Introduction:

Have you ever played a game that challenges how quickly you can identify colors, not words? Welcome to the Color Blindness Check Game, a fast-paced, brain-boosting mini-project made with Python’s Tkinter library.

This game is not just fun — it also challenges your brain to distinguish color names from the color of the text itself. It's a classic example of the Stroop Effect, where your brain's reaction time is tested by conflicting information.

This post will walk you through everything: setting up the environment, creating the game, understanding each part of the code, and finally — a complete copy-paste ready solution.

Project Overview:

  • Objective: Build a game that displays color names in random font colors, and the player must type the color of the text, not the word shown.
  • Skills Covered: Tkinter GUI design, input handling, countdown timers, randomization, and logic building.
  • Tools Needed: Python 3.x and the built-in tkinter and random libraries.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Setting Up the Environment

Ensure Python is installed on your device (Python 3.x recommended). Tkinter usually comes pre-installed.

To check:

import tkinter

If no error appears, you're good to go!

Step 2: Designing the Game Mechanics

Here’s what we need:

  • A timer that counts down from 30 seconds.
  • A label that shows a color name in a different colored text.
  • An entry box where the user types the color of the text.
  • A score counter.
  • Key binding (pressing Enter starts or continues the game).

We’ll use Python’s random module to shuffle colors and pick new combinations.

Step 3: Explaining the Code (Before Full Code)

1. Import Required Libraries 

from tkinter import *
import random

Tkinter for GUI, and random to shuffle the color choices.

2. Initialize Score and Time 

score = 0
timeleft = 30

3. start_game() — Begins the Game on Enter Key

This function starts the countdown and calls next_color() to show the first color challenge.

4. next_color() — Main Game Logic

  • Checks user input.
  • Updates the score.
  • Randomizes the color label for the next challenge.

5. countdown() — Timer Function

Updates the timer every second and stops when time runs out.

6. Tkinter Layout

We add:

  • A main title label
  • Instructions
  • Score display
  • Timer display
  • Entry box
  • Bind the (Enter key) to start the game

Full Code

Here’s the complete, clean code that you can copy and run:

from tkinter import *
import random

# List of possible colors
colors = ['Red', 'Blue', 'Green', 'Pink', 'Orange', 'Purple', 'Yellow', 'Brown', 'Black']

# Score and timer
score = 0
timeleft = 30

# Function to start the game
def start_game(event):
    if timeleft == 30:
        countdown()
    next_color()

# Function to display the next color
def next_color():
    global score
    global timeleft

    if timeleft > 0:
        entry_box.focus_set()

        # Check if the entered text is correct
        if entry_box.get().lower() == colors[1].lower():
            score += 1

        # Clear the entry box
        entry_box.delete(0, END)

        # Shuffle the colors and update the label
        random.shuffle(colors)
        color_label.config(bg=str(colors[1]), text="    ")

        # Update the score display
        score_label.config(text="Score: " + str(score))

# Countdown timer function
def countdown():
    global timeleft

    if timeleft > 0:
        timeleft -= 1
        time_label.config(text="Time left: " + str(timeleft))
        time_label.after(1000, countdown)

# Create the main window
root = Tk()
root.title("Color Blindness Check Game")
root.geometry("600x600")

# Instruction label
instructions = Label(root, text="Type the color of the words, not the word itself!", font=('Helvetica', 12))
instructions.pack(pady=10)

# Score label
score_label = Label(root, text="Score: 0", font=('Helvetica', 12))
score_label.pack()

# Time left label
time_label = Label(root, text="Time left: 30", font=('Helvetica', 12))
time_label.pack()

# Label to display colors
color_label = Label(root, text="    ", font=('Helvetica', 36), bg="black")
color_label.pack(pady=20)

# Entry box for user input
entry_box = Entry(root, font=('Helvetica', 14), width=25)
entry_box.pack()

# Bind Enter key to start the game
root.bind('', start_game)

# Set focus to the entry box
entry_box.focus_set()

# Run the GUI
root.mainloop()

Conclusion

This simple yet powerful game is perfect for:

  • Practicing Tkinter GUIs.
  • Learning to manage time-based events.
  • Challenging your brain and reaction time.