Helm (Yuki Games)

Helm calls itself the daily control gauntlet. It is one of a series of small daily browser games by Yuki Andersen, alongside Tempo, Scout, Glimpse, Gauge, Bearing and others.

Every round is a burst of quick taps on two big zones. In one you tap the side the centre arrow points to while the arrows beside it point the other way. In another you tap where an arrow points, not where it sits on screen. You tap fast on filled shapes but hold back on outlined ones, switch between judging shape and judging count when a frame cue flips, and tap away from a pulsing dot unless it is the gold ring that must be tapped on its own side.

Every answer is a tap on one of two big zones, left or right, or the arrow keys on a desktop, so it plays with one thumb on a phone. Rounds are scored 0 to 100 on your median speed, with penalties when you give in to the pull, and the day's total can be shared as a five-square trail. A practice mode works as an endless focus trainer with a 12-level difficulty ladder per round type and a lifetime self-control profile. There is no signup, no ads and very little text in the rounds themselves, though the rules and menus are in English.

It suits anyone who likes reflex tests and brain-training style tasks in a two-minute daily dose.

After the five rounds the results screen shows today's rivals: how many players ran the gauntlet in the last 24 hours, the best score among them and where yours ranks, all anonymous. A seven-day chain of squares on the menu tracks your streak, and every round you finish earns XP towards a 12-rank ladder kept in your browser.