When the space tore open near Terminus Cluster, they didn't send diplomats—they sent THE SWARM. 

Emerging from unstable warp tunnels, an alien armada flooded the sector with a single mandate: TOTAL OBLITERATION.

To buy time, the Intergalactic Space Defense Council formed Force Delta-1. But out on the Fringe, everyone knows your true name: the RIFT RAIDERS!

Game Overview:

Rift Raiders is a compact Space Roguelite inspired by games like Breachway,  FTL and Ghost Signal. Your mission: enter the rifts and close them before The Swarm overflows into the galaxy.

Use clever inventory arrangements to create the ultimate combination of MODULES onto your ship’s grid to survive the descent.

• Meta-Progression: Your successes reward you with improved chances of survival on future runs via the CAREER menu in between runs. (Note: Starting a NEW CAREER will permanently erase progress!)

Quick start guide:

• Simple Path: Select New Run, keep the default loadout, and jump straight into action.
• Complex Path: Select New Run and customize your ship’s grid loadout before launching.

Ship Configuration Grids:

Your ship features four core management grids:

Ship Configuration View

BAY	Houses Active Modules & Crew. Defines your direct actions and combat bonuses.
CARGO	Storage for Inactive Modules & Mined Ores. Items here cannot be used in combat.
QUARTERS	Houses Inactive Crew. Keeps people safe, but offers no combat modifiers.
SCRAP	A 1x1 grid used to break down unwanted items into Bits (recovers partial value).
STASH	A temporary holding grid for easier inventory management. (Anything left here when exiting screens is discarded or auto-sold at shops).

This interface is shared with SHOPS, initial loadout customization, and salvaging/mining. These views present an extra  LIST  where available items can be picked/purchased.

Controls in all ship configuration views:

• D-PAD / CURSORS  navigate GRIDS and LISTS
• 🅾️ (Confirm): Pick up/place items or select list options.
• ❎ (Rotate/Back): Rotates held pieces. When not holding a piece, exits the screen.

Crew Overview:

Your ship can recruit up to your QUARTERS capacity, but inactive crew offer zero benefits. To harness their skills, crew members must be assigned to an active slot in your BAY grid.

• Level 1: Grants an ADJACENCY BONUS to modules touching their grid spot (+ shape).
• Level 2: Unlocks a powerful SHIP-GLOBAL BONUS that affects your entire vessel.

Crew classes:

• The Pilot: Master of maneuvers. Enhances Shield effectiveness and reduces incoming damage to the hull.
• The Engineer: Energy whisperer. Boosts Energy generation and coordinates emergency Hull Repairs.
• The Gunner: Pure firepower. Maximize Weapon efficiency, cooldown, and heat management.
• Intel-Ops: Tactical reconnaissance. Reveals enemy vulnerabilities in combat and pinpoints hidden resources in the rift.

Modules Overview:

(Note: Every ship requires at least 1 Generator and 1 Weapon to enter a Rift!)

• GENERATORS: generate ENERGY, the vital resource powering your ship.
• WEAPONS:
  • KINETIC:  Low energy/heat, but weak against Shields.
  • LASERS: Mid energy/heat, effective against Shields, weak against Hull.
  • RAILGUNS: Heavy damage to both Hull & Shields; bulky, high energy, high heat
  • PLASMA: Incandescent damage across the board; extremely bulky, high energy drain, massive heat generation.
  • Missiles: Cheap to fire (Kinetic, Energy, or Plasma), slow to reload,  and require 1 turn to hit. They can be targeted and destroyed before impact!
• Shields: Protects against damage, particularly well against  KINETIC damage. The projected barrier decays at .5 rate  per turn as it radiates into space.
• Scanners: Passive utility to reveal distant rift nodes and mineable asteroids.
• Vents: Uses energy to dump excess Heat generated by weapons and systems.
• Repair Kits: Consumes energy to deploy hull-repair drones.

Rift Navigation:

Navigate the sector node-by-node using Scanners to map out pathways and locate resources:

• Combat Nodes: Standard enemy encounters.
• Elite Combat Nodes: High-difficulty battles with guaranteed Module drops.
• Shops: Trade Bits for wares, or stop for mid-run ship repairs.
• Anomalies: High-risk, high-reward signals containing alien tech, scrap, or danger.
• Rift Boss: The primary target of the incursion—a massive mothership or Swarm leviathan.

Controls:

• D-PAD / CURSORS  target reachable nodes
• ❎ enter ship configuration
• 🅾️ jump to the first node in the selected route 

Combat:

Combat is turn-based (Player Turn  -> Enemy Turn).

1. Start of Turn: Vents automatically vent heat, and Generators refill Energy.
2. Action Categories: Select from ATTACK, SHIELD, VENT, or UTILITY.
   • Yellow Outline: Active module available.
   • Gray Outline: No module available or insufficient Energy (you can still open the category to inspect stats if there are installed modules for the category).
3. Execution: Select a module to target/fire or activate. Energy is deducted, heat is added, and control returns to you to pick your next action.
4. End Turn: Select End Turn once you’ve spent your energy or completed your actions.

Overheat Penalty:

Exceeding your ship’s maximum HEAT capacity causes an immediate system shutdown! Your ship will be completely disabled for 1 full turn. When systems come back online, your HEAT level drops to 50% of maximum capacity. Manage your VENTS wisely to avoid free enemy turns!

Victory Rewards:

Defeating enemy ships rewards you with XP to spend on permanent upgrades in the CAREER menu, alongside direct MODULE drops scavenged from fallen foes.

Controls during combat:

• D-PAD / CURSORS Navigate action buttons, modules, and enemy targets.
• ❎ Cancel target/attack or go back a menu.
  
• 🅾️ Confirm action, module, or target.

AI Disclosure:

AI-assisted tools were used strictly for developmental utility—primarily to automate repetitive tasks (e.g., generating data validation  scripts, handling build workflows, and running automated  ship/battle simulations on the datasets). All core code, game logic, and creative assets were created by humans.