Click the Colour, Not the Word

Click the Colour, Not the Word is a browser game based on the Stroop effect, where reading a colour name can interfere with identifying the colour it's printed in. If the word "BLUE" appears in red, you need to choose red.

The Mirror-hosted version has five stages and is meant as a game, not a clinical attention test. Rob Manuel created an earlier B3ta game with the same idea in 2005, but the developer of this Mirror edition hasn't been confirmed.

A colour word appears above six answer buttons. Click the button that names the colour of the letters, not the word you're reading, before the timer runs out.

Each new stage adds more pressure and on-screen distractions, including moving text, a bouncing kitten, and flashing visuals. Complete all five stages to see your total time, then try again to beat it.

The hard part isn't knowing the rule. Reading words is so automatic that the wrong answer can feel like the right one, even when the ink colour is in plain sight.

As the game progresses, the page starts working against you. Strangely, some players say it gets easier once they stop reading the words and memorize the fixed positions of the answer buttons.

Click the Colour, Not the Word turns a simple psychology demonstration into a browser game that actively fights your attention. One rule is enough to make you second-guess what you see, and the escalating distractions make every successful run satisfying.