Velvet Lantern: Color Circuit

About Velvet Lantern: Color Circuit

The archive went under the sea with its inkwells still full. Now they glow: squat glass bottles of crimson, saffron, gold, emerald, royal blue and plum ink, each stoppered with a brass collar and a wax seal stamped with its own sigil. Six colours come in six shapes, round, tent, box, kite, hexagon and star, so you can tell them apart without relying on colour.

Each board has a circuit, a short row of colours shown beside it. Clear the colours in that order and the current runs on; close the circuit as many times as the board asks. A board is played in short rounds, and the archive keeps a record. Clear four or more at once, or set off a cascade two deep, and the cells you cleared are inked into the leather: when the next round begins the ink is still there, and clearing a lantern on inked ground scores more. Fresh ink is worth the most, and it fades as the rounds go by.

The archive draws what you did. When a round turns, a wax seal comes down and thin threads of golden light join the inked cells into a constellation, one line at a time, across the board. Loose pages spiral down through the gloom, books stand in rows on shelves behind, and green-shaded lamps light the desk. The more you ink, the more of a picture you leave.

The music is a hushed fugue on harpsichord, glass harmonica and a low organ, and the sounds are quill, wax and glass. Every board can be won: it is built together with a player that solves it first, and a hint is one press away. Settings offers more moves, or none at all, and a switch for the constellation. Stars and best scores stay in this browser and nothing is uploaded.

How to play

Drag a lantern toward a neighbour, or tap one lantern and then the next. Arrow keys and Enter or Space also work.
Line up three or more of a colour to clear them. New lanterns drop in after every clear.
Clear the colours of the circuit in order. A colour out of turn does not break it: the current simply waits.
A clear of four or more, or a cascade two deep, inks its cells. The ink stays for the next round and clearing on it scores more.
Press H or the Hint button for a move that works. Press P, Escape or Start to pause.

Controls

Drag a tile, or tap two tiles — swap
Arrow keys or WASD, then Enter or Space — swap
H or Ⓨ — hint
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

What does the ink do?

A clear of four or more at once, or a cascade two deep, inks the cells it cleared. When the next round begins the ink is still on the board, and clearing a lantern on inked ground scores more. Fresh ink is worth the most, and it fades a little each round.

How does the circuit work?

The circuit is a short row of colours beside the board. Clear the first colour, then the second, and so on to the end to close it. Clearing a colour out of turn does not undo anything: the current waits at the colour it needs.

What are the golden threads?

They are the Ink Memory: when a round turns, thin lines of light join the inked cells into a constellation that stays while the ink does. You can switch the threads off in Settings; the ink stays.

Does it save my progress?

Your stars, best scores and badges are saved in this browser only, and nothing is uploaded.