LATE(6)

✨ LATE(6) — the game, bestie ✨

okay so real talk, this is the manual page for late, and it's a Games Manual situation, so grab a snack and let's get into it 🍓

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🎀 NAME 🎀

late — a simple game for one player. that's it, that's the whole vibe. one (1) player. you. 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

late [options]

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so this manual page documents briefly the late game. and here's the tea: this page was written for the Debian distribution because the original program literally does not have a manual page. not a single one. 😭

instead, it has documentation in the GNU Info format — see below, iykyk.

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

heads up bestie, this program does not follow the usual GNU command line syntax. only long options starting with two dashes (-) are supported. that's just how it is, no cap.

a summary of options is included below 👇

• --help — show summary of options. the classic "help me pls" move 🫶
• --version — show version of program. slay, what build am I on
• --cheat — gives you infinite lives. yes. for real. infinite. lives. 👑✨

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🌈 Playing 🌈

okay so the gameplay. your mouse controls a sophisticated tool against evil — basically a fancy fancy tube. yes, that's the technical description, don't @ me.

this is your weapon: a savage gillotine that cuts up wallpaper with not a shred of hesitation nor remorse. iconic. it has but one weakness — it can only withstand a few impacts with balls....

fortunantly for you, the evil, heartless little balls also have a weakness: they can only travel across the original terrain and may be locked up tight by its removal. and lock them up tight you must, because the only way to exact vengance from these ricocheting feinds is to choke them out of existence.

your gillotine is sharp and quick. it may be shot out using the left button, and its orientation may be changed in ninety degree increments with the right.

⚠️ but once you fire, there is no way to stop its cutting and razing until it has made its cut, or been struck. so aim like your life depends on it, because lowkey it does 💀

the balls, in their spherical cunning, have developed many tricks beyond just the contemptable bounce tactics of the simple fireball:

• there are balls made from goo that divide and disperse when hit and can reform in an effort to confuse their prey 🍓
• there are unstable groups of three balls that will spontaniously explode when encapsulated tight enough 💥
• there are balls that will teleport for surprise tactics 🦋
• and even cold blooded balls that will be towards the cutters whenever they are seen 👀

you must fight these crewl balls, and you must prevail! 🔥

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🧚 WEBSITE 🧚

the game has a website accessible at http://late.sourceforge.net/ — go look, bestie 🌐

the programs are documented fully by The Rise and Fall of a Fooish Bar, available via the Info system. that's the full documentation situation, periodt.

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💜 AUTHOR 💜

this manual page was written by Steve Kemp <skx@debian.org>, for the Debian project (but may be used by others). shoutout Steve, absolute legend 🫶

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and that's the whole page, babes!! this masterpiece of a manual came from the Games Manual source and is dated August 9, 2003 — yes, 2003, it's vintage, it's retro, it's giving early-aughts gaming energy 👑 go forth and slay those balls 🌈⭐💖