Up, Down, Left, Right

The rules could not be any more straightforward: tap Up, Down, Left, Right in time to a simple beat.

But these instructions deliver a surprisingly complicated action puzzler which has been described by Guardian writer Steven Poole as "a rhythm-action Stroop Test."

A Stroop Test is often used in clinical investigation to measure selective attention, cognitive flexibility and processing speed by asking participants to read out colours written in different inks. Up, Down, Left, Right introduces the concept of routine which is then mixed on the fly to create a fast-paced, absorbing high-score game.

Up, Down, Left, Right challenges players to maintain a simple beat – roughly one every half second – tapping in the sequence Up, Down, Left, Right on a simple keyboard. As play progresses, blocks fall from the top of the screen at a steady pace. These blocks will change the sequence by replacing one key with another – keeping three as normal. Failure to conform to the beat immediately resets the score.

Its a game which requires concentration and reactions. Beat your friends, challenge the world.

Up, Down, Left Right is games industry veteran and One Life Left co-presenter Simon Byron’s first videogame.