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The Ultimate Guide to Community KTaNE.md

The Ultimate Guide to Community KTaNE

This guide is public domain (under CC0), but credits are always appreciated.
It was written by mathgeniuszach with help from the KTaNE community.

This guide assumes you have some experience with vanilla (unmodded) KTaNE. That is, you or someone you know owns the game and you've played at least a little bit of section 1, either as a Defuser or an Expert.

Edgework and Readouts

When playing with others, the first thing you may want to understand is the concept of edgework. You may be used to asking questions like, "What's the last digit of the serial number?" or "How many batteries exist on the bomb?", but for many modded bombs, its common practice for the Defuser to read out all information about the bomb before starting. Information usually is read out in this order:

A good way to check if you got everything is to count the total number of widgets. This is normally equal to five, unless you downloaded a mod and changed it. On the Challenge Bombs Site (see "Samfun.dev Leaderboard" under Competition for more info), the number of widgets is directly mentioned for each modded mission.

Vanilla Edgework Tricks

In vanilla (unmodded), you don't need a full readout of all the edgework on the bomb. Rather, you only need six pieces of information, which may help make your solves go faster:

How many batteries are on the bomb?
Does the serial number contain a vowel?
Is the last digit of the serial number odd or even?
Does the bomb contain a parallel port?
Is there a lit CAR indicator?
Is there a lit FRK indicator?
The NATO Phonetic Alphabet

For maximum clarity when speaking online between people across cultures and accents, it may be helpful to employ the use of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. This is a set of clear-code words which can be used instead of words like "Nine", "Three", "Dee", and "Bee" (which in the NATO alphabet are "Niner", "Tree", "Delta", and "Bravo"), which are more distinct than typical pronounciations of the letters or numbers.

International Morse Code

If you're struggling with Morse Code, don't worry. Everyone does at first. It's important that you pay attention to both the amount of time the light is on, and the amount of time the light is off. The ordinary Morse Code module beats at a rate of (I think 195.5) bpm (or (I think 3.9) wpm), if you want to open a metronome. Here's some helpful timing guidelines:

  • A dot is on for one beat, and off for one beat.
  • A dash is on for three beats, then off for one beat.
  • The light is off for two extra beats between letters.
  • The light is off for six extra beats at the end of a word.

Learning and memorizing International Morse Code is a useful skill which will help you continually in vanilla (unmodded) and modded KTaNE. If you would like to learn Morse Code, here are some helpful resources to do so:

Port Shorthand

The best and shortest way to refer to various port types is by using the following acronyms: RCA (for Stereo RCA), DVI (for DVI-D), PS2 (for PS/2), RJ (for RJ-45), PAR/Parallel (for Parallel), and SER/Serial (for Serial).

Recording Edgework

If you are playing as an Expert, you'll need to write down any edgework that is read out to you. For a bomb with 8 widgets, containing one D battery, 4 AA batteries, an unlit CAR and lit FRK indicator, a port plate with a serial and parallel port, another port plate with a PS/2, Stereo RCA, DVI-D, and RJ-45 port, and another port plate that has no ports on it, here are some ways that people record this edgework:

[1-liner]
uh6kf5 5/3 -car +frk /ser par/ /ps2 rca dvi rj/ // (mathgeniuszach)

5/3 CAR *FRK [ser par] [ps2 rca dvi rj] [] UH6KF5 (Awesome)

5/3 car FRK [SER PAR] [PS RCA DVI RJ] [] UH6KF5 (Axodeau, Marshmallow)

5in3 _CAR *FRK [ser par] [ps2 rca dvi rj] [] #=UH6KF5 (Blananas2)

5B 3H // CAR *FRK // [S P] [PS2 RCA DVI RJ] [] // UH6KF5 (BlvdBroken)

5/3 CAR FRK* [SER PAR] [ALL 4] [EMP] UH6KF5 (CrazyCaleb)

4+1/3 CAR *FRK [serial //][ps2 rca dvi rj][] UH6KF5 (D3K)

5/3 CAR *FRK (PAR SER) (DVI PS2 RCA RJ) () UH6KF5 (Cookina, Lord Kabewm)

5 in 3 car FRK para/ser// rj/rca/dvi/ps2// emp// UH6KF5 (Tyler-Y)

[>1 lines]
5b3h *FRK CAR [Para Ser] [PS2 RCA DVI RJ] [x]
UK6KF5 (Asew)

5 in 3 | car FRK | seri para/ps2 rca dvi rj/
UH6KF5 (Hazel)

5/3
-CAR *FRK
[par ser][ps2 dvi rca rj][---]
UH6KF5
------ (weird)

5/3
CAR
*FRK
[ser par]
[ps rca dvi rj]
[x]
UH6KF5 (Youro)

5/3
CAR
*FRK
PARSER
DVI PS2 RJ RCA 
EMP
UH6KF5 (Witek)

UH6 KF5
5 in 3
lit FRK
unlit CAR
parallel serial
rj rca ps dvi
empty (Daniel)

And even more can be found in this thread of the Discord Server.

