The multiverse: every universe, from cosy to absolutely not.

The map

Home is at the middle of the first cluster, a disc of 2,400 universes. Beyond it lie more clusters, each a disc of its own, spiralling out for ever. Every universe has a number, and the same number always gives the same universe on every machine. Each gate sees only the neighbourhood round it.

Each universe has a name made of two words, such as "Soggy Cosmos" or "Smug Cupboard". Universes in later clusters also carry their cluster's tag, such as "of Zorvak". Each universe's first world, where a traveller arrives, has a name of its own too.

The difficulty tiers

Each universe has a tier from 1 to 10, which grows from the middle of a cluster outwards. Home is not on the scale, and is simply the game as you know it.

Tier	Name	What to expect
Home	Home Sweet Home	Where you started: the game as it has always been.
1	Cozy Blanket	Soft light, friendly beasts.
2	Tea and Biscuits	Pleasant, a little dull.
3	Mildly Inconvenient	Nothing deadly, everything slightly in the way.
4	Bring a Snack	Long walks and hungry beasts.
5	Spicy	The gravity has opinions and the locals have teeth.
6	Why Is It Looking at Me	Strange creatures, and every one of them is looking at you.
7	Skill Issue	Harder than you remember.
8	Your Mum Can't Find You	Far from help. The physics wander off and the monsters do not.
9	Everything Is Fine (It Isn't)	Black holes in the sky and rules that slide about.
10	Absolutely Not	Everything wants you gone. Bring a big ship.

How universes differ

Each universe is dealt its own rules from its number. Harder universes have more hostile creatures, more of the strange ones, more gravity, and more odd stars. Two universes of the same tier are still different. One may be heavy and plain, another light and strange. The rules set:

• Planets and moons: how many worlds a system has, and how many moons each has.
• World size and gravity: how wide worlds are, and how heavy they pull.
• Gas giants: how many of a system's worlds are gas giants.
• Wonders: how common giants, dying stars, dwarfs, pulsars and black holes are. Some universes have none of a kind.
• Star-less systems: how many systems have no star at all.
• Life and air: how many worlds are alive, how many can be breathed, and how many have air at all.
• Creatures: how angry they are, how many there are, and whether they are the usual ones or strange ones.
• Weirdness: how odd the physics and the weather get.

The universe card on the map lists the few traits that stand out most, such as "creatures 2.0x as angry" or "black holes everywhere".

The cost of travel

Going to a harder universe costs more fuel and more jump sickness. Going home is always cheap. See the Gate and the Vector Drive for the toll.

Finding a universe

The map lets you search by name, number or tier. Type a word, such as "Spicy", or a number, and the map shows the universes that match.

For the stars and worlds inside any universe, read the galaxy and Planets and habitability.

← Back to the wiki · Last updated 25 October 2026. Mantlenaut is in alpha, so things change.