About Overclock
Overclock is a free brain speed game on Smotix. Each round gives you one tiny puzzle, such as tapping the bigger number, naming the ink colour of a word or spotting the one emoji that is different, and a few seconds to answer it. The puzzles are easy on their own. The challenge is the clock, which gets shorter as the run goes on, and the switching between very different tasks.
A run lasts until you lose all three lives, so most games take a minute or two. That makes it a quick test of reaction time, attention and mental flexibility you can fit between other things.
How to play Overclock
- Press Play for a random run, or choose the Daily run to get the same puzzles as everyone else today.
- Read the instruction at the top of the screen, then tap the right answer before the timer bar runs out.
- A wrong answer or running out of time costs one of your three lives. Lose all three and the run ends.
- Answer quickly and keep a streak going to build your multiplier and score.
On a keyboard, press 1 to 4 to choose an option, or use the left and right arrow keys when two options sit side by side. The timer pauses if you switch tabs.
The 20 microgames
New microgames join the mix as a run goes on, and the puzzles you already know get harder: bigger grids, closer numbers and subtler differences.
From round 1
Tap the bigger number · Find the odd emoji · Ink colour (Stroop) · True or false sums · Even or odd · Complete the word · Middle arrow · More dots · Wait for green · Spelling
Unlocks at round 11
Gift or bomb · Memory flash · Count the bees · Different shade
Unlocks at round 21
What comes next · More money · Opposites · Later or earlier
Unlocks at round 31
Rhymes · Emoji maths
Timer, combos and golden rounds
- The timer shrinks. Round 1 allows about 4.3 seconds, and the base time drops every round to a floor of 1.55 seconds. Puzzles that need more reading, like counting bees or emoji maths, get extra time.
- Combos multiply your score. Every five correct answers in a row raises the multiplier by 0.5, from ×1 up to ×3 at a 20-answer streak. A mistake resets it.
- Long streaks earn lives back. Every 20 correct answers in a row restores a lost life, up to the maximum of three.
- Golden rounds pay triple. From round 5, a puzzle can turn golden at random, and a correct answer is then worth three times the points.
- Watch for traps. In Wait for green, tapping before the light turns green costs a life. In Gift or bomb, the right move with a bomb is to leave it alone until time runs out.
Score ranks
Your final score earns a rank: Sleepy Sloth below 1,500 points, Warming Up from 1,500, Quick Rabbit from 3,500, Cheetah Mode from 7,000, Lightning from 12,000 and Overclocked from 20,000. The results screen also counts your fast, correct, wrong and too-slow answers and, after enough runs, shows the microgame you find hardest.
Tips for a higher score
- Read the instruction every time. Ink colour sometimes asks what the word says instead, and the time game can ask for the earlier time.
- Speed matters, but streaks matter more. A careful correct answer keeps your multiplier, while a rushed wrong one resets it.
- In the Stroop round, ignore the word and look only at the colour of the letters.
- For the middle arrow, focus on the centre of the row and ignore the arrows on either side.
Frequently asked questions
Is Overclock free to play?+
Yes. Overclock is free in your browser, with no download, no account and no payment.
How many microgames are there?+
There are 20. Ten are available from round 1, four more unlock at round 11, four at round 21 and the last two at round 31. The first time each new game appears in a run it is marked NEW.
How is my score calculated?+
A correct answer is worth 100 points plus a speed bonus of up to 150, depending on how much time is left. That total is multiplied by your combo multiplier, and tripled in a golden round.
What is the daily run?+
The daily run uses the same puzzles, in the same order, for everyone on the same day. A new one starts at midnight in your local time, and your best daily score is shown on the menu.
How do challenge links work?+
After a run, tap “Challenge a friend” to share a link with your score. Your friend gets exactly the same sequence of puzzles, so the scores are directly comparable.
Is my progress saved?+
Your best score, daily best, number of runs and per-game accuracy are saved in your browser on this device. Clearing site data resets them.
More brain games
Want something slower after a fast run? Try Tymzo, a timing game about stopping the clock at exactly the right moment, or Sortix, the daily sorting puzzle. The brain games collection has the rest.