Game launches to a black screen? No sound? Crashing immediately? Won't open at all? Every known fix for Windows and Linux, in order of what works most often.
v1.13 added ANGLE rendering (fixes most black screen issues). v1.15 improved controller support and pixelation options. Download the latest build from the official itch.io page or Steam before trying anything else. Many issues reported online are already fixed in newer versions.
The Idols of Ash black screen on launch is the most common issue reported on Windows. It was introduced by graphics driver compatibility problems with Godot 4's renderer and addressed in v1.13. Here are the fixes in order — try each one before moving to the next.
Go to leafygames.itch.io/idols-of-ash, download the latest IdolsOfAsh_v1_15.zip, extract it, and run the new executable. Do not copy the old executable into the new folder — extract fresh.
Launch the game. If you see a black screen with audio playing in the background, the settings screen may be invisible but still functional. Try pressing Escape to open the menu, then look for a Graphics or Rendering option. Switch to ANGLE mode.
Navigate to the game folder in File Explorer. Click the address bar, type cmd, and press Enter to open a command prompt in that folder. Then run:
IdolsOfAsh.exe --rendering-driver d3d12
If the game loads correctly this way, you can create a shortcut with this flag to avoid using the command prompt every time. Right-click the .exe → Create shortcut → right-click the shortcut → Properties → add --rendering-driver d3d12 after the executable path in the Target field.
If D3D12 does not work, try these alternatives one at a time:
IdolsOfAsh.exe --rendering-driver vulkan IdolsOfAsh.exe --rendering-driver opengl3
Outdated drivers are the second most common cause of black screens in Godot 4 games. Visit your manufacturer's site and install the latest version: NVIDIA (nvidia.com/drivers), AMD (amd.com/support), or Intel (intel.com/content/www/us/en/download-center).
Some older AMD APUs (e.g. AMD A12 9720P) have reported persistent black screens that none of the rendering driver flags resolve. The game uses Godot 4.3 which requires reasonably modern GPU feature support. If your GPU is more than 8–9 years old and none of the above flags work, the hardware may not be compatible.
The most common Linux black screen cause: running the binary from a different directory. Open a terminal, cd into the extracted folder, and run it from there:
cd ~/Downloads/IdolsOfAsh_v1_15_LINUX/ chmod +x ./IdolsOfAsh ./IdolsOfAsh
./IdolsOfAsh --rendering-driver vulkan ./IdolsOfAsh --rendering-driver opengl3
Godot 4.3 requires Mesa 21+ for Vulkan support. Run glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version" to check. If below Mesa 21, update your system packages or use the OpenGL3 flag above.
If playing in browser, look for a muted speaker icon on the tab. Click it to unmute. Browsers sometimes auto-mute tabs that start audio without user interaction — click anywhere on the game canvas first, then refresh.
Right-click the volume icon in the taskbar → Sound settings. Verify the Output device matches what you are actually using (headphones vs speakers vs HDMI). Then scroll down to App volume and device preferences and check that Idols of Ash is not set to a different device or muted.
Some apps (Discord, DAWs, audio interfaces) take exclusive control of the audio device. Right-click the volume icon → Sounds → Playback tab → double-click your device → Advanced tab → uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive mode control.
Press Win + R, type services.msc, find Windows Audio, right-click → Restart. Then relaunch the game.
If you downloaded .zip on Linux or .tar.xz on Windows, the executable will not run. Re-download the correct file: Windows → IdolsOfAsh_v1_15.zip · Linux → IdolsOfAsh_v1_15_LINUX.tar.xz.
This is a known itch app bug, not a game issue. Bypass it entirely — download directly in your web browser from leafygames.itch.io/idols-of-ash. The browser download always works.
Check your antivirus quarantine folder. Unsigned indie executables are frequently false-positived. Add an exception for the game folder, restore the quarantined file, and relaunch. Only do this if you downloaded from the official source.
Right-click IdolsOfAsh.exe → Run as administrator. Some systems block certain rendering drivers without elevated permissions.
Godot 4 games require the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable. Download and install both the x64 and x86 versions from Microsoft's official site (search "Visual C++ Redistributable downloads").
