or challenge run.
- Play a different version of it.
- Play a related game (sequel, spiritual successor, something inspired by it, etc.)
There is no wrong way to participate in CGA, and every different way someone participates will make for more interesting discussions.
What is the schedule?
Each month the Insert Cartidge topic will be posted on the 1st, while the Remove Cartridge topic will be posted on the 20th.
Nomination and voting topics will happen in March and September (every 6 months).
Schedules are also posted then.
All CGA topics are available using the colossal game adventure
tag.
What do Insert and Remove Cartridge mean?
Inserting and removing cartridges are our retro metaphor for starting and stopping a given game or games.
The Insert Cartridge topic happens at the beginning of the month and is primarily about getting the game up and running.
The Remove Cartridge topic happens toward the end of the month and is primarily about people reflecting on the game now that they've played it.
There are no hard restrictions on what has to go in either topic, and each can be used to discuss the game, post updates, ask questions, etc.
With all the pleasantries out of the way...
> PRESS START
(Credit to @Boojum for the splash screen. It's too awesome not to include!)
CGA Announcement: We have officially inserted the cartridge for The Last Express. Use this topic to get set up for the month, help other people get set up for the month, and start playing!
If you would like to be added or removed from the Notification List, please PM u/kfwyre.
Notification List
@1338
@Akir
@ali
@arctanh
@AriMaeda
@atomicshoreline
@avirse
@balooga
@BeardyHat
@Boojum
@Bwerf
@CannibalisticApple
@chocobean
@clayh
@datavoid
@Debook
@DistractionRectangle
@dotsforeyes
@dozens
@Dr_Amazing
@Gummy
@hamstergeddon
@IsildursBane
@J-Chiptunator
@JCPhoenix
@Jerutix
@jmpavlec
@joshbuddy
@kaiomai
@Kawa
@kej
@kfwyre
@kingofsnake
@Kirisame
@Lapbunny
@mayonuki
@Mendanbar
@mysterylevel
@PancakeCats
@Pavouk106
@PetitPrince
@polle
@preposterous
@psi
@rosco
@rubix
@Rudism
@SloMoMonday
@Sodliddesu
@Soggy
@sotix
@Spore_Prince
@SpruceWillis
@squidwiz
@talklittle
@ThatMartinFellow
@Timwi
@tomorrow-never-knows
@trim
@Trobador
@Venko
@vili
@Weldawadyathink
@xk3
@zod000
I'll be playing the Gold Edition on Steam myself, since I grabbed it during the summer sale. I'm trusting it will run on Steam Deck despite it not have a playable/verified rating. I'm pretty excited for the game, though I'm actually about to go to bed and won't be able to start right away. I just wanted to post the topic now since the game is on sale on Steam for the next
1110 hours (I spent way too long writing this single comment), so it's the last chance to buy it at a big discount!! Though some of you may want to play the original version instead.And on another important note, and the reason I ended up needing another hour to write this comment...
As host, I hereby use my powers to issue Meta Challenges!
These challenges don't relate to the game or gamplay, but instead the real world! This started as a joke in my head with one specific "challenge" in mind, but as I started writing this comment I realized this could may spur some fun conversations. It can also hopefully spark some inspiration for some activities and sight seeing! These are 100% optional, and I don't expect anyone to complete all of the challenges. (Seriously, please don't try, for reasons that should be obvious once you read the challenges.)
Actually come to think of it, I guess the fact the game is developed by John Mechner of Prince of Persia fame is another selling point I should have mentioned in the post. Maybe I'll edit that in there later.Those are all the challenges I've come up with in the past hour. Hopefully even if you don't get a chance to play the game or you don't end up enjoying it, this will let you still participate in another way!
I am SO excited for CGA, and not just because we're starting off with my favorite game of all time! Also, BRAVO to @CannibalisticApple for doing an awesome job of being our very first host!
Tips for New Players
Version Differences
I booted up the GOG and Steam versions yesterday so that I could compare them in case anyone's wondering about which one they should play. It's also supported in ScummVM but I haven't tested that yet.
GOG Version
This is the original game running on DOSBox. For me, it launched in fullscreen, but the original game was in its low native resolution, making it very small on the screen. I was able to use @3WolfMoon's tweak for dosboxTLE.conf to make it run in fullscreen (changing
output=overlay
tooutput=opengl
).Steam/Dotemu version
(Note: I ran this on Linux in Proton, so it's possible some of these errors are due to that and wouldn't show up if running it on Windows)
Positives
Negatives
Some of these are minor, but there are two that I think people should be aware of.
The first is hotspot cursors.
In the original game, the cursor is very good about showing you what you can and can't interact with. Particularly, it will change to an item if you can interact with a character with a particular item you're holding. In the Dotemu version, this did not happen for me. I tried it with two different characters. In one, the cursor didn't show I could interact with the person at all. In the other, it showed the "move forward" option.
I think this could be confusing for new players because it's not entirely clear when you can/can't interact with a character. The GOG version is MUCH better about this.
The other is that I ran into a save issue. I played the game up through the end of dinner. I exited the game, and when I returned, I was back two in-game hours, to right before I had entered my sleeping compartment for the first time. I then played through dinner AGAIN, exited, and it put me back as well. This is potentially a huge frustration for new players.
Patience and Frustration
As I got back in to the game, I was reminded that this is a slow-burn game. You don't have a lot of direction. Because things happen in pseudo-realtime, the game has a lot of sitting around, waiting, people watching, etc. Be okay with that!
Also, the game is designed around repeated cycles of failure and learning from that. This can be particularly grating to new players, because re-doing things repeatedly, especially when you're not sure what the right way forward is, can be frustrating.
If you are someone who's getting frustrated with the game, I strongly recommend playing it with a guide.
Will that kill the enjoyment? It definitely takes away from some of the investigative and problem-solving aspects of the game, but it'll also alleviate player frustration and allow you to enjoy the game's great story, great characters, great acting, great score, great artwork, etc. I think these things are worth experiencing even if you're not making all the decisions. Heck, I think it's good enough that simply watching a longplay of it is still worth your time.
So excited to play this!! Couldn't wait last night, so I started tinkering around with various versions to see what I preferred method was. Tried the Dotemu version on my Tablet, since I already owned it via a Humble Sale many years ago (Note that this one is technically broken for a few reasons. Namely, it'll only work on older Android (my tablet is on 13) and the servers to download the core files no longer function even if you can get the .apk installed. I ended-up hitting the pirate sites and grabbing the obb folder files from there and then my game worked great.
That said, I also owned the original release via GoG and ultimately decided to play it on my Steam Deck. Mainly because I wanted to make sure I got the original, intended experience.
For those playing on Steam Deck (this would also work for any other Linux)
You can definitely get DOS games running through Heroic Games or whatever your third party launcher of choice is. However, I find this a little clumsy and often run into issues with DOS games, given you're running it through several layers of emulation with Proton. A couple of months ago, I worked on my own methodology for getting DOS games to run via the Steam Launcher via the native Linux DOSBOX-Staging, which runs everything great, plus throws a nice little subtle CRT shader on there for you. It's a little complicated to get setup, but once you've got it figured, it only takes about 15-20 minutes to get something setup properly. It's a little work aroundy and has quite a few steps, but I found this worked best for me out of all the other methods I was able to find by Googling.
Anyway, the steps (All in Desktop):
Presteps:
Grab DOSBOX-Staging from the Discover Store
Download the Offline Installer (Important, this won't work with your Heroic Games version) from gog.com
Add the Offline Installer to Steam, Install the game (Be sure to select a Proton version and not to remove the entry immediately afterwards)
Find the compatdata folder at "/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/" sort by last modified and that'll be your folder. Dig into the folder and find the games folder itself. Copy/Cut it and put it in your newly created DOS Games folder. At this point, you can now remove the installer that we added to Steam in step 3. I recommend changing your games folder name to something easier to manage in DOS; given DOS can only manage 8 characters or so. You'll see this reflected later in my .conf file with my folder "DOS Games" becoming "DOSGAM~1" For instance, I changed my "The Last Express" folder name to just "tle".
