Gameplay Strategies
Make every answer count, anticipate avalanches, and coordinate with the host view to reach the summit first.
Climb efficiently
Stay ahead on the mountain path by pairing accuracy with awareness of your current tile and upcoming checkpoints.
- Check your current position and the next checkpoint on the player HUD after every question. The board highlights checkpoints every 25 tiles unless the host configured custom values.
- Prioritise high-confidence answers near checkpoints so a last-step mistake does not erase a big chunk of movement.
- Use the encouragement banner to gauge momentum—if you chain multiple correct answers the shield streak counter rises even if a shield is not yet available.
- When a timer is active, glance at the shrinking bar but keep accuracy first. A rushed wrong answer on a danger zone costs far more than letting the timer expire at a safe tile.
Tip: Set a personal rule: slow down one question before every checkpoint to double-check your reasoning, then accelerate again once the checkpoint is locked in.
Manage danger zones
Recognise which tiles are risky and adjust decisions when weather expands the avalanche footprint.
- Learn the default danger zone centres (10, 19, 24, 27, 32, 39, 44, 52, 58, 65, 68, 72, 84, 87, 93). The host may add or remove centres, but these are active at the start of every game.
- Watch the weather badge above the progress track. Snow extends each zone one tile downhill; Blizzard adds tiles both above and below the centre. Sunny leaves the defaults intact.
- If you land on a danger zone and do not have a shield, consider taking a moment to eliminate clearly wrong answers instead of rushing.
- Hosts can change weather mid-round. When you see the mountain clouds shift, assume danger zone sizes changed and adapt immediately.
Tip: Keep a small note or mental map of the red tiles. Knowing that tile 65 stays risky in every forecast saves precious seconds when you are under pressure.
Protect your streak
Use the shield system to your advantage and make smart decisions when an avalanche warning appears.
- The shield unlocks after three consecutive correct answers inside the host-defined window (first half of the round by default). Plan small streak goals so you are ready when the window starts.
- Once unlocked, you can keep the shield for a future danger zone. When an avalanche warning appears the prompt lets you spend it or ride out the avalanche.
- If multiple players trigger the same avalanche, the host animation plays for everyone. Wait until the prompt resolves before answering the next question so the board reflects the final positions.
- Logging out or refreshing does not remove an unused shield. As long as you reconnect with the same player ID the shield state syncs from Firestore.
Tip: Save shields for tiles that would drop you far below your closest rival—using it on the first danger zone you face is rarely optimal unless you are protecting a lead.
Secure the Map & Compass early
The Map & Compass event appears in the opening stretch. Treat it as a must-win question to unlock safer mid-game decisions.
- Expect the Map & Compass prompt somewhere between positions 1-15. When you see the modal, slow down and read the flavour text—it reminds you what is at stake.
- Answering correctly adds the tool to your inventory (`inventory.map_compass` on your player record). Missing the question closes the event for the round with no consolation prize.
- Already own the Map & Compass? Answer the repeat prompt anyway to claim the +1 confidence boost—it is a free square of progress before the mountain tightens.
- Coordinate with your host so they can call out when a player is approaching their spawn tile; heads-up warnings stop people from tapping through the modal too quickly.
Tip: Make the Map & Compass your first team goal—the fork becomes trivial when everyone brings it along.
Navigate Fork in the Road
Mid-game forks introduce branching outcomes, timed quizzes, and the new sliding puzzle. Plan your approach before the prompt appears.
- If you still have the Map & Compass, use the prompt to reveal the safe path and collect the 4-8 tile jump without risking a setback.
- Choosing a direction without tools has a coin-flip success rate. A miss launches the side quest, so be ready for follow-up challenges instead of panicking.
- The hermit option needs two correct answers in ~20 seconds to avoid a -10 penalty; the solo route pays +10 only if you ace three answers before the timer hits zero.
- Map carriers can swap to the 3×3 sliding puzzle. Solve it for +10 or time out for -15—the puzzle has generous move logic, so practice beforehand.
Tip: Assign roles—one teammate handles hermit trivia, another practises the puzzle—so whoever hits the fork knows which branch to pick instantly.
Use tunnel shortcuts wisely
Late-game tunnels now adapt to deficits and can appear multiple times. Decide when a risky detour is worth it.
- Watch for tunnel offers after position 50. You can see up to three per game, and trailing players receive much higher odds.
- Accepting the tunnel moves the next question into a dedicated modal. Answer correctly to leap 8-24 spaces based on how far behind you are.
- If you are leading comfortably, consider declining so you do not burn extra time on a question you might already be ahead without.
- Failing the tunnel question simply returns you to the main path with normal progress tracking, so encourage struggling players to take the gamble.
Tip: Hosts should call out tunnel invites on voice—the offer window is short and missing it can cost a comeback opportunity.
Host playbooks
Keep everyone moving
- Enable Auto Weather so players experience the full cycle. The shifting zones encourage cautious play without manual toggles.
- Remind players about their upcoming Map & Compass tile so nobody skips the inventory boost through inattentive tapping.
- Consider duplicating your question set and sorting questions from easiest to hardest so streak windows and tunnel checks happen where you expect them.
Help trailing players rejoin the pack
- Drop extra checkpoints closer together (for example every 15 positions) using the options modal.
- Switch the weather back to Sunny during critical rounds so danger zones stay narrow.
- Call out tunnel offers and remind players that the deficit-based jump is designed to help the pack close the gap.
Ramp up tension for finals
- Disable Auto Weather and manually rotate between Snow and Blizzard to push players into riskier decisions.
- Keep the player list sorted by percentage so you can narrate position changes in real time.
- Encourage finalists to risk the fork side quest—puzzle mastery or hermit wins can swing a championship instantly.
Practice ideas
- Use the host dashboard with a secondary browser window acting as a player to rehearse shield timings, Map & Compass pickups, and fork prompts.
- Record which questions consistently cause mistakes so you can move them earlier or later in the set.
- Schedule a 10-question micro game where everyone intentionally stops on different danger zones to observe avalanche behaviour.
- Practice fork decisions: assign one player to the hermit path, another to the decline quiz, and a third to the sliding puzzle so everyone learns the mechanics.
- After a session export the players subcollection and look at `questionsAnswered`, `correctAnswers`, `inventory`, and `eventFlags` to see who is capitalising on Map & Compass or tunnel offers.
- Note how often Auto Weather cycled during the session; if it switched too quickly, disable it next time and handle forecasts manually.