Pivvot

I weave through an array of stark, triangular spikes, careful not to twist too much and catch the ones I've already passed before they disappear.

The glowing ring that marks out my progression is almost full. One more checkpoint and I'll have completed this chunk of my journey.

The last spike looms, and there just past it is the glowing blob I need to touch to move on to the next series of obstacles.

I twitch a little too hard, pushing my pivoting ball into an inescapable trajectory, and squeal in frustration as it crashes into the triangle and explodes in a shower of neon shards.

The beauty of Pivvot is two-fold. First there's the simplicity of the mechanics. Then there's the addictive pattern-following gameplay. It's super tough, and at first a little difficult to get your head around. But once it clicks you'll find yourself utterly engrossed.

The aim of the game is leading a ball through a maze. That ball is attached to a line by a pivot that it can spin around 360 degrees. Tapping the left side of the screen moves the ball left along that circle, and tapping the right side moves it right.

There are five different modes, but they're all variations on two themes: Voyage and Endless. Voyage sees you navigating the obstacles in batches, filling up a progress bar and progressing in checkpoints. Endless is a stream of obstacles and twists with a ticking clock keeping your score.

Expert Voyage and Expert Endless ramp up the difficulty level, while Berserk mode is a fiendish mix of speed and twitchy dodges that will leave your palms sweaty. The game is presented in shard-edged blocks of colour, and a brilliant soundtrack sets off the action perfectly.

Pivvot is very much in the same genre as Super Hexagon. It's as much about repetition and testing your reflexes as it is about beating high scores. But there's a more solid sense of progression here, and it makes for a more rewarding experience.

This is a game that brilliantly balances difficulty and reward, and asks you to twist your mind into a novel new shape in order to conquer its deeper challenges. And it's proof, if proof were needed, that one-thumb smartphone gaming doesn't have to be simple or throwaway.