a stratum-climbing stealth puzzle

how to play

what is this place?

You are a Remnant — a loose fragment of consciousness cast into the Lattice, a shattered geometric world of shifting elevation.

You cannot walk. You reach upward by forging new Shells on tiles you can see and transferring your awareness into them, leaving the old husk behind as salvageable Charge.

High above, the Crown turns slowly atop the tallest spire, its gaze draining any Shell it catches sight of. Absorbing it — the same action as "claiming" it — from a vantage as high as its own sends you descending into the next Stratum.

how to win

Reach the Crown. Create new Shells on visible tiles and transfer your consciousness into them: climb higher, harvest Charge, avoid the Crown's gaze, and ultimately absorb the Crown from a vantage at least as high as its own. Height is power. Absorb the Crown to conquer the Stratum.

the basic loop

1. Absorb Energy Nodes to gain Charge.
2. Use Charge to create Shells and Lattice Blocks.
3. Transfer into higher Shells to gain elevation.
4. Stay out of sight of the Crown and other hazards.
5. Reach a position as high as the Crown.
6. Absorb the Crown to complete the Stratum.

movement

A Remnant cannot walk. To travel across the Lattice:
• Create a Shell on a visible tile.
• Transfer your consciousness into it.
• Absorb your old Shell to reclaim Charge.
Every move is a transfer.

visibility

You may only target tiles that are:
• Within your field of view
• Inside your visibility range
• Not blocked by terrain
Height is power — the higher you climb, the more of the Lattice becomes reachable.

avoiding the crown

The Crown slowly scans the Stratum. If it sees your Shell, it drains your Charge. Use terrain, elevation, and careful positioning to stay hidden while climbing. The Crown can only be absorbed from a vantage at least as high as its own.

enemies

Wardens — lesser sentries that appear from Stratum 11 (Normal) onward: one at first, growing to two from Stratum 31 (Hard) and three from Stratum 61 (Extreme). Their sight only reaches a short distance, but their gaze drains Charge just like the Crown. Absorb one from a vantage at least as high as its own to remove it from the Stratum — not a win condition like the Crown, just one fewer hazard.

Pursuers — appear from Stratum 61 (Extreme) onward, one to three per Stratum. Unseen hunters, blind until they get a clear, close line of sight on you — until then they simply wander. Spotted once, one beelines for your exact position; break its sight and it only knows where you were, working that last-known tile as a lead before giving up and wandering again. Either way it's limited to a two-step change in elevation per stride, so a Lattice Block or a line-of-sight break can genuinely lose one. If it ever reaches you, it forces the same emergency Hyperspace jump you could trigger yourself — a random relocation at the same Charge cost.

the lattice

Energy Node
Absorb it for a small charge gain.

Shell
Forge one to reach new ground, transfer your mind into it, or absorb an old husk left behind.

Lattice Block
Raise one to climb where nothing else reaches, or absorb it later to reclaim some charge.

The Crown
Absorb it (also called "claiming" it) from a vantage as high as its own to win the Stratum.

Warden
A lesser sentry with a short sight range. From Stratum 11: one; Stratum 31+: two; Stratum 61+: three. Absorb it from a vantage as high as its own to clear it from the Stratum — not a win condition, just one fewer hazard.

Pursuer
Stratum 61+ (Extreme) only, one to three per Stratum. Invisible except for a glow on its current tile — violet while it's blind and wandering or chasing a stale lead, red once it has a live line of sight on you. Reaching you forces an emergency Hyperspace jump.

energy economy

charge gained charge spent

stratum progression

grid size (tiles) max height (elevation)

example

You start with 10 Charge.
1. Absorb a nearby Energy Node.
2. Create a Lattice Block.
3. Create a Shell on top.
4. Transfer into the new Shell.
5. Absorb the old Shell.
6. Repeat until you can reach the Crown.
Remember: higher ground reveals more of the Lattice.

controls

Target TileClick / Tap

Selects a lit tile as the target for whichever action you use next, below. Only tiles inside your visibility cone with a clear line of sight are selectable.

AbsorbE · Absorb

Consumes the targeted Energy Node, an old Shell husk, or a Lattice Block you raised, converting it into Charge — your main source of energy.

Raise BlockB · Block

Spends Charge to build a Lattice Block on the targeted tile, raising it one elevation step — a stepping stone toward ground you couldn't otherwise reach.

New ShellR · Shell

Spends Charge to forge a new Shell on the targeted tile. A Shell has to already exist somewhere before you can Transfer your mind into it.

TransferT · Xfer

Moves your consciousness into a forged Shell — since a Remnant can't walk, this is how you actually cross the Stratum. Your previous Shell is left behind as an absorbable husk.

Emergency HyperspaceH · Hyper

Spends Charge to instantly relocate your Shell to a random tile at or below your current elevation — a last-resort escape when the Crown has you cornered. Where you land is random, not chosen.

Toggle CursorSpace · Cursor

Locks your current target so you can move the mouse or pan the camera without accidentally re-selecting — useful for lining up a precise action while the Crown is close.

Turn ViewA/D, ←/→ · hold ◀ ▶

Rotates your own facing. This sets your visibility cone, so it's how you actually look around the Stratum — you can only see and target what you're facing.

ZoomW/S, Scroll · − + · Pinch

Moves the camera closer or farther. Purely a view — doesn't change what you can see or target.

Rotate Lattice[ ] · ↺ ↻

Spins the camera around the whole Lattice in 90° turns to see around obstructions. Purely a view — your line of sight and the Crown's are always computed in the real, unrotated world.

Pan LatticeRight-drag · Swipe

Drags the whole Lattice to a more viewable spot on screen. Purely a view — doesn't move your Shell, change your facing, or affect what's visible.

Toggle CameraC · Camera

Cycles the camera between staying fixed on the center of the Lattice, automatically following your active Shell, and centering on the Crown. Purely a view.

Mute MusicM · Music

Mutes or restores the background score. No effect on gameplay.

PauseP · Pause

Freezes the Stratum — the Crown stops moving and Charge stops draining — and opens the menu to save, load, or restart.

CROWN CLAIMED

The Crown's light folds into your Charge. The Lattice below dissolves and reforms, taller and stranger, for the Stratum ahead.

CHARGE DEPLETED

Your last Shell goes dark. The Remnant drifts, powerless, until a new spark is struck.