Poppies — Last updated 29 May 2026. These Terms apply to Poppies and to every current and future version, build, and update of the game (collectively, the "Game").

1. Acceptance

By installing, opening, or playing the Game you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Game. Continued use after an update means you accept the then-current Terms.

2. The Game

Poppies is an arcade reflex game provided for entertainment. It is offered free of charge and "as is," without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose or uninterrupted availability. Features may be added, changed, or removed in any future version.

3. Accounts & Security

You may create an account with a username and password. You are responsible for keeping your credentials safe and for all activity under your account. Passwords are stored only as a salted, irreversible hash — never as plain text. We cannot recover a lost password and are not liable for any loss of progress, coins, or items.

4. Your Data

Progress (scores, coins, unlocked items, settings, daily streak, and goals) is saved on your device. If an online backend is connected, that progress is also stored on a server so it can sync across your devices. We do not sell your data or show third-party advertising inside the Game.

5. Public Leaderboard

If you submit a score while online, your chosen username and best score may be shown publicly on the global leaderboard. Do not use a username that contains personal information you wish to keep private, or that is offensive, infringing, or impersonating.

6. Fair Play

You agree not to cheat, automate, reverse-engineer, tamper with, overload, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Game, its backend, the leaderboard, or other players' accounts. We may reset scores or remove accounts that violate these rules.

7. Intellectual Property

The Game, its name, code, artwork, and audio are owned by their respective creator. You receive a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to play it. You may not resell or redistribute the Game as your own.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the creator is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for any loss of data or progress, arising from your use of the Game.

9. Changes to These Terms

These Terms may be updated at any time. The latest version is always the one shown here inside the Game, and it governs all current and future versions automatically. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent change.

10. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact the Game's operator through the channel where you obtained the Game.

This document is a general template provided for convenience and is not legal advice. For a binding, jurisdiction-specific agreement, consult a qualified lawyer.

Everything you need to master Poppies. Tap the back arrow any time to return to Settings.

How to Play

You control a glowing orb. Move it to swallow the green motes for points, and avoid the red hazards — a single hit ends your run. The longer you survive and the faster you chain motes, the higher your score climbs.

Controls

Touch: drag anywhere on screen and the orb follows your finger.
Mouse: the orb tracks your cursor.
Keyboard: WASD or the arrow keys to move, and Space to unleash Surge.

Combo

Each green mote you collect raises your combo multiplier, and a higher multiplier means more points per mote. Let too much time pass without collecting one and the combo resets, so keep the chain alive by moving mote to mote.

Surge

Collecting motes also fills the SURGE bar. Once it's full, unleash it (tap the surge button or press Space) to become briefly invincible and detonate nearby hazards in a shockwave. It's both a panic button and a way to push deeper into a run.

The Motes

Green motes are your bread and butter — collect them for points and combo. You'll also see rarer special motes that grant bonuses such as extra coins, an instant surge boost, brief slow-motion, or a temporary score multiplier. In Hardcore Mode you'll also encounter decoy motes: they look green but carry a small ✕ — grabbing one breaks your combo and drains surge, so steer clear.

Game Modes

Hardcore Mode adds ✕ decoy motes and a health bar — grabbing a decoy costs half your health (the bar slowly regenerates), and it has its own separate leaderboard. Boss Mode pits you against three boss types (Warden, Brute, Weaver), each with its own look and moveset — throws, lunges, bursts, spirals and homing shots, all telegraphed with a warning flash so you can dodge. Fill SURGE, then get close and unleash SURGE next to the boss — the blast damages it (the closer you are, the more). Your health bar only refills between bosses (no regen while one's alive), and every 10th kill spawns two bosses at once. Each boss is tougher than the last, and the leaderboard ranks how many you defeat. Survival Mode throws bosses, decoy motes, and red-star hazards at you together. Your goal is simple: stay alive for as many seconds as possible; your best survival time has its own global leaderboard. Zen Mode is calm, no-fail play — no hazards, gentler music, just collect motes to relax. Pick a mode with the selector next to the Play button.

Coins & Crates

You earn coins from runs, the daily bonus, and goals. Spend them in the Shop on crates. Each crate has its own set of skins or arenas — you won't pull a duplicate until you've collected the whole set, and rarer items are less likely (Legendary ≈2%, secret Mythic ≈0.4%). The pricier crates drop no commons. Every set hides one secret Mythic, shown as ??? until you find it.

Index

The Index is your collection. Tap any item you own to equip it — orb skins change how your orb looks, and arenas change the playfield backdrop. Locked items show what's still out there to find in crates.

Daily Bonus & Goals

Claim a coin bonus once per day from the home screen; logging in on consecutive days keeps your streak going. Daily Goals offer a fresh set of challenges each day — complete them for extra coins.

Accounts & Cloud Save

Create an account with a username and password to save your progress. When the game is connected to an online backend, your progress also syncs across devices — log in with the same account anywhere to pick up where you left off. Without a backend, your account is saved on this device only.

Forgot Your Password?

When you create an account online you're given a one-time recovery code — save it. On the login screen, tap Forgot password?, enter your username, that code, and a new password to regain access. Recovery codes only work with the online backend, and a lost code can't be retrieved.

Settings Tips

Fine-tune the feel under Settings: adjust movement sensitivity, toggle sound and music, and use Reduced Flashing, Lite Effects, or Potato Mode if you'd like a calmer screen or smoother performance on older devices.

Stuck on something not covered here? Most answers live in the Settings screen — and when in doubt, just hit PLAY and experiment.