Variant Mode

A save file using Variant Mode

Variant Mode is a special feature smaller to Assist Mode and becomes a toggleable setting after finishing Core C-Side or after unlocking Cheat Mode on any save file. Its main purpose is allowing players to modify parts of the game to make it more challenging. Variant Mode also lets you use the "assists" you can find in Assist Mode. A save File currently using Variant Mode will have a banner on the save file select menu.

Variants

These are all of the values you can change to modify gameplay using Variant Mode

Game Speed

Allows you to change the games speed to any multiple of 10 between 50-160%.

A slower speed will give the player more reaction time, while a faster speed will make the game more difficult.

Some physics will change with different game speeds (Such as a speed of less than 100% causing 5-jumps to clear 6 tiles).

Mirror Mode

Flips the whole map to appear mirrored, yet does not effect the games controls. Some particle effects like the points you get from strawberry's are also flipped.

360 Dashing

Allows the player to dash at any angle instead of the eight directions normally. This can help when trying to pull of a specific move, and in some cases make tricks much easier. 360 dashing mainly effects people who play with controllers, and does change keyboard controls.

Invisible Motion

When moving, Madeline will become completely invisible, making it hard to keep track of where you are.

No Grabbing

Completely disables Madeline's grab move, disallowing the player to hold onto walls. This makes many sections harder and possibly requires neutral jumps.

Grab can still be used to trigger blocks that react to grabs.

Low Friction

All surfaces you can stand on become more "slippery", making it harder to slow down and speed up. Also applies in mid-air.

Super Dashing

Causes all Dash's last substantially longer, making smaller more precise movement far more difficult. However In some cases having longer dash's can open up sequence breaks. Allowing you to skip entire rooms.

A Superdash can be "steered" while performed by using the directional buttons, allowing for more precise moves.

Hiccups

Causes Madeline to hiccup every few seconds, bouncing you into the air slightly. If the player is grabbing onto a wall or block during a hiccup, they will lose grip and bounce off of it.

Hiccups can be used to their advantage if timed correctly, allowing the player to stay in the air slightly longer/higher.

Hiccups will still happen if the player is in either of the Bubbles or Dream Blocks, causing their trajectory to tilt up slightly.

Other Self

Causes Madeline to change in appearance to look like Badeline. This is a purely cosmetic effect and does not change gameplay.

Assists

Enabling Variant Mode also allows the player to use the same "assists" found in Assist Mode

Infinite stamina

Grants the player unlimited stamina, allowing them to climb and grab indefinitely.

Air Dashes

Changes the amount of dashes the player has: Default, 2, or Infinite. Default will use the amount of dashes the player would normally have in the level. Infinite will allow unlimited dashes without needing to refill them or touch the ground.

Dash Assist

Adds a guiding arrow and pauses the game while the Dash button is held, allowing the player to more easily choose where to dash.

Invincibility

Renders the player immune to all obstacles, hazards, moving blocks - they will bounce off the bottom of the screen rather than falling. The player will be able to freely move through otherwise hazardous obstacles. Does not protect crushing from Heart Gates.

When the Jump button is held, the player will jump higher off the bottom of the screen.

If the player would be crushed by a moving block, the block instead disappears until the player moves out of the way.