SYNTHWAVE RUNNER

Nova Sprint

Nova, a small courier bot with hover boots, sprints down a synthwave track collecting star shards and N-O-V-A letters across 3 levels. Dodge the obstacles, spend your shards in the shop, and see how far down the hyper-lane you can get.

▶ Play Nova Sprint

How to play

Press START SPRINT and Nova starts running on her own. Steer with the Left and Right arrow keys (or A and D) to change lanes, and jump with the Up arrow or W. On touch screens, swipe left, right, or up.

Crystal obstacles and roadblocks sit in your lanes. Hit one and Nova loses a heart — lose all three and the run ends. Grab star shards as you go: yellow shards are worth 10, cyan 25, and violet 50.

Floating letters spell N-O-V-A. Collect all four in a run for +500 points and a speed boost. The letters get rarer as the levels go on, so the full set is worth chasing early.

Game mechanics explained

Shards are spendable, not just points. Between levels the NOVA RELAY SHOP opens, and your shards buy upgrades: Double Jump (a second mid-air leap with a hover-flip), Extra Heart (+1 max heart, and restores one), Repair Kit (restores one lost heart), and Phase Shield (press Space for 5 seconds of complete invincibility).

There are 3 levels, called sectors. Level 2 adds a fourth lane, and the track gets faster and denser as you go. Clear all three sectors and the run ends in victory — DELIVERY COMPLETE — with your final score.

Best score and best distance are saved on your device only, with no account. Drones and orbs appear as the run goes on, and the shop portal shows up between levels.

Advanced strategies

Bank shards for the Phase Shield before the faster levels. Five seconds of invincibility gets you through the densest obstacle stretches, and the shield is the one purchase that saves a run outright.

Jump late over roadblocks, not early. An early jump lands you back on the track before the obstacle is past you. If you bought Double Jump, the second leap covers the widest gaps.

Chase the letters when the lane is clear, but never through an obstacle. +500 points and a boost are worth a detour, not a heart.

High score tips

Stay in the middle lane when you can. It gives you one move either way when an obstacle appears, instead of a wall on one side.
Grab violet shards first when two are on screen. They are worth five yellow shards, and the shop prices add up fast.
Use the shield on the stretch right after a level change, when the speed jumps and the new lane layout is still unfamiliar.
Your best distance saves even on a failed run, so every attempt counts toward a personal record worth beating.

Developer patch notes

A Back to Hub button was added to the menu, game-over, and victory screens. The chase camera was re-tuned so Nova stays large in the lower third of the screen.

Questions players ask

What ends a run?
Losing all three hearts to obstacles. Repair Kits and the Extra Heart buy you more room.

What happens when I finish all 3 levels?
DELIVERY COMPLETE — the victory screen shows your final score, distance, and shards, and your bests save.

Do I need an account?
No. Best score and best distance are saved in your browser only.

Can I play on my phone?
Yes. Swipe left, right, or up to steer and jump, and tap the on-screen buttons.