About Number Rush
Number Rush scatters the numbers 1 to 25 across a 5 x 5 grid and times how long it takes you to tap them all in order. There is nothing to memorise; it is a pure test of how quickly you can search and keep your place.
How to play
- Press Start to reveal a freshly shuffled 5 x 5 grid of the numbers 1 to 25. The timer starts at the same moment.
- Tap the numbers in order: 1, then 2, then 3, all the way to 25. The Next box above the grid shows which number you need.
- Numbers you have already tapped turn green, which leaves fewer squares to search as you go.
- Tapping the wrong number flashes it red but has no other penalty; the clock simply keeps running.
- The timer stops when you tap 25, and your time is shown to a tenth of a second.
- The Best counter stores a score where higher is better: 1000 minus your time in tenths of a second. A 25.0 second run is saved as 750.
Controls
- Mouse: click each number in turn.
- Touch: tap each number in turn. This works well on a phone, where your thumb can stay close to the grid.
- There are no keyboard controls.
Tips and strategy
- While tapping one number, already be looking for the next. Overlapping the search with the tap is where most time is saved.
- Try to remember roughly where upcoming numbers are as you spot them. Noticing 9 in a corner while looking for 6 makes it instant when you get there.
- Use the green squares to your advantage. Later in the run, unvisited white squares are the only places left to look.
- Keep your gaze near the centre of the grid where you can see most squares at once, rather than reading every row.
- Do not worry about the odd mis-tap; it costs nothing except the moment you spend on it.
Background
A grid of shuffled numbers tapped in order is known as a Schulte table, a format used for decades as an exercise in visual attention and scanning speed. A similar idea appears in the Trail Making Test, a neuropsychological test in which part A asks people to connect circles numbered 1 to 25 in order as quickly as possible. Both tasks depend on visual search, keeping track of your place in a sequence and switching your attention quickly from one target to the next.
Questions
- Is there a penalty for tapping the wrong number?
- No points are deducted. The wrong square flashes red, and the only cost is the time it takes you to find the right one.
- Why is my Best not shown in seconds?
- The site keeps the highest number as Best, so the game saves 1000 minus your time in tenths of a second. A higher saved number means a faster run.
- Is the layout different each time?
- Yes. The 25 numbers are reshuffled every time you start.