How to run Arle's Travel Log (1996) on Windows 10 using DxWnd

Screenshot of the game, showing the menu

Arle's Travel Log (アルル漫遊記, Arle Manyuuki) is a 1996 point-and-click game by Compile, part of the extended Madou Monogatari series, that was distributed via Disc Station vol. 13. If you attempt to run this game on Windows 10 or newer, you may find that mouse input doesn't work, such that even progressing past the title screen (and revealing the game menu, shown above) seems impossible. I have, however, been able to overcome this using the Windows game compatibility utility DxWnd.

The fix is relatively simple: after creating a profile for the game's executable (Aruman.exe), enable "Correct MOUSEHOOK callback" in the Mouse tab. Screenshot of DxWnd showing the Mouse tab.

This should be all you need to run the game. You may also want to enable Windowed mode using DXWnd (by selecting "Run in Window" in the Main tab) as the game is naturally full-screen, and its 4:3 aspect ratio may not be well-suited to your monitor.

This probably works with similar issues in other Compile Disc Station games, but I haven't investigated them yet.

This post is written as part of the "when you find a solution for an obscure technical problem, please just write a 3-paragraph blog post about it before you forget" initiative, inspired by a post by @NireBryce@cohost.org

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