Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- How the Lights Work
- Training Modes
- Standard Mode
- Sprint Mode
- Challenge Mode
- Ghost Mode
- Daily Challenge
- 1v1 Multiplayer
- Training Plans
- Competitive Ranked Tiers & Weekly Leaderboards
- Statistics & Analytics
- History & Sharing
- Settings
- Lights Out Pro Subscription
- Tips & Strategies
- FAQ
1. Getting Started
Lights Out! simulates the standing start light sequence used in professional motorsport. Five red lights illuminate one by one, then all go out at a random moment — and you react as fast as possible.
Quick Start
- Launch the app. You'll see the main screen with five dark circles representing the lights and a "TAP TO START" prompt.
- Tap anywhere on the screen to begin the light sequence. The five lights will illuminate one at a time, roughly one second apart.
- Wait for all lights to go out. After a random delay (0.2–3.0 seconds by default), all five lights extinguish simultaneously.
- Tap as fast as you can! Your reaction time is measured in milliseconds from the moment the lights go out.
- Review your time on the result screen. Tap again to try another round.
⚠ False Start: If you tap before the lights go out, it's a false start — just like in real racing. You'll need to tap again to retry.
2. How the Lights Work
The Sequence
| Phase | What Happens | Duration |
|---|
| Countdown (optional) |
3… 2… 1… countdown before the sequence |
3 seconds |
| Arming |
Lights illuminate one by one (1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5) |
~5 seconds |
| Waiting |
All 5 lights are on. Random delay begins. |
0.2–3.0s (random) |
| GO! |
All lights go out simultaneously |
— |
| Result |
Your reaction time is displayed |
— |
💡 Tip: The random delay between lights-on and lights-out prevents you from "timing" the start — just like in real racing. Stay focused on the lights, not the rhythm.
3. Training Modes
Lights Out! offers multiple training modes to suit different practice goals.
🏁 Standard Mode FREE
The core experience. One round at a time — tap to start, react when the lights go out, review your time. Perfect for casual practice and warming up.
- Unlimited rounds
- Full reaction time measurement
- Personal best tracking
- False start detection
⚡ Sprint Mode PRO
Complete 5 consecutive rounds with short breaks between each. Measures both your average reaction time and consistency under pressure.
- 5 rapid-fire rounds
- 1.5-second auto-advance between rounds
- Summary screen with average and best times
- Great for building consistency
🎯 Challenge Mode PRO
Progressive difficulty challenge. Start with a generous target time (400ms) and each successful round lowers the target by 25ms. How far can you go?
- Target starts at 400ms
- Each level reduces target by 25ms
- Minimum target: 150ms
- One miss and the challenge ends
- Track your highest level reached
👻 Ghost Mode PRO
Race against your personal best. During the GO phase, a live timer shows your elapsed time alongside your PB marker, creating real-time pressure to beat yourself.
- Live elapsed timer during reaction phase
- Personal best ghost target displayed
- Visual indicator of PB threshold
- Toggle on/off from the main screen
📅 Daily Challenge FREE / PRO
Every day brings a unique challenge with a fixed random seed — everyone gets the same delay. Compare your reaction time on a level playing field.
- Free users: 3 attempts per day
- Pro: Unlimited attempts
- Same delay for all players worldwide
- Best time of the day tracked
🆚 1v1 Multiplayer PRO
Challenge another player in real-time via Game Center. Both players see the same light sequence with the same random delay (ensured by a shared seed). Fastest reaction wins!
- Tap 1v1 on the main screen to open Game Center matchmaking.
- Wait for an opponent to be found (or invite a friend).
- A 3-2-1 countdown begins, then the light sequence runs identically for both players.
- React when the lights go out. Results are compared automatically.
- Winner is announced. Tap to play again or exit.
💡 Tip: You must be signed in to Game Center for multiplayer to work. Go to Settings → Game Center on your device to sign in.
📋 Training Plans PRO
Structured multi-day programs designed to systematically improve your reaction time. Each plan has daily sessions with specific targets and round counts.
