TIC.EXE: Tic-Tac-Toe Roguelite
25Playhop rating
About game
In this game, aligning three symbols isn't a victory — it's a strike. You operate as a process within another machine, placing X's while the system counters with O's. Arranging three of your marks triggers an explosion, eliminating them and harming the opposing process. Stringing four in a row packs nearly double the punch, and five is triple the impact. The board doesn't result in a tie; it resets instead.
You have twenty cards, each offering an enhancement. Hover one over the board to see precisely what it does, no guessing involved.
There are thirty modules across six schools, but you only have eight slots to fill. ECHO preserves a mark after an explosion, INFECTION flips nearby enemy marks, and CHAIN REACTOR doubles the cascade bonus. Combining two or three modules creates a powerful mechanism.
With eight sectors, the grid expands from 4x4 to 6x6. Face off against twenty hostile processes and six boss characters made from symbols. Anomalies alter the rules within each sector.
A playthrough lasts 30–50 minutes. The terminal has waited 9,412 days for an operator and notices your return.
How to play
Use the mouse to choose a card on the right and then select a cell on the game board. When you hover the selected card over the board, some cells will light up — they are active, while others will be dimmed — they are within range but empty. Place three of your marks in a row — horizontally, vertically or diagonally — and they will detonate, hitting the enemy process. The marks will disappear and free the cells. The longer the line, the more powerful the attack. The enemy also places its own marks and creates lines. Its explosions will reduce your integrity. If you lose all integrity, the game will end. Your turn will end when you run out of actions. If there are no moves left, press «Skip turn». After each sector, you will receive a card or a module. However, not all of them will fit: there are only eight slots for thirty modules, so you will have to leave something behind. Keys: 1–5 to select a card from your hand, Esc cancels the selection and opens the menu. The «how this works» button on the left provides information about each card and symbol.Game info
Age rating
6+
Platforms
Authorization support
Yes
Localization
Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, English, German
Screen orientation
Release date
Cloud saves
Yes
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