itch.io

as far as we've tried, here is the exact way to get past the first screen (Viskuli Manor exterior):, 1. The Core Mechanicm press select button: Pressing SELECT cycles your active tool. at the start, you have 2 in this case: Bare Hands and the Signal Meter. then 2, climb the Ladder (Left side): w. Hands selected, face the iron ladder standing in the snow (near the left signpost) and press A. You'll climb one rung and hear the signal rise above the snow.

3. Tune into the Wire (Right side): Walk over to the black wire lying in the snow (between the field scrambler box and the green orb). then press SELECT to switch to the Signal Meter, then face the wire and press A. this reads the 12-07-91 frequency alright

4. Exit East: Once both tasks are done (ladder climbed + wire signal heard), the procedure lock releases. Walk straight into the opening on the far right edge of the screen to enter the Forest which is a kind of next level, where... well.. new puzzles await

the game itself seems to be based on  https://www.academia.edu/143721243/%D0%9B%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0...  (there is a shorter retelling of this research in English, https://medium.com/@lithuanian/the-ladder-between-centuries-how-a-17th-century-p... )

Thank you so much for giving the ROM a shot and for taking the time to write in quite a lot of detail!

...
regarding the physics: yes, the player sprite is 16 pixels (2 tiles) high, and the interaction coordinate is anchored to the character's head/upper tile rather than their feet. for us, at least for now, those are technical constraints of GB. so, if you line up by your feet, the interaction check can miss by one tile. Aiming with your upper body will make interactions trigger reliably

quick tip for the rest of the game: whenever an object says "hands find nothing" or gives erratic readings, you can press SELECT to try another instrument. Later on, you'll unlock additional tools (a Polarized Viewer for hidden microfilm/ink, and an Alignment Anchor for rotary mechanisms)

hope this helps you dive into the rest of the cartridge! we see that the colleague, bulbacon, has just added a tip on how to pass the first screen. let me know how the rest of the run goes.