Available Plans:
| Plan | Duration | Difficulty | Focus |
|---|
| Speed Drill |
5 days |
Beginner |
Building basic speed |
| Consistency Builder |
7 days |
Intermediate |
Reducing variance |
| Elite Program |
5 days |
Advanced |
Sub-200ms reactions |
Each day within a plan specifies:
- Number of rounds to complete
- Target reaction time to aim for
- Training mode (standard, sprint, or challenge)
- Rest periods between sessions
Progress is saved automatically. You can reset a plan to start over at any time.
4. Competitive Ranked Tiers PRO
Pro subscribers earn a competitive tier based on their rolling 20-round average reaction time. Climb the ranks as you improve.
How Ranking Works
- Rolling 20-round average: Your tier is calculated from the most recent 20 reaction times.
- Progress bar: The badge shows how close you are to the next tier.
- Dynamic: Your rank updates automatically as you complete rounds.
- Visible to you: The rank badge appears on the main screen for Pro subscribers.
💡 Tip: Consistency matters more than peak speed. A single 150ms round won't move you up if your other rounds are slower. Aim for a steady average.
Weekly Leaderboards PRO
Compete globally every week via Game Center. The weekly leaderboard resets each Monday, giving everyone a fresh chance to climb.
- Global scope: Compare against all Pro players worldwide
- Weekly reset: New competition starts each Monday
- Best reaction time wins: Lowest single-round ms takes the top
- Game Center integration: Tap the leaderboard icon in the header to view
Seasonal Content PRO
Each calendar quarter is a "Season" (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). Pro subscribers receive rotating training plans, themes, and seasonal challenges.
5. Statistics & Analytics
Track your improvement over time with detailed charts and performance metrics.
Free Statistics
- Overview: Total rounds, average time, personal best, current trend
- Distribution Chart: Histogram showing how your reaction times are distributed
- 7-Day Chart: Daily averages over the past week
- Streak Tracking: Current and best practice streaks
Pro Analytics PRO
- Percentile Ranking: See how your best compares to typical reaction times globally
- Reaction Timeline: Long-term trend chart of your progress over time
- Time-of-Day Performance: Hourly bar chart showing when you perform best
- Fatigue Analysis: Compares your first 3 rounds vs. last 3 rounds in a session
- Consistency metrics: Spread and variance tracking
💡 Tip: Use the time-of-day chart to discover your peak performance window, then schedule important practice during those hours.
6. History & Sharing
Every reaction time you record is saved in your history. Access it from the main screen to review past sessions.
- Full History List: Scrollable list of all your reaction times with timestamps and training mode
- Clear History: Option to wipe all records and start fresh
- Share Results: After any round, tap share to send your reaction time to friends via Messages, social media, or any share-compatible app
7. Settings
Customize your training experience. Access Settings from the gear icon on the main screen.
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|
| Sound Effects |
Audio beeps during light sequence and countdown |
On |
| Haptic Feedback |
Vibration feedback on light changes and results |
On |
| 3-2-1 Countdown |
Show a countdown before the light sequence begins |
Off |
| Light Theme |
Choose the color of the lights (Classic Red, Neon Blue, Green, Amber) |
Classic Red |
| Custom Delay Range PRO |
Adjust the min/max random delay between lights-on and lights-out |
0.2s – 3.0s |
💡 Tip: Narrowing the delay range (e.g., 0.3–0.8s) creates harder, more intense training sessions. Widening it (e.g., 0.5–5.0s) trains patience and focus.
8. Lights Out Pro Subscription
Start free, go Pro to unlock every mode, competitive ranks, and advanced analytics.
🆓 Free
- Standard mode (unlimited rounds)
- Daily Challenge (3 attempts/day)
- Basic statistics & 7-day chart
- History & sharing
- Sound, haptics, countdown, and theme settings
💎 Pro Yearly — $9.99/year BEST VALUE
Just $0.83/month — save 58% vs. monthly billing.
- All training modes unlocked (Sprint, Challenge, Ghost, 1v1, Training Plans)
- Competitive Ranked Tiers (Bronze → Diamond)
- Weekly Leaderboards (global, resets every Monday)
- Advanced analytics & percentile ranking
- Unlimited Daily Challenge attempts
- Seasonal content & themes
- Ad-free experience
💎 Pro Monthly — $1.99/month
Same Pro features, billed monthly. Cancel anytime.
💎 Lifetime — $14.99 (one-time)
Pay once, Pro forever. No recurring charges.
