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[MrMog]

So, I'm trying to make a game where you mix and match coloured gel creatures to make new ones (for example mixing a cyan one with a yellow one makes green), when the thought hit me: "is this really effective?".

Is color theory too much assumed knowledge to work? Would numbers be a better way to convey information, or a combination (numbering each colour)? What do you all think?

[SundownKid]

Numbers would definitely be faster, everyone knows basic arithmetic but not all people are familiar with the color wheel if they aren't artists. If that is the case, then numbering each color still wouldn't work.

[LDuncan]

Maybe I'm weird, but I like both at the same time. Not sure this works for your game idea, but would it be possible to perhaps have a default of just colors, then a toggle in the settings to add numbers in as well?

[Blodyavenger]

That's very interesting question because some people easier underestand colours than numbers and vice versa. Let me give you a link to a quick game, where you have to work on both mentioned areas.

http://dawnofplay.com/twinoo/
Click on "play" button to play it online and you'll see by yourself if that works out / if it's good

[MrMog]

Hmm... The idea behind the colours initially was simply to give players a shorthand for solving the puzzles. One solution I think I may have  (thanks to Lduncan's idea) is adding a legend of all the colours and combinations since omitting shades brings the total to 7 (adding white to things would make things far too complicated), while also having a toggle button which assigns each gel a number based on it's color, and mixing gels simply adds the two numbers.

That way every hemisphere and colorblind person is happy! I think...

[Sankar]

It depends on what your game is really all about.
If you're talking about a "mixing" game, where there are different atributes that you combine on your creature, then colors is the way to go. Cause its just a matter of teaching the player: "blue means speed, green resistence, red attack, yellow energy-recharge" so the player. We have way easier times associating colors to attributes.
We can easily look in a strategy game and know what is our units, what is the other dude's and so on.

Numbers are good for "raising" games, where basically you are just trying to get bigger and bigger and bigger. So it makes sense.

[LiquidAsh]

One of the primary challenges in many matching games is visual search (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_search).  When additional challenges are added in terms of the logic or patterns that constitute matches, you need to consider the player's experience.  What do you want them to be more challenged by: both in terms of learning the game, and playing it well.

[Kurai]

You should probably take a look at this project: http://itunes.apple.com/app/colorous-a-bigger-color-odyssey/id401214735?mt=8.
It is a puzzle game about color theory. You can find it on Facebook also. I find it rather good, but the devs told me that it suffered exactly of the problem you are afraid of: not everyone is familiar with color mixing.
Strange thing: it appears very young kids are the best fans of the game. Hope it helps

[Theophilus]

This may be a left brain/right brain conflict. Make a simple test to see if they are leftbrained or rightbrained, and then choose. Instead, you could let them choose.