Compare versions

1. Survey the workshop: trace the current yarn-thread network between pegs (starts as 8 threads connecting 6 goblins, grows each round), identify which junctions are clear versus occupied by a Tangle Knot, Loose End, or Weave Anchor, and plan which thread paths will carry your yarn-ball to the most goblins. 2. Spend one of your 5 tugs to either pluck a goblin's thread directly (launching a yarn-ball along that thread) or pinch a junction peg (redirecting live yarn-balls already in motion to a different branching thread). 3. Watch the chain resolve: each hit goblin sneezes after a 0.4-second delay, yarn-balls travel at thread speed (distance-dependent, shorter threads resolve faster), and when a barrel of tangled wool is hit it splits into two yarn-balls that each follow a different outgoing thread from that junction. 4. When the round ends (all 5 tugs spent or all goblins resolved), the game pauses, names every thread re-route being applied ('THREAD C3→F3 now reroutes through peg E4'), resets the floor with the new network topology locked in, and increases goblin count by 1.

The yarn-thread network topology changes every round in direct response to which chains you successfully complete — threads you use get rerouted through new junctions, deepening those paths but also adding new intersection points where Tangle Knots can later accumulate. By round 8, the network typically holds 14–18 thread segments with 4–6 junction pegs, and paths that were a clean 3-goblin run in round 2 now route through a Weave Anchor (holds a yarn-ball in place for 0.6 seconds, delaying the chain but not breaking it) or a Loose End (terminates a thread, forcing the yarn-ball to fall short unless a Stretchy Wool upgrade is active). Players must read the evolving network topology — not a static grid — to pre-calculate which tugs will produce 3+ goblin chains given the current thread layout. A Tangle Knot mid-path doesn't just block one chain; it splits the network into two sub-graphs that must each be addressed with separate tugs, compressing the 5-tug budget.

The topology itself is the progression system. Instead of placing hazard tiles on a fixed grid, every successful 3+ goblin chain permanently re-routes one thread segment through a new junction peg, physically reshaping the yarn-network that future chains must travel. The floor is not a grid — it is a path-network graph whose edges and vertices change shape each round based on which paths the player used. A player who consistently chains through Wool Barrels will have a dense, clustered network with many short high-intersection paths; a player who chains conservatively along long straight threads will have a sparse network with few junctions but long unobstructed runs. The layout is a topological record of every decision made in the run, and Tangle Knots (the failure state) sever graph edges rather than blocking tiles — meaning failure degrades connectivity, not just space, which is a structurally different pressure than hazard-tile accumulation.

THREE NAMED PRESSURE SOURCES: 1. TUG STARVATION: The amber skein counter decrements on every tug and does not pause. When it hits 0, any goblin not yet reached tangles its thread into a Tangle Knot, permanently blocking that thread segment. Signal: counter turns warm yellow at 2 tugs remaining, pulsing amber at 1. Punishment: each Tangle Knot severs one graph edge, progressively disconnecting the network into sub-graphs that require separate tugs to address — compressing the budget further in future rounds. 2. NETWORK FRAGMENTATION LOCK: Each round, the game checks whether any valid 3-goblin chain path exists that does not pass through a Tangle Knot. If zero valid paths exist, the round is declared a 'Snag' — all 5 tugs are consumed automatically with no chains firing, and 2 additional Thread Reroutes occur that connect previously isolated sub-graphs back together, but at the cost of introducing a new Loose End junction. Signal: a soft pink 'SNAG RISK' ribbon appears at round start if fewer than 2 valid paths are detected. Punishment: the forced reroutes add new junctions that are immediate Tangle Knot candidates if the player fails to chain through them in the next round. 3. CLUSTER DEBT: Each Wool Barrel caught in a chain triggers two Thread Reroutes that always connect adjacent pegs, gradually clustering the network into dense sub-regions. If a player routes through 3 or more barrels in a single round, the reroute pool temporarily includes 'Frayed Thread' segments — these behave like normal threads but snap (are permanently removed from the network) if a yarn-ball travels their full length without hitting a goblin. Signal: a fraying animation plays on the thread segment at round start. Punishment: snapped Frayed Threads permanently remove graph edges, reducing total network connectivity and narrowing future chain options.