Frequently asked questions
Where does the game come from?
Caticon is based on “The Fly”, a classic attention exercise from Soviet psychological training, described in a 1988 book by N. V. Tsen and Yu. V. Pakhomov. I learned about it from a short video by the psychologist Alexey Sitnikov. Read the story.
How much does Caticon cost?
It's a one-time purchase of about €1; Google Play shows the price in your local currency. There are no subscriptions, no ads and no in-app purchases.
Does it need the internet?
No. Once installed, Caticon works fully offline. No account or sign-up is needed.
Which phones does it work on?
Android phones with Android 7.0 or newer. Caticon is available on Google Play.
Will my mom or dad figure it out?
Yes. While playing there are just two buttons, Step and Stop. Play the first round together on Easy (3×3); later they can move on to Medium or Hard whenever they like.
Who is Caticon for?
For anyone who enjoys a calm puzzle: parents and grandparents, and their children and grandchildren too. Easy and Medium are relaxed. If you'd like an intensive challenge, choose Custom and set the board size yourself: boards larger than 9×9 are already serious, and on very large boards a round can mean up to around a hundred steps to hold in your head.
How long does a round take?
Usually 1 to 3 minutes.
Which languages does the game support?
English, Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Russian.
Is Caticon medicine or a therapy app?
No. Caticon is a game, not medicine or a medical product, and it makes no health claims. First of all, it's meant to be interesting and enjoyable. The useful part comes with it: while playing, your mom or dad trains memory and spatial thinking — keeping the board in mind, remembering the path, picturing where Caticon is.
Does the game collect any data?
No. Caticon doesn't collect, store or share personal or device data, and it uses no analytics or advertising. See the privacy policy.
Does the game save results?
Yes. Every game is saved in Statistics: date and time, board size, number of moves and the result (Caught or Escaped), plus totals. The data stays on your phone only and can be cleared with Reset.
I received a promo code. How do I use it?
Open the Play Store, tap your profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions › Redeem code. Step-by-step instructions are on the redeem page.
The story behind Caticon
Caticon is based on a classic Soviet attention exercise from 1980s psychological training, known as “The Fly”. It is described in the 1988 book Psychotraining: Games and Exercises by N. V. Tsen and Yu. V. Pakhomov: imagine a 3×3 board with a fly in the centre; a partner calls out “up”, “down”, “left” or “right”, and you say “Stop!” the moment the fly leaves the board. That is exactly Caticon's rule, with Caticon instead of a fly.
I'm a retired developer. I came across the exercise in a short video by the psychologist Alexey Sitnikov, remembered it and started practising it myself. First I made an audio version so I could train while walking. Then, with the help of AI agents, I turned it into an app, for myself and for my mom.
That's why there is nothing distracting around the game: no ads, no purchases, no pop-ups. If your mom or dad uses a smartphone for calls and messages, they'll manage Caticon easily.
If you have a question or an idea, write to me at caticon.app@gmail.com. I read every message.
— operchief, developer of Caticon
