Warden

What it is

Warden is a bullet-hell boss fight in 18-second waves, on three hearts with no refills and a dash that makes you untouchable for 150 ms. Between waves it tells you what it saw and builds the next wave to break your habit, and when the run ends it names that habit: one of eight, from corner camper to statue.

How to play

You are locked in a circular cell with the Warden, a boss that does not just fire patterns: it watches how you dodge, picks its next attack to break your habits, and tells you exactly what it noticed. Survive five waves and the Warden cracks; survive longer and it stops being polite.

1. 1Survive 18-second waves on three hearts. There are no refills.
2. 2The cell wall blocks you and never hurts you. Only shots take hearts.
3. 3Dash through anything: 150 ms invulnerable, 0.9 s to recharge.
4. 4The first attack of a run is named, with the answer in four words. The "?" repeats the rules.
5. 5Skim shots for +5 a graze, and dash out of a hit for +25.
6. 6It reads you out loud: when it takes a heart, and again between waves.
7. 7Break the Warden on wave 5, then keep going at double score.