How to play guide for Retro Gadgets

This page is a basic **how to play guide for *Retro Gadgets***. Feel free to edit this guide with any tips, tricks, and suggestions.

## Basic gameplay

This is the initial view upon starting *Retro Gadgets*.

The Gadget Archive button will open the folder on the computer where Retro Gadgets files are stored. This will be important for importing assets, creating new cutting mats, among other things.

### The desk

Upon closing the Multitool, there will be an overhead view of the workbench and tools. The main drawers and tools are highlighted with blue handles.

1. Boards drawer - Inside this drawer are the parts with which one can build the base for gadgets, giving them a shape.
2. Inputs, Outputs and Misc - Each of these drawers contain their corresponding modules, which add functionality to gadgets.
3. Airbrush - Once there is a shell for a gadget, this can be used to paint it in a selection of colors.
4. Multitool handle - This will open and close the Multitool, where one can edit the gadget, its assets, and debug its code.
5. Soldering iron - Using this tool, one can join board parts together to form a bigger gadget, once they've been placed next to each other.
6. Tweezers - This tool allows one to move stickers after they're placed down on a gadget.
7. Archive - This drawer holds all the gadgets one has built or printed from the workshop, once they've been put away from the desk. It also contains some example gadgets included with the game that one can play with, take apart and learn from.
8. Desk lamp - No workbench is complete without a lamp to help one see the gadgets! The handle can be used to reposition it, turn it on and off with the switch, and even control it with the desk global methods.

Some of these drawers or tools will become inaccessible while a gadget is currently turned on. This will be indicated with a lock sign or a lid over them.

### Minitool

The Minitool is a pager-like device that sits atop the Boards drawer. It can provide information about the things clicked in the game, such as the name of selected modules, and one can make it display custom messages from the gadget with the Minitool methods.

### Cutting Mats

The game starts with a standard blue cutting mat with the Retro Gadgets logo. The cutting mat can be changed by selecting the Gadget Archive on the main menu and looking into the CuttingMats folder. Inside that folder there is a README file which provides instructions on creating custom mats and a Samples folder with some different mats ready to be used or modified.

Once there are some custom mats to put into the game, put them inside the Active folder in the cutting mats folder, restart the game, and click on the tab at the bottom-right corner of the mat, highlighted above in orange, to cycle between all active mats. Note this tab is only present if there are no gadgets currently placed onto your mat.

Another thing to note is how Steam Cloud backs up the Retro (Gadget Archive) folder, such that if one is trying to remove a file, it must be done while the game is running so that the removed file syncs with Steam upon quitting the game. Otherwise, if a file is removed while the game is not running, it will be restored by Steam Cloud when the game is launched again.

### Recording Videos

Above the Archive drawer, a small board lets one record your gadget creations into MP4 video files to share with others online. The large red button will start and stop a recording, while the smaller green button below it will open the recording settings, where one can also open the folder where the videos are stored after recording.

## Controls

### Specials

 Exit Desktop widget mode | Shut down gadget