It is a one button rope swing game set in an endless cave. You latch a rope to the next anchor, release to fling forward, and try to get as far as you can before you fall in the Murk or the Gloom catches you.

How do I play with just one button?

Hold the button to latch onto the glowing anchor and let go to fling. The button can be the left mouse button, Space or a finger on a touch screen.

What happens when the rope frays?

If you hold on until the rope runs out, it snaps and you drop into a free-flying arc without a fling bonus. Your chain is kept, but you lose the chance to choose your release.

How does the Daily Cave work?

Each UTC day has one cave, the same for everyone, and it shows your best score for the day. Finish a Daily run on consecutive days to build a streak.

Is there an option for players who cannot hold a button?

Yes. Tap mode on the menu lets one tap latch the rope and the next tap release it. There is also a reduced motion option that turns off screen shake, flashes and slow motion.

Do I need to download anything, and does it work on a phone?

No download or account is needed, and your progress is saved in your browser. It works by touch on a phone, one finger is enough, and it plays best in landscape.

Tattergrip

A one button rope swing game: latch, fling and outrun the Gloom.

About this game

Tattergrip is a rope swing game that runs in your browser. Hold to latch a fraying rope to the next anchor, release to fling, and outrun the Gloom. The cave is endless, one button is all you need, and a Daily Cave gives everyone the same run each day.

Tattergrip is a rope swing game with a single button. A small lantern-headed climber falls through a glowing cave whose ceiling is lined with rope anchors. Hold the button to latch a rope onto the next anchor, then release to fling yourself toward the one after it. Only the next anchor can be grabbed, its ring brightens when it is within reach, and every anchor can be used once, so you are always moving forward.

The catch is that ropes do not last. Every rope frays and then snaps, so you cannot hang and pump. A Root anchor holds for about a second and a half, an Iron anchor for about two and a half seconds, and a Brittle crystal anchor, which appears deeper in the cave, for under a second. Timing your press matters too. The rope is as long as the gap between you and the anchor at the moment you latch. Press early for a long, slow arc, or press late for a short, fast one. In a tight cave that choice decides whether you clear the gap or drop into the floor.

Two things chase you. The Gloom is a wall of darkness that creeps in from the left and gets faster the farther you go, with a red edge on the screen when it is close. The Murk is a glowing pool that fills the floor, and touching it ends the run. The ceiling is not deadly, but a bump slows you, drops your rope and resets your chain. The cave tightens as you go, with wider gaps, stalagmites and more Brittle anchors, and its colours change as you pass each zone. The climber hovers at the start until your first press, so you can find the first ring before the run begins.

Your score is distance in metres plus a style score. Letting go yourself at speed earns a fling bonus, and every latch in a row adds to a chain multiplier that can double it. A rope that snaps on its own gives no bonus but keeps your chain. Missing an anchor, pressing when nothing is in reach, or bumping the ceiling resets it. Runs last from half a minute to a few minutes, and you can start another straight away.

For a reason to come back there is the Daily Cave, built from the UTC date so everyone gets the same cave. Finish a Daily run on consecutive days to build a streak. Scarf colours unlock as your lifetime distance grows. A tap-toggle mode replaces holding, so one tap latches and the next releases, and a reduced motion option removes screen shake, flashes and slow motion. There is nothing to download, no account to create, and your progress is saved in your browser. It works with a mouse, touch or the Space key, and it plays best in landscape on a phone.

How to play

Press Play for an endless cave, or Daily Cave for today's shared cave.
The climber hovers until your first press. When the ring of the next anchor brightens, hold the button (mouse, a finger or Space) to latch the rope.
Swing and watch the rope. It reddens as it frays, and it snaps if you hold on too long.
Release to fling yourself toward the next anchor, then press again when its ring is in reach.
Press earlier for a long, slow rope and later for a short, fast one. Letting go at speed scores a bigger fling bonus.
Stay out of the Murk and ahead of the Gloom. When the run ends, check your distance and style score, then press Play again.

Controls

Action	Keyboard	Mouse	Touch
Latch (press) / release	Space hold	Left mouse hold	Hold a finger anywhere on the canvas
Tap mode	Space toggles	click toggles	tap toggles
Pause	Esc or P	on-screen pause button	on-screen pause button
Mute	M	speaker button	speaker button
Menu navigation	Enter or Space on the focused default button	mouse	tap

Tips

Wait for the ring to brighten before you press. A press with nothing in reach is a miss, it resets your chain and it briefly locks the button.
Let the rope swing past straight down before you release. Speed is highest there, and letting go on the way up flings you forward and upward.
Match the rope to the cave. Press a little later for a short rope under a low ceiling, and a little earlier for a long arc over a wide gap.
Treat Brittle crystal anchors as quick hops. Latch and release at once, because you only have a fraction of a second.
Do not linger. The Gloom keeps getting faster, so a smooth chain of swings is safer than waiting for a perfect one.
If holding is hard, switch the input to tap mode on the menu. If the shaking bothers you, turn on reduced motion.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tattergrip?: It is a one button rope swing game set in an endless cave. You latch a rope to the next anchor, release to fling forward, and try to get as far as you can before you fall in the Murk or the Gloom catches you.
How do I play with just one button?: Hold the button to latch onto the glowing anchor and let go to fling. The button can be the left mouse button, Space or a finger on a touch screen.
What happens when the rope frays?: If you hold on until the rope runs out, it snaps and you drop into a free-flying arc without a fling bonus. Your chain is kept, but you lose the chance to choose your release.
How does the Daily Cave work?: Each UTC day has one cave, the same for everyone, and it shows your best score for the day. Finish a Daily run on consecutive days to build a streak.
Is there an option for players who cannot hold a button?: Yes. Tap mode on the menu lets one tap latch the rope and the next tap release it. There is also a reduced motion option that turns off screen shake, flashes and slow motion.
Do I need to download anything, and does it work on a phone?: No download or account is needed, and your progress is saved in your browser. It works by touch on a phone, one finger is enough, and it plays best in landscape.