INCEPTŸON Support

How do I play INCEPTŸON?

INCEPTŸON is an educational idle/clicker game. Here's how to start:

1. Tap the habitat (Europa's ocean) to generate Research Points (RP)
2. Unlock species in the Species Lab (first species costs 30 RP, unlocks in ~30 seconds)
3. Species generate Biomass (BM) passively—even when offline!
4. Purchase upgrades in the Engineering tab to boost production
5. Survive events (Gravity Glitch, Alien Hype Cycle, etc.) for bonus resources
6. Unlock fact cards in the Encyclopedia to learn real planetary science
7. Synthesize Europa when ready (prestige) to earn Galactic Reputation and permanent upgrades

What are the resources?

• RP (Research Points): Earned by tapping. Used to unlock species and upgrades.
• BM (Biomass): Generated by species. Used for upgrades and prestige.
• CR (Credits): Earned from visitors. Used for advanced upgrades.
• CU (Curiosity): Earned from learning facts. Used for educational unlocks.
• GR (Galactic Reputation): Prestige currency. Earned by Synthesizing moons. Used for permanent Star Cards.

How do I unlock new moons?

After completing Europa, you can unlock additional Jovian moons:

• Ganymede: 1,000 GR (The Conductor node—magnetic auroras!)
• Callisto: 5,000 GR (The Extractor node—ancient history)
• Io: 10,000 GR (The Forge node—volcanic chaos)

Each moon has unique species, events, and educational content!

What is the Synthesis Protocol?

The Synthesis Protocol is INCEPTŸON's prestige system. When you "Synthesize" a moon, you:

• Reset your local progress on that moon (resources, species, upgrades)
• Earn Galactic Reputation (GR) based on total BM + CR accumulated
• Keep all unlocked Star Cards (permanent multipliers)
• Keep all Xenogens (permanent species)

GR is calculated using: GR = floor(A * log10(total_BM + total_CR))

When should I Synthesize for the first time?

We recommend Synthesizing Europa when you can earn at least 50-100 GR. This typically takes 30-45 minutes of gameplay. You'll have enough to purchase your first Star Card, which provides a permanent 20% boost!

What are Star Cards?

Star Cards are permanent upgrades purchased with Galactic Reputation. They persist across all Synthesis cycles and apply to all moons. Examples:

• Observation Amplifier: +20% tap power
• Evolutionary Catalyst: Species unlock 30% faster
• Quantum Entanglement: Offline progress +50%

Does INCEPTŸON work offline?

Yes! INCEPTŸON is completely offline after initial download. Your species continue generating Biomass and Credits while you're away, up to:

• Base: 8 hours
• With upgrades: Up to 24 hours

When you return, you'll see a summary of resources earned offline.

Why is my offline progress capped?

To maintain game balance and prevent runaway idle gains. You can extend the cap to 24 hours by purchasing the "Extended Life Support" upgrade in the Engineering tab.

How do I unlock fact cards?

Fact cards are unlocked by:

• Discovering new species
• Completing events
• Reaching resource milestones
• Purchasing specific upgrades

Check the Encyclopedia tab to view unlocked facts. Each fact awards Curiosity (CU)!

Is the science accurate?

Yes! All educational content is sourced from NASA/JPL-Caltech, ESA, and peer-reviewed scientific research. Topics include:

• Tidal heating from Jupiter's gravitational pull
• Europa's subsurface ocean depth and salinity
• Ganymede's unique magnetic field
• Callisto's ancient, cratered surface
• Io's extreme volcanism
• Extremophile biology and astrobiology

The game mechanics are fiction, but the science is real!

Can I use INCEPTŸON in the classroom?

Absolutely! Enable Edu Mode in Settings for classroom use. This mode:

• Emphasizes educational content over gameplay distractions
• Reduces humor and narrative elements
• Highlights fact cards and scientific accuracy

INCEPTŸON is designed for ages 9+ and aligns with STEM learning objectives.

How do I adjust text size?

Go to Settings → Accessibility → Text Size. You can scale from 0.8x to 2.0x to suit your preferences.

Does INCEPTŸON support color-blind modes?

Yes! We support three color-blind modes:

• Protanopia (red-weak vision)
• Deuteranopia (green-weak vision)
• Tritanopia (blue-weak vision)

Enable in Settings → Accessibility → Color-Blind Mode.

Can I disable animations?

Yes! Enable Reduce Motion in Settings → Accessibility. This reduces particle effects and animations for users sensitive to motion.

Can I disable analytics?

Yes! Go to Settings → Privacy and toggle off:

• Crash Reporting (Sentry)
• Analytics (Posthog)

Note: Analytics are automatically disabled for users under 13. See our Privacy Policy for details.

The app is lagging or running slowly

Try these steps:

1. Enable Reduce Motion in Settings → Accessibility (reduces particle effects)
2. Close other apps running in the background
3. Restart your device
4. Ensure you have the latest version of INCEPTŸON from the App Store
5. Check that your device meets minimum requirements (see below)

INCEPTŸON is optimized for 60 FPS on iPhone 12 and newer. Older devices may experience minor frame drops during particle-heavy events.

My save game is not loading

INCEPTŸON auto-saves every 30 seconds. If your save is corrupted:

1. Force-close the app (swipe up from app switcher on iOS)
2. Reopen the app
3. If the issue persists, email us at [email protected] with details

An event is not triggering

Events trigger every 90-150 seconds (random interval). If an event hasn't triggered:

• Make sure enough time has passed (wait 2-3 minutes)
• Check that you're not in a menu (events only trigger in the habitat view)
• Restart the app

The app crashes on launch

Try these steps:

1. Restart your device
2. Ensure iOS is up to date (Settings → General → Software Update)
3. Delete and reinstall INCEPTŸON (⚠️ This will delete your save data)
4. If the issue persists, email [email protected] with your device model and iOS version

Audio is not playing

Check the following:

• Ensure your device is not in Silent Mode (check the physical switch on iPhone)
• Increase volume using the volume buttons
• Go to Settings → Audio and verify music/SFX are not muted
• Restart the app

Does INCEPTŸON have ads or in-app purchases?

Current version (0.2.0): No ads, no in-app purchases. The game is completely free.

Future versions: We may add optional IAP for cosmetic items or convenience (e.g., time skips). These will never be required to progress. All gameplay content will remain free.