Open a new Dolphin window, or split your current window as we'll be working in two directories for a minute. Navigate to "/home/deck/.var/app/io.github.dosbox-staging/config/dosbox/" this is our DOSBOX Staging folder. Go back to your DOS Games folder you copied the game to earlier and find the config file. In this case it will be called "dosboxTLE.conf" we can ignore the other .conf file. Copy the .conf file over to your Dosbox Staging folder.
Open up the .conf file that you just copied over (make sure you're opening the new one in the DOSBOX Staging folder and NOT the one in the Game folder). Keep in mind, what I'm about to copy is directly from my .conf file so your folder structure may differ if you've changed the names of folders and you will need to compensate for that. Add the following to the top of your .conf file, under the "#" commented out notes:
[autoexec]
mount c "/home/deck"
C:
cd DOSGAM~1\tle
mount d "/home/deck/DOS Games/tle/data" -t cdrom
EXPRESS.exe
Just a quick note, that you can also do this with other games, changing the appropriate directories and file names. In the case of The Last Express, I'm copying what GoG does and just mounting the entire /data/ folder as a CD-ROM, which should allow me to switch when time comes-up. However, I've done other games where I mounted the ISO's seperately, in which case the syntax is
imgmount d "/folder/folder/folder/folder/game.GOG" -t -iso
Note that GoG often renames .iso files to .GOG files, but they work the same either way. You can even rename the extension if you like and it'll work the same
After adding the above to your .conf file, make sure you save the file and now you're done here.
Almost there. Now, go back to Steam itself and add a Non-Steam game to your library from the drop down. It is irrelevant what you pick, because we just need the entry itself, we'll be changing everything it points to. So pick anything and add it.
Find the newly added entry, right click it and open up your properties, then change the following:
Name the shortcut: The Last Express
Target: "/usr/bin/flatpak"
Start In: "/usr/bin"
Launch Options: run io.github.dosbox-staging -conf dosboxTLE.conf
Close out of there and you're done! The game should now start when you launch it from within Steam.
Don't forget you can also add custom art to the banner and the icon itself, so it looks like a normal Steam game. I'll leave this for you to figure out, as it's a fairly straightforward process.
I want to note that I also made the changes listed in the post by @Kawa, as I had noticed some stuttering with my audio here and there, so hopefully that'll resolve the problem for me. It wasn't too bothersome, as I stopped noticing it almost immediately, but I figure it can't hurt to throw in some more tweaks here and there.
At any rate, I'm excited to get to playing some more here as time allows. I did download the Prima guide on my tablet (as well as actually bought a used copy on Amazon for $21. Ebay also has some sellers with reasonable prices, if you're a pervert like me), though I'm avoiding reading too far ahead. That said, the guide itself is interesting as it gives a lot of historical context to to the time period and I found it very interesting given I'm also currently reading The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman about the lead-up and first month of WW1; the guide isn't necessarily providing anymore insight, but it's interesting in that it corroborates a lot of the information and lays it out fairly quickly. Highly recommend checking at least that part out.
As for my little guide above, hopefully it works for you (if you want to tackle it!) and I didn't leave anything out. I did get distracted a couple of times by my kids, so may have forgotten or missed a thing here or there. It all looks correct to me at first glance, so let me know if it doesn't work if you attempt it.
It's Friday night.
The copy of the strategy guide I ordered has arrived.
The game is up and running in ScummVM.
And I'm about to depart on my 10th? 15th? maybe even 20th? trip on The Last Express. I'm excited to relive the story and meet back up with all the different characters.
I shouldn't actually need the strategy guide unless I somehow forget something major, but it's a big part of my overall nostalgia for the game. I remember calling different bookstores back in the day to find one near me that had it in stock! I'm going to have fun re-reading it once
I finish my playthroughthe train arrives at its destination, which is looking to be either Saturday or Sunday, depending on our stops.I just finished the game! The credits sequence still gives me chills.
It's probably been close to 10 years since the last time I played it. There were a surprising amount of things I didn't remember, and my mental mapping of the events of the game was completely out of order.
Needless to say though, I loved it yet again. I don't know what it is about this game, but it just gets me. I could play it again right now and be thoroughly happy about it! It was also shorter than I remember, but I think that's because I'm essentially speedrunning the game (as much as you can speedrun a game that runs at its own pace) since I already know what to do and don't hit all the regular failstates. Though I was admittedly humbled by
Spoilers
how many times I failed some of the fights. Particularly the one with Vesna (with the sword) on top of the train.
I've been loving reading everyone's updates in this topic, and I'm so excited to hear final thoughts in the Remove Cartridge topic.
It's so weird how everyone's view of this game differs. I'm a huge adventure game fan - loved all the Lucasarts games from back in the day, playing through Discworld again currently.. I adore the way this game is made (watched the documentary!) and the idea and setting itself is fantastic. The voice acting, for the time, is generally great. However, I've bounced off it pretty hard.
I think it's the odd control scheme with non-obvious options (sometimes you can look up, othertimes not.. Sometimes something is open and interactable, other times not - for seemingly no reason), combined with the fail states that seem to dissuade exploration and a lot of the time just end up wasting your time. I've even tried playing with a guide but it hasn't heightened my enjoyment of it much. It seems to be a game that you need to play a few times and be generally happy to be along for the ride with, along with the speed it runs at. Maybe I'll have more fun with a 'let's play' type video of it rather than playing it myself. For now though I think I'll put it down and try it again another time.
I'm probably not the best person for anyone to compare their experiences to, as my nostalgia goggles for this game are unbelievably rose-colored. The map and hotspots and even where you can and can't go and look are all burned into my brain.
I think if I were playing it without that foundation I would find it much more frustrating and uninteresting. I'd be able to see its flaws a lot more clearly. So I don't begrudge anyone who isn't into it! I think that's completely understandable, and your criticisms are valid.
Are you speaking metaphorically here, or are you actually playing on a train?
Metaphorically, unfortunately.
I would love to play this on an actual train, both because it would be thematically appropriate and because I want @CannibalisticApple to give me bonus points for winning a meta challenge.
Got the original CD release DOS version running in DOSBox on my Windows 10 PC. Seems like it is working. Of course I can and will fullscreen it to actually play.
Nothing too non-standard for a DOSBox setup, found some config information on this game online indicating to set the following in your dosbox.conf: (Don't remove anything, just find and change these. I saw a few other suggestions but these were the only ones I changed in my config, and it seems everything works.)
dosbox.conf
As usual, mount the game installation directory as DOSBox's main drive and imgmount the disc 1 iso as a DOSBox disc drive before running the game as, like many old games, this is one where the disc had to be in the PC for the game to run.
Anyway, aside from getting up and running, as it's late tonight I'm not actually going to start playing right now. As recommended by our host CannibalisticApple, I'll just self-reply to my own comment here to document my thoughts once I get going.
(Edit: I'm an edit function addict this post is like 60% different than when I first hit post comment)
Honestly y'all I'm finding this game isn't for me.
Just navigating and poking my way around it is unbearably disorienting, I feel like I can hardly even understand the physical space or my surroundings. I can see from other posts in the thread that other people seem to have better gotten their bearings but I'm honestly just completely flat out confused walking around in circles on a train with no understanding of where I'm going, how to get back to anything interesting I saw before, how to find anything I might want to go looking for, or how to regain my bearings if someone addressing me directly, changes my perspective to look toward them and messes up any sense of direction I desperately cling to.
Trying to interact with the game in any earnest attempt to actually do any mystery/problem solving has been feeling like a monumental endeavor. That said, I did eventually stumble into a few things:
Spoiler section though I haven't exactly seen a whole lot of the game..
I can tell almost immediately there's far more complexity here than I am really willing to deal with in a game where I find simply interacting with it so unintuitive and disorienting.
