Wildcard rounds
Get to round 25 and the game stops playing fair. Every third round from then on is a wildcard: one rule breaks, a gold banner says which, and you have three seconds to adjust.
When they happen
Wildcards start at round 25 and come every third round after that: 25, 28, 31, 34 and so on, in both evader and chaser runs. The rounds in between are normal rounds at full difficulty, so a wildcard is a change of rhythm rather than a break. The same twist never comes twice in a row, and if you retry a wildcard round you get the same twist again rather than a new roll.
Round 25 is also where the first perk unlocks, so reaching it is a milestone twice over.
The eight wildcards
ORB RUSH
Orbs rain down: they respawn about three times as fast as usual.
How to play it: this is the round to grab orbs you would normally leave. As the evader, chain shields and freezes; as the chaser, keep taking freeze and overtime so the runner doesn't get shields. Remember the chasers take orbs too.
GOLD RUSH
Orbs rain coins for your disc, with the odd SCORE ×2 among them.
How to play it: the coins go to your disc in the Arena, so a Gold Rush round is a shortcut to your next stat point or skill. Collect what is safe; a coin is never worth a life.
THE SWARM
Three chasers at once, all of them noticeably slower.
How to play it: slower means you can outpace each one, but three of them close off the arena fast. Stay in the open, keep moving in wide loops, and never let yourself be pinned in a corner where two can reach you at once.
THE GIANT
One huge, relentless chaser, a little slower than normal.
How to play it: its size is the danger. You can't slip past it the way you would past a normal chaser, so give it a much wider berth and use blocks it has trouble getting round.
CLOSE QUARTERS
The arena starts already squeezed in tight.
How to play it: there is less room for long curves, so short sidesteps and well-timed dashes matter more. As the chaser, it is a gift: the runner has fewer places to go.
BLACKOUT STORM
The lights go out and the walls close in, both at the same time.
How to play it: look at the layout during the countdown and remember it. You will see chasers late, so stay away from the edges, where you have the least time to react, and move toward the middle as the walls come in.
FRENZY
Everyone, you and the chasers, moves about 12% faster.
How to play it: the chase is the same, there is just less time to think. Make your decisions earlier than usual and keep a dash in hand for the lunge you didn't see coming.
MARATHON
A 30-second round instead of 20, and surviving it pays double.
How to play it: pace yourself. Fifty percent more round means fifty percent more lunges, so the dash discipline from earlier rounds matters more than ever. As the chaser, the extra ten seconds are yours: be patient and set up the tag.
Getting to round 25
Most runs end well before the wildcards. The evader guide covers the habits that get you there: dash late, read the chaser's lunge, use blocks, and take the shield whenever it is safe. Rounds 14 to 24 are the real test, with elite chasers, two at a time, and the last of the skills arriving.
PLAY QUAD CHASE