Thank you for downloading Christmas Quest 3: Santa's Little Help Desk, the third and final installment of Adventure Gamers' seasonal adventure series.  

The sequel to the bestselling (or obviously WOULD be bestselling, if we actually charged for it) Christmas Quest: The Best Adventure Game Ever! and last year's wet and wild (quite literally) Christmas Quest 2: The Yuletide Flows In, the new game should feel familiar in some ways, but with a few key differences from its predecessors.

First of all, though, you'll need to get started, and doing so can be done in a zip.  Or an unzip, in this case.  If you're reading this, it means you've already cleared the first hurdle (and made one of your best decisions all year) by downloading the compressed CQ3 files.  The next step is to simply unzip the CQ3.zip file to the directory of your choice using WinZip or any other (equally free!) zip program.  

Once unzipped, you'll find the CQ3.exe game program in the directory you specified, which you can double click to run the game at any time.  Or if you'd prefer, you can first open the Winsetup file, which lets you fuss around with settings to configure the game as you wish.  By default, the game is set to run in 640x480 resolution in full screen.  Once happy with your settings, just click "Save and Run" and get ready for one of the jolliest quests of a lifetime (or at least since last Christmas).

If you want to adjust only the music levels in the game (don't want to miss out on all the great sound effects!), Christmas Quest 3 uses MIDI music, which should have its own separate volume control in your Windows sound settings.  

From the title screen, simply select New Game or Load Game to get you on your way.  You can also select Quit if you're so excited that you realize you need a bathroom break before you begin.  We understand such impulses.  We designed the game, after all.  It happens. 

If you've never played CQ 1 and 2... why the heck not?  They're fun, they're free, and they're available from: http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,845/.  They'll also introduce you to the characters and events that continue in Santa's Little Help Desk.  But if you just can't wait, we've provided you with a brief recap at the start of the game to bring you up to speed.  

Like the earlier games, controlling Christmas Quest 3 couldn't be easier.  If you know how to point and you know how to click, you're well on your way.  We did throw in one little wrinkle, but more on that in a moment.  For the most part, simply sweep your cursor around the screen looking for hotspots.  Remember to right-click to "look" at each item before left-clicking to see if an interaction is possible (otherwise, you may miss the chance).  When you wish to move your character around, simply left-click the cursor anywhere on screen.  Assuming you aren't asking that the character stand on the ceiling or someplace equally dubious, he'll usually move to where you click, or the closest possible point.  

You'll soon notice, of course, that you won't be controlling the same character as you did in the previous CQ games.  More than that we will not say.  For that you'll need to play the game yourself.  This is ReadMe, not a SpoilMe.  

During most parts of the game, there will be inventory and main menu icons available onscreen.  At select times of the game, a third icon will be added that represents a unique character action required by the story.  Its function will be obvious, but go ahead and experiment by left-clicking on it when it appears.    

The inventory can be accessed by left-clicking the Santa sack icon in the upper left corner, spilling out the items you have acquired so far.  Each item can be examined by right-clicking or selected by left-clicking, replacing the default pointer as your active cursor.  To use the object in the game, move the cursor towards the middle of the screen to close the inventory, and left-click to use the item on an active hotspot.  If you wish to de-select the item, simply right-click your mouse button again.  If you wish to combine the item with another inventory item, left-click a second item after selecting the first.  

In the opposite (right) corner of the main screen is an open book icon, which represents the main menu options.  Left-clicking this icon will open a series of additional options as follows:  

Wrapped and unwrapped presents: save and load game
Doorway: quit game (not because you'd ever want to, but because there's so much "game" here, you may not finish it all in one sitting!).

At certain times, the game will switch to a close-up first-person view.  Interaction with these screens will be dictated by their functions within the game.  While not described here in detail, each action will be natural and intuitive in context, achieved by left-clicking where necessary.  Know how to punch buttons on a telephone?  We thought so.  You'll be fine.  

Several puzzle screens are also presented in first-person view, and some have additional buttons and functions specific to that puzzle.  While easy enough to understand in their own right, rest assured that each puzzle offers instructions the first time you encounter them.  

As a first for the Christmas Quest series, on a few occasions you'll need to input instructions by typing them on your keyboard.  Now, relax.  We're not talking about troublesome navigation controls or even a hopelessly fussy text parser.  All commands will be simple numbers or words that even a trained monkey could perform.  Probably even an untrained monkey.  In fact, they were possibly even designed by an untrained monkey.  In any case, the bottom line is that you'll need your keyboard at... umm... key moments for a few short and easy typed commands.  

So that's the basics.  You now know everything you need to start you on your newest Christmas Quest.  The solutions are logical (in their own creative ways) but as before, we strongly encourage you to examine, use, and combine every conceivable item (including characters!), both in their original environments and your inventory.  Why?  Well, for FUN, of course!  Remember fun?  Many games don't, but Christmas Quest does.  Think this is one of those boring games with just a few recycled observations?  No way!  CQ3 rewards players for trying everything, so be thorough and experiment to your heart's content if you want to see everything the game has to offer. You can't die (or at least, not in fatally fatal ways that end your game), so no action is off limits.  It is an ADVENTURE, after all, and what's an adventure without exploring boldly? 

We have every confidence in your gaming abilities (snicker), but if you get stuck, you're welcome to visit the Adventure Gamers forums (http://forums.adventuregamers.com/) and someone will be sure to help you out.  In fact, even if you aren't stuck, come visit us anyway and let us know how you liked the game!  

Enjoy the game, and have a safe and happy holidays!