Install the latest version of the game from Steam or GOG and go to the configuration folder. Depending on your operating system the Sphinx.ini configuration file should be located under the following folders:
- Windows:
%appdata%\Sphinx\Sphinx.ini - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Sphinx/Sphinx.ini - Linux:
~/.local/share/Sphinx/Sphinx.ini
Open Sphinx.ini and add the following lines, if you don't care about the existing configuration you can also replace it entirely. If the file already has some of the sections (like [Debug]) paste each entry below:
[Debug]
ScanMode=1
AllowGamePause=1
[RenderMode]
InputGrabbed=0This enables Scan Mode, which lets us fly around the levels and go through walls, it's usually called no-clip in other games. By adding AllowGamePause=1 we can pause the game/switch to slow-mo mode/frame-step at any given time. InputGrabbed=0 makes it so that you can freely move the cursor across the screen and use other programs when the game window is focused.
To be able to use most of the hidden debug functionality you need to launch the game with a special command-line argument.
If using Steam this step is as easy as going to Game Properties > General > Set Launch Options, and typing -dev.
If you are using a direct shortcut to the game's executable, just append the argument at the end. Like this:
In the main menu go to OPTIONS > DISPLAY, and set PARTICLES to SOFT, and set both ANISOTROPIC FILTERING and MULTISAMPLING to their maximum value.
After that click on RESTART GAME to apply them.
In this screen you can also select a resolution and choose a specific display, or change the RESOLUTION to WINDOWED.
You can also adjust the field of view here, but in our case it can be changed from the Watcher window as needed as covered in the latter part of this guide.
Launch the game in -dev mode. Now you should be able to right-click anywhere (best done in menus rather than action mode) and use the debug menus and options. Some of the most useful options are as follows:
This menu lets you jump to any level by choosing it in the list:
The _ab prefix is for Abydos, _hl is for Heliopolis, _lu is for Luxor, _mu is for Mummy levels, _set02 is the final battle, _ur is Uruk, f00 is the frontend level that you see in the main menu (mostly useless), mg_ is for the Abydos minigames and mum_ is for the other, less polished, mummy levels. Also, menumap and monstest are debug levels.
The game starts at _ur_intr.edb, it should be equivalent to creating a new savegame.
Here is a full list mapping their internal names to the public/walkthrough-friendly names:
| Player-facing level name | Internal filenames and hashcodes |
|---|---|
| Uruk: | |
| Uruk Intro | HT_File_Map_ur_intr (urk_intr.edb) |
| Uruk Canyon (Dark Area) | HT_File_Map_hl_da2 (_hl_da2.edb) |
| Uruk Islands + Geb Queen | HT_File_Map_hl_da3 (_hl_da3.edb) |
| Uruk Temple Trials | HT_File_urk_4pat (_ur_4pat.edb) |
| Luxor: | |
| Luxor Palace (Tut) | HT_File_Map_lu_pala (_lu_pala.edb) |
| Luxor Pyramid | HT_File_Map_lu_pyra (_lu_pyra.edb) |
| Abydos: | |
| Abydos Sewer | HT_File_Map_ab_sewr (_ab_sewr.edb) |
| Abydos Canals | HT_File_Map_ab_cana (_ab_cana.edb) |
| Abydos Monster Shop | HT_File_Map_ab_shop (_ab_shop.edb) |
| Abydos Museum | HT_File_Map_ab_musm (_ab_musm.edb) |
| Abydos Council Chambers | HT_File_Map_ab_cncl (_ab_cncl.edb) |
| Abydos Boss Battle | HT_File_Map_ak_du6 (_ak_du6.edb) |
| Abydos Minigames: | |
| Tefnut's Target Tavern | HT_File_Map_mg_shoot (mg_shoot.edb) |
| Corridor of Champions | HT_File_Map_mg_walls (mg_walls.edb) |
| Sorkon's Sequence Shack | HT_File_Map_mg_simon (mg_simon.edb) |
| Paneb's Pair Matching Place | HT_File_Map_mg_pairs (mg_pairs.edb) |
| Heliopolis: | |
| Heliopolis: Exterior | HT_File_Map_hl_ext (_hl_ext.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Cursed Palace | HT_File_Map_hl_cp (_hl_cp.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Great Wall Entrance I + Anubis Tower | HT_File_Map_hl_ws1 (_hl_ws1.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Great Wall Entrance II (Access Room) | HT_File_Map_hl_rm1 (_hl_rm1.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Great Wall Entrance II (Wall section) | HT_File_Map_hl_ws2 (_hl_ws2.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Great Wall Entrance III | HT_File_Map_hl_ws3 (_hl_ws3.edb) |
| Heliopolis: Lost Temple | HT_File_Map_hl_dng (_hl_dng.edb) |
| Mummy: | |
