How to Play Ultimate Cycle Catcher

Ultimate Cycle Catcher is a one-button timing game about catching spacecraft that never stop moving. This guide explains every rule the game uses, so you can go from your first tap to three-star runs.

The idea in one sentence

A cycler (the gold diamond on screen) flies fixed transfer arcs between moving worlds, and your only job is to tap at the exact moment it meets its target. You never steer the cycler. Every planet, moon and station travels on its own orbit at its own speed, so the cycler aims for where the target will be, and you decide when the catch happens.

Controls

• Tap or click anywhere on the play area to catch.
• Space or Enter also catch on a keyboard.
• P or Esc pauses and resumes. The game also pauses by itself if you switch tabs or the window loses focus.
• M mutes or unmutes sound. The ♪ and ❚❚ buttons in the top-right corner do the same on touch screens.

That is the complete control scheme. Because there is only one action, the challenge is all about reading motion and committing at the right instant.

Reading the rings

As the cycler approaches its target, a shrinking ring closes around the target. Tap when the rings meet. How close you are decides the grade of the catch:

• PERFECT costs 2 fuel and gives the biggest score.
• GREAT costs 5 fuel.
• GOOD costs 9 fuel.

Tapping too early, too late, or when nothing is close (an "empty-space" tap) burns 4 fuel and resets your combo. If you do not tap at all and the cycler sails past, the catch counts as missed: you lose 9 fuel, the combo resets, and the cycler loops round to try the same target again.

Fuel is your life bar

Each route starts with a full tank, sized to the number of legs on that route. When the tank hits zero the mission fails and the crew is stranded, so every route is really a fuel puzzle. Clean timing is cheap; sloppy timing drains the tank fast. Two things put fuel back:

• Combos: every sixth catch in a row without a mistake refunds 3 fuel.
• The fuel bonus: whatever fuel is left when you finish a route is converted into bonus points (20 points per unit), so saving fuel also raises your score.

The first route is a tutorial: the tank cannot drop below a safety floor, and on your first play the game slows down slightly as each ring closes while coaching messages guide your first three catches.

Gold star gates

From the second route on, some legs contain an optional gold gate partway along the arc. Tapping as the cycler passes through a gate earns a large bonus that scales with your timing. A badly timed gate tap, though, counts as a wasted burn and costs fuel. Gates are a risk-reward choice, not a requirement.

Frame shifts

The camera does not always follow the same object. Depending on the route, the view is centered on Earth, on the Sun, on Mars, or on Jupiter, and it can switch mid-route with a "FRAME SHIFT" message. After a shift, everything appears to move at a different speed and direction. The physics have not changed, only your point of view. Keep your eyes on the rings rather than the planets and you will adapt quickly.

Scoring

Each catch earns a base score that is larger for PERFECT and GREAT grades, multiplied by your current combo (up to a cap), by any score upgrade you own, and by how far along the tour the route is. Later routes are therefore worth more per catch. Gate bonuses and the end-of-route fuel bonus are added on top.

Three stars per route

Finishing a route always earns one star. You earn a second star by finishing with at least 40% of your tank left, and a third by completing the route with no misses or wasted burns. Clearing a route unlocks the next one, and your best score and star count for each route are kept.

The Hangar

Stars are a currency. Spend them in the Hangar on five upgrades: a long-range tank (more starting fuel), wide-band radar (wider timing windows), steady hands (one extra forgiven stray tap per leg), a crew recycler (combos refuel more often) and a gold-leaf hull (more score per catch). You can refund all stars and try a different build whenever you like.

Scoreboard, language and saves

On cyclecatcher.com you can choose a display name to join the shared online scoreboard, which ranks total score and each route separately. Progress, settings and upgrades are saved in your own browser. Settings lets you switch between English and Portuguese and toggle sound.

Ready? Read the level guide for route-by-route notes or the strategy tips before your first serious run.