TRACEHAND

TRACEHAND is a compact cyberpunk score-attack / tactics game disguised as a forbidden workstation from another timeline.

Boot into a black-and-magenta lattice terminal, trace chains across a 5x5 signal grid, and extract enough data to break through each node before your trace level hits 100%. Every run becomes a balancing act between greed, survival, and tactical module synergy.

At first glance, it feels like a lost hacker artifact: CRT scanlines, IRIX-inspired interface design, neon status bars, tactical rack modules, and an ominous synthetic soundscape. Under the surface, it’s a fast, satisfying chain-building game with light roguelite progression and deckbuilding flavor. 

Each node asks you to read the board, draw efficient chains, and capitalize on special tiles:

gold reserves for extra credits, uplinks and volatile tiles for bigger clears, encrypted tiles that resist deletion, glitch tiles that can help or hurt, and sentinel nodes that add special hazards every few levels. 

Between nodes, you enter the module compiler, where you spend credits on tactical upgrades for your rack. These modules can multiply data gains, reward specific chain lengths, boost straight lines, create synergy across your loadout, dampen trace gain, or inject instant resources. The result is a run-based system where your strategy evolves as your rack evolves. 

Features

• Fast chain-tracing gameplay on a compact 5x5 grid
• Roguelite node progression with rising quotas and pressure
• Tactical module drafting between stages
• Special tiles that reshape risk and reward
• Sentinel encounters with disruptive rule changes
• Strong retro-futurist presentation inspired by old workstation UI
• Browser-based play with touch support
• Original reactive synth-style audio and interface feedback  

How to play

Trace a connected chain of matching glyphs.

Chains of 3 or more generate data.

Meet the data quota to clear the node.

Keep your trace pressure below 100% or the link is severed.

Buy and equip modules between nodes to shape your build and push deeper into the lattice. 

TRACEHAND feels like a forbidden signal-analysis tool, a tactical intrusion console, and a neon puzzle roguelite all at once. It’s built for players who like stylish interfaces, short intense runs, and the feeling of operating dangerous machinery they were never supposed to access.