Antix

Antix was one of those games you'd find buried in the Flash portals of the mid-2000s. It didn't have a big name behind it, but it fit right in with the era's simple, addictive puzzle loops. You'd load it up in a browser tab, and for a few minutes, the world outside would fade away.

You control a fixed cannon at the center of the screen, using your mouse to aim and fire colored orbs into a winding chain that spirals inward. The goal is to stop that chain from reaching the hole in the middle. You match three or more orbs of the same color to clear them from the path. The chain moves steadily, so your shots need to be precise; a bad angle can split the chain or create a messy knot that brings the end closer. The difficulty comes from the chain's increasing speed and complexity, demanding quick decisions. It feels like a tense, focused race against a tightening coil.