The game writes a log to help diagnose crashes. The log location on Windows: %APPDATA%\Godot\app_userdata\Idols of Ash\logs\. If you need to report the issue to the developers, attach the most recent log file from that folder to your comment on the itch.io page.
# 1. Download the Linux archive from itch.io, then: cd ~/Downloads tar -xf IdolsOfAsh_v1_15_LINUX.tar.xz cd IdolsOfAsh_v1_15_LINUX/ chmod +x ./IdolsOfAsh ./IdolsOfAsh
Run chmod +x ./IdolsOfAsh in the game folder, then try again. The archive preserves permissions on most systems but some extraction tools strip them.
This usually means a missing 32-bit library on a 64-bit system. Run: ldd ./IdolsOfAsh | grep "not found" to identify missing libraries. Install the listed packages via your package manager.
This is a known issue with the web version — Ctrl is used to slide the rope, and Ctrl+W in a browser closes the tab. Use the downloadable version on Linux to avoid this, or play in a browser that lets you disable tab shortcuts (Firefox with certain extensions).
Community members have reported the Linux build running on Android using the Gamenative app. This is unsupported but apparently works well.
Code signing certificates — the thing that tells Windows an executable is from a verified publisher — cost several hundred dollars per year. Small independent studios like Leafy Games often cannot justify this cost for an initial release, especially a pay-what-you-want game. The Idols of Ash SmartScreen warning is Windows being cautious about any unsigned executable, not a detection of actual malware.
Confirm the URL is exactly leafygames.itch.io/idols-of-ash or store.steampowered.com/app/4450800. Do not proceed with files from any other source — many mirror sites repackage indie games with actual malware added.
When the warning appears: click More info (the link under the warning text) → click Run anyway. The game will launch normally.
If the SmartScreen prompt bothers you, the Steam version ($2.99) is signed through Valve's infrastructure and will not trigger the warning. It also includes Steam achievements and automatic updates.
Idols of Ash controller support was significantly improved in v1.15. If you are on an older version, update first — it resolves most controller issues.
Idols of Ash detects controllers on startup. Plugging in a controller after the game is already running may not register. Quit, connect your controller, relaunch.
Xbox controllers (wired or wireless via Xbox adapter) work out of the box on Windows. PlayStation DualSense / DualShock 4 work natively on v1.15. Generic and third-party controllers may need remapping.
If using the Steam version, enable Steam Input: Library → Idols of Ash → right-click → Properties → Controller → Enable Steam Input. This wraps your controller in Steam's universal mapping layer.
For the itch.io version with a DualShock 4, use DS4Windows (free, open source) to present it as an Xbox controller to Windows.
v1.15 added a dedicated controller sensitivity slider. If movement or aiming feels off, open Settings in-game and adjust it. The default may feel too slow or too fast depending on your controller's deadzone.
Idols of Ash is not a demanding game — it runs on integrated graphics on most modern systems. If you are experiencing Idols of Ash low FPS or stuttering, these settings help.
In Settings, toggle off Volumetric Lighting. This is the single biggest performance gain — it can double FPS on lower-end hardware with minimal visual impact in the dark environment.
If capturing video and the game looks pixelated in your recording, enable Reduce Pixelization in Settings. Note: this is a render scale option, not a performance option — it may slightly reduce FPS on weaker GPUs.
Beyond fixing black screens, --rendering-driver d3d12 can also improve performance on modern NVIDIA and AMD GPUs compared to the default renderer. Worth trying even if you do not have a black screen issue.
Discord with video, browser with many tabs, and screen recorders all compete for GPU resources. Close anything not needed before a serious run — especially in First Kiln where dropped frames can mean a death.
If none of the above fixes your Idols of Ash issue, the Leafy Games team actively reads comments on the itch.io page. When reporting, include:
GPU model, CPU, RAM, Windows version (or Linux distro + kernel). The log file location on Windows: %APPDATA%\Godot\app_userdata\Idols of Ash\logs\
List which rendering flags you tested so the team does not suggest things you have already done.
The developers also have a support page at idolsofash.com/support.html with instructions for sending log files.