Every once in a while, a unique game gets released into the video gaming world and you can’t help but admire it. Developer Slow Bros.’ Harold Halibut is one such game. Released just recently on April 16, 2024, Harold Halibut is a handcrafted narrative game where you will be playing as the titular protagonist, Harold Halibut, who’s on a “quest to find the true meaning of ‘home’”. Reviews so far have been pretty great, with special praise going towards its story and unique visuals. As fun and thoughtful as the game is, unfortunately, there’s this one issue that’s been bugging players a lot. To be more specific, players are facing an issue where they only see a black screen on their display after launching the game. If you too are encountering the same, this guide is just for you.
The issue is very prevalent after a player gets a loading screen. The only thing that seems to work fine is the menu. Now, Slow Bros. has confirmed this issue to be mainly due to Unity Video Player. They have promised to release a patch that will fix this issue once Unity fixes its engine. In the meantime, you can try the following workarounds.
Harold Halibut Black Screen Issue troubling players: Is there any fix yet
Developer Slow Bros. has indeed recommended a workaround. You can try that along with the other methods mentioned below.
Use Nvidia Control Panel –
As we stated before, the issue here is mainly due to the Unity Video Player. As such, using the Nvidia Control Panel, as mentioned here, can help you get rid of this issue. Basically, what you have to do is open Nvidia Control Panel, and select Manage 3D settings. Next, click on the Add button. Now, browse and add HaroldHalibut.exe. Next, scroll down until you come across the Vertical Sync option. When you do, select the Use application setting option from all the other options present. As for AMD users, we suggest using Enhanced Sync.
Update your GPU drivers –
Make sure that your GPU drivers are up-to-date with the latest version available. And while you are at it, also check if there’s a system update. If there is one, download and install that update. Now, if this method doesn’t work, you can switch to another workaround.
Repair your game files –
Issues like this one can also arise when a game happens to be missing some of its files. This can be fixed by simply verifying and repairing the game files. To do that, start by launching Steam and then navigating to the Steam Library. From there, find Harold Halibut and then right-click on it. Select Properties > Installed Files > Verify integrity of game files. Once the process is done, restart Steam and then launch Harold Halibut.
Check your display –
Don’t forget to check your display. Make sure that your monitor isn’t damaged in any way and that all the wires are connected correctly. If you happen to have another monitor lying around, use it and see if the issue continues in there too.
Clean boot Windows –
Players can also try clean booting Windows and see if that helps. In order to do that, you first need to open the Run window, then type in msconfig and hit Enter. In the System Configuration window, under the General tab, check the Selective Startup checkbox, along with Load system services and Use Original Boot Configuration. Next, switch to the Services tab, checkmark Hide all Microsoft Services checkbox, and then click on the Disable All button. After that, click on OK. When a pop-up with Restart and Exit without restart buttons appears, select the former and wait for your system to restart.
Reinstall –
In case the issue still continues to be a problem, we suggest that you reinstall Harold Halibut on your system. Just uninstall it first and then delete any files related to the game. Next, open Steam and then start a new download. Once the game’s installed, launch it and hopefully you won’t be facing any more black screen issues.
And that’s all the workarounds we have for this. You can also take a quick look here if you want to know how to enable ultrawide support in the game. Lastly, keep following DigiStatement for more such guides. Also, read: Harold Halibut Unable to Move After Using PDA Bug: Is there any fix yet
