The Lantern Suite / Behind the design
Jade & Vermilion
Practice the pause between seeing a word and reacting
Jade & Vermilion is a Stroop exercise in lacquer colors: players tap the ink color and let the word pass, including heavy words like shame and duty in Level 2. It offers a safe place to rehearse noticing a loaded word without being steered by it.
What players see
The science
Inhibitory control. Pausing before reacting helps in tense conversations, when a comment stings, and when following program rules or work instructions under pressure.
Naming a word's ink color is slower when the word names a different color. That interference is the core of Level 1.
Stroop, 1935, "Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions," Journal of Experimental PsychologyA review of 50 years of studies found Stroop interference highly reliable, making it a standard measure of resisting an automatic response.
MacLeod, 1991, "Half a century of research on the Stroop effect: an integrative review," Psychological BulletinIn the emotional Stroop, emotionally loaded words can slow color naming. Level 2 uses this design and reports a "heavy-word cost."
Williams, Mathews & MacLeod, 1996, "The emotional Stroop task and psychopathology," Psychological Bulletin
Culture players carry with them
Players learn how lacquer is made from tree sap and built up in thin layers, and how artists in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Myanmar decorate it with carving, gold and shell. The game's reflections draw on that patient, layer-by-layer craft.
- Made From Tree SapReal Asian lacquer comes from tree sap. In China, Japan and Korea, it comes from the lacquer tree. Vietnam and Myanmar use sap from related trees. Fresh sap can cause a rash, so workers take care.
- Dries in Damp AirLacquer hardens best in warm, damp air, not dry air. Artists brush on a very thin layer, let it harden, then polish it. Some pieces have dozens of layers, even more than one hundred.
- Red From CinnabarIn China, artists made a bright red lacquer by mixing in cinnabar, a red mineral. They built up many layers, then carved flowers and scenes into the thick red surface.
Culture notes as they appear in the game, between levels and on the title screen.
Impact
For the people who play
Rehearses seeing heavy words like shame or blame as "only ink," in a safe, private setting.
Short, quick rounds with clear feedback keep players engaged and show progress within the task.
Names culturally specific pressures, such as saving face, with care and without clinical labels.
For your agency
Culturally responsive programming that names real pressures, like saving face, with care
Inhibitory-control practice that complements, not replaces, cognitive-behavioral programming
No network connections: one offline file, no accounts, and no data leaves the tablet
The Lantern Suite offers structured practice and cultural learning. It is not a medical device or a treatment. See our claims and evidence policy.
Pilot Jade & Vermilion with your program
Every game is one offline file, ready for your publication and security review.