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Night of the Kindly Wolf
PLAYER MANUAL
A Forest Where Nothing Hunts You
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1. INTRODUCTION
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Night of the Kindly Wolf is a minimalist arcade game
centered on movement, awareness, and restraint.

There is no combat.
There are no enemies that hunt you.
The world reacts, but it does not pursue.

Your goal is to move with intention through a
moonlit forest, collecting fragments and adapting
to environmental effects.


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2. CORE PHILOSOPHY
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Night of the Kindly Wolf rewards:

• Calm movement
• Observation
• Momentum control
• Environmental awareness

Night of the Kindly Wolf does NOT reward:

• Button mashing
• Constant speed
• Aggressive play

Some of the most valuable achievements require
slowing down mentally — even when the game
attempts to slow you physically.


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3. OBJECTIVE
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Each level requires you to:

• Collect Moon Fragments
• Reach the target score
• Avoid hazards
• Adapt to changing environments

Once the target score is reached, the level ends
and the next begins with increased complexity.


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4. CONTROLS
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KEYBOARD ONLY

Movement:
• Arrow Keys or WASD — Move the player

Game Control:
• SPACE — Pause / Resume
          Dismiss dialogue messages
• R     — Restart the game instantly
• Q     — Quit the game (confirmation required)

There are no mouse controls.


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5. PLAYER MOVEMENT
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Movement in Night of the Kindly Wolf is
momentum-based.

• Speed can change dynamically
• Some surfaces cause sliding
• Some zones affect control
• Sudden direction changes may cause drift

Mastery comes from anticipating motion rather than
reacting at the last moment.


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6. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
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The forest contains zones that influence movement
and perception:

• Moonlight Beams — Slow movement while inside
• Wind Zones — Push the player directionally
• Fog Zones — Reduce visibility
• Sliding Floors — Reduce friction
• Sticky Mud — Impede motion

These effects can overlap.


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7. TRAPS
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Shadow traps are stationary hazards with different
behaviors:

• Slow-only traps
• Slow and score-draining traps
• Pulsing traps
• Teleporting traps

Contact with traps does not end the game, but
mistakes accumulate.


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8. NEUTRAL CREATURES
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Creatures in Night of the Kindly Wolf are not
enemies.

• Werewolves
• Forest Spirits
• Golem Guardians

They move according to their own logic.
They do not chase the player.
Collisions may cause displacement or penalties.

Treat them as moving terrain, not threats.


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9. POWER-UPS
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Power-ups provide temporary advantages:

• Speed Boost — Increased movement speed
• Magnetism — Pulls fragments toward the player
• Ghost Walk — Ignore slows and pass through hazards
• Time Freeze — Temporarily halts moving elements

Timing is more important than collection.


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10. ACHIEVEMENTS
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Achievements reward consistency and restraint.

Some achievements require completing multiple
levels under strict conditions, such as:

• Completing levels without being slowed
• Maintaining uninterrupted momentum

Achievements are permanent once unlocked.


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11. PAUSE & RESTART
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Pausing freezes all gameplay instantly.

Restarting the game:
• Resets progress
• Clears all active effects
• Resets achievements-in-progress
• Returns the player to level 1

Restarting is always allowed.


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12. DIFFICULTY SCALING
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The game becomes more complex over time through:

• Increased hazards
• More overlapping effects
• Denser environments
• Higher precision requirements

There is no difficulty selection.
The game adapts through level progression.


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13. TIPS FOR NEW PLAYERS
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• Do not rush toward fragments
• Watch the environment before moving
• Use pauses strategically
• Let momentum work for you
• Some levels are meant to be played slowly

Clean play is often safer than fast play.


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14. TECHNICAL NOTES
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• Windows-based application
• Keyboard required
• No internet connection required
• No mouse input supported


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15. CREDITS
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Design & Development:
    PeatSoft & AI
    https://hwiegman.home.xs4all.nl/nightofthekindlywolf.html
    hwiegman@xs4all.nl

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END OF MANUAL
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