Still, you’ll be upset for about a second – the play sessions go so quickly you’ll barely notice.Ninety-nine percent of iOS games are abysmal, but there're a few that shine through. If there’s a single thing that’s going to bother you throughout Super Hexagon (besides the difficulty) it’s likely that any notification will throw off your session, sometimes ruining an epic run. The vibrant colors, hypnotic shapes and thumping music (comprised of expertly crafted chiptunes by Chipzel) combine to create a game that’s as much art as it is a compelling play experience. The simplicity is so beautiful there’s little to complain about. The experience is incredibly addictive – especially when you’re in the zone. You’ll start by surviving 5 seconds at a time, then 10, then 30 – and finally you’ll hit 60 seconds and feel more completion than you get from some 100 hour RPGs. Did we like it?This game is a throwback that ’s going to be alienating if you believe a game should reward you for anything other than earning each and every inch of your progress. Last a minute in any mode and an even-harder hyper version unlocks.

Each mode progresses through stages based on geometric shapes every 15 seconds. Super Hexagon throws you right in to this relentless polygonal gauntlet with three available modes from the start – Hard, Harder and Hardest. The lines approach in patterns that require quick-tapping and ruthless attention to avoid. You’re rotating to avoid the endless onslaught of quickening lines funneling towards you from all directions. You orbit the hexagon via simple touch controls: tap left to rotate counter-clockwise and tap right to rotate clockwise. The game presents you as a tiny icon, a geometric shape glued to a hexagon at the center of your screen. His latest, Super Hexagon for iOS, is as minimal as they come.

Terry Cavanagh’s expertise is making unflinchingly difficult and addictive games with minimalism in mind.

Super hexagon game icon