PCB DEFENSE

The core BIOS auto-fires within 150px of a target. Keep the cursor near hostiles to engage. Right-click the core (or BIOS UPGRADE) to raise core damage. RECHARGE on the bottom bar: +30 energy for $30. Shots cost energy.

Click an empty glowing pad to place a turret ($50 base, discounts apply). Right-click a placed pad to upgrade it (tier 1–6). Tier only scales power. Weapon type comes from ARSENAL selection before the run.

BIOS UPGRADE — spend money for +core damage. RECHARGE — restore 30 energy for $30. SKILLS — open the skill tree and spend SP. SEND MORE — cash out your swarm surge: +50% spawns for 10s, then 25s cooldown.

SP = score/50 + boss kills×5, paid when the run ends. Five branches: OFFENSE · DEFENSE · ECONOMY · UTILITY · weapon-specific (BIOS BOLT / LASER / PLASMA / RAIL) OFFENSE slot 3 changes per weapon: Piercing / Beam Threading / Piercing / Slug Impact Each weapon has its OWN save: equip in ARSENAL to switch skill profiles. First skill in a branch is free to unlock; later ranks need the previous rank.

Weapons unlock automatically: LASER at LVL 15, then each next at LVL 30 with the previous one: BIOS BOLT (free) → LASER → PLASMA → RAIL Each weapon card shows its separate save (SP + skill rank). Equipping swaps the active profile. Equipped weapon sets BIOS fire mode and pad weapon. Weapons + skill saves are KEPT on RESET.

Chain kills before the combo timer resets. Rewards: x1.5@5 · x2@10 · x2.5@20 · x3@50 Boss every 3 levels. Kill for cash + a corruption card; SP is paid when the run ends. Choices tier up as more bosses fall (cap tier 6).

When an action becomes available the first time, a tip banner appears (click to dismiss). Reopen this manual anytime from SETTINGS → HOW TO PLAY.

Core HP starts at 100 (floor 30 with debuffs). When HP hits 0 the run ends. The BIOS auto-fires at the nearest hostile within 150px of your cursor - aim near enemies to engage. Each shot drains energy: 3 for BOLT (x multishot), 3 for PLASMA, 2 for LASER/RAIL beams — all multiplied by 2.5 per Hot Payload. Energy regenerates 8/s (modified by skills/debuffs), capped at max energy (floor 20). Without energy the cannon cannot fire - RECHARGE or wait for the regen.

BIOS UPGRADE: +3 core damage per level. Cost grows super-linearly (50 + 60/level + quadratic + cubic terms, before discounts). Level shown in the HUD. RECHARGE: instantly +30 energy for $30. Right-clicking the core does the same thing. Both have optional AUTO keys on the bottom bar (see AUTO BUTTONS below).

Click an empty glowing pad to plant a turret ($50 base, discounts apply). Right-click a planted pad to upgrade: tier 1 to 6. Upgrade cost = base cost x current tier. Tier scales damage, range and rate together. Weapon type (BOLT/LASER/PLASMA/RAIL) comes from your ARSENAL selection and sets the pad weapon. Pads fire on their own - no aiming needed. Weapon stats scale with PRESTIGE (see below).

Energy (blue bar): BIOS ammunition, regenerates over time. HP / HEART (red bar): core integrity. Hostiles that reach the core damage it; the boss hits especially hard. HP does NOT regen by default - grab +HP drops or skill-based regen. Both bars have hard floors under debuffs: HP min 30, energy min 20.

Kills roll a 25% base chance (+Lucky Drops skill) to drop supplies: cash (scales with the kill reward + Lucky Drops), +15 energy, or +10+level HP (only when hurt). Click a drop to collect it anywhere - even outside the magnet. The core magnet also pulls them in from 140px (Magnet skill widens it). Drops expire after 8 seconds. A hover glow marks drops about to be collected.

Every kill starts/extends a 3.0s combo timer (skills can lengthen it). Combo multiplies kill rewards: x1.5 at 5, x2 at 10, x2.5 at 20, x3 at 50. When the timer runs out, combo resets to 0. Chain kills to keep the multiplier high.

A level completes every 20 seconds of survival: +$6 +level cash, banner flash. Enemy count and arrival rate scale with your power level (BIOS + pad strength). Higher levels raise drop HP values, boss rewards, and unlock harsher corruption cards.

Boss at levels 3, 5, 7, 9, 11... (every level past 10, even only). Intro plays (click/Enter to skip). Boss has phases (66%/33% HP thresholds), enrages as it lowers HP, charges the core, and spawns adds. Kill it: cash + 3 supply drops + a CORRUPTION CARD. Card screen: pick 1 of 3 run-wide debuffs. Card tiers unlock with bosses killed and level (tier floor rises at level 6/10, cap tier 6). Never repeats an owned card.

Score comes from kill rewards (combo-multiplied) + boss kills. SP (skill points) = floor(score/50 x SP taper) + bosses x 5, paid at run end. SP taper: x1.0 through level 10, then -4.5%/level down to a 0.25 floor (level 20 = 0.55). SP is spent in the SKILL TREE for the currently equipped weapon.

Five branches: OFFENSE, DEFENSE, ECONOMY, UTILITY, weapon-specific. Rank 0 of each skill is free to unlock; later ranks cost SP and require the previous rank. Costs rise with depth: outer ranks cost far more than the first row. Each weapon keeps its OWN save - equip in ARSENAL to switch profiles mid-save.

ARSENAL (menu): weapons unlock by reaching LVL 15 (LASER), then LVL 30 with the previous one. Chain: BIOS BOLT (free) → LASER → PLASMA → RAIL. Equipping swaps BIOS fire mode AND pad weapon for the next run; each weapon has its own SP save. PRESTIGE: every 10 bosses killed gives +10% permanent pad damage and range (stacks). Weapons and skill saves are KEPT on RESET; run progress is not.

AUTO RECHARGE: while ON, buys RECHARGE automatically when energy is at/below 50% and you can afford $30 (0.5s check cadence). AUTO SEND MORE: while ON, triggers SEND MORE the moment it is off cooldown, not active, and affordable. AUTO BIOS UPGRADE: while ON, buys a BIOS UPGRADE whenever you can afford the next level. Toggle each with its key; the key glows amber while ON. Settings persist in local storage.

Costs $60. Spawns +50% enemies for 10s, then a 25s cooldown. More enemies = more cash, score and drops - a deliberate risk/reward push. The button greys out during the surge or cooldown.

Corruption cards and skill-based modifiers stack for the whole run. PAUSE shows the active list. Values here show the base numbers - debuffs change them live (e.g. energy cap, drop rate, turret rate). Difficulty also scales with DEATH DIFFICULTY (+60% per boss beaten, soft-capped by HP/TTK formulas on bosses).

Left-click: place turret / press buttons. Right-click: upgrade pad / BIOS core. ESC: pause (menu, settings, save). All screens are mouse-driven; hotkeys are optional extras (S skills, B upgrade, R recharge, 1 place, 2 upgrade).