How it works

Two guides, two subjects

You can visit either or both, in any order, and come back to the other whenever you like.

Your save code

The first time you arrive, a save code is created for you, something like CE-7F3K-9QXZ. It is the only thing that ties your progress to you; there is no login, no name, no email.

• Note the code down somewhere safe. If you lose it, your progress cannot be recovered.
• To carry on from a different device or browser, enter the same code there.
• Starting a new profile gives you a fresh code and leaves the old one untouched.

Working through a session

Each visit steps you through a short series of stops, one at a time, in a fixed order. At each stop, the persona sets the scene, then offers you a small set of choices to pick from.

• With Raven, one of the choices is correct; picking a different one gets a gentle nudge and another go, at no cost. A hint can be requested at any point, if you would rather have a nudge than puzzle it out alone.
• With Hearth, there is no wrong choice; each one leads to a short reply and the scene moves on, since the point is noticing trade offs, not scoring them.

Rank, badges, and awards

Completing a stop raises your rank, shown as a small track (pips for Raven, a rising flame for Hearth) beside the persona's name, and earns a badge specific to that stop; both are visible at the top of the page and carry over between visits.

Two further awards mark bigger milestones:

• 🏆 a trophy, once every one of the core stops has been completed;
• ⭐ a star, once the further, bonus stop has been completed as well.

Either award, once earned, also appears in the top right corner of that persona's card on the front page, so you can see at a glance how far you have got with Raven and with Hearth.

Chatting alongside the stops

Below the current stop is a plain text box where you can type a question to the persona directly; think of it as a side conversation running alongside the main flow, not another way to answer.

• Ask about anything covered so far, in your own words; a follow up like "why did I get that" is understood, since the persona can see what has just appeared on your own screen.
• Typing an answer into the chat does not submit it; a stop is only completed by clicking one of the on screen choices.
• Questions outside cryptography (for Raven) or privacy and online safety (for Hearth) are politely redirected, in character, rather than simply refused.
• If a message suggests something troubling in real life, the persona drops the game framing at once and points you towards a trusted adult or a genuine source of support.