Controls

Pad The left stick moves and the right stick aims. R2 and L2 cast the right and left hand's element, both together their combination. Hold R1 or L1 and flick the right stick to pick a hand's element (both held, a combination for both hands). A dodge-rolls (untouchable for its start), B acts (talk, untie, the wardrobe, eat a turnip on the voyage), X casts the hands' ward, L3 runs and Start opens the Settings.

Keyboard and mouse WASD or the arrows move and the mouse aims. Left click casts the left hand and right click the right. Hold Q or E and point the mouse at an element to pick it for that hand (both, a combination). Space rolls, R acts, X wards, left Shift runs and Enter opens the trees. The game starts full screen, and F11 or Alt+Enter (Ctrl+Cmd+F on a Mac) switches to a window and back.

Phone The left thumb moves (push further to run). The right thumb aims and casts with the hand the switch in the bottom corner picks (right, left or both), and a quick tap with it rolls. Act and Ward sit above it, each hand's four elements along the top (tap one to hold it), and Menu and Back in the top corners.

Two hands, four elements

Each hand holds an element: fire (fireballs that stagger), air (gusts that shove hard but don't hurt; what they're shoved into does), water (globs that leave slowing puddles) and earth. Any two together make one of ten combinations, each learned by winning its rift trial; held in both hands, both triggers cast it.

The ward (X)

Every spell has a big move on X: the hands' combination's if it's learned, else each element's at once (both hands the same: stronger). One wait for all of them (12 s for the elements, 15 for combinations, 18 for the strongest), counting only once the ward's over and only while the hero's dealing damage; the ring round the HUD's shield fills as it comes back. The Spells and Wards pages show each.

XP and boons

Beaten monsters leave XP to be picked up (they're pulled in from nearby, and all of them once a screen's clear). A full bar is a level: pick one of three boons, passives that last the voyage (faster feet, quicker hands, a chained dodge, crits, leech, a blink...). Hearts come from shrines' gifts, turnips (B eats one: a heart back) and loot.

Mastery and boon cards

Every point of damage a spell deals is a point of its mastery XP, banked when the voyage ends (the 'Damage done by' card), each spell's level climbing. Then the wheel spins for boon cards, once for the voyage and once more for each leg it reached. Cards fly past a frame, slowing, and the one that stops in it is yours for good. Each boon card changes how one spell or its ward works, and is common, rare, epic or legendary. Once yours, it can turn up among a level's boons on any voyage, whatever your hands hold, the rarer the less often, and taken it lasts that voyage.

Capes, pets and gloves

The wardrobe by the cottage door: dyes from the start, element and combination capes won from trials' keepers (each +1 to its spells, glowing; won again at a harder difficulty, a keeper's thread is woven in: crits, resistance, damage), fairies that follow and cast their two elements, and gloves found by secrets (the Frost Gloves, from the frozen wave).

Co-op

A second pad's Start joins a second hero in a blue cape beside the first, sharing the voyage (XP, boons, turnips, mastery). Monsters go for the nearer hero; one out of hearts lies downed until the other stands by it a moment. On Steam, friends can join your home and play the same game over the internet.