How to Play Don’t Stay Awake on Chromebook (Windows Horror Game Guide)

Don’t Stay Awake: How to Play This Horror Game on a Chromebook

Don’t Stay Awake is a short atmospheric horror game available on itch.io, developed by GabrielNJLC. Although the game is made for Windows, Chromebook users can still play it by using Wine through Linux (Crostini). In this guide, you’ll learn what the game is about and how to install and run Don’t Stay Awake on a Chromebook step by step.

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About Don’t Stay Awake

Don’t Stay Awake is a first-person horror adventure with a retro, PS1-style visual atmosphere. The game focuses on exploration and tension rather than action, making it ideal for players who enjoy psychological horror experiences.

Game Details

1. Title: Don’t Stay Awake
2. Genre: Horror / Adventure
3. Developer: GabrielNJLC
4. Platform: Windows
5. Playtime: Around 10 minutes
6. Controls:

• WASD – Move
• Mouse – Look around
• E / Left Click – Interact

Despite its short duration, the game delivers an eerie and memorable experience, especially when played with headphones.

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Can You Play Don’t Stay Awake on a Chromebook?

By default, ChromeOS does not support Windows (.exe) games. However, Chromebooks with Linux (Beta) enabled can run Windows applications using Wine, a compatibility layer that allows Windows programs to run on Linux.

With the correct setup, Don’t Stay Awake can be played smoothly on most Intel or AMD-based Chromebooks.

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How to Install Wine on a Chromebook

Before starting, make sure Linux (Beta) is enabled on your Chromebook.

Wine Installation Commands

Open the Linux Terminal and run the following commands exactly in order:

sudo apt update
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key && sudo apt-key add winehq.key
echo "deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/ bookworm main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wine_Wilguf_Tech.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable

These commands install Wine Stable, which is recommended for running Windows games on Chromebook.

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Downloading Don’t Stay Awake

• Visit the official itch.io page:

https://gabrielnjlc.itch.io/dont-stay-awake

• Download the ZIP file of the game.
• Move the ZIP file to Linux Files.
• Extract the ZIP file inside the Linux directory.

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Tips and Troubleshooting

• ARM Chromebooks: Wine works best on Intel or AMD devices. ARM-based Chromebooks may require additional tools like Box86.
• Performance Issues:

                Close other apps while playing
                Try running Wine in windowed mode
                Make sure ChromeOS and Linux are up to date

• No Sound or Black Screen: Restart the Linux container and try again.

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Conclusion

Don’t Stay Awake is a short but intense horror experience worth trying, even on a Chromebook. While ChromeOS does not support Windows games natively, Wine makes it possible to enjoy itch.io horror titles without dual-booting or switching devices.

If you enjoy indie horror games and want to explore Windows titles on Chromebook, this setup is a great starting point.