How to play
Twenty-five numbered buttons land scattered across the screen. Tap them in order from 1 up to 25, as fast as you can. The clock starts the moment you press 1 and stops on 25, and a wrong tap just flashes red with no penalty. Your fastest run is saved as your best.
Tips
- Find 1 before you touch anything. The timer only starts on that first press, so all scanning before it is free.
- Read ahead while your finger works. As you tap one number, your eyes should already be hunting the next.
- Sweep the screen in a steady zigzag instead of darting randomly. A consistent scan pattern finds numbers faster.
- Wrong taps cost nothing but time, so when you are mostly sure, just tap.
Visual search under a clock
Finding 1 to 25 in order on a scattered board is a visual search task, and it has a particular shape. The first few numbers are a search of the whole screen. The last few are a search of whatever is left, which is small. So the time is not evenly spread across the run; it is front loaded, and the biggest gains come from the first ten numbers.
The clock starts on 1 and stops on 25, and a wrong tap just flashes red with no penalty. That combination means there is no reason to hesitate over a tap you are fairly sure of, and every reason to spend the pre-clock seconds finding 1 and, ideally, 2 and 3 as well.
Faster chains
- Find 1 before you touch anything. The clock does not start until you press it, so the search for 1 is free.
- While you are at it, spot 2 and 3. Free seconds spent finding the next few numbers are the cheapest seconds in the run.
- Scan in a fixed sweep rather than darting. Darting revisits regions you have already checked.
- A wrong tap has no penalty, so do not double check a number you are nearly sure of. Tap it.
- Peripheral vision reads big numbers well. Keep your eyes moving across the middle of the board and let the edges come to you.
-FAQ
Common questions
When does the clock start?
The moment you press 1. Anything you find before that is free time.
Is there a penalty for a wrong tap?
No. A wrong number just flashes red. The only cost is the moment you spent on it.
How many numbers are there?
Twenty five, scattered across the screen, tapped in order from 1 to 25.
-FAQ