Soloing and EFMing

At the start of every bomb, there's a rule which appears on the Defuser's screen:

This screen is for your eyes only.
You are not allowed to look at the Bomb Defusal Manual.

After all, KTaNE is a game about cooperation, and if you could look at the Manual, that would defeat the whole point of working together, right? Well, sometimes. But if you're familiar with the concept of needy modules, sometimes it can be more fun if the Defuser has something to do on their own while waiting on the Experts too!

This has brought about the concept of soloing, where a Defuser memorizes the manuals of some modules (to avoid looking at them), and solves them on their own while the Experts do other things. This is already a thing in vanilla (e.g. see Capacitor Discharge or Venting Gas), so it's widely accepted in the community to do this, even on competitive bombs.

Still, it may not always be feasible to get enough people to play KTaNE. But does that mean you can't play at all? Of course not! In this scenario, people forgo the above rule and look at manuals anyway. This is known as Experting for Myself or EFMing. Despite it not being in the spirit of the original game, this is a great way to learn new modules, and it can still be a fun and difficult challenge with tight timers!

So long as you're being honest about it and tagging your solves as such, EFMing is widely accepted even in competitive play.

Computing the Number of D and AA Batteries

It's common for most Defusers to give the number of batteries and battery holders, but not the number of D and AA batteries. If for any reason you need to compute or compare them (and you do not have any mods adding other types of widgets), here are some formulas that can help you (D is the number of D batteries, AA is the number of AA batteries, B is the total number of batteries, and H is the total number of battery holders):

  • AA = 2(B - H)
  • D = 2H - B
  • AA < D === B < H + ⅓H
  • D = B - AA
  • AA = B - D

Alternatively, you can consider reading out the number of AA and D batteries separately, like "4 plus 1 in 3", instead of "5 in 3".

Looking for a Game or Group?

If you have no one to play with but still want to play KTaNE, don't worry, the community has you covered! Join the KTaNE Discord Server. Now, open the #lfg-instructions channel and read the instructions, or keep reading here.

There are four roles you can ping in the #looking-for-game channel in the Discord, which follow this structure:

@LFG [Vanilla/Modded] [Expert/Defuser]

Ping the role of the person you need, not who you are.
In other words, if you are an Expert looking for a Defuser, ping "Defuser".

Modding

Modding is the process of adding mods (short for modifications) - adding new content or challenges - to the game. KTaNE mods are simple to install and use - simply click the "subscribe" button on the mod you're interested in on the Steam Workshop, and Steam will automatically download and install it into your game. You can also subscribe to entire collections of mods, which include many mods inside of them.

Quality of Life (QoL) and Performance Boosts

To get the most out of your game, here are some tweaks that can help you:

  1. Close out the game, if you have it open.
  2. Open your playerSettings.xml file in any text editor. It can normally be found in one of these locations:

    Windows%APPDATA%\..\LocalLow\Steel Crate Games\Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes\playerSettings.xml
    MacOS~/Library/Application Support/com.steelcrategames.keeptalkingandnobodyexplodes/playerSettings.xml
    Linux~/.config/unity3d/Steel Crate Games/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes/playerSettings.xml
    Steam Deck (Proton)~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/341800/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Steel Crate Games/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes/playerSettings.xml
  3. Change <LockMouseToWindow>true to <LockMouseToWindow>false. This will allow you to move your mouse in and out of the game (when it is in windowed mode) without needing to Alt+Tab.
  4. Change <UseParallelModLoading>false to <UseParallelModLoading>true. This will allow mods to use CPU parallelization to load faster by loading at the same time.
  5. Change <UseModsAlways>false to <UseModsAlways>true, and <SkipTitleScreen>false to <SkipTitleScreen>true. This will skip the initial "Disable Mods/Enable Mods" screen so you can load the game with less clicks.
  6. Save the file and close it.
  7. Go to KTaNE Web Utils' modSettings.xml Generator and generate a new modSettings.xml file to replace the one next to the playerSettings.xml file. This will stop the game from enabling modules automatically and let DBML (enabled in step #9) handle them instead. You may need to do this periodically as new mods are released on the Steam Workshop.
  8. Subscribe to this collection of mods: KTaNE Utility and QoL. You may also find more Utility and QoL mods in the Other Category of the Steam Workshop. For example, you may like Bomb Timer Modifier.
  9. Launch the game, and pick up the tablet on the table. Open the Mod Settings app, and select Tweaks. Scroll down until you see Demand Based Mod Loading (DBML) and Replace Obsolete Mods. Check both of these. This will automatically load any mods you have downloaded if they're needed for a bomb.
  10. If you want to have every single mod downloaded and ready for any bomb that could possibly exist, also check Subscribe to New Mods, and Subscribe to The Full KTaNE Experience (REMAKE) [Part 1], The Full KTaNE Experience (REMAKE) [Part 2], and any other parts that may exist in the future.
  11. Restart your game.
Log File Analyzer

