HOW TO PLAY · 1.0.1

How two people start their first shift on one device

This guide explains where to put the device, what each person does, and how to retry after a failure—without revealing any puzzle answers.

Bring one iPhone or iPad with the game installed and one person sitting nearby. Every run is designed for exactly two people face-to-face.

Your first run

Four steps into the first three-minute crisis

Place the device sideways
Sit face-to-face on opposite sides of one iPhone or iPad. Keep it stable so both players can read the central machine.
Take Blue or Orange
Blue uses the circle side. Orange uses the triangle side. Finish the onboarding touch check before starting a shift.
Say the private clue
You see different instructions and control different hardware. Call the full symbol and action before the responsible side moves.
Read the result and retry
The report identifies the last actionable mistake. Start a fresh puzzle or replay the same seed to practice that exact situation.

Communication beats speed

Do not shout “press that.” Name the side, symbol, order, and action in one clear sentence.

Responsibilities change during a run, but both players stay on their physical sides. Confirm the current duty before touching a control.

Read the cause shown on the result screen. Changing one communication habit is more useful than blaming the other player.

Difficulty and accessibility

Difficulty: Choose Easy, Normal, or Panic. Easy removes the sustained rapid-beat event.
Visual cues: Critical rules do not rely on color alone: Blue uses a circle, Orange uses a triangle, and text labels reinforce both.
Text: Menus support Dynamic Type, with layouts prepared for compact screens and larger accessibility sizes.
Screen reader: Menus support VoiceOver, while key outcomes are communicated through text and system announcements rather than sound alone.
Motion: Reduce Motion is available to limit unnecessary movement and transitions.
Privacy: There is no account, analytics, or tracking, and gameplay works offline after download.

Before you start

Is every puzzle the same?

No. Event combinations, private clues, and code locks vary. You can also replay the same seed when you want to practice a specific failure.

Can we undo a wrong input?

Mistakes affect the machine immediately and cannot be rewound. A run lasts about three minutes, so a fresh attempt is always close.

Can one person control both sides?

No. Information and controls are intentionally split between two people, and there is no complete solo mode.

Do we need a network, Bluetooth, or an account?

No. Once the app is downloaded, the full run happens locally on the same device.

READY?