Manual

Player guide

DarkHelm is a cooperative bridge simulator: a crew shares one warship, each player taking a console. This guide covers getting into a game, what each station does, and the default controls. Everything is point-and-click first; keyboard and controller bindings are optional shortcuts.

Downloads

Prefer offline / printable docs? Grab the PDFs:

• Quickstart Guide (PDF) — into your first game in five minutes.
• User Manual (PDF) — the full guide.
• Keybindings (PDF) — default-controls reference sheet.

Want the full in-universe technical manual (for the RPG-minded crew)? Grab the complete Operations Manual, or any individual volume:

• Operations Manual — complete (PDF) — every volume below in one book.
• Vol I — Ship Operating Manual (PDF) — limitations, systems description, normal & emergency procedures.
• Part PRO-ABN — Abnormal & Emergency (PDF) — the full ESMS drills, by system.
• Vol II — Quick Reference Handbook (PDF) — condensed normal & abnormal checklists for the console.
• Vol III — Crew Handling Manual (PDF) — operating philosophy & the golden rules.
• Vol IV — Minimum Equipment List (PDF) — dispatch limits.
• Vol V — Technical & Ordnance Catalog (PDF) — equipment specs, weapons, ordnance, hull codes & ship data sheets.

Getting into a game

Hosting

One machine runs the ship. From the launcher choose Host, then pick LAN (same network) or Online. Set up the galaxy, scenario and your ship in the lobby, then start the server. The host also plays — pick which stations you'll man.

Joining

Choose Join, connect to the host (a LAN game on your network, an online game via Steam, or a direct address), then claim one or more open stations. Multiple players can share a ship, and a game can run several player ships at once.

The bridge stations

Station	Role
Helm	Flies the ship: heading, pitch/roll, throttle, docking, and engaging or dropping out of hyperspace.
Weapons	Brings weapons online, manages the six shield arcs, locks targets, and fires beams, missiles and nuclear ordnance.
Sensors	Detects and identifies contacts through the fog of war, runs active scans and ECM, and hands targets to Weapons.
Engineering	Routes power across the buses, manages heat, cooling and damage, and keeps the reactors and core systems running.
Comms	Hails contacts, reads transponders/IFF, works the comms channels, runs shuttle operations and can sound the alert.
Command	The captain's overview: alert condition, manned-station and crew status, objectives, and the tactical map.
Flight Ops	The carrier air boss: launches, directs and recovers the wing of fighters, bombers and shuttles, and services the hangar.

Not every ship carries every station — Flight Ops only appears on ships with a hangar, for example.

Default controls

Every console works with the mouse. The bindings below are optional and fully rebindable in any station's ☰ menu → Controls / Keybinds (or press \). The editor has separate keyboard and controller columns, plus controller options (invert pitch/yaw, stick dead-zone). The Helm fully supports a gamepad.

Helm — keyboard

Action	Key(s)
Yaw / heading	A / D (also J / L)
Pitch	W / S (also I / K)
Roll	Q / E
Throttle up / down	Shift / Ctrl
Throttle presets (ahead)	1–7
All stop	0
Astern presets	Alt+1–4
Level attitude	Z
Engage / drop hyperspace	H
Dock / undock	G
Map zoom in / out	= / -

Helm — controller

Action	Input
Yaw / pitch	Left stick
Roll	LB / RB
Throttle up / down	RT / LT
All stop	B
Level attitude	A
Hyperspace	X
Dock / undock	D-pad ►

Other stations

Action	Key
Weapons — fire (all ready) / beams / missiles	Space / B / M
Weapons / Sensors — cycle target	Tab
Sensors — scan selected	Enter
Alert — Green / Yellow / Red	Ctrl+G / Y / R
Open help (any console)	/

Each console also has an in-game ? Help button with a full breakdown of that station's controls and panels — the fastest way to learn a seat is to open it and read its help.

Need a crew?

Find players, ask questions and join playtests on the DarkHelm Discord.