- All current Pro features
- All future Pro features included
- Best for long-term racers
Managing Your Subscription
- Restore Purchases: Available on the paywall and in Settings → Pro Training
- Cancel anytime: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions on your device
- Existing Premium/Ultra Premium purchasers: Your purchase is honored automatically — you have full Pro access forever
- Family Sharing: Supported for the Pro subscription plans
⚠ Auto-renewal: Monthly and yearly subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase.
9. Tips & Strategies
🎯 Improving Your Reaction Time
- Stay relaxed. Tension slows your reactions. Keep your tapping finger loose and hovering close to the screen.
- Focus on the lights, not the timing. Don't try to predict when the lights will go out — react to the visual change.
- Use peripheral vision. Instead of staring at one light, let your eyes softly focus on the entire cluster. You'll detect the change faster.
- Practice in short bursts. 10–15 rounds per session is optimal. Fatigue degrades performance after that.
- Warm up first. Your first 2–3 reactions are usually slower. Use them as warm-up rounds.
📊 Using Statistics Effectively
- Track your trend: The app shows whether you're improving, declining, or steady based on your last 10 rounds.
- Check time-of-day data (Ultra) to find when your reflexes are sharpest.
- Watch the fatigue chart (Ultra) to know when to stop — if your last 3 rounds are significantly worse than your first 3, take a break.
- Aim for consistency over raw speed. A consistent 250ms is better than alternating between 180ms and 400ms.
⚡ Advanced Techniques
- Sprint Mode warmup: Use Sprint Mode as your warm-up routine — 5 quick rounds to get dialed in.
- Challenge Mode benchmarking: Your Challenge Mode level is a great single-number benchmark of your skill.
- Narrow the delay range (Premium) for race-realistic training (real motorsport delays are typically 0.2–2.5s).
- Ghost Mode accountability: Enable Ghost Mode to keep yourself honest about beating your PB in every session.
10. FAQ
What's a good reaction time?
For most people, 200–300ms is good. Competitive racers aim for 150–200ms. Under 150ms is exceptional. The app shows your percentile ranking (Premium) to help you gauge where you stand.
Why do I keep getting false starts?
You're anticipating rather than reacting. Try to relax and wait for the lights to actually go out. The random delay is specifically designed to prevent prediction. With practice, you'll learn to stay poised without jumping early.
Is the random delay truly random?
Yes. Each round generates a fresh random delay within your configured range (default 0.2–3.0 seconds). In Daily Challenge and Multiplayer, a shared seed ensures all players get the same delay.
Do subscriptions transfer between devices?
Yes. Pro subscriptions and Lifetime purchases are tied to your Apple ID. Use "Restore Purchases" on any device signed into the same Apple ID.
I already bought Premium/Ultra Premium. Do I need to subscribe?
No. Existing Premium and Ultra Premium purchases are automatically grandfathered into Pro — you keep full access forever without subscribing.
What's the difference between monthly, yearly, and lifetime?
All three unlock identical Pro features. The only difference is billing: Monthly ($1.99/mo) bills each month, Yearly ($9.99/yr) bills annually and saves 58%, Lifetime ($14.99) is a single one-time purchase that never renews.
How do competitive ranks work?
Your rank is calculated from the rolling average of your most recent 20 reaction times. Bronze starts at 330+ ms and Diamond requires under 180 ms. The rank updates automatically after every round and appears on the main screen for Pro subscribers.
When does the weekly leaderboard reset?
Every Monday at midnight UTC. Submissions throughout the week appear on the global Pro leaderboard via Game Center.
How does multiplayer matchmaking work?
1v1 uses Apple's Game Center for matchmaking. You'll be matched with another player searching at the same time. Both players receive identical light sequences with the same random delay to ensure a fair race.
Can I practice offline?
Yes! All single-player modes work fully offline. Only 1v1 Multiplayer requires an internet connection.
How is my data stored?
All your reaction times, history, and statistics are stored locally on your device and never leave it. Your data is preserved across app updates.
The app does send anonymized usage data (e.g., which modes you use, how often you complete onboarding) and automatic crash reports to Firebase so we can improve the app and fix bugs. This contains no personal data and no individual reaction times. See the Privacy Policy for details.