Arcade guide
Red Light, Green Light Game Tips: Let Go 0.9 Seconds Early
Key takeaways
- Holding the button the whole time knocked out all 5 runs at the first red light, about 3 seconds in.
- Letting go exactly when the light turns red was still too late: all 5 runs were knocked out at 3.1 to 3.3 seconds.
- Letting go 0.9 or 1.0 seconds before red kept all 10 runs alive until the 30 second timer ended; 0.6 and 0.7 seconds did not.
- No run reached the finish: the farthest one covered about 2,570 of roughly 7,500 units.
The first red light green light game tip is to let go about 0.9 seconds before the light turns red: in round 1 of Sixbound, all 10 runs that let go 0.9 or 1.0 seconds early were still alive when the 30 second timer ended. Letting go at the moment of red knocked out all 5 runs.
How round 1 works
Sixbound is a cartoon contest game in six rounds, and round 1 is the stop-and-go run across a sandy field. You hold the mouse button (or your finger) to run toward a doll at the far end. While the light above the field is green you may run; when it turns red you must be standing still, or you are knocked out. The light changes about every 3 seconds, a countdown clock above the field shows 30 seconds, and the round ends when the clock runs out.
What we measured
We played round 1 in a test browser at 1280 by 800 pixels with software rendering and read the game’s own numbers: the runner’s speed and distance, the light, and whether the round had ended. We tried eight ways of using the button, 3 to 5 runs each, 38 runs in all. A small script pressed and released the button, so the numbers show what a very steady player could do, not what a human does. The only thing that changed between methods was when the script let go of the button before the light turned red.
| Method | Runs | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hold the whole time | 5 | all knocked out at 3.0 to 3.3 seconds |
| Let go exactly at red | 5 | all knocked out at 3.1 to 3.3 seconds |
| Let go 0.6 s before red | 5 | 1 out at 3.1 s, 4 out at about 9.4 s |
| Let go 0.7 s before red | 5 | all knocked out, between 9.3 and 27.9 s |
| Let go 0.8 s before red | 5 | 3 alive at the 30 s timer, 2 out at about 9.4 s |
| Let go 0.9 s before red | 5 | all 5 alive at the 30 s timer |
| Let go 1.0 s before red | 5 | all 5 alive at the 30 s timer |
| No input | 3 | timer ended at 30.2 s with no distance covered |
38 runs in one test browser with slow software rendering, steered by a script, not by people. The timings are game time counted from the start of the round, and the distances are in the game’s own units. We tested only round 1.
Why letting go at red is too late
The runner does not stop the instant you let go. In our runs it was still moving at roughly 900 to 1,000 units per second when the light turned red, and the game knocks you out if you are moving at that moment. Letting go 0.6 and 0.7 seconds early was still not enough in most runs; 0.8 seconds worked in 3 of 5 and 0.9 and 1.0 seconds worked in all 10.
Nobody reached the finish
Even the careful runs did not finish. The farthest run covered about 2,570 units of the roughly 7,500 the track needs, and the careful runs ended with 1,900 to 2,450 units when the 30 second timer ran out. Round 1 needs more than careful stopping, or more nerve than our script had; we did not find out which.
4 tips that follow from the numbers
- Let go about 0.9 seconds early. All 10 runs at 0.9 or 1.0 seconds survived to the timer.
- Do not wait for the red light. Letting go at red knocked out all 5 runs.
- Do not hold through a red light. Holding the whole time ended every run at about 3 seconds.
- Do not stand still. With no input the 30 second timer ended the round with nothing gained.
Where to try it
Try it yourself in Sixbound. For another game that rewards good timing, Hoplane has you jump between lanes.
Frequently asked questions
How do you move in round 1 of Sixbound?
Hold the mouse button or touch the screen to run, and let go before the light turns red.
When should you let go?
About 0.9 seconds before the red light: all 5 runs that did so survived until the timer ended.
Is letting go at red fast enough?
No. In all 5 of our runs the runner was still moving when the light turned red and was knocked out.
What if you hold the whole time?
The first red light, about 3 seconds in, knocked out all 5 runs.
What happens if you do nothing?
In 3 runs the 30 second timer ended with no distance covered.
Can you reach the finish?
Not in our runs: the farthest one covered about 2,570 units of roughly 7,500 before the timer ended.