How to play
The rules of each game in a few lines. The game pages go into levels and tactics; the guides below go deeper.
Reaction Time
Hold until the signal changes, then tap. Early taps and taps within 100 ms are false starts and get rerun. You are scored on the average of five valid taps, in milliseconds, and lower wins.
Flash Grid
A few tiles glow for roughly a second and fade: tap those same tiles, in any order. A clean round grows the next pattern by one tile; a wrong tap uses up one of three lives. You are scored on the biggest pattern you repeated.
Quick Sums
A minute of sums. Key in each answer; a right one moves on by itself, while OK sends a wrong answer or skips. The numbers climb after every fifth correct answer. You are scored on correct answers.
Ink & Word
A colour name printed in some ink: answer with the ink. A wrong tap freezes play for a second. The run lasts 45 seconds and you are scored on correct answers.
Light Trail
Panels flash in turn; replay them in that order. Each round deals a fresh trail, one panel longer after a correct reply. Three lives. You are scored on the longest trail you replayed.
Odd One Out
Twelve times over, spot the symbol that does not match the rest. Each wrong tap costs two seconds. You are scored on the total time, and lower wins.
Number Span
A number is shown one digit at a time; key it in on the pad, as shown or reversed, depending on the mode. Get it right and one more digit joins the next number. Three lives. You are scored on the longest number you keyed back.
Step Back
Press Match whenever the item repeats the one n places earlier. Each run holds six repeats. You are scored on balanced accuracy, so pressing every time and never pressing both land on 50 %.
Guides
Pacing a timed run
Quick Sums gives you 60 seconds and Ink & Word 45. In both, the clock is the whole race, and the way you spend it matters as much as how fast you think.
Holding a trail: chunks, names and rhythm
Four of the games ask you to hold something for a few seconds and give it back: a pattern, a trail, a number, or the last few items. These are the habits that make that easier during a run.
What your reaction time number means
Reaction Time gives you one number in milliseconds. Here is exactly what goes into it, and what the browser cannot see.