Mnemosaic · rules
The mosaic
A grid of cells, each one empty or of one tint; at level 3, some cells also carry a disc or a cross. Columns are labelled A, B, C…, rows 1, 2, 3… from top to bottom.
| Level | Grid | Tints | Filled cells | Symbols |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 × 5 | 2 | 7 to 9 | none |
| 2 | 6 × 6 | 3 | 10 to 12 | none |
| 3 | 6 × 6 | 4 | 10 to 12 | 3 or 4 cells |
A turn
- The mosaic shows for 5 seconds (2 in the Flash variant), only once; the page then moves on to the input by itself. You can move on earlier.
- You have 90 seconds to rebuild it: pick a brush, tap the cells. The deadline is shown; the server's clock is the reference. In a chain, a blank copy is not passed to the next player: paint at least one cell (the deadline does not move). In training and in duels, a blank copy is worth 0%.
- Then you see the mosaic and your copy side by side, with your fidelity.
Chains
“Play a link” gives you the chain closest to its deadline that you can play: you see the previous player's copy (the original for the first link), and your copy will be what the next player sees. A chain has 6 links, one per player; you play as many chains as you like. With no chain to continue, you open one (5 per day at most).
Nothing shows before the reveal: once the length is reached, or 48 hours after the first link. A chain with fewer than 3 links is then completed by the house (a bot, always marked as such). The gallery then shows the original, each copy and the cells that moved.
Next-day recall: in a public or private chain (not in Words), if nobody plays after you for 24 hours, you are offered to rebuild your own copy without seeing it again. This rebuild becomes the next link, the one the following player will see. It counts double: × 2 instead of the variant's coefficient. Your copy must have reached 50% fidelity.
Private chain
“Create a chain” opens a public or private chain: you play its first link. A private chain only goes to the players who have its 6-letter code: you see it on your link and in “My chains”, “Waiting” tab; share it, or its link. The player types the code on the game's home page (“Private chain code”). It is revealed like a public chain, without going to the gallery.
Two-player loop
You invite a member by their login; they have 48 hours to accept. Then you each play in turn, the first link for you, 24 hours per turn. A loop has 4, 6, 8 or 10 links (5, 7 or 9 in Words, to end on a grid), in every variant but Saboteur. A missed turn reveals the loop as it is (the house completes it up to 3 links); if the first link was never played, the loop is cancelled. The mosaic shows only once: a turn seen then left to lapse is a missed turn.
Room
3 to 8 players at the same time, guests without an account included (through a link the host shares). The host launches the game when 3 players at least are there; there are as many chains and rounds as players, so as many links per chain as players (in Words too: with an even number of players, the chain ends on a description, and its final fidelity is that of the last grid). Each round, everyone plays a link of a different chain; the next round starts when everyone has sent their copy. At the reveal, all the chains show together, with each player's average points; on a tie, the player whose starting chain is the most faithful goes first. A Saboteur room launches with 5 players present at least; the vote lasts 90 seconds.
Team relay
Two teams of 2, 3 or 4 players get the same original; each team has its own chain, two links per player, in seat order, 24 hours per link. A missed turn is played by a weak bot. The team whose last copy is the most faithful to the original wins; on a tie, the one whose players have the best average fidelity; an exact tie on both makes a drawn relay. A relay still incomplete after 72 hours is cancelled. No stake.
Duel
From the duels page, you challenge a member on 5 standard mosaics of the chosen level, the same for both of you. The score is the sum of the fidelities, from 0 to 5,000: the highest wins, an exact tie makes a drawn duel and each player gets their stake back. A game not finished by the duel's deadline is lost by forfeit.
Fidelity
We count the cells filled in the mosaic or in the copy. An identical cell is worth one point, a cell filled on both sides but with another tint or symbol half a point, a cell forgotten or added zero. Fidelity is the share of points earned: a blank copy is worth 0%, painting the whole grid earns next to nothing.
Variants
- standard: the mosaic stays 5 seconds.
- Flash: the mosaic stays only 2 seconds.
- Mirror: rebuild the mosaic as seen in a mirror set on its right (left and right swapped).
- Words: every other link describes the mosaic in writing (12 words and 120 characters at most, no link or address), the next one rebuilds it from that text alone (120 seconds); both share the fidelity and the points of the rebuild. A Words chain has 7 links.
- Saboteur: one player secretly gets the saboteur role (they can decline it before seeing the mosaic): they make their copy drift without getting spotted, and score no points. At the reveal, the others vote for 72 hours to point out their link; the saboteur is unmasked if their link gets strictly the most votes. The vote only takes place with 4 human links and 2 voters at least; otherwise the role is cancelled, and the saboteur's link keeps 0 points, out of the memory of the month.
Points of a chain link
Points = fidelity (in thousandths) × level coefficient × variant coefficient, rounded: level 1 × 1.00, level 2 × 1.25, level 3 × 1.50; Flash × 1.30 at level 1, × 1.30 at level 2, × 1.30 at level 3; Mirror × 1.30; next-day recall × 2.00, instead of the variant's coefficient.
Memory of the month
Your average points over the links of the month (copies, rebuilds, descriptions, recalls; no saboteur link and no flagged link), ranked from 8 links. A link is flagged by the game, not by a member: copy sent too fast, mosaic kept on screen too long, or loop between two linked accounts. On an equal average, the player with the most links goes first, then the one whose 8th link is the oldest. An account blocked or closed at the closing takes no place: the next one moves up, and the leaderboards page shows the paid place. A guest player is ranked, without a prize: the next member takes the prize. At the end of the month, the top players get credits: 150 to the first, 100 to the second, 60 to the third, then 25 down to the 10th. An average of 0 points gets no prize: its place is not paid, nor passed on to the next one. The details are on the leaderboards page.
Awards
- Faithful link: the best fidelity of a chain of 4 links or more, if it reaches 90%.
- Intact chain: to every player of a chain of 5 human links or more whose last copy keeps 80% of the original.
- Unsuspected saboteur: a saboteur who was not unmasked and whose copy really drifted (fidelity of 85.0% at most).
- Sleuth: you voted for the saboteur's link.
- Relay won: to the players of the team that wins a relay.