Synapse Grid

Synapse Grid is a light-cycle combat racer built around walls of solid light that riders leave behind. You ride to build the arena as you race: walls can provide cover and routes, trap opponents, or kill any rider who touches them, including the one who made them. The game includes a 90-mission campaign, arena battles against AI, and multiplayer modes.

Ride and fight

Turning is limited to hard 90-degree turns on a cooldown. You gain speed by drafting close behind another rider, making the fastest route the most dangerous. The arena closes over time, leaving less room to maneuver. You can cut through walls to open unexpected routes or seal corridors and leave rivals with nowhere to go.

Campaign and modes

The campaign spans 18 sectors on a branching route map. You choose your path, and the grid opens up as you progress through 90 missions covering 18 objective types, including survival, time attack, node harvest, purge runs, paint, laps, courier runs and duels. VANTA is a recurring nemesis, and the game keeps a head-to-head record between you.

There are 13 ways to play, including Campaign, Arena free-for-all, Time Attack, Territory, Infinity, Endless Grid in Cruise and Survive modes, Classic Snake and Free Ride. Endless Grid generates runs for as long as you keep riding.

Multiplayer and AI

Local split-screen supports 2, 3 or 4 players on one PC, including 2v2 teams. You can assign each seat to a human or AI and choose the screen layout: side-by-side or stacked for two players, thirds or a grid for three, and quarters for four. AI fills any unclaimed seats.

The AI uses a neural network trained through self-play, alongside hunting logic. You choose from four difficulty tiers before a match. Online multiplayer is in beta and unproven across real connections.

Arenas and unlocks

A built-in map editor lets you create arenas, play them immediately, and load maps and mods made by other players. The game also includes 35 unlockables earned through play: 18 trail colours, 8 chassis, 3 riders and 6 grid skins.

The soundtrack has 94 original synthwave and retrowave tracks, totaling around seven and a half hours. The mix tightens and lifts as the field narrows to the last two riders.