File Formats
On-disk format documentation for every Darklands data file, produced by cross-referencing community research with reverse-engineered code from DARKLAND.EXE.
The primary source for community-documented formats is Wendigo’s Darklands repository (wendigo.online-siesta.com/darklands), which preserves the XML format specifications originally assembled by Merle, Quadko (Joel McIntyre), and others. For general Darklands reference — game mechanics, items, locations, and lore — darklands.net by Matt Wirkkala remains the authoritative community resource.
All formats documented here are based on the original game files and are public knowledge. Sources are cited per page.
Original Behavior Reference
Synchronized restoration catalogue Original Bugs & OdditiesBrowse byte-confirmed defects and anomalies, dormant original branches, and versioned research leads—with evidence tiers kept clearly separate.
Open the complete reference →On-Disk Formats
| Format | Pattern | Location | Byte order | Compression | Size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archives | ||||||
| Catalog Archive | *.CAT (incl. extensionless) | Game root | LE-16/32 | None — payloads vary | Variable | Documented |
| Graphics | ||||||
| PIC Image | *.PIC | PICS\ | LE-16 | Custom RLE + encoder | Variable | Partial |
| IMC Sprite | *.IMC | Via CAT archives | LE-16 | DRLE whole-file | Variable | Partial |
| Font Set | FONTS.FNT, FONTS.UTL | Game root | LE-16 | None | Variable | Partial |
| Message File | *.MSG | MSGFILES CAT + loose | LE-16 | None | Variable | Partial |
| Enemy Palettes | ENEMYPAL.DAT | Game root | LE-8 | None | 3,692 B (71 × 52) | Documented |
| Common Sprites | COMMONSP.IMG | DARKLAND\ | LE-16 | None | 4,078 B fixed | Partial |
| Presentation | ||||||
| PAN Animation | *.PAN | Game root | LE-16 | Custom LZ bitstream | Variable | Documented |
| Startup Banner | BANNER.DAT | DARKLAND\ | LE-16 | None | 1,519 B fixed | Documented |
| Audio | ||||||
| Raw PCM Audio | *.DGT | Game root | — | None | Variable | Partial |
| World Data | ||||||
| Locations | DARKLAND.LOC | Game root | LE-16 | None | 24,334 B (414 × 58) | Partial |
| Cities | DARKLAND.CTY | Game root | Mixed † | None | 57,225 B (92 × 622) | Partial |
| City Descriptions | DARKLAND.DSC | Game root | LE-16 | None | 7,361 B (92 × 80) | Partial |
| Enemies | DARKLAND.ENM | Game root | LE-16 | None | 16,452 B (71 × 204 + 82 × 24) | Partial |
| Items | DARKLAND.LST | Game root | LE-16 | None | Variable (200 × 46 + strings) | Partial |
| Alchemy | DARKLAND.ALC | Game root | LE-16 | None | 6,865 B (66 × 104) | Documented |
| Saints | DARKLAND.SNT | Game root | LE-16 | None | 48,961 B (136 × 360) | Documented |
| Starter Bundle | CFILE.DAT | DARKLAND\ | LE-16 | None | 24 B (4 × 6) | Partial |
| Save & Runtime | ||||||
| Save File | dksave*.sav | Game root | LE-16 | None | Variable | Partial |
| Character Record | embedded in .sav | — | LE-16 | None | 554 B fixed (0x22A) | Partial |
| Inn Cache | CACHE.TMP | Game root | LE-16 | None | Variable | Partial |
| Location Cache | LOCS.TMP | Game root | LE-16 | None | 24,336 B (mirrors LOC) | Partial |
| Character Cache | CHARACTR.TMP | Game root | LE-16 | None | Variable | Partial |
| Map | ||||||
| Wilderness Map | DARKLAND.MAP | Game root | Mixed ‡ | Bit-packed RLE | Variable (328 × 932 tiles) | Partial |
| Executables | ||||||
| DARKLAND.EXE | DARKLAND.EXE | Game root | LE-16 (MZ) | None (unpacked) | ~370 KB | Reference |
| Auxiliary EXEs | MGRAPHIC.EXE etc. | Game root | LE-16 (MZ) | None | Varies | Reference |
† DARKLAND.CTY: city_contents word is big-endian; all other fields are little-endian.
‡ DARKLAND.MAP: dimension words at 0x00–0x03 are big-endian; row offsets and tile data are little-endian.