Read the displayed regular expression, type a short string that satisfies it, and keep clearing prompts to build your multiplier. You have 20 seconds. Tab skips a level with a double-or-nothing trade-off, so treat it as a risk decision rather than a free solution.
Play link, objective and release
Play ^GOODBYE$ on Tonweight's itch.io page. This free browser prototype was published October 23, 2026 at 12:10 UTC and updated at 20:02 UTC the same day. It is part of 20 Second Game Jam 2026. The developer describes an arcade typing game: enter strings that match regular expressions, remove matching members of the crowd, clear levels, increase your multiplier and loop back. It is a score challenge, not a documented story campaign with a fixed ending.
A practical first run
- Have your keyboard ready before starting. Read the regex shown for the current prompt.
- Think of the shortest simple string that satisfies the pattern, then type it. The public instructions do not identify a universal submission or backspace control; follow the current screen.
- After a correct answer, move on quickly. The developer says cleared levels raise the multiplier.
- If you cannot find a match, weigh Tab to skip against the developer's stated double-or-nothing risk. It is not documented as a hint key.
- After the 20-second round, review which symbol caused hesitation and use that as your next practice target.
Regex mini-cheat sheet
These are illustrative standard regex examples, not verified in-game questions.
| Example pattern | Example matching text | Trap |
|---|---|---|
^cat$ |
cat |
cats has an extra character |
c.t |
cat, cut |
The dot stands for one character |
^[0-9][0-9]$ |
42 |
Exactly two digits |
^ab?c$ |
ac, abc |
The b is optional |
^ anchors the beginning, $ the end, . matches one character and [0-9] matches a digit. These principles help you construct an answer, but the game's actual prompt list and matching implementation have not been independently inspected.
Decisions that save seconds
| On screen | Best first check |
|---|---|
Both ^ and $ |
Match the entire string, without extra characters |
[0-9] |
Use digits rather than letters |
? |
Check whether the preceding character can be omitted |
| A hard prompt | Compare a cautious attempt with Tab's wager |
| Negative-looking leaderboard entry | Check the sign, not just its position |
FAQ: bonus, Tab and reported scoring issue
Does Tab reveal the answer? No such function is documented; the developer describes skipping for double-or-nothing. How do I get the nonexistent-entity bonus? The creator mentions a bonus for conjuring an entity that does not exist, but gives no confirmed input recipe. Was there a leaderboard bug? A player reported negative scores looking positive around October 24, 2026. The developer acknowledged it and said a new build was coming; the status of every deployed version has not been verified.
Bottom line and sources
Match a short string, clear prompts, grow the multiplier, and use Tab only when its risk makes sense. An apocalypse-themed typing game where a misplaced character can matter more than the end of the world is an excellent advertisement for reading punctuation.
Sources: official game and mechanics, jam submission and developer replies, 20-second jam rules. Checked October 25, 2026. No hands-on completed run, exact bonus trigger or guaranteed high-score sequence is claimed.