I didn't really get much done aside from finding Tyler dead and throwing him + my bloody jacket out the window and then roaming around wondering how seemingly unrelated details that I'm reading/listening to/wondering about might at some point come together if I had the willpower to see this through. Asked a guy to translate a fairytale, opened an electrical panel that I couldn't do anything in, wondered why I am going back the way I came oh god I did not mean to turn around, damnit which of the passenger cars is this again? I wanted to go back to the dining car am I missing something? Let's say if I knew I wanted to be there by a certain time because of some revelation later would I get turned around or even make it there on time? Why do I hear a growling and barking dog?
Starting to think maybe I'm the bad guy when I told Chronos I'm Tyler for some reason and then he told me he knows I'm running from the authorities who, lo and behold, seconds after leaving his carriage apprehend me to a game over. I rewinded this game over to get into my room in that coach and hang outside the window to evade the police, so I experienced my first successful game over -> rewind -> game over avoidance but to be honest... I just don't care or really feel anything about it at all. On the pause screen, a tiny little portion of the route has gone brighter red... I see that this train, like my emotional response, has barely moved.
So... this is incredibly not for me. I find the sort of historical real world setting and aesthetic extremely dry. It's not stirring any curiosity in me. The rotoscoped characters are kinda funny at least.
Maybe it would've helped if this experience invoked some kind of nostalgia for any of it's contemporaries I might've played back then but thinking back, I think games like this weren't my thing back then either. I wondered if I am just too young for this until I remembered this is a 1997 release and I've enjoyed many games that are older than this, in and outside of their time, but on the other hand in 1997 I was a six year old and not the target audience for this. I'm not much of a study of history, not educated on this time period, and didn't even know this was a real train until CannibalisticApple's host post's meta challenges talking about it. I'm just not the right demographic for this title, really.
I find myself repelled by the idea of continuing to spend any time on this game. To that end, I'm not going to and I won't have anything new to say come the remove cartridge thread. I'm sure the game isn't actually bad but that it's just not compatible with me. Funny enough, I do think of a certain ex who I likewise turned out to not be compatible with who probably would've loved this game.
Anyway, Elden Ring Nightreign is releasing a hard mode in just a few days so there's really no hope for The Last Express to win the "what shall I play today?" question for the rest of this month. This stop's mine.
Absolutely no shame in stopping if you don't enjoy it. I would be honestly surprised if any game had a 100% participation/completion rate, since tastes vary so wildly. And as I said in another comment, I totally get the movement being disorienting, and given that's probably the single most basic mechanic for playing any game... Yeah. That's a pretty fair barrier. It honestly kind of makes me want a remake that has more "traditional" movement.
That said, thank you for riding with us this far and giving it a fair shot. If you or anyone else who intend on disembarking before reaching the final destination still wish to know the story, Jordan Mechner made a 75-minute "movie" of the gameplay that he broke into 8 parts. I have not watched it myself, but it should cover at least the major events. (Also just in case the blog post loads weirdly or the video doesn't load, here's his Vimeo account with the videos. He only posted the first video to his blog and then linked his Vimeo account for the rest, but it felt inappropriate to just link that and not his post.)
You're not alone there. I felt flabbergasted when others commented that the map helped them. I spent countless minutes trying to figure out how to look at the door to open it. Any time the game imposes a (stricter than usual) time limit was a fight more with the controls than anything else.
I really enjoy the characters, the story, and the game's willingness to let you miss things but the controls (and motion of the game) are my biggest issues. I played the Gold edition, which version were you on?
I personally just ignored the map because it didn't really help me. At first I tried to use it to find the "smoking car" people would mention but I don't think it has working labels. It took a little bit, but I got used to the layout of the train and how to recognize the end of a car from the front. That may have been thanks to my initial glitched run where literally nothing happened, so I spent a couple hours just walking back and forth trying to trigger stuff without worrying about time limits. So, I got very familiar with the halls of the sleeping cars and the dining/lounge cars.
Even then though, movement can be disorienting. It's hard to tell if you stop in front of the correct door until you turn to see the number or letter, the "in-between" cars can look identical both ways so I accidentally backtrack, sometimes turning a specific direction is surprisingly difficult... Trying to look around inside Tyler's compartment was not easy. I'd keep moving instead of turning or vice versa.
Actually I'd love to see how it would look in third person, because I'm pretty sure one room has you climb on top of a piece of furniture as one of the movement options. So Robert got a real workout with me trying to turn around and interact with stuff xD
I mentioned this in another comment, but I switched pretty early on from the gold (steam) version to the gog(original) version, and so far I'm finding it a lot easier to orient(ha!) myself. The train map included with the gold version messed me up more than it helped, and the original version has much better clues in the form of cursor changes on interact-able things. I do still get turned around sometimes. The game will sometimes do weird things that throw me out of context when someone walks past me while I'm trying to perform an action. This will sometimes turn me around in a hallway, and it will take me a few movements to realize I'm heading in the wrong direction. I think the slideshow style animation adds to the confusion here.
Original CD release via DOSBox
I only noticed the meta challenge last night, but this was already something I was planning on doing for a laugh as soon as I realized it lined up with my vacation schedule: playing The Last Express while on a train, in this case while taking the Amtrak Northeast Regional from Boston to New York City so it's just a few hours.
Almost exactly a decade ago I took a cross-country rail trip from Portland, Oregon to Chicago, Illinois via Sacramento, California (Coast Starlight to a roomette on the California Zephyr) as I'm fond of trains. Didn't have any murders that I'm aware of, fortunately.
As for the game itself, I love the concept but don't have much patience to keep playing long enough to get deep into it, at least while I'm on vacation. I'm not terribly fond of how it controls on the Steam Deck and I won't be home to play it more this month. Might change my mind later and chime in again after picking it back up, will have to see.
Oh wow, congratulations on being the first to complete a meta-challenge!! Love that the timing lined up so perfectly.
And totally fair to stop for now. I'm also playing on a Steam Deck, and the controls definitely feel wonky without a mouse. Even then, this game doesn't seem like a good one for vacations (unless you're stuck inside due to bad weather). The real-time aspect calls for more attention and focus over extended periods of time than a lot of other games. It's a neat concept, but means you can't really have super short play sessions, and vacations tend to be fairly busy.
I hope you enjoy your vacation! And if you do pick it back up later, feel free to chime in with your thoughts even if it's after September!
It happened! The Last Express on an actual train!
That photo is such a delight.
I've taken the California Zephyr to Chicago. The views are stunning until Denver.
Absolutely, then it's flat and fields as far as the eye can see for another day.
If given the opportunity I'd like to take the Coast Starlight between Portland and Seattle again, also has great scenery from what I can remember.
I am very excited for this party because it seems interestingly familiar to a different game I have played before-Titanic: Adventure Out of Time. It also plays out in real time, and there is so much to do you will most certainly fail your first few times. It is of course also trying to be a faithful recreation of a luxury transport that no longer exists. Weirdly though it came out the year before and was a big success with 1.5m copies sold. I suppose I credit that to the ship being a very popular subject at the time; the film would release the year after this game, so it was definitely in the zeitgeist.
They were not developed or published by the same people, but I wonder if Broderbund saw the success of Titanic and expected similar returns on The Last Express because of how similar they look on paper. I will have to report back how similar they are after I try the game out, and if anyone wants a bonus game this month and wants to also play Titanic we can have a little discussion together.
Fascinating! I knew about the Titanic game at the time but didn't realize it was that big of a hit. I also never really connected the two, but now that you mention it they're remarkably similar premises, right down to the time period.
If I have time this month, I'll give it a try and post my thoughts.
Double posting to notify anyone interested that Titanic: Adventure Out of Time is currently available on GOG for 85% off. We've had great timing with these sales!
Letting you know that I finished The Last Express today, and I ordered an old hint guide for Titanic: Adventure Out of Time that should be coming in soon, which means I'm going to give the game a try since I've still got half a month left until our next CGA pick.
Bought it on steam, excited to join the CGA! Will be playing on my laptop running bazzite, so stay tuned for any linux issues.
Bought both versions. Playing on Arch Linux. I'm going to be playing the GOG release unless it ends up being too much of a pain.
