N++
£16, PS4. Age 7 ★★★★☆
A stick man runs and jumps across a grey box, bouncing off walls, collecting squares of gold and trying to avoid spikes, lasers and other hazards so he can trigger a switch that will open an exit door. That’s the essence of this third N puzzle adventure. If it sounds simplistic, don’t be fooled: the learning curve is steep and the challenges range from tricky to fiendish. Some gold squares turn into deadly barriers when you touch them, many walls are impossible to climb and even in the most controlled jump you might land on a spike and shatter spectacularly. But N++ has enough stickability to keep you coming back for more. That’s down to the talent of the game’s maker, which has crafted a title that evolves as fast as your skills do, always introducing new challenges such as moving laser beams, bouncing platforms and boxes to trap you and force you to restart the level. The techno soundtrack won’t suit everyone and the design is minimalist, to say the least, but neither gets in the way of a surprisingly intense experience.