Hard Target

Hard Target was one of those straightforward shooting games you'd find during the Flash era. It didn't try to be anything more than a quick test of reflexes, the kind of thing you'd play for a few minutes between other tasks. The screen was usually just you, a cursor, and a series of shapes that needed to be hit.

You control a crosshair with your mouse, clicking on geometric targets as they appear and move around the screen. The main objective is simply to survive by hitting every target before it escapes or, in some versions, before it shoots back at you. Specific mechanics include bonus targets that replenish a health bar and explosive shots that can clear several enemies at once. The pacing starts slow but builds quickly, and missing even a few targets can end the game. It feels like a constant, escalating race against your own focus and the clock.