Getting the toad home in Hop Across, Games by Zaweba

Getting a brave toad over a busy road and across a river is the whole job in Hop Across, and it's harder than it sounds. Five lanes of traffic come first, then a river you can only cross by riding logs and turtles, and at the top are five lily-pad homes to fill before the timer runs out. It's an 8-bit game in the 64K home computer style, on the Retro arcade shelf of Games by Zaweba, and it's a test of timing and of reading moving patterns.

Hopping

Arrow keys or WASD hop the toad one step in that direction. You can use the mouse instead: click above, below or beside the toad to hop that way. The keyboard is quicker for most people, but the mouse is there if it suits you better, and it can be handy for younger players who are still finding their way around the keys.

The road

First come five lanes of traffic. The vehicles are moving across your path, so the trick is to hop into a lane as a gap arrives rather than waiting in the middle of one. Standing still on a safe line and watching for the next gap is often wiser than pressing forwards on hope.

Look ahead as well as at the lane in front of you. A gap in the next lane is only useful if there will be one in the lane after it, so try to see a few hops ahead.

The river

Then the water. The water is deadly, so you cross it on logs and turtles as they drift past. Once you're riding one, it carries you with it, so where you end up on the far side depends on where it takes you. Some turtles dive, and being on a turtle when it goes under is as bad as falling in. Prefer logs where you can, and don't linger on turtles.

Five homes and the timer

At the top are five lily-pad homes. Land in each of them before the timer runs out. Once a home is filled, later crossings need to aim for the empty ones, which means the last home or two can be the hardest to reach. Choose a log that's heading towards an empty home rather than the first one that comes along.

There's a fly to snap up for a bonus, and it's worth it when it's on your way. There's also a snapper to steer clear of. Fill all five homes and the next level is faster, so each level asks a little more of you than the last.

A clean crossing

Plan the whole crossing rather than one hop at a time. On the road, look for a run of gaps. On the river, pick the log that will carry you towards an empty home. And keep an eye on the timer: a careful crossing is good, but taking too long costs you.

Games by Zaweba keeps your best score and plays on your PC, and shows your score against your best at the end. Esc pauses, F11 fills the screen, and the title card and F1 list the controls, including the mouse hop. Everything is drawn and made in code, so it runs offline with no adverts.

Wait for the gap, prefer logs to diving turtles, and aim for the homes that are still empty.