How the steady hand test scores you
It works like the buzz-wire game at a fair. Each course is a winding track drawn fresh every round. Press on the ring at the start to pick it up, then guide it to the finish line on the right. With a mouse, just move: you don't need to hold the button. On a phone, keep your finger on the ring. With a keyboard, press Space to pick up the ring and steer with the arrow keys.
If the ring's centre leaves the track, the edges light up red and the clock counts that time as off track. The ring only moves forward along the track while it's on it, so cutting across a bend gets you nowhere. Each time you slip off counts as a touch.
Your score is out of 1,000. Up to 700 points come from the share of your time spent on the track. Up to 300 come from pace, with full marks for a brisk, even speed. Crawling keeps you on the track but costs pace points. Rushing does the opposite.
What is a good steady hand score?
| Score | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 900 and up | Very steady: almost no touches at a good pace |
| 750–899 | Strong control, with a slip or two on the narrow course |
| 550–749 | Typical on a first few rounds |
| Under 550 | Lots of time off the track, or a very slow round |
These bands are a rough guide, not a ranking. Rankings come from the scores players post here, once enough people have played.
What affects your result
- Your input. A mouse gives the finest control. Trackpads are harder. Fingers cover part of the track on a phone, so the track is wider on touchscreens.
- Your mouse speed. Very high sensitivity turns small shakes into big wobbles. Turning it down a little often helps.
- Your posture. Resting your forearm on the desk steadies your hand far more than holding it in the air.
Compare scores taken on the same device. A phone round and a mouse round aren't a fair match.
How to get a steadier hand
- Look a little ahead of the ring, not at it. You'll take bends more smoothly.
- Slow down into tight bends and speed up on the straights.
- Breathe out slowly through the narrow parts. Holding your breath makes your hand tense.
- Caffeine and tiredness both make hands shakier, so play when you're fresh.