Goal

A colour word appears printed in an ink colour. Tap the swatch for the ink — ignore what the word says. Answer as many as you can in 60 seconds.

Levels

• You start with 4 colours; levels 2 and 3 add a fifth and sixth.
• From level 4 the swatches reshuffle every 5 words, and from level 7 after every word.
• From level 5 the word jumps around the card. From level 6 some words are printed in their own colour — so reading is tempting.
• At level 8 each word has 2 seconds.
• 6 right answers at a level moves you up; 2 misses in a row moves you down.

Scoring

A right answer earns 2 + the level (3 to 10), plus 1 for every 5 in a row (up to +3). A wrong tap costs 2 + the level and 1.5 seconds. Running out of time on a word costs nothing but your streak.

Selective Attention

Reading is automatic — you can't help it. The Stroop effect makes you hold back that automatic answer and act on a less obvious one (the ink), a direct workout for inhibitory control.

Staying on Task

Reshuffled swatches and words in their own colour stop you coasting on habit — the same focus you need to ignore notifications and stay on what matters.