What is critical mass?

Critical mass is the number of orbs a cell can hold before exploding. Corner cells have a critical mass of 2, edge cells 3, and interior cells 4.

Can chain reactions go on forever?

Chain reactions continue until no cell exceeds critical mass. The game has a safety limit to prevent infinite loops, but in practice chains always resolve naturally.

How does the AI difficulty affect gameplay?

On Easy the AI places orbs randomly. Medium uses a scoring system that considers chain potential and positional advantage. Hard tightens the heuristic for stronger play.

Can I play against another person?

Currently the game is played against an AI opponent. The three difficulty levels provide a range of challenge from beginner to experienced players.

Chain Reaction

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How to Play Chain Reaction

Objective

Eliminate all of the AI opponent's orbs by placing your orbs on the grid and triggering chain reactions that capture neighboring cells.

Controls

Tap or click any cell to place one of your orbs (or add to a cell you already own). When a cell reaches its critical mass, it explodes and sends orbs to its neighbors.

Step by Step

1You play as one color, the AI as another. Players alternate turns.
2Tap a cell to add one orb. You can only add to empty cells or cells you already own.
3Each cell has a critical mass based on its position: corner cells explode at 2, edge cells at 3, and center cells at 4.
4When a cell reaches critical mass, it explodes — sending one orb to each adjacent cell and converting those cells to your color.
5Explosions can trigger further explosions in chain reactions. The player who eliminates all opponent orbs wins.

Winning

You win by capturing or eliminating all of the opponent's orbs through chain reactions, leaving only your orbs on the board.

Chain Reaction Rules

Players take turns placing one orb at a time.
You can only place orbs in empty cells or cells already containing your orbs.
Critical mass varies by position: corners need 2 orbs, edges need 3, interior cells need 4.
When a cell reaches critical mass it explodes, distributing one orb to each orthogonal neighbor.
Exploding into an opponent's cell captures it — their orbs become yours.
Chain reactions continue until no cell exceeds its critical mass.
The game ends when one player has no orbs remaining on the board.

Tips & Strategies

1.Prioritize corner and edge cells early. Their lower critical mass means they explode with fewer orbs, giving you explosive potential with less investment.

2.Avoid placing orbs next to the opponent's near-critical cells. One wrong move can trigger a massive chain reaction in their favor.

3.Build up cells near critical mass without tipping them over. Having multiple cells ready to explode at once creates devastating chain reactions on your next turn.

4.On Easy difficulty the AI plays randomly — use this to practice chain reaction mechanics. On Hard, the AI evaluates board positions more carefully.

5.Think one or two turns ahead. Chain reactions are the key to winning, and the best players set them up intentionally rather than waiting for them to happen.

About Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction is a two-player strategy game where you compete against an AI opponent by placing orbs on a grid. Cells explode at critical mass and capture neighboring cells, creating cascading chain reactions. The game offers three AI difficulty levels — Easy (random moves), Medium (heuristic-based with chain potential evaluation), and Hard (optimized heuristics). Explosion animations bring the chain reactions to life as orbs fly to adjacent cells.

Frequently Asked Questions

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