Is Vortex Shift really free?

Yes. Nothing in the game costs real money: every ship, skin and upgrade is bought with the gems you collect while playing. The game pays for itself with ads inside the game (a small banner and optional rewarded ads). These guide pages have no ads and no trackers.

Yes. Your very first run is a short tutorial on a practice level, where the mines can't hurt you. When you finish it, a real run starts. After that, each run opens with a quick summary of the rules, which you can switch off with the "Don't show this again" box. SETTINGS lets you replay the tutorial whenever you like.

Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, on desktop and on mobile. On a phone you can add it to your home screen, and it will open fullscreen like an app.

Do I need an account?

No, you can play straight away as a guest and your progress is saved in your browser. A free account (username and password, email optional) keeps your progress on the server, puts you on the global leaderboards and unlocks the Daily Challenge and achievements.

I forgot my password. What now?

If your account has an email, tap "Forgot your password?" on the login screen and a reset link should arrive within a minute. Without an email the account can't be recovered, which is exactly what the registration screen warns you about.

Why did my score get rejected?

The server checks every score against how long the run really lasted. Impossible pace, impossible gem rates and boss kills that couldn't have happened are refused. Normal play is never affected. If it happens to you, check that your device clock is set correctly.

How do leaderboards work?

There are three boards: DAILY (today's seeded Daily Challenge, UTC), WEEKLY (the last seven days) and ALL-TIME. Every score counts, not only each player's best, and you can see your own rank on each board. There are also a few placeholder pilots so the boards never look empty, and real players push them down pretty quickly.

Why is the game slow on my tablet?

It shouldn't be since the September 2026 performance update. If the frame rate still drops, the game lowers its rendering resolution by itself and lets you know. Closing other tabs and using an up-to-date browser also helps.

What is the revive ad?

If you die after beating a boss and you're logged in, you can revive once every two hours by watching a short ad. The revive only counts if the ad plays to the end, so closing it early gives you nothing. Because the ad comes from Google, you need to accept advertising cookies for this to work.

What data does the game collect?

As little as possible: your account data if you create one, gameplay statistics for the leaderboards and anti-cheat, and Google Analytics and ad cookies only if you accept the cookie banner. It's all listed in the privacy & cookie policy, and you can delete your account from the OPTIONS screen with one tap.

Can I play with a controller?

Not yet. Keyboard, mouse and touch are supported, and controller support is on my wish list.

Who makes Vortex Shift?

M3A Labs, which is really just me, an independent developer in Italy. The game runs on a small server I host myself, behind Cloudflare. There's more about it on the About us page.

M3A Labs / Vortex Shift / Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions I get asked most, with short answers.

Is Vortex Shift really free?: Yes. Nothing in the game costs real money: every ship, skin and upgrade is bought with the gems you collect while playing. The game pays for itself with ads inside the game (a small banner and optional rewarded ads). These guide pages have no ads and no trackers.
Is there a tutorial?: Yes. Your very first run is a short tutorial on a practice level, where the mines can't hurt you. When you finish it, a real run starts. After that, each run opens with a quick summary of the rules, which you can switch off with the "Don't show this again" box. SETTINGS lets you replay the tutorial whenever you like.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, on desktop and on mobile. On a phone you can add it to your home screen, and it will open fullscreen like an app.
Do I need an account?: No, you can play straight away as a guest and your progress is saved in your browser. A free account (username and password, email optional) keeps your progress on the server, puts you on the global leaderboards and unlocks the Daily Challenge and achievements.
I forgot my password. What now?: If your account has an email, tap "Forgot your password?" on the login screen and a reset link should arrive within a minute. Without an email the account can't be recovered, which is exactly what the registration screen warns you about.
Why did my score get rejected?: The server checks every score against how long the run really lasted. Impossible pace, impossible gem rates and boss kills that couldn't have happened are refused. Normal play is never affected. If it happens to you, check that your device clock is set correctly.
How do leaderboards work?: There are three boards: DAILY (today's seeded Daily Challenge, UTC), WEEKLY (the last seven days) and ALL-TIME. Every score counts, not only each player's best, and you can see your own rank on each board. There are also a few placeholder pilots so the boards never look empty, and real players push them down pretty quickly.
Why is the game slow on my tablet?: It shouldn't be since the September 2026 performance update. If the frame rate still drops, the game lowers its rendering resolution by itself and lets you know. Closing other tabs and using an up-to-date browser also helps.
What is the revive ad?: If you die after beating a boss and you're logged in, you can revive once every two hours by watching a short ad. The revive only counts if the ad plays to the end, so closing it early gives you nothing. Because the ad comes from Google, you need to accept advertising cookies for this to work.
What data does the game collect?: As little as possible: your account data if you create one, gameplay statistics for the leaderboards and anti-cheat, and Google Analytics and ad cookies only if you accept the cookie banner. It's all listed in the privacy & cookie policy, and you can delete your account from the OPTIONS screen with one tap.
Can I play with a controller?: Not yet. Keyboard, mouse and touch are supported, and controller support is on my wish list.
Who makes Vortex Shift?: M3A Labs, which is really just me, an independent developer in Italy. The game runs on a small server I host myself, behind Cloudflare. There's more about it on the About us page.

Frequently Asked Questions

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