Haven't started playing for real yet, but was able to get it to launch in fullscreen and start a new game without issue using DOSBox after some minor configuration. Someone else may have a simpler setup, but here are some pseudo-steps from memory typed up quickly before I head out. I'll clean them up some later and potentially write a shell script to automate most of the process (or someone else can if they're up to it.) Don't copy these exactly as they won't work, but they should put you on the right track if you know what you're doing:
original rough instructions using wine + dosbox
WINEPREFIX=pfx wine gog_installer.exe
cd "pfx/drive_c/GOG Games/The Last Express"
dosboxTLE.conf
in your preferred text editor[sdl]
section editoutput=overlay
tooutput=opengl
dosbox -conf game/folder/dosboxTLE.conf
edit: I put together a simple bash script that should get the GOG release running on Linux with one command (assuming you have innoextract and DOSBox installed.) The script doesn't really have checks or failsafes because I'm both lazy and a bash noob, but I tested it and it seemingly works just fine. Feel free to manually replicate the steps if you're more comfortable with that.
bash script install using innoextract + dosbox
install.sh
chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh path/to/gog/installer.exe
dosbox -conf <your_gamedir_here>/dosboxTLE.conf
I installed the steam gold version tonight on Linux Mint and was pleasantly surprised that it played flawlessly for the hour that I had available. I plan to play some more tomorrow. 90s adventure games were such a different breed. The last mystery one I played was Broken Sword (nearly 10 years ago probably), and all the feelings of intrigue and nostalgia came flooding back with this one.
Update: After another hour of play, I started to encounter some of the negatives that @kfwyre mentioned. The subtitle cropping and the cursor hotspot issues finally got to be too much, so I decided to switch to the GOG version. It took forever to download the 1.3 GB installer, but after I got it the process was pretty straightforward thanks to the steps shared by @3WolfMoon above, with a few bits pulled from @BeardyHat's guide. I also did the original install through Lutris and then modified the steps to use the Lutris DosBox runner instead of installing it separately. So far this has been working flawlessly. I was surprised how quickly I was able to get back to my save spot now that I have a working cursor. 😂
The one thing I miss is the built in Steam achievements and bio popups. Those feel like a nice modern addition. You also don't start with the train map in the GOG version, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It did feel sort of strange that I just have this train map when so many other things have to be found. I also think I may have used it as too much of a crutch in my first go round. I seem to be more spatially aware when playing the GOG version, but I can't tell if that's because of the map thing or just because it's my "second" play through and I'm more familiar now. 🤷♂️
I installed the GOG version through Lutris which handled all the DOSBox configuration, except for
output=opengl
. Thanks for that tip! Otherwise using Lutris made for a very easy setup.I have started getting setup for a run through this. For portability reasons I wanted to get it running on my MacBook. I can't believe no one has mentioned the latest dailies of SCUMMVM can now run this game - see this post for how to get those setup:
https://www.scummvm.org/news/20250617/
I had to source the original 3CD release of the game and extract the files from the three ISOs (which also included the making of video mentioned in the post). I am not 100% sure but I think all you need are the three 'HPF' files. Got picked up in SCUMMVM no problem and seems to work flawlessly on my Mac (or at least the first few hours seem fine).
Hopefully this will help some of you who want to play along
This is great news. And what timing!
I might have to test out this version for my playthrough.
Heads up for Mac gamers: The Steam version is listed as 32 but macOS only. This means it’s a crapshoot if it will run on macOS Catalina and later. Many games have this warning and run without issue. I can confirm that this game does not run on modern macOS. After reading some of the cursor issues with this version, I think I’ll be picking up the GOG version, which should run fine.
Do you happen to know how to get the GOG version to run on a modern Mac? Neither GOG Galaxy nor Heroic Launcher allows me to install the game on Mac and the store page only lists Windows as a system.
I don't own a Mac, but you should be able to use similar instructions to get it running from my post with a native Mac version of DOSBOX.
There's also a few mentions of ScummVM in this thread, so that may also be worth investigating.
I haven’t tried it yet, but when I searched for the steam 32 bit problem, someone said to use the GOG version. But yeah, I see now the store page only lists windows. Those era GOG games are mostly just preconfigured dosbox vms, so there is no reason it shouldn’t run on Mac.
Jordan Mechner is truly an inspiration. Karateka (1984), Prince of Persia (1989), The Last Express (1997) and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2003) are all incredible, innovative and truly unique games. I have very vivid memories of playing each, from struggling to make any progress in Karateka on my C64, to struggling to make any progress in Prince of Persia with my friend on his PC, to struggling to make any progress in The Last Express on my own PC, to never finishing The Sands of Time on my Xbox.
As much as I love Mechner's games, I can't say I actually enjoy playing any of them. And so, after numerous attempts over the years, I have made my peace also with The Last Express. I know I adore it, but I also know that I don't want to play it. It's clunky and annoying and repetitive and makes me anxious, but it's also so very beautiful, immersive, mysterious, unique and simply one of the greatest
gamesexperiences ever created.And so, the moment I saw that it was nominated for CGA, I of course had to vote for it. Because it is a brilliant game. Even if I really don't want to play it.
Coincidentally, it's not the only title in CGA's starting list that I have very little interest in playing. There are two other titles that got selected that I have given what I think is their fair share of my time over the years to know that I just don't enjoy them.
But I think CGA will be as good an opportunity as any to check out all three once again. I've been wrong before.
I had not heard of this game until listening to an episode of My Perfect Console with Jordan Mechner as the guest. The episode does a great job going through the production of the game and how ambitious it was. Jordan Mechner is an extremely creative person. I'm excited to give this a try as I grew up with a lot of adventure games.
I got the game up and running on dosbox today. Probably won't have time to get into it until later this week. I'm not usually a fan of this type of 'real time' point and click game, they tend to stress me out and I forget what I'm supposed to be doing.
The excitement for it from so many people here have got me interested in giving it a shot though. No guarantee I'll finish it, but part of what I wanted from CGA was to find good games I'd have never played otherwise.
I'm running quite late on this, but I just started playing! I'm thinking sharing some of my impressions now and bumping the thread should serve as a reminder for anyone else who might be late on this, since REMOVE CARTRIDGE is tomorrow(?).
I'm playing the DotEmu release on Steam, in French. I find the look and systems of this game absolutely fascinating: even though the train is just a bunch of screens you transition between when moving, the way characters move through the train with their own routine, how you can hear them converse with each other from a different place with sound attenuation independently of your actions, how they even emote towards you when passing by you with every character having their own animation; there's a really effective sense of immersion here.
Spoilers up to ch2
I only just managed to escape police questioning after throwing Tyler off the train. The one thing I know is I have to find that gold Schmidt wants before reaching Munich. No idea how! Would not mind a hint.
Kronos seems like a big weirdo; I'm curious why he knows Cath's name but still seems to think Cath knows what he's asking for.
I think I also need to talk to the Russian man who tried to stab me; maybe he knows something?
The Remove Cartridge topic runs through the end of the month (and even past it, technically speaking), so don’t feel like you need to rush your playthrough.
Hint
Cath clearly doesn’t have enough money for Schmidt, but maybe someone else on the train does? Who strikes you as particularly wealthy?
I really hate to say it but I’m probably going to skip this first session because I have tried to play this game in the past and I just couldn’t vibe with it. It requires the exact kind of patience types that I don’t have. I’ll give it another good faith chance though.
Ended up just getting the Steam version since it was on sale. It was like $1.39, versus GOG's $6. Maybe I can use that money saved to invest in the stock market! /s
I just read kwyre's blurb on the differences between Steam and GOG. If I get frustrated with the Steam version, maybe I'll jump to the OG GOG version. I'll likely mostly play this on Windows, though maybe I'll give Ubuntu or MacOS or even Steam Deck a try later.
I might record some of this as I've did with the Nov 2024 Backlog Burner. We'll see. Either way, excited to give this a go! Literally about to start the game right now.
