Changes
The title screen now has a Program Codex. The Codex tracks discovered programs permanently across the profile save and reveals program details after successful use.
A large recent-program batch is now wired into the game. New or recently completed programs include INTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, BAD_BACKUP, DOWNLOAD_RAM, SYNTAX_ERROR, MUTINY, SELF_INFECT, SPAGHETTI_CODE, KING_ME, MAZE_GENERATOR, EXIT_MAGNET, COMPILER_ROULETTE, ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER, FRIENDLY_FIRE, RAGE_QUIT, DIV_BY_ZERO, and LAG_SWITCH.
Several experimental Ultimate programs are implemented but flagged off for normal pools. PATCH_NOTES and FORK_BOMB are available for debug testing while rollout tuning continues.
New And Expanded Gameplay
Program Codex: browse the live program catalog from the title screen, with locked entries hidden until discovered.
LAG_SWITCH: captures a successful movement step, waits several turns, then replays it while checking current blockers.
DIV_BY_ZERO: places a 3-turn singularity that pulls enemies toward a fatal center, with escalating Flux cost per sector.
RAGE_QUIT: a destructive panic blast that clears nearby enemies, deals reduced boss damage, and removes its own slot.
Recent utility/control programs: MUTINY, SELF_INFECT, SPAGHETTI_CODE, KING_ME, MAZE_GENERATOR, EXIT_MAGNET, FRIENDLY_FIRE, and ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER broaden board control, risk/reward objectives, and enemy manipulation.
Recent economy/meta programs: INTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, BAD_BACKUP, DOWNLOAD_RAM, SYNTAX_ERROR, and COMPILER_ROULETTE add new passive economy, emergency, illegal-offer, and loadout-risk options.
Major Program Fixes
SYMBIOTE now plays as temporary possession. After attaching to a host, the player can command that enemy directly with keyboard or mouse, move it, attack other hostiles, pass, detach, or spend Angler's once-per-cycle remote cast.
Passive programs now auto-arm when equipped. Formerly manual passives now synchronize from their equipped, non-digesting slot. Pressing the card is a status readout instead of a cast.
VOLATILITY's Damage Roll modal is reliable again. It handles input before global locks, uses correct scaled/fullscreen mouse coordinates, has larger controls, supports reroll shortcuts, and shows live V n SPEND x/y progress.
TOLL is stronger and clearer. Each drained PWR now absorbs up to 2 incoming damage, AMPLIFY affects real outgoing damage, DISCHARGE uses only the current window, and Haunted TOLL consistently costs 6 PWR.
TRANSFUSION was corrected. RESIDUE no longer double-spends through STATIC White Noise, saved RESIDUE keeps decay timing, active Flux outputs use shared gain handling, and shop pricing was lowered.
TUMOR burst behavior was reworked. Bursting turns protection off, spawned leeches can hurt the player normally, leech rewards are now mixed HP/PWR recovery, and live leeches follow between sectors.
WELD now routes resources more consistently. Exact-cost activation works, identity Flux abilities spend CORE while fused, shop rerolls respect CORE, and Mirror WELD damage feedback matches actual CORE loss.
MOLTING now restores shed programs correctly. It no longer sheds two-slot tail sentinels, restores two-slot programs as real pairs, and preserves active WELD state.
Martyr Shield now persists across sectors and saves. Its shield grant was reduced to match the stronger persistence.
HALF-LIFE, GLASS JAW, VOLT LEAK, STATIC, PATCH_NOTES, FORK_BOMB, FRIENDLY_FIRE, ACHIEVEMENT_HUNTER, COMPILER_ROULETTE, EXIT_MAGNET, MAZE_GENERATOR, SPAGHETTI_CODE, SELF_INFECT, INTEREST_RATE, PANIC_BUTTON, MUTINY, DOWNLOAD_RAM, and Sacrifice Ward all received correctness or UX fixes.
UI, Controls, And Readability
Identity slot replacement now supports the mouse. Left-click chooses a replacement slot; right-click cancels. Clicking identity HUD slots can trigger identity abilities.
Shielder identity shield is now manually armed. The shield uses Q/X, has a sector-ramping Flux/cooldown cost, and reflects 30% of blocked damage.
UNDERSTUDY's echo queue moved to a compact right-side panel instead of covering the board or hotbar.
SYMBIOTE's possession HUD moved to the right auxiliary panel and now separates voluntary detach cost from host-death backlash.
Passive HP/Flux/PWR drain telegraphs were added. The HUD now previews program-owned passive drain through side-bar slivers, resource-colored hotbar frames, and live drain streams.
Passive SFX received a full pass. Passive programs now use dedicated cues, duplicate triggers are debounced, and delayed sound backlogs are prevented.
DEJA VU now uses its original rewind cue again instead of inheriting the shared teleport-family sound.
Sacrifice Ward's amount picker works with keyboard, gamepad, mouse wheel, and mouse clicks without input-locking itself.
Settings UI spacing was tightened, and the refresh-rate selector no longer gets stuck on 60 Hz.
DirectX icon scaling is smoother for menu, program, identity, node, and HUD icons.
Balance And Economy Notes
TOLL now absorbs 2 damage per 1 PWR.
Haunted TOLL now consistently displays and pays 6 PWR.
TRANSFUSION is now priced as a Basic-tier shop program at 8 Flux / 5 HP / 2 PWR.
Martyr Shield now grants 5 shield HP from the fixed 3 HP sacrifice, down from 7, because it now persists.
Shielder identity shield starts at 3 Flux / 2-turn cooldown and ramps by +1 Flux / +1 cooldown per sector use.
VOLATILITY now surfaces V thresholds in the modal: Glass Cannon reaches visible V2 at 4 spend, Balanced at 6, and Tank at 8.
DIV_BY_ZERO's Flux cost escalates by +5 per successful sector use.