How to Play Darkmass.io

You are a Spark, a point of light in a dark arena. Absorb mass to grow, avoid bigger stars, and stay alive as long as you can. It runs in your browser, it is free, and there is nothing to install or sign up for.

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The goal

Everything you eat makes you bigger. Your mass is your size and your score, and it is also how much punishment you can take before you go dark. There is one catch that shapes the whole game: getting big does not make you safe. The larger you are, the slower you move, the more the arena turns on you, and the more your abilities cost. Reaching the top of the board is one thing; staying there is another.

Getting started

Type a name and pick a colour for your Spark.
Your region (Europe or North America) is chosen for the lowest ping. You can change it.
Press Play. You spawn near players your own size with a few seconds of protection, so the start is fair.
Your first orbs are worth more than usual, so growth is quick at the start. Make the most of it.

Controls

On a computer

Input	Action
Move the mouse	Steer. Your Spark drifts toward the cursor. The farther out the cursor, the faster you go, so keeping it close gives you fine control.
Hold `Left-click` or `Space`	Gravity Well. Opens a pull that draws orbs, power-ups and nearby Sparks toward you. You slow down and slowly lose mass while you hold it, so use it in short bursts.
Hold `Right-click` or `Shift`	Dash. A burst of speed to chase or escape. It burns mass quickly, trailing it behind you, so keep some in reserve.
`M`	Mute or unmute the sound.

On a phone or tablet

Touch works the same way. A joystick in the bottom right steers you, and two HOLD buttons in the bottom left trigger the Gravity Well and Dash, just like the mouse buttons. Push the joystick all the way for full speed; let go to stop.

Growing

You grow by collecting orbs and by swallowing smaller Sparks.

Orb	Where it comes from	Worth
Ambient	Scattered everywhere and always refilling. Your steady food.	Low
Scatter	Bursts out when a Spark dies, or drops when one is worn down.	Medium
Bright	Pulsing violet orbs that appear at random and inside events.	High

Every Spark quietly pulls in nearby orbs; the Gravity Well makes that pull much stronger. To swallow another Spark you have to be about a quarter bigger than they are and cover their centre. Then you take most of their mass. Anyone a quarter bigger than you can do the same, so watch your size against the Sparks around you, not just the number.

Power-ups

Glowing pickups drift around the arena. Each lasts a few seconds and comes in three grades: the bigger the pickup, the stronger the effect. Grabbing another of the same kind refreshes it but does not stack past the top grade.

Power-up	Effect
Gravity	Your pull grows stronger and reaches farther. Good for clearing a rich patch or reeling in prey.
Speed	You move faster, and it stacks with your Dash.
Black Hole	You turn into a black hole for a few seconds. See below.

The Black Hole

The Black Hole power-up turns you into a void for a few seconds. You pull in every orb and Spark around you, you wear down anything your body touches, and nothing can swallow or damage you while it lasts. Bigger Sparks are pulled hardest, so a small Spark can leech a giant and get away. You can even swallow a smaller black hole from an event. When the timer runs out you get a brief moment of protection so you do not pop the instant you turn back.

Hazards

The arena itself is dangerous, and it goes after size. Both hazards do more damage the bigger you are, so a giant is torn apart where a small Spark is only nibbled.

Hazard	What it does
Void	A black hole that opens in place, dragging in Sparks, orbs and power-ups and destroying them at its core.
Dark shards	Fragments that drift around the arena and chip your mass on contact.

If a hazard wears you down to nothing you go dark with no killer. You burned out.

World events

There is always one event running, and the next one is announced a few seconds ahead with an arrow and a countdown at the top of the screen. Later in a run, much of the fight is over these zones, so read the arrow and get into position early.

Event	What happens
Light surge	A zone fills with bright orbs.
Wormhole	A richer bloom of high-value orbs.
Supernova	A core charges up, then blasts. The shockwave chips everyone nearby (it will not kill you) and throws out a burst of bright orbs.
Black hole	A void opens in the arena. See Hazards.
Hazard shower	An area rains dark shards for a while.

Who else is in the arena

To keep rooms lively, empty seats are filled with bots, drawn dimmer than real players. They move, pull and dash the same way you do, they cannot cheat, and they step aside as real players arrive. If a faint Spark is giving you trouble, it might be a bot. Treat it like any other rival.

Staying alive

Farm hard at the start, while orbs are worth extra and you are still small and fast.
Use the Gravity Well in bursts. It is great for clearing a patch or reeling in prey, but it slows you and costs mass, so do not cruise with it held.
Keep Dash for escapes. Spend it to break away from a hunter, not on everything.
Mind your size. As you grow you get slower and more visible, and the void starts coming for you. Pick fights you can win.
Contest events, but carefully. Surges and wormholes are the biggest payouts, which is exactly why everyone else is there too.
Save the Black Hole for when you are cornered or a fat target is close.

Why did I go dark?

One of three things happened: a Spark a quarter bigger than you covered your centre and swallowed you; a hazard or an enemy black hole wore you down to nothing; or you drifted into a void's core. The death screen shows your mass over the run, your best rank, how close you came to a streak, and who got you. Then you can play again. If your killer is still alive, you respawn near them.

Questions

Is Darkmass.io free?

Yes. It is free, there is nothing to download, and it runs in any modern browser on desktop or mobile.

Do I need an account?

No. There are no accounts and no sign-up. Your name is used only for the current session.

How do I grow quickly?

Collect orbs while the early bonus is active, reel in orbs and smaller prey with the Gravity Well, contest events, and swallow any Spark you are a quarter bigger than.

What is the black hole?

Two things. It is a hazard event where a void opens in the arena, and a power-up that turns you into one for a few seconds.

Are the faint players bots?

Yes. Bots keep the arena populated and step aside as real players join. They play by the same rules you do.

Which region should I pick?

Darkmass runs servers in Europe and North America and picks the fastest for you. You can change it from the menu.

What happens to my data?

There are no accounts, no player database, and no first-party tracking. Your name lasts only for the session. Ads appear on the menu, queue and death screens, never during play, and only with your consent where it is required. See the Privacy Policy.

Is it really written in Rust?

Yes. The server and the browser client share one simulation written in Rust. There is more on the About page.

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