If anyone is thinking about the game's mobile versions, I can report that I bought it for my Android tablet and at least the first part has played reasonably well. It might be a lesser experience on a phone sized device, but the touch controls on a tablet screen feel very responsive and natural.
In case anyone picked up the mobile release like I did: if combat sequences are painfully slow for you, try tapping the top right question mark icon and then close the hint. At least on my Android tablet this seems to return the game back to normal speed, while every tap during combat slows the game down. For me it got to a point where it started to be a minute between each action in combat until I noticed that the speed resets by opening and closing the help dialog. So I did that after every action and the combat became a little more bearable.
I can also report that the game is fully playable to the end with the Android app, having just finished it.
So far, so good, I guess?
I seem to have made it to Salzburg, but I'm not entirely sure what's happening yet. I do understand a few things
Spoilers
I understand that I need to find the...Firebird? And that...lady with Wolf has it. I also understand that Kronos is attempting to distract her and just saw that he's invited her back to his car at 3pm, so I'm assuming he'll take care of her dog and I may be able to get in there.I was also trying to get the train whistle from the Francois, but I'm unsure what's happened to it. I managed to make it into his and his mothers room, but there didn't appear to be anything I could interact with, even going through the toilet into the other room. So, I dunno.
At this point, I kind of feel like I'm lacking in agency; things just seem to be happening and I have an idea of what I should be doing, but it seems like often I'm just sort of wandering around the train and waiting for the next cutscene to play. I haven't really done much, if that makes sense. I'm half tempted to check my guide just to see if I'm on the right track (hah!), but I really want to keep going and see what happens and maybe some greater truth will be revealed and I'll have a better understanding of the game and what's going on here.
If you're wanting any hints, let me know, but from what you shared here, you're doing just fine by my estimation.
I'll probably take you up on that. In fact, probably in this post.
Spoilers
I ended up rewinding to the beginning of the concert to give myself a little more time to do a few things. Mainly I wanted to read Rebecca's journal (which I had to find online anyway, because I was struggling to read the handwriting), but I had just realized I also needed to catch the beetle for Francois. I managed to happen upon it in the salon car or whatever it's called and traded him for the whistle, but now I'm just wandering around, not quite sure what to do with the rest of my time until the concert ends.I do need to go back and get the passenger manifest again, since I rewound and lost it. I did let the dog out previously as well, but I'm not sure that mattered. But maybe it stops Kronos' helper from doing whatever they want to do?
Response to spoilers
Did you end up searching the compartment while Anna and her dog were out?
spoilers
I did, but only discovered that she seems to be an agent for the UK government and spying on the German? I discovered her perfume bottle can open, but I'm unsure what to do with that and didn't discover anything else in her cabin.Response to spoilers
There’s something else you can find in there that will unlock some more options for you during the concert.
Spoilers
Ok, so I have to admit that I needed to look at the Prima guide to figure out what I was looking for. I rewound again and spent another 5 minutes, never noticing the other little arrow that I initially assumed was the "back out" arrow.I have the key now, but I'll probably still consult the guide some more here. It does make me wonder if I should be playing the Dotemu version instead. If I'd be less likely to miss those visual cues.
So far, I'm sorry to say I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, but I think that may be a couple of factors. I haven't had a lot of time to play games while I'm "fresh" recently, so I'm playing in the evenings when I'm tired and likely to be frustrated more quickly.
I've also had a lot of noise and interruptions in my house, which can make it tough to focus on details and hear all the conversation points.
No worries! You’re under no obligation to like it, and I won’t be offended if you don’t.
And I totally get the end-of-the-day feeling. I absolutely adore the game but haven’t started my playthrough yet because I need a chunk of relaxed, uninterrupted time, and I simply don’t get that during the workweek. It’s going to happen in pieces over the weekends with me.
I’ll also say there’s no shame in using a guide. I think the game is still enjoyable even if you’re following a walkthrough, so if it’s frustrating you, don’t feel bad if you have to offload those frustrating parts!
I think I'm going to play through at least once to 'completion' without a solid guide and get the ending I end up getting. (Repeatedly applying adventure game logic to every situation, ya know?) And then if I'm still feeling it, go for a semi guided playthrough.
Mostly disappointed for myself since I've been wanting to play it for so long! But perhaps I'll take a break anyway until my physical Prima guide comes in the mail and then go from there. I do like a guide, but I don't like when I feel like I need to have my nose in it all the time with an adventure game.
But yeah, I may have some more time in about two weeks anyway. Taking a road trip soon and during the days at my destination, I should have some uninterrupted quiet time.
I had seen the threads leading up to this and saw someone suggest The Last Express, among others that I found interesting. So when I saw the thread this morning and that I had 12 minutes left to get it on discount and just enough in my steam wallet, I jumped on it. So count me in on the Steam version, I'll likely play on desktop because I get easily frustrated by control scheme muck about on the Steam Deck.
The Last Express interested me because I had read an article maybe a year back about it, that I believe I found here. I spent some time looking for it before making my post because I thought it would be a great treat for people to read after playing (I haven't re-read it for fear of spoiling myself, so I'm not actually certain if it contains spoilers). Looking forward to the experience!
A sort of history of the creation of The Last Express. I thoroughly enjoyed the read having never personally played Prince of Persia or The Last Express, but if I remember correctly it explains why this classic is more cult than standard. The art research and roto-scoping stuff is super cool too, having never really had the concept explained before reading this article.
I managed to get myself softlocked around Vienna, but then rewound and got myself out of it.
Spoilery details if anyone else finds themselves in the same spot
I got the egg and the briefcase before Vienna, but somehow managed to miss Kahina in the hall so she never gave me the message to visit Kronos. Since you can't enter Kronos' car without that cutscene, I ended up hitting Vienna with the briefcase still in my hand. For some reason the Vienna cutscenes play out as though you gave Kronos the briefcase, though. So after Vienna, I was stuck with the briefcase in my hand. But this is not a valid state for the game, because I'm not allowed to stow the briefcase in my room after Vienna, and there is no Kronos car after Vienna. Since holding the briefcase also prevents you from accessing the rest of the inventory, I was basically stuck.I ended up having to rewind to around the concert and do a bunch of the steps over in a slightly more efficient way. This gave me a couple more minutes to encounter Kahina before Vienna, thus allowing me to get rid of the briefcase and move on.
If you missed the Steam sale like I did, the game is currently discounted at Fanatical for 80% off. They provide a Steam key for the gold edition.
https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/the-last-express-gold-edition
The OG version is also on sale at GOG if anyone prefers that.
Also, if anyone’s wanting to use ScummVM, you can pull the necessary files from the GOG install (not sure if you can also get them from the Gold Edition). That’s how I played it (and it worked great), just make sure you’re grabbing one of the daily ScummVM builds because it’s not yet supported in the stable release.
I installed the game last night on the steam deck, and it took me a while to get the settings working, even with these instructions someone posted on the GOG forum
I finally got it, I only changed those two settings, after finding the darn file in desktop mode, and then the game was normal size and not tiny anymore
I bought the Steam version of the game yesterday. Booted it up today on Windows 11.
Start up and settings: It doesn't want to go into full screen on my laptop (freezes instead). I'm still playing around with resolutions. Also I was expecting a retro game to be slow but this one has a good 2 second delay between pressing a menu button, the sound effect, then the action. I'm still deciding if that's just how it is going to be or if I need to tweak something. Otherwise no problems out of the "box".
Spoilers
I'm only an hour in and I've already seen two game over screens. Unsarcastically great start - I'm having a lot of fun as each game over screen seems to be unique!Right now I'm stuck fighting the guy in Tyler's room - took me a while to realise that the "buttons" will not appear and I just have to click in time with his punches.
Was so excited that I booted it up the moment I got up this morning. Going to have some food then play a bit more after - that guy will stop stabbing me eventually.
For your spoiler text:
The original game does change the cursor when you can interact, but the Dotemu version doesn't do this, which makes that moment more difficult.
If you're tired of struggling with it, the game does have a built-in bypass (though I will say I haven't tested this on the Dotemu version):
Bypass method
In the fight, right click to bring up the map/egg clock screen. Click on the clock to go back to the fight. If you do this five times total, the game will skip the fight (with you winning).
