Track the Few
A free divided attention game: follow several marked boats as they move, then select the crew requested when the harbour comes to a stop.
About this game
Track the Few practises divided attention through multiple-object tracking. Several boats receive crew marks, which disappear before the boats move among the others. You keep track of where those boats go. Pylyshyn and Storm’s classic tracking task studied following several targets among identical moving objects. Pylyshyn’s later visual indexing account describes keeping track of objects as their positions change. Our harbour adds crew requests, including selecting boats that did not belong to a marked crew.
Each voyage needs the exact requested set within five seconds: an extra or missing boat makes the answer incorrect. Your scores in this game combine accuracy with the difficulty you settle at as voyages adapt. Faster selection earns no bonus. Compare standard runs within your age band; timing delays make a run separate from those comparisons. Better results record your tracking of these boats, without showing an improvement in attention elsewhere.
How to play
- Watch which boats receive flags or wheels before they start moving.
- Keep following those boats after the crew marks disappear.
- When movement stops, read the dock’s request and select that complete set.
- Press Check within five seconds; tap a selected boat again to remove it.
Tips
- Spread your attention across the crew instead of watching just one boat.
- Follow the boats through passing paths; their starting places will not identify the crew at the end.
- Read the crossed crew mark carefully: it asks for boats outside that crew.
How it adapts
The Kids, Teens and Adults bands set different level ceilings, and complete correct sets raise the level. Higher levels bring more boats and faster movement, then requests for unmarked boats and two separately marked crews, with explanations before new rules count.
Questions
What is multiple-object tracking?
It is following several moving targets among other objects. The target marks disappear, so you must maintain their identities through movement. Here, boats carry the targets, and the dock asks which crew you followed.
Can I play Track the Few with a screen reader?
This is a visual task, and screen-reader play is not available. Keyboard selection works after the boats stop, but it does not replace seeing their motion. Use the visible boat numbers to select them.
Why does the dock ask for unmarked boats?
From level three, a crossed flag can ask for boats that were not flagged. Later, flags and wheels identify separate crews. Keep their membership in mind and read the request before choosing your set.
The research behind it
Pylyshyn and Storm introduced the multiple-object tracking task. Pylyshyn later developed its visual indexing account. These papers support the tracking task family, rather than claims that harbour practice changes attention outside the game.
