The ReadMe.txt file is the ancestor of the modern patch note, but the manual was the definitive guide to the universe.
This term refers to the physical extras crammed into the box, designed to look like in-game artifacts. dos game manuals
: Many DOS games required "manual lookups" to play. You might be asked to "type the 4th word on page 12" to prove you owned the physical book, a common anti-piracy tactic of the 90s. Technical Reference The ReadMe
: Before the standardization of "WASD" or "ESC" for menus, every game had its own esoteric control scheme. Manuals provided the necessary key mappings and command lists to even begin playing. dos game manuals