A New Challenge for Colour Perception
It’s something that most of us learn as toddlers. However, a new test will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about colours. The ‘Hue Shift’ test is designed to challenge your ability to distinguish and match different shades. The game shows you two colours and asks you to adjust one so they match. Sounds simple? With just 10 seconds to match the colours, the game is actually deceptively difficult.
The game instructions explain: “Two colours. One is fixed. The other is yours to bend.” You are then asked to “Drag to shift hue and lightness until they match.” There are 10 rounds, each with 10 seconds, and a countdown from 3 locks in your answer.
At the end of the game, your ‘delta–E’ score will be revealed – the lower the better. So, how good is your colour perception?
The game is the brainchild of software engineer Keith Cirkel, who has a range of fun, colour-based games on his website. To play, simply visit the game here and tap or click the white button that reads ‘Let’s go’. Each round, you’ll be shown two colour blocks on your screen, and all you need to do is adjust the colour on the right to match the one on the left.
For help, look at the colour palette at the top of the screen, which will guide you on where to go. Remember, you only have 10 seconds to find the closest match, with a countdown appearing on screen when you’ve only got three seconds left.
After each guess, you’ll be told how close you were. The lower the score, the closer the match. At the end of the game, you’ll be given your score, and told how it stacks up against the other people who have played it.
If your score is low, a message reads: “The drag controls take a round or two to click. Once that’s in your fingers the scores drop fast. Worth another go.”
In contrast, if you nail it, you might see a message saying: “Consistent and controlled. You understood early that horizontal is hue and vertical is lightness, and you didn’t fight the axes.”
If you enjoy this game, you’ll be happy to hear that Mr Cirkel has another banger up his sleeve. His ‘What’s My JND?’ test recently went viral, after players became enthralled with trying to find the line between two colours.
“You see two colours. Click on the line between them. That’s it. It starts easy. It does not stay easy,” the game’s instructions explain. “Each round the colours get closer together until we find your Just Noticeable Difference – the smallest colour change you can actually see.”
This test is another example of how Keith Cirkel continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with digital colour perception challenges. Whether you’re a casual player or a colour enthusiast, these games offer a unique way to engage with and understand the complexities of human vision.
