About ShadowTrace
ShadowTrace is a visual memory game. A ghostly light moves through a 5×5 grid of nodes, lighting them one by one. When it fades, you retrace the same path in the same order.
How to play ShadowTrace
- Press Trace to start. The grid shows Watch the path while the nodes light up.
- Remember the nodes and their order. Round 1 uses 3 nodes; each round adds one more.
- When the label changes to Your turn — retrace, click or tap the nodes in the same order. A dashed line shows the path you have drawn.
- Finish the path correctly to earn points and move to the next round with a longer path.
- A wrong node costs one of your 10 traces (👻) and the same path is shown again.
Scoring
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Path completed | +50 × round number |
| Wrong node | −1 trace (path replays) |
End-of-game grades
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| Over 600 | Grade S |
| 301–600 | Grade A |
| 121–300 | Grade B |
| 41–120 | Grade C |
| 0–40 | Grade D |
Tips for a higher score
- Think of the path as a shape — a zigzag, a hook, a diagonal — rather than a list of positions.
- The dots at the bottom of the board show the path length; count them before the replay ends.
- Each node is used at most once in a path, so if you remember a node twice, one of them is wrong.
- Points climb fast: round 6 alone is worth 300, so it pays to spend a trace to learn a long path.
Frequently asked questions
Is ShadowTrace free?
Yes. No purchases, no prizes, no currency.
How many mistakes can I make?
Ten. Each wrong node costs one trace.
Does the path change after a mistake?
No. The same path replays so you can try again.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. Tap the nodes directly on the grid.