poppivoBENDLIGHT is about catching moving lights with a seven-cell glass ribbon. The part that changes everything is what happens after a turn: when your tail clears the corner, that bend becomes a temporary mirror. A move you make now can redirect a light later.
Open BENDLIGHT in the browser demo to try it. It is free to play without creating an account. The emerald-and-brass image below is concept art; the demo has its own playable board.
Steer in the direction you mean
Swipe up, right, down or left to choose your next direction. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys or WASD. Your first legal move starts the garden. A direct reversal is ignored, so turn through an open side instead of trying to fold straight back into yourself.
There is also a two-zone tap option: the left and right halves make relative turns. Those are turns from the ribbon’s current heading. Directional swipes and arrow keys refer to the screen. Keep that difference in mind when switching controls.
How a bend becomes a mirror
- Turning leaves a crease where the ribbon changed direction
- Six beats later, the tail releases that corner and the mirror opens
- The mirror arms two beats after opening
- An entering light is redirected and uses the armed mirror up
- Unused mirrors fade; they do not stay on the board forever
The delay is the puzzle. You cannot turn beside a light and expect an instant bounce. Read where the light is heading, where your tail will be, and whether the mirror will be ready by the time the two meet.
Catch the light without closing your escape
Your head catches a light when they meet, including on a mirror. Hitting the garden wall or your own body ends the run. The garden stays visible, which gives you a chance to plan a route before you commit to a tight corner.
There are six moving lights in a run, released twelve beats apart. Each has a limited lifetime. Start by catching one while leaving room to turn away. A route that reaches a light but boxes in the head is a poor trade when another light is about to arrive.
Once basic steering feels comfortable, watch a single crease from turn to release. Seeing that one delay clearly is more useful than trying to create a board full of mirrors on your first attempt.
Keep browsing separate from steering
In the default Browse strip mode, swipes inside the game steer. Use the strip at the bottom to change games. Settings also offers Short / long swipes and Tap to play modes. If a vertical swipe does something you did not expect, check that setting before changing your strategy.
Slow it down while you learn
The Slower movement assist changes the beat from 300 milliseconds to 400 milliseconds and keeps separate records. It applies to the next run. BENDLIGHT still requires visual timing and reading the board; its keyboard alternatives and announced score do not make it a nonvisual game.
Want time to study every move? Read the SEAMKEEP guide. For the demo’s other controls and entry points, use our no-download play guide.