Rail Shift: Cargo Master

Rail Shift is one of six games in my learning series for young minds:

• PhysKids: Fun Physics for KidsPhysics & natural phenomena
• Sum-thing: Math Link PuzzleMental math
• Rail Shift: Cargo MasterFocus & concentration
• Mazecraft JourneyProblem solving
• Brainy TrialsMemory
• Which Way WizGeneral knowledge

I noticed that my child found it hard to stay focused on any one activity for long, which is perfectly normal at that age. They also happen to love trains. So I made them a game about switching railway tracks to deliver cargo to the right place.

To be honest, the idea isn't original. There are plenty of games like it, and I can't even remember where I first saw one. That was never the point. What I wanted was a game with simple rules and real challenge: no garish colours, and no screens crowded with buttons urging you to buy this and that. I couldn't find one I liked, so I made my own.

Trains roll out of a tunnel, and your job is to flip the switches so that each one delivers its cargo to the factory of the matching colour. The catch is that several trains are on the move at once. You'll need total concentration to watch every train and switch each track at just the right moment. Let your mind wander for a second, and it's all over.

There are 20 levels. Each new level adds more factories to serve, and sometimes the trains speed up too. Earn at least one star to unlock the next level. Rail Shift is for kids and grown-ups alike, though the toughest levels may be out of reach for younger players. (My child has made it to level 8 so far.)