Pocket Games
Targets
Circles appear, they shrink, you tap them. The rule that decides games is in the next line: tapping where there is nothing also costs you a life.
The rules
Targets appear in random spots and start shrinking immediately: you have to tap them before they disappear. You have three lives, and you lose them two ways:
- a target expires without being hit;
- you tap empty screen, where there is no target.
The second is the rule that changes the game: the spray of random taps that works in so many reflex games is, here, the fastest way to end your run.
Then there are the mines. They show up after the first few points and they do not take a life: they take all of them. They are a fixed size, always clearly recognisable, and they stay on screen longer than normal targets — precisely to give you time not to touch them.
How the difficulty ramps
Every ten points you move up a step, and three things change at once:
- targets live less long (they shrink faster),
- they appear more often,
- up to five can be on screen at the same time.
The opening pace is calm and it is there to fool you: the real game starts after the first thirty points, when the screen always has three or four open circles and one of them is about to expire.
How to play well
Always hit the smallest one. With several targets in play the order is not free: the smallest is the one about to expire. Taking the big comfortable one first is the standard way to lose a life you did not have to.
Never tap to be safe. If you are not sure you are on the target, wait: a tap on empty space is a guaranteed error, a delay is not.
Keep your finger lifted, not resting. Players who drag their finger across the screen tend to touch empty areas between targets. Moving above and dropping straight down is more precise, even though it feels slower.
Look at the centre of the screen. With four targets open you do not chase them with your eyes: you keep your gaze wide and let peripheral vision flag whichever one is shrinking. It is the same trick arcade reflex games rely on.
Avoid mines with your hand, not your eye. When one appears, stop passing over that area altogether, rather than remembering to dodge it each time. The cost of a mistake is the whole game.
Frequently asked questions
How many lives do I have?
Three. An expired target or a tap on empty space takes one; a mine takes all of them at once.
Do targets have different shapes?
They do, but it is only decoration: what counts for the tap is the circle, and the game is forgiving about the edges. You do not need pixel accuracy.
Is it worth using two fingers?
On big screens yes, because it cuts the average distance. But it also doubles the risk of tapping empty space: try it calmly before using it in a good run.
How many targets can you get?
Thirty is where the comfortable pace ends and four appear at once. From there it is about taking in the whole screen rather than the speed of your finger.
More games to try
See the full list of games, or open Pocket Games in your browser: they are free and you don’t need an account.