DARQ: Common Bugs, Glitches & How to Fix Them

Puzzle Softlocks

Puzzle softlocks are the most common bugs in DARQ. Here's how to fix them.

Chapter 2 Pipe Puzzle — Pipe Won't Rotate

Sometimes the pipes in Chapter 2 stop responding to input. You click on them, but they don't rotate. This is caused by a desync between the puzzle state and the animation system. The fix: leave the room and come back. The puzzle resets when you re-enter. If that doesn't work, save and reload.

Chapter 4 Safe Puzzle — Wrong Combination

The safe combination is always 4-7-2, but sometimes the safe doesn't open even with the correct combination. This is a known bug that occurs when you interact with the safe too quickly after finding the clue. The fix: wait 5 seconds after examining the clue before entering the combination. If the safe still doesn't open, reload your save.

Chapter 5 Light Puzzle — Lights Won't Activate

The light puzzle in Chapter 5 requires you to activate lights in a specific order. Sometimes a light won't activate when you click on it. This is caused by the game registering a double-click as a cancel command. The fix: click slowly. Wait 1 second between each click. If a light is stuck in the "activated" state but not glowing, leave the room and come back.

Chapter 6 Gravity Puzzle — Stuck in Mid-Air

Occasionally, you'll get stuck in mid-air after flipping gravity. You can't move in any direction. This is caused by the game failing to calculate your new position after the gravity flip. The fix: flip gravity again. This usually resets your position. If you're still stuck, save and reload.

Physics Glitches

DARQ's physics engine is generally solid, but there are some weird interactions.

Objects Floating Away

Sometimes objects float away when you interact with them. A key might float to the ceiling, or a note might drift through a wall. This is caused by the physics engine applying too much force to the object. The fix: leave the area and come back. The object will respawn in its original position.

Character Clipping

You can clip through certain walls by jumping against them at the right angle. This is actually used by speedrunners, but it can also happen accidentally. If you clip through a wall and can't get back, use the "Reset Position" option in the pause menu. This teleports you to the last safe position.

Gravity Flip Desync

In Chapters 6 and 7, the gravity flip can desync from the visual. You flip gravity, but the screen doesn't rotate. You're still walking on the ceiling, but the camera shows you walking on the floor. This is disorienting but not game-breaking. The fix: flip gravity again to resync.

Performance Issues

DARQ is well-optimized, but some systems may experience performance issues.

Low FPS in Chapter 4

The hospital chapter has the most complex lighting and shadows, which can cause FPS drops. Lower shadow quality to Medium and disable ambient occlusion. This should bring your FPS back up without significantly affecting visual quality.

Stuttering During Cutscenes

Cutscene stuttering is caused by the game loading assets in the background. The fix: disable VSync and cap your framerate at 60 FPS. This reduces the load on your GPU during cutscenes.

Audio Desync

Sometimes the audio desyncs from the visuals. A door opens silently, or a sound effect plays 2 seconds late. This is caused by audio buffer issues. The fix: reduce audio quality to Medium in the settings. This increases the buffer size and fixes desync issues.

Save Issues

DARQ uses an autosave system that saves at checkpoints. Here are common save-related issues.

Lost Progress

If you quit the game without reaching a checkpoint, you'll lose your progress. DARQ only saves at specific points: when you enter a new chapter, when you solve a major puzzle, and when you reach certain story beats. If you're not sure if the game saved, check the save file timestamp in the load menu.

Corrupted Save

Save corruption is rare but possible. If your save is corrupted, navigate to %appdata%/DARQ/saves/ and look for backup files. DARQ creates .bak files automatically. Delete the corrupted .sav file and rename the .bak file to .sav.

Chapter Select Not Working

Chapter select unlocks after you complete the game once. If chapter select isn't working, make sure you've actually completed the game. The game tracks completion in a separate file that's not affected by save corruption. If chapter select still doesn't work, verify your game files through Steam.