Troubleshooting

Most problems have a quick fix. If yours isn't here, or the fix doesn't work, use Send a report on Help. Say which game or page, what you did, and what happened.

A game can't reach the server

The board games and Spy Games are run by Cognivo's game server. If it can't be reached, a board game says "Could not reach the game server" where its status would be, and Spy Games shows Spy Games can't connect right now with a Try again button. Check your connection and try again after a moment. If it keeps happening, the server may be down for a short while; the arcade games, lessons, docs and Labs still work, because they run in your browser.

A friend can't join

• The link works once. If someone else opened it first, the seat is taken. Start a new game and send a new link.
• An unused invite expires after a day.
• Check your friend opened the whole link. Everything after the # matters, and some apps cut it off.

The game I was in has gone

Reloading in the same browser brings you back to a live game. A different browser or device doesn't know about it, unless you move your player record there with a transfer code; see Your data. In a live game, a player whose three-minute clock runs out loses, even if their tab is closed.

My progress or settings have gone

Progress, best times, themes and Labs work are kept in your browser. They go if:

• the browser's site data is cleared, which some browsers do automatically;
• you are in a private or incognito window, which forgets everything when it closes;
• you are on a different browser or device.

To keep Labs work anywhere, use Download in the lab.

Voice doesn't listen

Voice moves use your browser's own speech recognition. Chrome and Edge work best; some browsers have none. Allow the microphone when the browser asks. You can always type the same command in the box instead.

A lab won't play my work

• Level Lab: Ready to play? lists what the level still needs, such as a start or a goal. Play test opens once the list is empty.
• Sprite Lab and Animation Lab: the game needs every sprite it draws, at its size and with all its frames, and every animation it plays. Ready to play? names anything missing. Undo, or Reset to Ember's art (or Delve's), puts it right.
• Your Labs work lives on labs.cognivo.digital, so it plays in the games opened from there; the lab's Play test button takes care of that.

Ads and cookies

The games all work with ads blocked. To change your ad and cookie choices, see Cookies and tracking.