Candidates hoping to land their dream job are increasingly being asked to play video games, with companies like Siemens, E.ON and Walmart filtering out hundreds of applicants before the interview stage based partly on how they perform. Played on either smartphones or computers, the games' designers say they can help improve workplace diversity, but there are questions over how informative the results really are. To the casual observer, many of the games might seem almost nonsensical. One series of tests by UK-based software house Arctic Shores includes a trial where the player must tap a button frantically to inflate balloons for a party without bursting them. In another, the candidate taps a logo matching the one displayed on screen, at an ever more blistering pace.

Welcome aboard the Starship Comet – a virtual spaceship in the smartphone game Cosmic Cadet, which asks players to complete six levels of interstellar challenges in 30 minutes. The game may look and feel like Angry Birds, but it is testing more than your ability to swipe and aim. It is a psychometric assessment, which its creators believe will revolutionise the recruitment industry. Measuring cognitive processes such as resilience and problem-solving, the game collects data on how job candidates instinctively respond to given situations, thereby helping employers gain a better understanding of how they would perform in the role and whether they are a good fit for the company. Cosmic Cadet is one of three games available for iPhone and Android users.