The Log File Analyzer is a tool which analyzes your game's logfile to show what happened on each bomb in your game session, including the modules you striked on and their correct solutions.

Instead of uploading your logfile manually, it's recommended that you subscribe to the Log Viewer Hotkey mod, which adds some new shortcuts to the game:

  • Shift+F7 will open just the last bomb in the Log File Analyzer.
  • Shift+F8 will open your full logfile in the Log File Analyzer.
  • Control+Shift+F8 will upload your full logfile to the Log File Analyzer and copy a link to the page.
  • Shift+F9 will clear your logfile, removing any recorded bombs.
Using the Repository of Manual Pages

The central hub for all manuals, vanilla or modded, is the Repository of Manual Pages (https://ktane.timwi.de). This repository lets you search for, filter, and sort between different modules and their manuals.

Next to every module there is also a blue triangle pointing downward with the word "MORE" written above it. Click on this triangle to select alternative manuals, such as optimized, reworded, interactive, or translated manuals. For some modules, the reworded or interactive manuals may be easier to read or use than the original (e.g., compare Hexamaze with Hexamaze interactive, and Orientation Cube with Orientation Cube optimized). Selecting a different manual will save your choice and make it so the next time you open the manual, it opens the alternative one instead.

Note that some alternative manuals trivialize certain modules too much, so the community has decided to ban them for competitive play. These are called CBS-restricted manuals - you can filter them out by unchecking the checkbox in the "Options" tab.

For most gameplay usage, you may find it useful to change the sort order in the repository (under the "Filters" tab) to "Sort by date published" in "Reverse". This makes the oldest (i.e., the "non-variant") modules show up first when you search them by name, which is typically what you want.

Ruleseeding

One of the best ways of getting into modded KTaNE is by using alternative rule seeds. This is actually a vanilla feature, but it is normally impossible to change the rule seed without using a mod like Rule Seed Modifier.

Rule seeds shuffle the rules in every manual slightly to provide more of a challenge for Experts and to prevent Defuser memorization. For example, compare the vanilla Password manual (rule seed #1) with a ruleseeded Password manual (rule seed #2). The words are changed, but the underlying rules of the module stay the same.

You can access rule seeded manuals on the Repository of Manual Pages by clicking the Rule Seed button in the top right, and typing in the rule seed you want to use. Just keep in mind that rule seed #1 is the vanilla rules, and that many alternative manuals do not support rule seeds.

Only some mods and modules support rule seeds. When you have a rule seed active on the Repository of Manual Pages, modules supporting rule seeds will have a wrench next to the blue triangle on the right.

Guided Missions to Modded Modules

If you're looking for some guided mission packs that can help you get into modded modules, here are some great collections you can subscribe to:

  • The Modded Basics
    This is a light introduction to mods, including two new mission packs:
    • Introduction to Mods
      A pack with easy modded modules for those who may not have completed the campaign.
    • Road to Centurion
      A pack slowly introducing modded modules one at a time with challenges in between. Helps you work up to the Centurion, a bomb with one hundred different modules.
  • Krows Intro to Mods Collection
    A slightly faster and older introduction to mods, including one new mission pack:
    • Krows Intro to Mods
      For beginners with more confidence, Krows introduces 2-3 new modules per bomb with challenges in between. Helps you work up to the Centurion, a bomb with one hundred different modules.

And here are some other packs you may find useful:

  • Modded Intermediate
    An extension of "Introduction to Mods" which adds a new mission pack:
    • Road to Praetorian
      A pack working from the Centurion up to the Praetorian.
  • 100 Levels of Defusal
    An structured stair climb of every old module.
    • 100 Levels of Defusal
      - 100 missions introducing every module up to 2020-06-01. Can you defuse them all?
Dynamic Mission Generator (DMG)

Dynamic Mission Generator is a mod adding a new app (with a blue background and KTaNE logo) to the Mod Selector Tablet, which allows for creating fully customized missions (though these missions cannot go in the mission binder without another mod).

