Diary Of A Mad Old Man Setup Guide
I ran into this project about three years ago when someone posted a link on a retro gaming forum. It's a text-based narrative game that simulates the diary entries of an elderly character dealing with various unsettling events. The developer never really promoted it much, which is probably why it still slips under most people's radar. Grab the latest version from the original host page. The current stable build is around 48MB and runs on Windows 7 and up without needing any additional runtime libraries. I tried it on a Linux machine through Wine once and it launched fine, but audio playback was inconsistent. Stick to a native Windows install if you can manage it. Extract the folder somewhere you won't forget. The default directory works, but don't install it on a network drive or a OneDrive-synced folder. The game writes temporary save data to its own directory during play, and cloud sync tools will corrupt those files every time. I lost a four-hour playthrough to that exact problem, so just keep the folder local and separate.
Run the executable directly. There's no launcher or digital distribution integration. You'll see a config file in the main folder called settings.ini if you need to adjust anything. The default controls are standard keyboard input. Mouse support is limited to clicking through dialogue boxes and menus only. The game has no achievements, no cloud saves, and no multiplayer. It's a single-player experience running at roughly two to three hours depending on how thoroughly you explore the different narrative branches. There are six distinct endings I found, though I haven't verified whether the developer confirmed that total or if there are hidden ones.
How the mechanics actually work
The core loop is straightforward. You read entries, make choices about how the character responds to events, and those choices branch the story. The writing is deliberately slow-paced, which works in its favor because most similar games rush through content to pad playtime. This one doesn't seem to care about that. One thing beginners miss is that the diary entries aren't purely narrative. Several of them contain subtle clues about puzzle solutions scattered throughout earlier entries. You don't need to take screenshots or keep a separate notes document unless you want to, but paying attention to dates and small details in the text will save you from dead ends. I spent about forty minutes stuck on one segment because I didn't notice a date discrepancy that pointed to the correct sequence of actions. The game uses a simple trust system between characters in the story. Your responses affect how other characters interact with the protagonist later. This isn't tracked with a visible meter or notification. You have to remember your choices or replay sections to test alternate paths. The developer doesn't include a choice history feature, which is a genuine frustration for completionists.
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Known issues and workarounds
On higher-resolution displays, the text rendering can look stretched or blurry. There's a workaround involving the config file. Open settings.ini in a text editor and change the resolution entries to match your display's native ratio, then add a line that reads font_scale=1.2 or whatever value looks clean on your screen. I've tested 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 setups, both work fine with that adjustment. The audio occasionally stutters on systems with aggressive power management enabled. Disable any battery-saving or performance-throttling profiles while playing. It's a minor issue but enough to break immersion during quieter scenes. Another quirk: the game sometimes fails to load a save if you exit mid-dialogue. Always use the main menu save option rather than alt-f4ing out. I learned that after accidentally corrupting a save file on my second playthrough. If you're looking for something similar with more modern features, there are a few alternatives on itch.io that handle branching narratives better, but none of them have quite the same tone or pacing. This project is what it is. It's rough around the edges, unfinished in places, and the developer hasn't released patches in over a year. If you can accept that, it's worth your time. If you need polish and regular updates, look elsewhere.
