Spectrum Decay

How to play

1. Move with WASD or the arrow keys. Your light drains all the time, faster each phase.
2. Collect photons from the beacons to refill it. Photons burn out after a few seconds, and a beacon dims when it lets one go and relights over time.
3. Collect photons in quick succession for a streak that multiplies their score.
4. A wraith's touch takes some of your light. With no light left, one touch ends the run.
5. Hold Space to charge a Light Burst, then let go to fire. A bigger burst reaches further and costs more light.
6. Gold charge orbs fill the Charge bar. At ten, a Super Charge makes you fast, fully lit and deadly to touch.

Scoring

You score for every second you survive and every phase you reach. Photons score 10 each, multiplied by your streak up to x5. Wraiths caught in a burst score 25 to 60, and 50 each during a Super Charge. You pick up tickets along the way, and score milestones pay more.

Tips

• Refill before you need to. A trip made at low light is far more dangerous than the same trip made early.
• Sweep a beacon's photons in one pass: the streak multiplies them, and a full beacon glows brightest.
• A striker shows its aim line before it dashes. Step off the line rather than away from the striker.
• Bursts cost light. A tap clears one wraith cheaply; save a full charge for a crowd.
• Listen to the music. It muffles as your light dims, and a heartbeat means you are nearly out.

Gameplay video

Spectrum Decay as it plays, a 9-second clip with no sound.

Questions

Is Spectrum Decay free to play?
Yes. Spectrum Decay is free to play in your browser, with no purchase required to start.

Do I need to download or install anything to play Spectrum Decay?
No. Spectrum Decay runs in the browser. There is nothing to download, nothing to install and no plugin to add.

Do I need an account to play Spectrum Decay?
No. You can play straight away as a guest, and what you earn is kept in this browser. A free account saves it to your account, so it is not lost when the browser data is cleared and it follows you to another device.

Can I play Spectrum Decay on a school Chromebook?
Spectrum Decay runs in Chrome with nothing to install, so it works on a Chromebook. It plays on the keyboard alone, from the start screen to the end screen, so there is no need for the touchpad. Whether a school network allows voidarcade.com is up to the school.

Can I play Spectrum Decay on a phone?
Yes. Spectrum Decay has touch controls and works on phones and tablets as well as on a desktop browser.

How long does a game of Spectrum Decay take?
A run takes about 2 to 5 minutes.

What are the controls for Spectrum Decay?
Use WASD / Arrows to move, Space (hold, then release) to light burst, 1-4 to power-ups, Touch to drag the stick to move; hold the bolt button to charge a burst.

Evolution log

Void Arcade games change after release. This is Spectrum Decay's real update history.

1. Version 1.12026-09-29
   • The light is real: the arena is dark and your lamp's reach follows your light
   • Photons burn out, and beacons dim and relight
   • Wraiths glow brighter, so you can read them in the dark
   • A smooth difficulty climb, and a moment of grace after a hit
   • A Last Light soundtrack that follows your light, and 30 new sounds
   • The end screen counts real photons

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