Frequently Asked Questions

Gameplay

How do I make a slice?
Click once anywhere on screen to anchor the first point, then click a second time to define the direction of your line. The slice line extends infinitely in both directions — you're choosing an angle and position, not drawing a short segment. As soon as the second click lands, the slice happens automatically.

How long do I have to slice?
You have 7 seconds per round. A countdown timer runs at the top of the screen. If you place your first click but don't place the second before time runs out, the round ends as a Miss with a score of 0. There's no penalty for using the full 7 seconds — take your time if you need it.

What counts as a Miss?
A Miss is recorded when either the timer runs out before you complete the slice, or when your slice line doesn't actually pass through the shape. The second case happens if both click points are placed on the same side of the shape — the infinite line misses the polygon entirely. A Miss always scores 0.

Do I need to click on the shape itself?
No. You can click anywhere on the canvas. The two points just define a line — they don't need to touch the shape. In fact, placing your points well outside the shape is often more accurate because it gives you a longer baseline to work with, which reduces angular error.

How often does the shape change?
A new shape is generated every hour. All players worldwide see the same shape during the same hour, determined by a shared seed. The shape resets at the top of each hour regardless of time zone — the timing is based on UTC.

Scoring

How is my score calculated?
After your slice, the game measures the area of both resulting pieces using standard polygon area math. It divides the smaller piece's area by the total to get a percentage. The closer that percentage is to 50%, the higher your score. The maximum score is 100,000 for a split within 0.05% of exactly half.

Why does a near-perfect slice score so much less than 100,000?
The scoring curve is deliberately steep. A 49/51 split earns roughly 67,000. A 48/52 split earns roughly 45,000. This is by design — the game rewards extreme precision. The steep curve means there's always meaningful room to improve, even after you're consistently landing in the "Incredible" tier.

What are the score tiers?
There are six tiers based on how close your split is to 50/50:

• Perfect Slice — 49.95% – 50.05% (within 0.05%)
• Incredible — 49% – 49.95%
• Great — 47% – 49%
• Good — 44% – 47%
• Okay — 40% – 44%
• Poor — Below 40%

What happens if two players get the exact same score?
Ties are possible — if two players slice to the same precision, they share the rank. The leaderboard shows both entries at the same position.

Can I improve my score after submitting?
Yes. You can play as many rounds as you want. Only your best score from the current window (hourly, daily, or weekly) is stored on the leaderboard. Playing more can only help — a worse score will never replace a better one.

Leaderboard

What's the difference between Hourly, Daily, and Weekly leaderboards?
The Hourly leaderboard resets every hour and reflects scores on the current shape. The Daily leaderboard tracks your best score across all shapes that appeared today (midnight to midnight UTC). The Weekly leaderboard spans Monday through Sunday UTC. Your best score within each window is what counts.

When does the leaderboard reset?
Hourly resets happen at the top of every hour (UTC). Daily resets happen at midnight UTC. Weekly resets happen at midnight UTC on Monday.

How do I get on the leaderboard?
Play a round and finish with any score above 0. The game will prompt you to set a display name the first time you submit. After that, your best score is submitted automatically whenever you beat your current entry.

How do I change my display name?
Click your display name in the top-right corner of the game screen to open the user menu, then select "View Profile." From there, use the Edit Name button to enter a new name. Display names can contain letters, numbers, and common punctuation, up to 20 characters.

Is the leaderboard updated in real time?
Scores appear on the leaderboard within a few seconds of submission. The leaderboard view doesn't auto-refresh — open it after a round to see the latest rankings including your own score.

Data & Privacy

What data is stored about me?
Your personal game stats (best score, perfect slices, daily streak, rounds played) are stored in your browser's local storage on your device. When you submit a leaderboard score, the following is sent to our servers: your display name, your score, and a compact replay of your slice (the two click coordinates). No account is required, and no personal identifying information is collected.

What is a replay and why is it stored?
Each leaderboard score is paired with a replay — the exact coordinates of your two clicks. This lets the server independently verify the score before it's posted, making it impossible to submit a fake score. Replays are also viewable: if you share your score, the recipient can watch a reconstruction of your slice.

Can I delete my data?
To clear your local stats (scores, streak, history), clear your browser's local storage for halfslice.gg — typically found under your browser's "Clear browsing data" or "Site data" settings. To request removal of your leaderboard entries, contact us through the Contact page or email halfslicegg@gmail.com. See the Privacy Policy for full details on data retention and your rights.

Does Halfslice use cookies?
Halfslice itself does not set any tracking cookies. Google AdSense, which serves ads on the site, may set its own cookies. You can opt out of personalized ads via Google Ad Settings. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.

Technical

What browsers are supported?
Halfslice runs in any modern desktop browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge are all supported. The game requires JavaScript and a pointer device (mouse or trackpad). It is not optimized for mobile touch input, though it may work on touchscreen devices.

The game isn't loading. What should I try?
First, disable any browser extensions that block scripts or ads — these can prevent the game from loading. Next, try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac). If the problem persists, try a different browser. If none of that works, contact us with the browser and OS version you're using.

My stats disappeared. What happened?
Personal stats are stored in your browser's local storage. They can be cleared by clearing your browser history or cache, using private/incognito mode, or switching browsers or devices. Stats are not backed up to the cloud unless you submit a leaderboard score — submitted scores are preserved server-side.

Can I play on mobile?
The game is designed for desktop play with a mouse or trackpad, which gives you the precision needed to land a Perfect Slice. Touch controls on mobile work in most browsers, but the smaller screen and less precise input make it much harder to achieve high scores. A mobile-optimized version is not currently planned.

Community & Support

Where can I discuss the game with other players?
The Discord server is the main community hub. It's a good place to share your best slices, discuss strategies, and see what other players are achieving.

How do I report a bug?
Use the Contact page and select "Bug report" from the subject dropdown. Include the browser you're using, what you were doing when the bug occurred, and what you expected to happen. Screenshots or screen recordings are very helpful.

Can I suggest a feature?
Yes — use the Contact page and select "Feedback." We read everything, though we can't promise to implement every suggestion.

Where can I read about how the game was built?
The blog covers game design decisions, the math behind the scoring, and development history. The post The Math Behind the Perfect Slice is a good starting point if you want to understand the geometry in depth.