True Color

True Color includes four types of challenges, all based on the Stroop Effect, the phenomenon of how the brain interprets the dissonance between the written word for a color and the actual color. The "Classic" game has students determine whether the name for the color shown is true or not before time runs out. In "Chrono," they try to identify as many correct color and word combinations as they can before time runs out. "Find the True Color" features eight colored circles on the bottom of the screen; players must tap the color that matches the word -- not the color -- shown at the top of the screen. In "Tap the True Color," students see four circles of different colors, each with the color word in them. Players must tap the circle where the word and color match. Each round ends with an incorrect answer, except for "Chrono," which is timed. Students have the option of playing in color-blind mode and choosing from nine languages: Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, or Spanish. They can also challenge friends on Google+ and share their scores.

The benefits of brain-training games are unclear. Nonetheless, the challenge is fun, and students may see an improvement in their ability to tune out distractions and focus on one specific task after some training with True Color. Several other languages are included, but the exercises may not work well in a foreign-language classroom because the idea is that the word and the color don't match up, which could possibly confuse students just learning colors.