Split Second

How to play

A prompt flashes up, like Tap the RED one or Tap the ODD number, with two choices under a draining timer bar. Tap the right choice to score a point and jump straight into the next prompt. You start with three seconds per round and lose a tenth of a second with every correct answer. One wrong tap, or one expired timer, ends the run.

Tips

• Read the prompt first, every single round. The rule changes constantly and the last rule is the classic trap.
• The capitalized word is the whole rule: LARGER, ODD, FIRST. Lock onto it and skip the rest of the sentence.
• Never pre-tap a side. The correct answer lands on the left or right at random.
• The timer bottoms out at one second, so if you survive past 20 answers the pace stops getting worse.

What the game is testing

Split Second is a task switching test wearing a game's clothes. The prompt changes every round, tap the red one, tap the odd number, so you can never settle into a rhythm and rely on it. Each round you have to read a new rule, apply it to two options and commit, all while the timer shrinks. Psychologists call the cost of changing rules a switch cost, and it is exactly what the shrinking clock is designed to expose.

The clock starts at three seconds and loses a tenth of a second for every correct answer, so a long run is not only more rounds but faster rounds. One wrong tap or one expired timer ends it, which makes the score a measure of how many rule switches you can absorb before one gets past you.

Surviving longer runs

• Read the prompt first, every single time. The instinct to react to the options before reading the rule is the main cause of early exits.
• Say the rule to yourself in two words, red one, odd number. Compressing it makes the switch quicker.
• Do not look for the answer, look for the rule. Once you know what you are checking, the right option is usually obvious.
• Notice which rule types cost you. Most people are slower on number rules than colour rules, and knowing that lets you take an extra beat on them.
• The timer bar is visible. Use it. On an easy prompt you can afford to be sure; on a hard one you cannot afford to hesitate.

Common questions

How much time do I get per round?

Three seconds to begin with. Every correct answer removes a tenth of a second from the clock, so the pace tightens as you go.

What ends the run?

Either a wrong tap or a timer that runs out. Your score is the number of correct answers before that happens.

Why does the rule keep changing?

That is the test. Switching between rules has a measurable cost, and the game is measuring how well you handle it under time pressure.