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Even 3D maze games can get repetitive. But Knot In 3D contrives to be an interesting and innovative game by standing the 3D maze concept on its head.

Imagine a three-dimensional space. Next, think of yourself as being in control of a ball of string unravelling in this space. You must unwind this ball through as much space as you can without ever getting back to a point which your 'string' has already covered.

If you then think of a number of other balls of string moving through the same area, and whose trail you must avoid, you should get a fair idea of the game's objective. You thread your way through a maze you've built yourself, with the aid of rival tracers, gaining points for the amount of ground you cover, and losing points for the number of times you bump into a trail.

The hardest part about Knot In 3D is understanding the basic concept. You are a little cross in the middle of the screen - whereas some adventure games make you very cross all over the screen - and the various trails rush up to meet you in large 3D blocks. Your task is to get round/past/over/under them.

Initially I found it difficult to remember that it was actually the stationary cross that was doing the moving, but once you've got your brain in step with the way the program's going it's relatively plain sailing.

Once you've got this far you can start motoring. Your role is to change the direction of movement rather than decide whether or not to move, and as the knot gets thicker you have to go through all sorts of permutations to survive.

Although you can get a respectable score by just waltzing through your void until things get tight, you've actually got to plan to get up there with the big boys. Planning isn't my strong suit, so I had to make do with mediocre scores and regular "you have been knotted" messages.

I don't think Knot In 3D will teach you much about strategy, although if you're a maths genius it might; however, it certainly does sharpen your reactions. Just a few months' basic training on this one, and when the next generation of 3D air combat games comes on the market...