Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about playing, saving and the systems in Riftspinner.

Is Riftspinner free?

Yes. It is free to play in your browser with no download, no account and no purchase.

What do I need to play?

A desktop or laptop with a keyboard and mouse and a recent browser such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari or Brave. Touch screens are not supported, so it does not work on phones or tablets.

Where is my progress saved?

In your browser's local storage on the device you play on. Ash, shop ranks, unlocked rigs, the bestiary and the Ledger all live there. There is no account, so progress does not follow you to another browser or device, and clearing site data for riftspinner.com deletes it.

How do I reset my progress?

Clear the site data for riftspinner.com in your browser settings. This removes your save permanently.

What is ash?

The currency you collect from kills and from scrapping loot. You spend it in the Ash Market on permanent upgrades that carry into every future run.

What is the difference between Ash Market ranks and field mutations?

Market ranks are permanent and bought with ash. Field mutations are offered each time you level up during a run, you pick one of four, and they last for that run only.

How do I unlock new rigs?

Each rig has its own condition, such as reaching a certain wave, getting a number of kills, logging a particular enemy or finding a legendary. The conditions are listed on the Rigs page and on the Rigs screen in the game.

How does lifesteal work?

A share of the damage you deal comes back as health. Your total is capped at 14%, each hit heals at most 3% of your maximum health, and the healing draws from a pool that refills over time. Open the Tab menu and hover the Lifesteal stat to see where your total comes from.

How does venom stacking work?

Once you have venom, the mutation is offered as a Venom Stack. Each stack adds 20% venom damage and 0.4 seconds of venom duration per hit, up to six stacks.

Why do shrines disappear?

A shrine pays out a gun when you charge it by standing in its glowing field for about six seconds. A completed shrine fades and is gone 10 seconds later. Shrines that nobody uses also fade away after a while, and new ones open every so often, never more than two at a time.

Is there an ending?

Yes. Wave 100 has a finale host. After it you can finish the run and keep your ash, or continue into Endless mode.

Do I have to enter a name for the leaderboard?

No. The leaderboard is optional. If you never pick a name, nothing is sent. If you do, your name, rig, wave, kills and time are stored and shown publicly, so do not use your real name.

How does the leaderboard work?

Boards rank players by the highest wave they have reached, then by kills, then by speed. There are tables for best wave, most kills in a single run, today (resetting at midnight UTC) and each rig. Your best run on each rig is kept, and the game shows your rank when a run ends.

Can someone take my name?

Names are tied to a random key stored in your browser. The first player to claim a name keeps it, and nobody else can post under it or overwrite your scores. Because there are no accounts, clearing your browser data means that key is lost and you will need to pick a new name.

What does the player count on the menu mean?

It counts browsers that have started the game at least once, plus the total number of runs fought, all time. It stores only two numbers, not who you are. Clearing your browser data can make a returning player count again.

Can I play with only a keyboard, only a mouse, or a controller?

Yes. Open Accessibility on the menu or the pause screen. The Keyboard Only preset turns on auto-aim and automatic fire so you only need the movement keys. The Mouse Only preset makes the spider follow the cursor, with automatic fire and auto-aim, a middle click to dash and the wheel to swap guns. A standard gamepad works too: left stick or d-pad moves, right stick aims, triggers fire, A dashes, and the d-pad and A drive the menus.

Can I change the keys?

Yes. In Accessibility, click any slot under Key Bindings and press the key you want. Each action can have up to three keys, and the numpad (with Num Lock on) works for movement out of the box.

Is there a high contrast or colour-blind mode?

Yes. Accessibility has a high contrast mode with outlines around the spider, enemies, hostile shots and loot, and a colour-blind safe mode that swaps red and green comparisons for blue and orange with arrows. You can also enlarge the interface, enlarge the crosshair, reduce motion and slow the game down.

Is there a tutorial?

Yes. It starts automatically the first time you play and can be replayed from the TUTORIAL button on the menu. It is a safe training ground where you cannot die and nothing is saved.

The screen shakes too much. Can I change that?

Yes. The menu and the pause screen have a Screen Shake setting: low, off or full.

I found a bug. How do I report it?

Press Report a Problem on the pause or game-over screen. It sends a short log of your last few seconds of play along with an optional note. You can also email the address on the Contact page.

How is the game paid for?

Through Google AdSense advertising on the guide pages. The game itself is free. See the privacy notice for how advertising and analytics cookies work and how to opt out.