Some examples of things you can change other than modules are the number of strikes, the time limit displayed on the timer, and pacing events.

A full list of all mission options can be found on the DMG wiki, but here's some examples of some missions written as DMG strings:

  • Wires BigButton Keypad 3X 5:00 nopacing
    "The First Bomb", in section 1.3 of the vanilla missions. Has three guaranteed modules, which are Wires, a Button, and a Keypad, and disables pacing events (like the lights or alarm).
  • 11*Memory 3X 15:00
    A bomb with 11 Memory modules, 3 strikes, and 15 minutes.
  • 3*Wires,Keypad BigButton 3X 1:00
    A bomb with 3 modules which are either Wires or Keypad, and another module which will always be a button. Also has 3 strikes and 1 minute.
  • 11*ALL_SOLVABLE 5X 20:00 nopacing
    A bomb with 11 random non-needy modules, 5 strikes, 20 minutes, and no pacing events.
  • 10*Wires,BigButton,Keypad,Simon,WhosOnFirst,Memory,Morse,Venn,WireSequence,Maze,Password NeedyVentGas,NeedyCapacitor,NeedyKnob 1X 5:00
    "I am Hardcore", in section 6.4 of the vanilla missions.

You can find the DMG strings for every vanilla mission in this message on Discord.

Profile Bombs

Profile bombs are the community's version of randomized "freeplay". They make use of both profiles and the Dynamic Mission Generator mod to create custom bombs with a certain number of modules for each Expert (and sometimes some modules for the Defuser to solo).

Profiles are simply a list of modules an Expert or Defuser is comfortable with (enabled modules) and uncomfortable with (disabled modules). You can create a profile (.json file) by using the Profile Editor on the repository. Usually each Expert has their own Expert-mode profile which selects modules they want on the bomb, and the Defuser has a special Defuser-mode profile which can either add a few more modules or veto (forcibly remove) other modules they don't like.

To create a profile bomb, a defuser will import all profiles (.json files) into their game by placing them in their ModProfiles folder. Then, they'll open the Dynamic Mission Generator app and enter a DMG string like these:

  • 5*profile:Mickey 5*profile:Brian 1*profile:Solos
    Adds 5 random modules from Mickey's profile, 5 random modules from Brian's profile, and 1 extra random module from the defuser's profile. This bomb will have 3 strikes (1 strike per 12 regular modules with a minimum of 3) and 22 minutes (2 minutes per regular module).
  • 24*profile:Mickey 24*profile:Brian 1*profile:Solos 1:00:00
    Adds 24 random modules from Mickey and Brian's profiles, and 1 extra random module from the defuser's profile. This bomb will have 4 strikes and 1 hour.

Competition

If you enjoy trying to reach the top leaderboard times for various missions, you may enjoy the competitive side of KTaNE. Unfortunately, the Steam Leaderboard is fairly limited in functionality, so the KTaNE community uses three different leaderboards instead.

Speedrun.com Leaderboard

For all vanilla missions, the best place to submit your solve times is the speedrun.com leaderboard (https://www.speedrun.com/ktane). There are categories for full game runs and individual missions on PC, Console, Mobile, and VR.

The times submitted here are really competitive though, so to get a good time you'll have to either solo all of the modules or EFM, both of which are allowed by the rules. You'll also need to learn how to solve the bomb before the lights turn on, as RTA timing starts when "Loading..." disappears from the bottom right corner.

Samfun.dev Leaderboard

Otherwise known as the Challenge Bombs Site (CBS), https://bombs.samfun.dev/ is where you can submit your solve times for every substantial modded mission. Individual user leaderboards can be found here.

Both soloing and EFMing are allowed by the rules, provided you tag your solves properly.

Twitch Plays: KTaNE Leaderboard

Twitch Plays: KTaNE works a little differently than the base game. Instead of Experts telling a Defuser what to do, all players act as Experts and issue commands through the chat on a Twitch livestream. Because all players can see both the game and the manual, this is a special form of Experting for Myself.

Join the Twitch Plays: KTaNE Discord Server to find streams running this gamemode, or run it yourself with the software you can find here.

The leaderboard for Twitch Plays: KTaNE can be found here.

