The same terms recur across the wiki. Here is a one-line definition of each — look here first when a word does not ring a bell, then follow the link for the full account.
The board
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Node | A place you can stand. A level is a graph of nodes and the edges joining them. |
| Edge | A path joining two nodes. Two-way by default. |
| One-way edge | An edge passable in one direction only: a ladder, a chute. Clusters in act 3. |
| Sight blocker | A node no line of sight passes over; a stall, a wall, a rock. |
| Hiding spot | A node on which you are invisible to the sight check. |
| Toll | A node that costs coins to enter. You pay on the first entry only. |
Full account: World model.
The rules
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sight chain | The sequence of edges a watcher follows in the direction it faces. Sight is defined on that chain, not on free geometry. |
| Lethal sight | A gaze that catches. The sentry's and the patrol's are lethal; the chaser's is not. |
| Contact | Being on the same node as an enemy. Capture for every kind of entity. |
| Enemy phase | The stage after your move where every threat takes one step in order. |
| Distraction | An entity leaving its duty for the sound of a bell stone; lasts three turns. |
| Alarm | A chaser seeing you and taking your node as its target. Its gaze does not catch — it starts the alarm. |
Full account: Sight, Capture, Turn order.
Items
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Key | Bound to a door's id; once taken it is yours for the rest of the level. |
| Coin | For paying tolls. |
| Bell stone | A stone that makes a noise when thrown, distracting nearby threats. |
| Relic | An object belonging to the story. The target of the third star and the key to hidden levels. |
Progress
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Par | A level's minimum move count. Never written by hand; it is what the game's solver found. |
| Path / Master / Trace | The three stars: finish, finish at par, collect the relic. |
| Struggle signal | The mechanism that counts moves made without approaching a solution and sets the hint button trembling. |
| Dead end | A state from which the solution is already lost without your noticing. Undo being free, it never punishes. |
| Tutorial level | The level where a rule is first introduced on its own. |
Full account: Stars, Hints, Difficulty.
Structure
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Act | One of the game's three parts; each a region with its own rules. |
| Hidden level | An extra level opened by collecting relics, teaching no new rule. |
| Vignette | The wordless story scene at the start and end of an act. |
| Gallery | The screen where unlocked vignettes and collected relics can be revisited. |
| NB-XX | The id of a rule in the catalogue (NB-01…NB-08). |
Full account: Acts, Rule catalogue.