Thank you Kfwyre! I didn't need to use the bypass method in the end so I'm not sure it works in Dotemu either! Will give it a test after I finish.
There were a lot of little rough bits to the steam gameplay though and I'm having trouble getting my bearings on the train cars in time (so i end up missing my timing windows!).
I saw there was an iOS version and it wasn't too expensive in my currency...
My friends, it is night and day. There are toggleable button icons, it's smooth as butter, and I can actually hear the audio voices properly without stutter. No going back, I am now playing the rest of the game on my ipad mini - which is great because the graphics are so pretty, very comic book.
Spoilers
I've made it to the concert with the egg and the whistle. That period from 3pm to 5pm is a whole heart attack! Absolutely panicking trying to get everything done before we hit Vienna - I just took a break after what I think is the most frustrating moment in game: Kronos' @#&!ing train car.I feel like an idiot staying too long trying to figure out how to get that damned briefcase up the roof - turns out I legit waltz out of there with Cath's iron balls brushing the floor. I don't know if that screwed me over for the future - if so please let me know if there is another way to get the briefcase out without being a dead man. I'm trying to avoid guides the first pass through and am actually thinking of a run to collect all the game over screens.
Also I'm so stressed about the time that I haven't really been reading things that I can't take with me (like the journals, letters, and the newspapers). I'm under the impression time doesn't stop while reading them - am I wrong? I also don't know enough about European geopolitics... I know the violinist is a spy and the two ladies are partners but im not sure who is on who's side except that the old Russian and the young Russian hate each other.
Fantastic updates! I love hearing how the game is going for you.
Response to Your Spoilers
You did the briefcase right! It’s one of my favorite moments in the game.
Just know that, naturally, it didn’t go unnoticed (hint).
Edit: Follow @BeardyHat's instructions. They work much better than mine, which I'll leave for posterity.
I got the GOG version running on my Steam Deck via proton. It was a bit tricky, but @3WolfMoon's comment helped me out.
The performance seems to be pretty poor, at least on the main menu, so it may be simpler to simply play the Steam version of the Gold Edition.
Nonetheless, here are the steps:
Installation instructions for playing the GOG version on Steam using Proton
Browse for the GOG installer
/home/deck/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/<app_id>/pfx/drive_c/GOG Games/The Last Express/
where<app_id>
is the appropriate folder for your game (hint: check the most recently created folder in~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/
)dosboxTLE.conf
from the game's folder, and changeoutput=overlay
tooutput=opengl
dosboxTLE.conf
file, replacing<app_id>
where appropriate:DOSBox.exe
file, replacing<app_id>
where appropriate:<app_id>
where appropriate:<app_id>
where appropriate:Note: I found it easier to mount the game's folder as the C drive rather the
drive_c
due to issues with the game's folder name being too long for thecd
command.Optionally, you can add custom art to the game's entry by downloading images from SteamGridDB.
This is a known issue, unfortunately. You're going through multiple layers of emulation, however, I have a solution that works pretty well. It takes some effort, but once you know the process, you can get any DOS game working like this in about 10 minutes or less.
Thanks for informing me! Your method is soooo much smoother and the way to do it.
Finally got around to playing some last week. I'm really enjoying this game. It has me absolutely hooked! The dosbox version with the CRT emulator is proving to be a great choice.
I began my journey by reading the introduction and history and characters chapters of the official strategy guide. I was impressed by the quality of the write up about the climate leading up to WWI. They clearly put effort into that.
Last week, I got all the way to Vienna in one sitting. Things were fairly straightforward for the most part until I got to the concert section.
Spoilers for Chapter 4: Munich to Vienna
I quickly realized I was acquiring the brief case of gold in an incorrect manner by exchanging the Firebird for it, but I couldn't figure what I was doing incorrectly. I kept poking around the train and thought there must be something in Anna Wolff's compartment that I was missing, but I couldn't find it for the life of me. I opened the strategy guide and discovered that I had completely missed that you could pear below her jewelry box. Once I did that and obtained the master key, things went back to being smooth sailing.
I placed the Firebird in the dog's kennel after I realized leaving it in your room leads to it disappearing. Although I realized after the chapter ended that I can now lock my room with the key, so maybe that would work too.
During the week, I did Chapter 5: Vienna to Budapest. Today, I'm starting Chapter 6.
Edit: Finished the game. I'll save my thoughts for the next thread, but I really enjoyed it!
I started playing the Steam release and reached day 3... I think. It's a compelling game but I'm finding it pretty difficult to navigate and interact with the things that I intend to. I keep turning around without releasing it and where I think I've figured out a puzzle that requires speed I'm struggling to execute it correctly.
I downloaded the Mac version from Macintosh Repository and got it running in ScummVM.
A few notes from the installation process if anyone's thinking of trying that method:
That web site plays dead if you're trying to access it from a VPN. If you can't load the site, try disabling that. You also need a free account to download.
These are
.sit
files, aka Stuffit archives, a popular compression format from the classic Mac days. If you have trouble extracting them, I had success with The Unarchiver for contemporary macOS, and also with Stuffit Expander for Mac OS 9 running in SheepShaver.Inside the Stuffit archives are
.cdr
disk images. You can mount these volumes in your emulated Mac with Toast Titanium.What ScummVM is looking for is the files
HD.HPF
andCD1.HPF
(both on the first disk image),CD2.HPF
(on the second disk), andCD3.HPF
(on the third). Place these four files together in a directory calledlast_express
, and put that wherever ScummVM looks for games.I had the latest release of ScummVM but it turns out that's not compatible with this game. You need to install a daily build for it to work. If you're on macOS like me, you'll find that the dailies are unsigned binaries which means you'll need to allow them via System Settings.
This is probably too much of a hassle for most people when you can just buy the GOG release for a couple bucks, but that's just how I roll. Figured I'd share the knowledge if it's helpful for anyone. I do a ton of classic Mac emulation so I already had most of the stuff I needed ready to go... but this path will likely be a hassle for anyone who doesn't. Naturally, I'm happy to help with the process if anyone's like-minded.
As for the game: Well, I haven't gotten very far yet. It's clearly a post-Myst 3D slideshow point-and-click from that era when nobody had quite figured out yet how to make navigating a virtual environment feel natural. I can never quite figure out exactly where I am in space, or how much my POV is going to rotate when I click to turn. I'm finding myself frequently disoriented (ha) and frustrated at the difficulty of just moving where I want to move or looking at what I want to look at.
I'm still figuring out the various mechanics like how the inventory works. In some places I want to examine stuff more closely but just can't... but in others the camera will put me right up close to details that seem useless? Kind of reminds me of walking through the house in Shenmue, where you can open random drawers but there's no real purpose to it. That's just my first impression, maybe these details will come in handy later.
I'm intrigued by the realtime aspect of it! I've been playing a lot of Hitman: World of Assassination lately, and that game rewards multiple replays of every mission because there's so much to discover in different places. You can't do it all in one run, but as you get more familiar with every corner of each level you uncover new challenges and plot details. I feel like there might be a similar aspect here, where I'm just going to have to play a bunch of times and get familiar with the movements and motivations of the characters.
I do want to call out the game's attention to detail, at least what I've seen of it so far. '90s graphics aside, the train does feel like a real place. I'm impressed by the sound design, and the game's use of multilingual voice acting sets it apart. I'll post more as I get further into it this month.
I just want the guy to say hon hon hon! feeling hungry again monsieur?? when I sit down in the dining car for the 17th time... I think my game is broken
But I guess people don't really do that in real life either
Spoilers
It is also pretty convenient for the sleeping rooms to have body hiding places... the rich have their amenities
CHOOO CHOOOOOOOOO
/noise
Ok, your comment made me laugh so hard at myself because
Spoilers
There's a place to hide the body??? I ended up throwing it out the window and felt absolutely terrible about it!
