You already know the basics if you've read our Front Page:
At the start of the contest, the enemy is arrayed on
the field. You the player will be allowed only limited moves and shots (or laying of
mines) during your each round; after which the enemy makes
a measured advance. Balabaks move straight toward you, going around any
obstructions. If any balabak reaches you, you lose. In order to survive
and dispose of all enemies, you must choose suitable movements or
shots, which won't be so easy. There could be obstructions and certain rigged perils,
critically situated, or distant ammunition caches that have to be
acquired. You may have to shoot through a wall at Balabaks, and you
have a limited numbers of shots. If you don't have enough munitions
then you must tempt the enemy into a trap.
Take all the time you need to decide your actions.
You may scout various routes, using Backspace to undo. Your's and your enemy's
range are always shown as
field colorations (optional setting), so you can plainly tell
when you're in the clear.
After taking the actions you elect, kindly hit Ins key or 0 to signal next
round, and the Balabaks will take their advance. Ideally, by your choice
of actions, you have ensured that this will not result in your defeat.
Take particular note of these set maximums for your moving/shooting
combined, per round: 1/5, 2/4, 3/4, 4/3 or 5/1. See the
trade-offs? these are key to the contest and worth memorizing, but you can keep track by the readout provided. And it's very easy too because you'll see your range markings shrink away as you use up your allowable moves. A blue-shaded square is safe harbor from balabak. Laying a mine counts as a shoot, yes.
The munitions you're supplied to begin each level
will vary greatly, so be sure to check the readout along the bottom to assess your
arsenal. (Note: if using Windows 98/Me, you'll probably have to maximize Babala's window on its very first launch, in order to make the bottom readouts appear from beneath the Taskbar.) You can often conserve one shot by laying a mine for a red
balabak, which is otherwise a two-shot kill. Press S-key to see an overview of your campaign, a complete report of munitions and enemies remaining.
Babala's defining features are described in the game's Legend.
These are but a few in number, and are explained in 10 brief Tips that pop up during the early gameplay... ultra simple.
Scoring is based on how few rounds you needed to
completely dispose of the enemy, as compared to an assessed average for
that particular level. A bonus is added based on the level's
difficulty ranking. Note that you can replay a level as many times as you want before
advancing. The software automatically keeps track of your highest score achieved
(termed your score of record) to add into the game total. Saving is all
automatic, so you can quit the game any time, eg. between replays. If you choose to Skip a level, it will cost you dearly: 50 points.
What screen resolution is required? Some level maps exceed standard 800?600 screen size? for them, either scroll the map as you play, or you may prefer to use 1024?768.
Gameplay Help 
