CollecTic is a game developed by Jonas Hielscher that uses the standard features of the PSP, with emphasis on the handheld's ability to scan for wireless access points to the Internet. Yes, that's an indication that you'd have to really move around to play the game. Well, some of us could use the workout.

The game lets players search for different access points. These will then have to be collected and combined in a puzzle in order to earn points. It's basically using your PSP as a sensor device, similar to what some of you do with a metal detector when looking for buried treasures in the beach. With all the access point-finding exercise, you'd be able to discover the hidden infrastructure of wireless network coverage via auditive and visual feedback. It's designed as a single player game, but you can play competitively with another player using two PSPs.

Every time your PSP gets a wireless access point signal, the point will be visualized as a square, triangle, or circle, having a specific color and size determined by the signal strength of the access point. So, logic dictates that if you want a bigger form, you'd have to move closer to a point with stronger signal.

Hielscher further explains, "All visible figures are starting to blink and to play a sound after each other. The length of time a figure blinks, depends on the strength of the signal. The kind of sound depends on the form and color: the form determines the waveform of the sound (sine, triangle or square wave); the color determines the note (frequency) of the sound. If the player presses the button corresponding to the figure that lightens up, s/he collects the figure, meaning the access point. The collected shapes will be placed in the big black square on the screen. During the game, an access point can only be collected once. So, in order to find new access points the player has to move around."

The puzzle part comes in when you have collected enough figures in the black square. The figures can be arranged in a grid of 3 x 3. When the maximum amount of shapes (9) is collected, the grid will check for three equals in a row. Same-shape combinations give you extra points.

Now, here's the twist. Unsecured wireless access points are represented by black and white star. That may not be intriguing enough, but this star can either have a positive or negative effect, unknown to the player before selecting it. The black star serves as the villain in the game as it throws all selected figures out of the puzzle! The white star, on the other hand, helps complete a row. So, better wish for a white star.

Though CollecTic is not yet available for download, it will run on PSPs up to firmware version 2.0.