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One-button games: how to get better at timing

By Edgar Sargsyan ·

Some of the hardest games to put down use just one button. You tap, hold or drag, and everything else happens on its own. At Boop Arcade, Neon Arrow and Flappy Chick are built this way, and Boop Drop uses a single drag. Here is how to get better at them.

Why one button is enough

With only one control there is nothing to learn about buttons, so all of your attention goes to timing. That makes these games easy to start: you understand them in a second. It also makes them honest: when a run ends, it is clear what happened and why. The challenge comes from speed, from narrower spaces and from new obstacles, not from complicated controls.

Find a rhythm instead of reacting

Most beginners react: they see a wall and tap. At higher speeds that is too late. Better players find a rhythm. In Flappy Chick that means calm, even taps: one flap lifts the chick a little, and many quick taps send it into the top pipe. In Neon Arrow it means short taps for gentle zigzags in narrow tunnels, instead of long holds that send the arrow too far.

Look one step ahead

Your eyes should be on the next obstacle, not on your character. In Flappy Chick, as soon as you pass a gap, look at the middle of the next one. In Boop Drop, look one ring ahead: the gap under you should lead to a floor, not to red thorns. Your hands react to what your eyes saw a moment ago, so the earlier you see it, the calmer your move.

Know when it is safe to move

Every game has moments when a move costs nothing. In Boop Drop, turning the tower while the critter is high in the air is safe: crossing thorns does not matter until it comes down. In Flappy Chick, the chick waits in the air until your first tap, so you can start when you are ready. Use these quiet moments to set up the next part.

Learn the track

Normal runs change every time, but the daily challenges in Neon Arrow, Flappy Chick and Boop Drop are the same for everyone for a whole day. That means you can learn them. Play the daily run a few times and you start to remember where the tight spots are. Turn on your ghost, a copy of your best run of the day, and you can see exactly where you were faster or slower.

Play in short sessions

Timing gets worse when you are tired or frustrated. Five good runs are worth more than thirty rushed ones. If you crash several times at the same spot, take a short break: it often goes better on the first try after.

What each game rewards

The games in this article

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