Short answer
In Campaign, reach the exit before a six-second timer runs out. Time crystals extend the clock. A shadow follows the movement you made one second earlier, and touching it kills you. You have unlimited lives and fast retries, so learn a short route rather than trying to solve everything in one attempt.
The mechanics below come from the developer's Steam description. The retry suggestions are based on those rules; they are not a tested walkthrough for a numbered room.
Campaign, Arcade and ESCAPE: what changes?
| Mode | Goal and rules | What to focus on |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign | 90 handcrafted rooms. Six-second timer, time crystals and a shadow delayed by one second. | Reach each exit while managing both the clock and the path behind you. |
| Arcade | Endless procedurally generated rooms with a score chase. Steam lists HIGH ROLLER for 500 points in one run. | Build a score in a single run. A fixed campaign room route will not describe every generated layout. |
| ESCAPE | Unlocked after Campaign. Ten long maps, no timer, no collectibles and a shadow only half a second behind. | Keep moving toward the exit. Removing the timer does not remove the shadow or make standing still safe. |
SIX SECOND SHADOW beginner checklist
- Use the first attempt to find the exit and first obstacle.If you cannot read the whole room immediately, learn the opening section through retries. Do not assume the clock waits while you look around.
- Track where you were one second ago.That is the movement your Campaign shadow is replaying. Reversing toward your recent path can bring you into contact with it.
- Try the direct route before adding detours.When the clock is your problem, try a reachable time crystal. A detour also takes time, so judge whether it helps you reach the exit; no fixed seconds-per-crystal value is assumed here.
- Change one part of the next attempt.Keep the successful opening, then change the jump, dash or pickup decision where the run failed. This makes it easier to tell which adjustment helped.
Why did the run end?
| What you notice | What to check | Try on the next attempt |
|---|---|---|
| The clock runs out | Campaign starts with six seconds; crystals extend it. | Remove an unnecessary detour, or try a crystal on a route you can actually complete. |
| You die after stopping or turning back | The shadow is replaying your earlier movement; contact is fatal. | Identify where you crossed your recent path. Try continuing toward the exit instead of reversing into it. |
| You hit a saw, spike or laser | The official hazard list includes saws, spikes, presses and timed lasers. | Keep the approach you already learned and adjust the movement at that obstacle. Exact laser cycles have not been verified here. |
| ESCAPE feels faster despite having no clock | Its shadow delay is half a second, compared with one second in Campaign. | Plan a forward line; do not use the missing timer as a reason to pause or backtrack. |
Before you start: inputs and progression
Check the game's displayed prompts or control settings for your device before relying on a keybind guide. A verified default keyboard or controller-button chart is not available in our sources. In particular, do not assume a dash button, dash cooldown or mid-air dash rule from another platformer.
For a first goal, clear Campaign rooms and use the ROOM 1–90 achievement list to understand the published clear requirements. The ten additional achievements include separate score, streak and collection goals. Their requirements are distinct from instructions for unlocking each character skin.
Evidence ledger.
Confirmed
What the sources confirm
- Campaign: 90 rooms, six-second starting timer and one-second shadow delay.
- Time crystals extend the timer; lives are unlimited and retries are fast.
- ESCAPE: unlocked after Campaign, ten maps, no clock or collectibles, and a half-second shadow delay.
Needs a live check
What is not yet verified
- Default keybinds, dash distance and cooldown.
- Room-specific routes, crystal durations and hazard timings.
Common mistakes
What to avoid
- Assuming ESCAPE is safe to pause in because it has no timer.
- Reversing into the path the shadow is replaying.
- Changing the entire route when only one obstacle caused the failure.
Does every mode have a six-second timer?
No. The six-second room timer is a Campaign rule. The developer explicitly describes ESCAPE as having no timer. Arcade is described as an endless procedural score mode; do not assume every Campaign rule applies unchanged.
Why does the shadow kill me when I turn around?
In Campaign, the shadow repeats your earlier movement with a one-second delay. Reversing can take you back toward the path it is following. Touching the shadow is fatal.
Should I collect every time crystal on my first clear?
Try a crystal when extra time helps you reach the exit, but account for the time needed to reach it. Collection achievements are separate goals; this guide does not claim that a particular room can always be cleared without a pickup.
How do I unlock ESCAPE mode?
The developer says ESCAPE unlocks after completing the Campaign. It contains ten long maps with no clock and a half-second shadow delay.