Ascend

Ascend is a climbing mode where you start at the bottom of the board and work your way to the top through fog of war.

How it works

• The board starts with only the bottom row visible
• Complete a revealed goal to unlock adjacent cells: up, down, left, and right (no diagonals)
• Plan your path upward by choosing which goals to complete
• The objective is to be the first to reach and complete a goal in the top row

Board

Ascend uses a grid layout. Boards range from 5×5 to 10×10 (or custom rectangles within those bounds). The default size is 8×8.

Note

Ascend requires a minimum board size of 5×5 to give enough vertical space for the climbing mechanic to work.

Timer

The default timer is count-up (no time limit). You can optionally set a count-down timer.

Scoring

• Height: the highest row reached on the board (primary score)
• Completed: the total number of goals completed

Fog of War

Fog of war is core to Ascend. Goals you haven’t revealed are hidden, so you can’t see what they are or complete them.

• The bottom row is always fully visible from the start
• Completing a goal reveals all cardinally adjacent cells (up, down, left, right)
• Completed goals are always visible
• In multiplayer, you can only see goals you have revealed. Other players’ reveals are hidden from you

Tip

When you reach the top of the board, you’re given the option to reveal all remaining hidden goals for everyone. This is optional and doesn’t affect scoring.

Generation

Ascend uses progression zones, so earlier goals appear in the bottom rows and harder goals near the top, creating a natural difficulty curve as you climb. All other generation features are active. See Board Generation for details.