My vote for maths-based puzzling doesn’t go to Down To Zero, though, but to Big Top Ten. I’ll take the Edwardian music hall look over the utilitarian computer stylings of Down To Zero any day of the week. And any game that says “Jolly Good” in big letters when I make a good move gets extra bonus points from me. And makes me fall in love with it just a little bit.

The aim in Big Top Ten is to drag the cursor around the screen so that all the numbers you touch add up to ten. So you could just put your finger on a 3 and drag it down to a 7. Easy. Of course, though, more points – and more time – come from longer strings of numbers. You get some negative numbers to help make long strings and you’re going to want to use them.

Not that there any in that screenshot. There is, however, a bomb. Yes, you get power ups that are activated by including them in part of your string. If I wanted to make a half-decent move on that board, I could start with the 1 in the lower left, drag my finger up to the 1, right to the 2, to the bomb, down to the 3 and then right to the other 3 down there. That would make ten, I think. Of course, it’s easy to see when looking at the board now. If I was actually playing, with the clock ticking down and the panic rising, I’d probably just start at the bomb, then go right to the 6 and up to the 4.

I’m not especially good at the game yet, I don’t think. (Hard to know without online score boards. Hint, hint.) You have to really, you know, think, which is not something I’m very good at even when I’m not under pressure. It is, however, a game I’m getting better and better at. It’s also improving my ability to see numbers that add up to ten, which must be useful in real life, right? Right?

So, yes, it’s yet another number puzzler, but it’s great fun and polished in a way that very much appeals to me. Tally ho!