emulator: "hode"
type: standalone
core_classification: game_engine
source: "https://github.com/usineur/hode"
profiled_date: "2026-10-22"
source_commit: "59f3c466923c6b8d49e29176ff697a91165e7efc"
core_version: "0.2.9f"
display_name: "Heart of Darkness (hode)"
cores:
  - "hode"
systems: [heart-of-darkness]

notes: |
  Gregory Montoir's reimplementation of the Heart of Darkness engine (Amazing
  Studio, 1998), in usineur's fork with the SDL2, PSP and Wii front ends. It
  plays the Windows demo and CD data and the PlayStation data. EmuELEC builds
  this revision and starts it with --datapath and --savepath both set to
  /storage/roms/ports/hode/.
  ref: README.txt:9-23,
       EmuELEC packages/sx05re/emuelec-ports/hodesdl/package.mk:2-5,
       EmuELEC packages/sx05re/emuelec-ports/sources/ports.yaml:272-283

  The data directory is walked at start for files ending in hod.dem,
  setup.dat, setup.dax, .paf, _hod.lvl, _hod.sss or _hod.mst, and a name is
  then matched case-insensitively against that list. A missing rock_hod.lvl
  stops the version probe, and a missing fort_hod.lvl marks the data as the
  demo, which plays the first level only.
  ref: fs_posix.cpp:9-29, fs_posix.cpp:43-54, resource.cpp:28-39,
       resource.cpp:100-136

  Each level opens <name>_HOD.LVL, and a missing one stops the engine with
  "Unable to open". Its .MST (monster logic) and .SSS (sounds) are optional:
  a missing one is logged and left empty, and the PlayStation data carries
  the sounds inside the .LVL. The cutscenes come from the first of hod.paf,
  hod_demo.paf, hod_demo2.paf and hod_oem.paf found, and are skipped
  without one. hode.ini, read from the working directory, holds display and
  engine settings, setup.cfg the menu settings and progress.
  ref: resource.cpp:308-343, paf.cpp:11-30, main.cpp:31, main.cpp:129-135,
       resource.cpp:21

files:
  - name: "setup.dat"
    aliases: ["SETUP.DAX"]
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: true
    description: "Menus, icons, fonts and level checkpoints (SETUP.DAX on the PlayStation disc)"
    note: "SETUP.DAX is tried when setup.dat is absent and selects the PlayStation data. A header version other than 10 or 11 is refused."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:23-24, resource.cpp:178-187"

  - name: "hod.paf"
    aliases: ["hod_demo.paf", "hod_demo2.paf", "hod_oem.paf"]
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Cutscene videos"
    note: "The first of the four names found is used, and cutscenes are skipped without any."
    source_ref: "paf.cpp:11-30"

  - name: "rock_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: true
    description: "Level 1 data (canyon of death)"
    note: "Read at the first level, and the version probe reads its header."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "fort_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 2 data (swamp lands)"
    note: "Its presence tells the full game from the demo. The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "pwr1_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 3 data (magic lake)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "isld_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 4 data (space island)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "lava_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 5 data (river of fire)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "pwr2_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 6 data (caverns of doom)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "lar1_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 7 data (into the lair)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "lar2_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 8 data (heart of darkness)"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"

  - name: "dark_hod.lvl"
    category: game_data
    system: heart-of-darkness
    required: false
    description: "Level 9 data"
    note: "The engine stops with \"Unable to open\" on reaching this level without it."
    source_ref: "resource.cpp:28-39, resource.cpp:308-319"