Spoilers
Wait you can hide the body in the cabin?? I also threw Tyler's body outside and was like "Wow, what a GREAT friend...just unceremoniously tosses his dead friend out the window and then steal said dead friend's jacket AND identity..."Spoilers
I knew from kfwyre's original comment there was a hiding spot, but I threw it out because I spent like, three minutes stuck in the inventory after entering the sleeping car. No joke, couldn't figure out how to exit. I knew there was a time limit, and I panicked and didn't want to get instantly arrested xD
Also wow, Cath is really not that shook up by the murder of his friend. Just goes straight to tossing him out the window and impersonation.
I did this too! Mostly because I didn't know there was another option, but also because I
Spoiler
Was immediately arrested for his murder on my run prior. My logic was No body no crime!
response / hint
I think you still need to throw it out the window eventually or they will find it during turndown service.
(hint: it's the flip up bed)
!! I'm not sure of the pros and cons of throwing out the window immediately or waiting !!
Long live the Vortex!
Would a walkthrough be recommended for first playthrough of this game? I don't like the "you've been eaten by a grue" or "use a literal monkey wrench on the pipe" in old games, and so for those types of game I'd say a walkthrough is required for enjoyment.
At bare minimum, the TV Tropes page doesn't seem to mention Moon Logic, That One Puzzle or Guide Dang It. As far as I know the trial and error in this game comes from learning from fail states and using critical thinking on how to get past them, rather than some puzzles that defies common sense.
That said, kfwyre posted earlier with some helpful links including a spoiler-free guide. I personally plan to try to play as much as I can and consult that guide as needed, which is my usual strategy.
This makes me think though: if one of the games we play has a puzzle like that and people know about it, they should give the rest of us a warning. Just a quick, "Hey guys, there's one puzzle with moon logic" and then the solution in a spoiler box so people don't spend hours on something they would just never think about. Or a heads up if it involves some easily missed detail or choice at the beginning of a long sequence which could lead to a LOT of wasted time.
At the very least, The Secret of Monkey Island is scheduled for December...
Okay I love the Monkey Island games (hosting the first one in December!) but yeah that example was PARTICULARLY egregious. I don’t know yet whether The Last Express will fall prey to the same puzzle anti-patterns but honestly that sort of thing is exactly what makes me nervous about CGA in general. I love a lot of things about retro games but I just can’t do Nintendo hard anymore. So many of my favorite games from my youth are nigh unplayable for me today because I’m no longer an undiagnosed ADHD kid with unlimited patience and free time.
Personally I played all Monkey games with walkthrough and find it very enjoyable (except for EMI), probably more than without it and getting lost in the game. It'd help too if I were told that the game is safe to randomly talk to people, but only on the ScummVM version as you could skip the walk to not waste time.
I think I'm a bit over halfway through and while I'm doing fine without a guide, I consulted a hint site for two snags that I'm not sure I'd have been able to get through on my own.
Spoilers through Vienna
The first was getting the whistle from Francois. I haven't run into anything so far that indicates the second item in the trunk would have been that whistle, and after overhearing his remark about the beetle, I was unsuccessful at catching it despite several attempts, so I wrote it off as a background detail.
The second was in stealing the suitcase of gold. I'm really not sure how I was supposed to know that Wolff had the master key, that that key could secure me rooftop access, that said access could be used to break through a skylight I otherwise wouldn't have known about, and that I could blatantly commit this theft and walk right out in front of them with the suitcase in hand to no immediate consequence? That whole chain felt a bit much to me!
If anyone else has played before and knows what I missed, I'd be happy to hear it!
Response to your spoilers
For the whistle, sometimes when Francois is running down the corridor, you can stop him and talk to him. It will show a close-up of the whistle so you can see its silhouette.
Also, my memory is a bit rusty (I haven't done my playthrough for CGA yet, so the last time I played this was years ago), but I think one of the conductors mentions the master key going missing after Count Vasili has his episode, which can help you narrow down who it was (since there were only a few people who witnessed it).
Both of these are VERY easy to miss though, so don't feel bad.
As for the theft, I think the game essentially forces you into that decision by not giving you any other. You can either leave through the skylight without the briefcase, or leave through the door with it.
I do love that moment though. I feel everyone there has a strong aristocratic propriety that puts being polite above all else. Cath, the brash and indecorous American, takes advantage of this, knowing that the concert will take priority over his brazen theft.
I’ll be joining in with the gold edition on my Steam Deck. I’ve never heard of this game, and in fact, have never really played any games in this genre so I’ll be excited to try this out.
I think back around the time of this release I was playing on Nintendo 64 + Game Boy only, and likely was busy with Pokemon Red or Super Mario 64.
I'm glad @CannibalisticApple mentioned that failure is integrated into gameplay. My first attempt I explored up and down the train for ~5 minutes,
Spoilers
went to the dining car, talked to a man, and shortly after was thrown in jail for murder. Game Over.I fared better in my second attempt so far, but I did end up throwing my friend out the window...
Spoilers for around the same amount of play
Haha, I did the same thing as your second try, and was wondering if anyone else did it. I got an achievement ("Tyler's shortest ride" or something like that), and only learned later that this was supposed to be my best friend. I felt bad after.But I also was arrested on my earlier run because I did the "right" thing and rang the alarm as soon as I found the body. 🤦♂️
That’s hilarious! Well at least we’re not alone in making the wrong choices as quickly as possible it seems, lol
Bought the Gold version in the Steam sale, seems to run fine so far on Arch Linux with Proton experimental. Having read some comments, I might reconsider the GOG version though.
Never played it, but having high expectations, because of Mechner (Prince of Persia SOT is a master piece) and liking point and click adventures. Looking forward to get frustrated by the real time aspect of the game.
So, playing Gold Edition on Steam Deck, and... After looking up guides I think my playthrough may be bugged, which is interesting. Spoilers up to ~11:30 in-game.
Spoilers
In-game it is now 11:40. So far I've talked to Mr. Schmidt, met Kronos, got the passenger list, and also hid from police by climbing out the window (after a game over). But I haven't actually managed to talk to anyone else. After looking at the hint guide I saw I apparently should have fought someone named Milos, and looking up another guide mentions he should be in my compartment. He has yet to show up though.
Interestingly, Herr Schmidt and the two diners are still in the restaurant car. And they're also the ONLY people I've seen in there. I saw a family in the hallway head there, but upon following them to the dining car, they just disappeared. I do get audio clips from people saying "Excuse moi, monsieur, pardon" or "excuse me" when I enter or exit the empty lounge car. There's also a man in a brown suit standing in front of the conductor in the red car, just staring at me in silence. And from a distance, his feet seem to float because I can see the conductor's legs beneath them...
At this point, it's obvious. This train is haunted. Everyone else are ghosts, killed in the tragic crash caused by those foolish girls throwing a stone at a train. The driver must have hit some switch upon the glass breaking and striking his face that caused the train to jolt and topple, killing all inside. That invitation from Tyler was not for an idyllic train ride, but to join him in the afterlife... And now Robert is trapped in this empty purgatory for daring to throw his best friend's ethereal body out the window.
Joking aside, my game might be bugged right now. Not complaining, just kind of bemused. At least I have plenty of time to read the newspaper? xD
By the way, thanks to that glitch, I found a guide which mentioned a spooky easter egg. And I just confirmed that it works!
When you wake up in the middle of the night, ring the top doorbell three times. Then step into the hall...
What You'll See
The conductor's head pops off and multiplies by three, and he juggles them while sometimes popping them back on his neck. Robert refuses to get too close, so you can just stand there and watch him from a distance.
Amusing thoughts with fail-states as I ride between Munich and Vienna.
Spoilers about me Intentionally Setting Up Robert for Failure
So as I play and retrieve the egg (having to consult guides periodically, as I could not figure out how to enter Kronos's car from the roof), the Gold Edition gives me hints. It specifically told me to hide the egg in Max's kennel, so... I do. After much tribulation, because I originally took the egg to my bathroom and it kept just... Despawning when I left for some reason?? So took me rewinding multiple times to have it still able to be carried.