Additional Challenges

If you're interested in some special challenges which can make bomb solving more fun for Defusers and Experts, or just would like get more out of the game besides adding new modded manuals or modules, here's a few you can try:

  • Yes/No
    In this challenge, one or more players may only say yes or no (usually only the defuser), and it's up to the other players to strategically ask the right questions to obtain information.
  • Clown Car
    In this challenge, two or more defusers playing different bombs join the same voice channel, potentially sharing experts.
  • Upside Down
    In this challenge, one or more players flip either their manuals or the game upside down.
  • Elevator
    The Elevator is a special gameplay room which is only accessible by flipping a switch under the desk (this switch can only be flipped in either VR or with the Camera Mover mod).
  • Endurance
    Endurance is not so much a challenge as it is a gamemode. Using the Factory mod (and potentially Dynamic Mission Generator), the defuser solves bombs until they either explode or solve a certain number of bombs.
  • Ruleseeded
    Rule Seeds (explained earlier in this guide), modify the manuals of certain modules slightly to prevent defuser and expert memorization.

Default Filepaths

Windows
NamePath
InstallationC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata%APPDATA%\..\LocalLow\Steel Crate Games\Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata (Oculus)C:\Program Files (x86)\Oculus\Software\steel-crate-games-keep-talking-and-nobody-explodes\Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes\ktane_Data
ScreenshotsC:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<some number>\760\remote\341800\screenshots
Log$(Userdata)\output_log.txt
Mod Profiles$(Userdata)\ModProfiles
Mod Settings$(Userdata)\Modsettings
playerSettings.xml$(Userdata)\playerSettings.xml
modSettings.xml$(Userdata)\modSettings.xml
MacOS
NamePath
Installation~/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata~/Library/Application Support/com.steelcrategames.keeptalkingandnobodyexplodes
Screenshots~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata/<some number>/760/remote/341800/screenshots
Log~/Library/Logs/Unity/Player.log
Mod Profiles$(Userdata)/ModProfiles
Mod Settings$(Userdata)/Modsettings
playerSettings.xml$(Userdata)/playerSettings.xml
modSettings.xml$(Userdata)/modSettings.xml
Linux
NamePath
Installation~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Installation (Flatpak)~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata~/.config/unity3d/Steel Crate Games/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata (Flatpak)~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.config/unity3d/Steel Crate Games/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Screenshots~/.steam/steam/userdata/<some number>/760/remote/341800/screenshots
Screenshots (Flatpak)~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.steam/steam/userdata/<some number>/760/remote/341800/screenshots
Log$(Userdata)/Player.log
Mod Profiles$(Userdata)/ModProfiles
Mod Settings$(Userdata)/Modsettings
playerSettings.xml$(Userdata)/playerSettings.xml
modSettings.xml$(Userdata)/modSettings.xml
Steam Deck (Proton)
NamePath
Installation~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Userdata~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/341800/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Steel Crate Games/Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
Screenshots~/.steam/steam/userdata/<some number>/760/remote/341800/screenshots
Log$(Userdata)/output_log.txt
Mod Profiles$(Userdata)/ModProfiles
Mod Settings$(Userdata)/Modsettings
playerSettings.xml$(Userdata)/playerSettings.xml
modSettings.xml$(Userdata)/modSettings.xml

Links

This is a list of links for common KTaNE content and tools.

Important Links

Guides

Technical Documents and Misc

Modding Collections

Tools

  • Log File Analyzer - A tool which analyzes your game logs to tell you why you blew up on that bomb.
  • Text Field Calculator - A calculator which evalutates each line of a multi-line text field.
  • Wordlist Checker - A tool which checks if a word is in the list for a given module.
  • KTaNE Module Picker - Experienced Expert? Not sure what module to learn next? Use this tool to see what's trending!
  • KTaNE Mission Picker - Experienced defuser? Not sure what mission to play? Use this tool to see what's trending!
  • SVGOMG - SVG compression tool.
  • KTyNE - A manual viewer with extra floating tools.

Main GitHub Repositories

  • KtaneContent - The primary repository containing all manual content for the "Repository of Manual Pages".
  • KtaneWeb - Server code for the site "Repository of Manual Pages", without the manual content.
  • KtaneModkit - A template mod kit for creating mods for KTaNE.
  • KtaneModules - A GitHub organization containing updated backups of every single KTaNE mod.
  • KTANE GitHub Topic - Repositories tagged with the topic KTaNE.

Mod Ideas

Alternative Leaderboards

  • Speedrun.com Page - An alternative site for competitive times related to vanilla bombs only.
  • Steam Leaderboards - Steam leaderboards for vanilla bomb times - unfortunately, most of the top times are cheated.

Helpful Related Pages

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