Under a Killing Moon is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Access Software. The game was released exclusively for DOS back in 1994, as part of the Tex Murphy series.
Critic responses to Under a Killing Moon were universally positive, with the use of innovative technology praised alongside the mysterious story. On top of this, the game went on to break sales records for Access Software, proving to be a huge success for the studio.
Under a Killing Moon Premise
©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon
At first glance, Under a Killing Moon seems like many standard point-and-click games from the ’90s. However, it’s actually much more than that, using fully 3D environments that you walk through in first-person to find clues. You can search for clues deep in the corners of every room, a change from the flat 2D environments many point-and-click games used at the time.
The game itself is structured into six chapters, each of which takes place over a single day. Across these days, you’re given a series of objectives you must complete in any order you’d like. This is done through conversations with other characters, where you must carefully choose your dialogue options to get what you want. The way Under a Killing Moon is structured ensures that a consistent series of events is maintained, regardless of what order you completed your objectives.
Under a Killing Moon Main Characters
©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon
In Under a Killing Moon, the characters are central to the experience. With a huge cast including the great James Earl Jones, the game puts a focus on meeting and interacting with a ton of interesting characters. You must extract all of the information possible from each as you try to crack the case.
Here are the main characters in the game:
- Tex Murphy: Tex Murphy is a down-on-his-luck private investigator, who manages to find his biggest case yet.
- Countess Renier: Countess Renier hires Tex Murphy to help recover a stolen statuette, kicking off his investigation.
- Roy O’Brien Dobbs: Colonel Roy O’Brien Dobbs is a private investigator and Tex Murphy’s mentor.
Under a Killing Moon Titles in the Series
©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon
Under a Killing Moon is the third game in the long-running Tex Murphy adventure series, featuring the titular character. The series follows a private investigator, Tex Murphy, and his adventure in a post-nuclear war society.
In its heyday, Tex Murphy was an extremely popular game, although its popularity petered out into the late 1990s, after which point it wasn’t seen again until 2014. The newest title in the series did very little to inspire renewed popularity in Tex Murphy, and a seventh game was canceled in 2021.
Despite the cancelation of said title, we wouldn’t fully rule out a return for Tex Murphy in the future. As with any game with a cult following, there’s always a chance that someone, somewhere, will gamble on gamer nostalgia with a reboot or sequel of the series.
- Mean Streets (1989)
- Martian Memorandum (1991)
- Under a Killing Moon (1994)
- The Pandora Directive (1996)
- Tex Murphy: Overseer (1998)
- Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure (2014)
Under a Killing Moon Cheat Codes
©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon
With Under a Killing Moon, the list of cheat codes isn’t exactly extensive. Because of the nature of the game, there aren’t any third-party trainers you can use to modify the game, either. Even so, there are a few puzzles throughout the game that you might have an issue with, and we can help you with a few of the solutions.
| Cheat Code | Cheat Code Effect |
|---|---|
| 101412 | This is Eddie Ching’s safe combination. |
| SILICON | This is the password for the hotel suite. |
| Left knob: 5, middle knob: 7, right knob: 1 | This is the Colonel’s safe combination. |
This should make a few of Under a Killing Moon‘s puzzles a little less frustrating.
Under a Killing Moon Cheat Code FAQs
©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon
Does Under a Killing Moon Have Achievements?
No. Despite having a modern re-release available to play on Steam, the game does not feature any added achievements to unlock.
Why Are There No Third-Party Cheats for Under a Killing Moon?
Under a Killing Moon isn’t the type of game that benefits from mods or cheats, with no values available to change as most cheats do. As a result, no one ever bothered to create mods or cheats for the game.
What are the Passwords in Under a Killing Moon?
These are a few of the passwords in Under a Killing Moon that you should know to help you out. The first is “101412,” which is Eddie Ching’s safe combination. The next is “SILICON,” which opens the hotel suite. Finally, when opening the Colonel’s safe, turn the left knob to the number 5, the middle knob to 7, and the right knob to 1. This will open up the safe.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Under a Killing Moon.