Then I think, "Wait, I wouldn't have thought of that. I want to experience this naturally." And so, I rewind time and put it back in my bathroom compartment. And sure enough, I later see Kahina walk back from my compartment.
Then I get the briefcase to deal with Herr Schmidt, before Kahina graciously invites me to visit Kronos. Now, the guide that kfwyre posted is mostly spoiler-free... But the titles of some stuff give it away. So I see "how to avoid being killed by Kahina" and it's on my mind. So after lur little visit I check, and... Looks like I did exactly what I needed to to avoid death.
And that's good... but now I wanna see what happens.
So time to rewind a little more, so I can hopefully see the potential ways Robert can be killed :D
I'm likely not going to play this month for many multiple reasons, but I am watching a playthrough on and off and I have to say, this time period of adventure games is really neat because it feels like there was effort expended on failure states. There's something extra there; maybe because devs were emphasizing the gravity of you failing to keep the tension high, or to add replay value? I find it super fuckin fascinating.
This one has some really interesting fail states. One made me almost laugh because it was so unexpected, the timing was kind of comical. There are others that are set far in advance. I think I'll actually rewind further back to test some other potential fail states.
The ones that really stand out to me though: there are some combat sequences (which won't lie, not that smooth and feel kinda silly to watch), and you can be stabbed and slashed at different angles. They could have used the same cutaway "oh no you got stabbed" scene, but they made sure to have different ones for each attack angle. That's such a small detail, and goes to show the level of care and attention.
I actually went "Woah!" out loud upon seeing one of them because it wasn't one of those discreet stabs to the chest/stomach, it was a slash on the neck. Took me by genuine surprise to see blood displayed so openly.
Update: rewound to the very beginning, and within 5 minuted I'm already seeing more people than in the entire first attempt. The dining car is full this time. I even got sat by a waiter!
So yeah, I think either I somehow had horrible luck last time around and missed people moving around the entire time, or it was glitched somehow. Nice to finally feel like I'm making progress~ Still curious about what was up with that though.
Edit: Yep, it was definitely glitched. I mentioned in the spoiler how I saw a guy in a brown suit standing in the red car, and this time I saw him in the dining room and go to another car. Our friend in the dining car also got served food this time, and then left well before Chapter 2 started.
Somehow I guess the characters got stuck. No clue what triggered it to happen, I'm blaming Tyler's ghost for jinxing me. Now I kinda wish this game had save states so I could just leave it open after that point and see what happens...
Ha, yeah with the real time aspect I feel there's a lot you can miss. I missed that experience in the dining car, but seem to have hit the major plot points up to chapter 3 (haven't looked at a guide yet, so maybe I haven't).
I was able to pick it up on Steam during the sale, and have not had any issues getting it running on Linux.
I have only played a little bit of it so far, but have been enjoying it. I feel that so far, I feel like the game has been happening to me so far, and I do not have much agency yet. Hopefully as I progress, it feels like I have more agency. The other thing that I am still getting used to, is trying to figure out which doors people walk into, as it is hard in the quick moment to try and figure out which room they went into. Overall, pretty fun game so far, and I look forward to playing more of it throughout the month
A tip I found in the manual posted by @kfwyre that might help you to catch up to someone walking away is to double click the screen and your character will start to auto walk. You can cancel this by clicking (or maybe right clicking?) the screen. Essentially, it's a way to "quick travel" to the next car, but I've been using it as a quick way of navigating even in the same train car.
Current time played: 74 minutes - Version: Steam (At least one of those minutes was related to trying different Proton configurations, Linux Pop_OS! worked with Proton 9.0-4)
The missing sounds is jarring and the cut off subtitles is annoying, I won't lie but the vibes are strong with this one.
Spoilers
I don't know why finding the body my literal first instinct was to dispose of it but... here we are. I wandered up and down the halls, repeatedly jiggling door handles and harassing women until I managed to get to the point where the cops come on board.
They busted me more than a few times, honestly, but I got it figured out. The game glitched out and didn't allow me to actually run from them, so I had to restart. That was a large source of frustration and I was close to calling it quits. The Russian girl is translating the story for me and at least three people know I'm not who I say I am but I'm making steady progress towards... something.
Though, I must admit, the transitions in the walking on the Gold version give me a bit of motion sickness and might limit how much more I can actually play.
Current time played: 3.4 hours
Glitches with the Gold Edition continue to plague my playthrough - My cursor has twice now gotten stuck as the turn left arrow and it's hard to interact with things when everything looks like a left turn.
Spoilers
There's a lot less true "Adventure Game" logic hiding in this one than I expected! Plenty of things I've 'figured out' long before I've figured out the way the game wants me to figure out but that's mainly because I keep thinking of Robert as the 'protagonist' and not just another person on the train.
A conductor dropped his master key! I need to check the floors, the cabinets around where he dropped it! The truth being another passenger has already grabbed it. I found it quite by accident later.
The main problem with the quasi-real time thing is... well, I'm currently sitting, nodding off to a concert that has been going for over an hour and a half with no signs of stopping. I must've excused myself six or seven times, coughed loudly six times and generally made myself a terrible audience member. Why hasn't anyone said anything? I feel like sometimes I'm not making the progress I need to make and others I'm given way too much time to do one or two things. Should I be listening to the lesbians gossip right now? Is there something else I should be doing? I'll frantically run up and down the cars, knocking on doors and scouring rooms only to come back to the car and the comrade playing chess is still going on about communism.
There has been a LOT of trial and error to get to this point but I've genuinely avoided a guide so I'm feeling smart sometimes but others I just don't know if I've already screwed something up way back when.
A hint, if you want it
With so many people preoccupied by the concert, it might be a good time to put that key you found to use.
If you need a bit more…
I don’t know if you’re a Streetlight Manifesto fan, but their album Somewhere in the Between is quite good, I think.
I grabbed the gold edition and got it running on my steamdeck last night without issue. It's not properly supported, so you're left using the touch screen or trackpads for mouse clicks. Which felt a little clumsy to me in the opening minutes of the game, so I'll probably switch to just playing at my desk on my laptop.
Also playing on the deck. It’s definitely gonna take some getting used to but so far I’m amazed by how pretty it is.
I'll be playing the GOG version of the game. My setup is:
First impressions so far is that the voice acting and general vibe of the game is top notch. Makes me wish I knew more French, but the subtitles are nice when they do pop up. I will most likely be using the tips, manual, and guide @kfwyre posted (thank you for that!) whenever I get stuck, which honestly, will be often is my guess. Also, not sure if I missed this discussion already, but what's the average time to beat for anyone who's played this their first time. howlongtobeat is saying 7 hours but I have my doubts on that...
I've never heard of this game 'til now, but I do love me a point-and-click and for only a couple bucks that's an easy buy.
After I got it, I read that the gold edition is a little hand-holdy? Are there settings for that? I don't mind hints, but I also like at least some challenge.
What's the best Android DOSBox implementation these days? I already have the GOG version and a bunch of other DOS games, so I'd like to set those up under a DOSBox app instead of buying the game again.
Amazing intro!! Seriously, I’m so glad others took over the idea because if I had run it it wouldn’t be as qualitative!
Did anyone find a way to run the game with ScummVM? It seems to only run in v2.10.0 but the latest released version is v2.9.1… I wanted to play it on my handheld but looks like I won’t be able to.
I haven't run it with ScummVM (I opted for a mobile release) but as I understand it, you need a daily build to run The Last Express, and the Gold Edition of the game is not supported. Here is their announcement from June.
I used the dosbox core after all. Easier than updating ScummVM (I don’t even know if it’s possible in muOS)
It will also run in DOSBOX. You could use the DOSBOX Pure core in Retroarch.
Indeed that was easy!
I finally started playing the game. I love the real-time aspect and I’m impressed at the gameplay given that it’s from 1997! I’m playing the OG version on dos on my RG35XX H handheld running muOS. Pretty cool to have this running on a device that looks like a 1998 handheld console.
However:
I often get confused which way I’m going because the transitions between screens aren’t smooth an the game sometimes turns you around
more importantly: