Chain-Reaction Grid
Thermite is one of the most demanding hacks in NoPixel 4.0 — a fast, spatial chain-reaction played on a 6×6 grid. You don't memorise a pattern. Instead you keep a chain of "decryptions" alive: every square you clear lights up your next legal moves, and you race to hit a target score before the timer runs out — or before you click yourself into a dead end. It simulates burning through high-security systems during Maze Bank heists.
Success comes from reading the board and planning a couple of moves ahead — not from memory or twitch reflexes. Even strong players get cornered on the Vault preset, which is exactly why practice pays off before a real heist.
The board is a 6×6 grid. Every cell holds a piece with one of three ranges — short, medium, or long — and a status that decays from full → half → empty each time you click it. One or more squares start highlighted as your opening move. Clicking a highlighted square decrypts it and lights up new squares within that piece's range — and those new highlights are your only legal next moves.
Immediate neighbours
Two cells out (checkerboard)
Three cells out
There's no "wrong tile" to misclick — you can only click highlighted squares. You fail when a click lights up zero new squares (you stall) or the timer runs out. The whole skill is never getting cornered: always leave yourself a next move.
Before you click, look at where that click will leave you. The goal isn't to clear the nearest square — it's to keep highlighted squares available. If a move would leave you with nothing, pick a different one.
Rule of thumb: never make a click unless you can already see the click after it. Thinking one move ahead is the single biggest jump from ~40% to consistent wins.
Every piece highlights a fixed shape based on its range. Once you can read those shapes at a glance, you can predict your options before you commit a single click.
adjacent cells
two out, diagonal
three cells out
Central pieces highlight more follow-up squares than edges and corners, so keep the action in the middle of the board where your options stay open. When clears line up, fire them in quick succession — combos ("CRC Bypassed!") bank extra score and are how you beat the Vault's higher target in time.
Pro Tip: plan a two- or three-click chain in your head, then execute it fast. Several decrypts within about a second triggers a combo and a score bonus.
Reflexively clicking the closest square without checking what it leaves you is the #1 way to stall. Always confirm you'll still have a move afterwards.
Edge and corner pieces highlight fewer cells, so your options dry up fast out there. Steer the chain back toward the centre whenever you can.
On Vault (target 28) clearing one square at a time won't beat the clock. Set up quick chains so several clears land back-to-back.
Beating Sewer once isn't mastery. Mix in Vault and custom boards so you can read any layout the chain throws at you.
Once short/medium/long are instant to you, you can read the whole board at a glance.
Decide your next two moves before you click the first — then they flow without hesitation.
Central pieces keep the most options open — route the chain back through the middle.
Line up clusters so three clears land within a second for the score bonus.
Combos need pace, but a single stall ends the run — never trade your last safe move for speed.
Run a few Sewer boards first to get your board-reading sharp before the real thing.
Sewer warm-ups (target 24)
Focus on always having a next move
Sewer rounds, full speed
Match real heist conditions and reading pace
Vault rounds (target 28)
Forces combos and planning under pressure
Aim for 8/10 clean Sewer completions before attempting real heists. Once you can clear the Vault consistently, your planning and combos are heist-ready.
Apply these strategies with unlimited free practice. Start on the Sewer preset and work your way up to the Vault.
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