| Mummy: Uruk Castle Jail and Hub (All) | HT_File_Map_mu_cast (_mu_cast.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #1: Impulse Planetarium | HT_File_Map_mu_imp2 (_mu_imp2.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #2: Treasure Chamber (Triple mummy) | HT_File_Map_mu_trei (_mu_trei.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #3: Uruk Tower Exterior | HT_File_mum_towr (mum_towr.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #3: Hang Train | HT_File_Map_mu_htrn (_mu_htrn.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #4: Sewer | HT_File_Map_mu_sewr (_mu_sewr.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #5: RotoHub | HT_File_Map_mu_roto (_mu_roto.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #6: Eye Beam Intro Puzzle | HT_File_mum_eyei (mum_eyei.edb) |
| Mummy Visit #6: Eye Beam | HT_File_Map_mu_eye (_mu_eye.edb) |
| Set: | |
| Uruk Castle Run | HT_File_Map_ur_cast (_ur_cast.edb) |
| Final Battle | HT_File_Map_cas_lowr (_Set02.edb) |
This also works in non-debug mode. You can quickly skip most cutscenes by pressing the Backspace keyboard key or the Select (PlayStation) / Back (Xbox 360) / Change View (Xbox One) button in your gamepad.
You can directly teleport to, and view any in-game cutscene in any order. You can even launch a cutscene while a different one is playing (useful in the _mu_cast.edb hub level to start a specific Mummy visit without having to make actual progress into the game). Keep in mind that the Right-click > CutScene submenu only lists the cutscenes in the currently loaded level, so you will have to use the level selector first.
Scan mode lets you fly around and clip through solid collision; toggle it during gameplay by pressing the right analog stick/C keyboard key. Go up/down with the Y/A Xbox buttons or the Esc/Space keyboard keys.
You can open several debug windows at the same time by using the special right-click menu. We are interested in the one called the Watcher, which stores most of the configurable debug state. Go to Debug > Watcher and click to open it.
As you can see, by default all the different sections are collapsed, so you can click into the different [+] to show the options and sub-sections. We are mainly interested in Display, Cheats and Camera. If many of these are are open at the same time you will need to resize the window by dragging the bottom-right corner with the middle mouse button. You can also move debug windows around by dragging with the middle mouse button in any other part of the window.
You can also use the scroll bar or your mouse's scroll wheel to move up and down. Because during normal gameplay the cursor is hidden, it is often easier to move things around or change debug options by pausing the game or entering the inventory with Backspace.
All these debug windows can be closed by pressing the X symbol in the top-right corner. You can open them again through the right-click menu as needed.
The debug windows position and size will be permanently saved in Sphinx.ini.
The most useful cheat is "Gimmie all Inventory Items" (for Sphinx) and "Gimmie all Mummy Inventory Items" (for the Mummy). It's located under Right-click menu > Hud Display and lets you unlock all the special abilities, the good thing is that it works until you close the game or start a new save.
"Give All Gold Ankhs" (and the Gold Ankh family) is useful to get all the health upgrades for Sphinx. You can use these as much as needed.
You can also enable a few useful ones under Watcher > Cheats. God Mode doesn't protect against fall damage. One Hit Kill and Always Has Item work as you would expect.
Keep in mind that all the options you toggle in the Watcher are permanently saved in Sphinx.ini.
Open the Watcher and untick the option under Display > Hud. Keep in mind that as a side effect both the inventory/Book of Sphinx (that shows up when you press the Backspace key) and the loading screen will appear as pure black until you tick it again.
This option hides both the in-game heads-up display and the text teletyper that appears during cutscenes and dialog.
Don't toggle Widescreen or the aspect-ratio will break. You can also change the in-game camera options, like distance, FOV, height, and elevation as shown in the screenshot above.
You can turn the preexisting third-person scan mode into a handy first-person cinematic camera that will also hide the player model and make the movement and rotation more laggy/stable, like with real-life steadicams. Useful for aerial and tracking shots.
Tick the Smooth Scan option under Watcher > Camera. Disable it to use the standard third-person mode.
- During gameplay press Scroll Lock while having the Pause key pressed (or vice versa). The game will pause.
- In this mode you can press the Scroll Lock key to enter/exit slow-mo mode or the Pause key to advance one frame with each key press.
- To go back to normal just toggle it back by doing step 1 again.
This also works outside of -dev mode, provided you are using the AllowGamePause=1 option in Sphinx.ini.