Snack Break Games
Industrial power-routing board with blue, yellow and red energy networks nearing overload.$1.99PLANNED
In development

Arcade puzzle / area control

Critical Grid

The largest network earns the most energy and creates the most dangerous failure.

A territory-control puzzle game about drawing power connections across an unstable reactor floor while containing overloads and roaming faults. You are a reactor technician drawing temporary circuits through a machine that was never meant to be operated manually.

Planned price$1.99
Session2–7 minute grids; 60–90 minute campaign
Demo10-minute vertical slice
DRMNone
Join launch list

Checkout remains disabled until a tested commercial build and final product details exist.

WHAT IS CRITICAL GRID?

You are a reactor technician drawing temporary circuits through a machine that was never meant to be operated manually.

A territory-control puzzle game about drawing power connections across an unstable reactor floor while containing overloads and roaming faults. You are a reactor technician drawing temporary circuits through a machine that was never meant to be operated manually.

Best for: Players who enjoy clear logic, experimentation, useful assists and compact problem-solving sessions.

WHY IT IS DIFFERENT

The largest network earns the most energy and creates the most dangerous failure.

  • The largest network earns the most energy and creates the most dangerous failure.
  • Forty authored grids across five reactor types, plus endless seeded layouts and score challenges.
  • Unlock tools and alternate starting loadouts.

CORE LOOP

From first decision to completed run.

a rotating-node grid that rewards a large region but periodically exposes a hot bottleneck.

  1. 1Enter a grid with fixed reactor nodes and moving faults
  2. 2Draw or claim connections to form powered regions
  3. 3Spend generated energy on stabilizers, gates, or emergency cuts
  4. 4Contain overloads before they cross critical nodes
  5. 5Finish the quota, chase a higher score, and unlock harder grids

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

A complete arc, not an endless grind.

Forty authored grids across five reactor types, plus endless seeded layouts and score challenges. Reactor types introduce rotating nodes, one-way current, moving terminals, coolant lanes, and mirrored control pairs.

Unlock tools and alternate starting loadouts. Campaign medals open optional expert grids but basic completion reaches the ending.

CONTROLS & ACCESSIBILITY

Clarity and assists are part of the design.

Move cursor/node, draw connection, cut connection, deploy tool, and pause. Mouse/touch drawing and controller node selection are both first-class.

Assists include slower heat, previewed fault paths, unlimited pause, automatic emergency cuts, and reduced quotas. Expert mode removes pause and increases simultaneous faults.

CORE SYSTEMS

  • The largest network earns the most energy and creates the most dangerous failure.
  • Forty authored grids across five reactor types, plus endless seeded layouts and score challenges.
  • Unlock tools and alternate starting loadouts.

FIRST PLAYABLE PROOF

10-minute vertical slice

a rotating-node grid that rewards a large region but periodically exposes a hot bottleneck.

QUICK ANSWERS

Critical Grid FAQ

What kind of game is Critical Grid?+
A territory-control puzzle game about drawing power connections across an unstable reactor floor while containing overloads and roaming faults. You are a reactor technician drawing temporary circuits through a machine that was never meant to be operated manually. Its central hook is: The largest network earns the most energy and creates the most dangerous failure.
How long is a session of Critical Grid?+
The planned play pattern is 2–7 minute grids; 60–90 minute campaign. The first browser demo is a 10-minute vertical slice.
What is included in Critical Grid?+
Forty authored grids across five reactor types, plus endless seeded layouts and score challenges. Reactor types introduce rotating nodes, one-way current, moving terminals, coolant lanes, and mirrored control pairs. Unlock tools and alternate starting loadouts. Campaign medals open optional expert grids but basic completion reaches the ending.
Will Critical Grid be DRM-free?+
Critical Grid is planned as a complete $1.99 DRM-free download for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a separate browser demo and no proprietary launcher.

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