Signus is an old game which wasn’t ready for powerful 3D graphic cards to come and is not backwards compatible with newer operation systems than Windows XP. Thus the present-day machines can run it only with difficulties. Luckily, the game’s GitHub page contains not just its source files, allowing own compilation, but also zip files which contain Signus version fully functional on latest machines with Windows 11.
Latest version of the game
Files can be found on Signus’ GitHub on Releases page, in Assets section.
As you can see on the page, the best way is to download zip files for both version 1.96.0 (e.g. signus-1.96.0-win64.zip) containing the full game, and 1.96.1 which includes patch fixing some bugs.
Next steps are unzipping the files, overwriting some with the patch and running. Signus runs in window mode and it’s smooth.
Original version
If you own the game’s original CD and you want, for any reason, run the version from 1998, you have to go down one of these paths: Either you can use DxWnd tool, or make a virtual machine with old Windows.
Shorter way: DxWnd
Thanks to an Italian enthusiast nicknamed ghotik, there is a utility DxWnd available at Sourceforge. Using it, Signus can be launched in a windowed mode on contemporary computers with Windows 10. Even though I have minimum experience with it, I recommend trying it. It makes the game run completely without a problem, with all the videos and gorgeous graphics. The main and unquestionable advantage of DxWnd is, that the lenghty, difficult, and disk space demanding virtualization of old Windows is not necessary.
I also recommend reading the discussion focused on Signus.
How Signus runs using DxWnd, is demonstrated by RealPsojed in his short YouTube video.
Longer way: Operation system virtualization
If, for any reason, you don’t want to use DxWnd, you have to take path of the whole operation system virtualization. Moreover, it’s not enough to just install the OS, you also have to install all the necessary drivers (the graphic one above all).
There are several virtualization programs, my personal experience is based on these: Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Hyper-V and Oracle’s VirtualBox.
Virtual PC 2007
Before Windows 10, Virtual PC was a rational choice. It’s a Microsoft program, so the support of older virtual Windows was guaranteed. Full funcionality was provided by Virtual Machine Additionals, which were installed to the OS directly via the program.
Hyper-V
Since Windows 10 came, there also came necessity of an alternative to Virtual PC mentioned above, because it cannot be installed on newer systems. The first possible substitute is Hyper-V, also by Microsoft. Although I couldn’t find the virtual drivers directly in it, I had to look for them on the Internet and install them manually. Yet I had no success even after that. In my experience, the virtual system gained not only the graphic driver, but also many new, unknown devices without any drivers. And Signus had a problem with it.
According to information I acquired on the Internet on the topic, Hyper-V is not primarily meant to be used with old systems like Windows XP. So if you want to stick to Microsoft application even now, I don’t see many options.
VirtualBox
Oracle’s VirtualBox still remains reliable virtualization tool. To get Signus to run correctly, you make it do with basic settings and virtual drivers included in built-in Guest Additions. The program can also work with VHD virtual disk format, used by Microsoft programs, which might make the migration e.g. from Virtual PC a lot easier.