Gamezebo Rating:

Rhythm games and match-3 puzzle games are typically regarded as quiet, soothing fare - games that are good to play while you're winding down in bed with a steaming cup of chamomile tea on your nightstand. Joerg Doneit's Neurokult, however, combines elements from the puzzle and rhythm genre, and it's anything but relaxing. Seriously, you'll get a better night's sleep if you snort Red Bull in lieu of playing this title.

Not to suggest that Neurokult is a bad game. Far from it. But if you let your attention wander for even a fraction of a second, you'll wind up as pixel-dust floating through the emptiness of cyberspace. It's a brutal little bugger, and for that reason you'll be compelled to try again and again.

The premise for Neurokult isn't complicated, but it ultimately explains the game's neon phenotype: you're a voyager exploring the vast reaches of "neurospace," but your journey isn't an easy one. You need to bypass security measures by tapping on colored buttons while avoiding the many traps, bosses, and pitfalls that aim to blast your mind out of existence.

Indeed, getting beyond the first level of Neurokult requires superhuman reflexes. Colored pieces slide across the screen at varying speeds, and you must tap them to be rid of them before they hit the right side of the screen and deplete your synaptic plasticity (er, health bar).