🎨 Palette: Enhance terminal UI and inclusive feedback

.Jules/palette.md

@@ -25,3 +25,11 @@
 ## 2026-03-02 - Hiding the Cursor in CLI Games
 **Learning:** In terminal applications that require rapid visual updates or where user input doesn't involve typing text, an actively blinking cursor can be a visual distraction. Hiding it during interaction (`\033[?25l`) and rigorously ensuring it is restored (`\033[?25h`) on exit—including signal interrupts—significantly improves the aesthetic and focus.
 **Action:** Always hide the cursor for interactive CLI games and explicitly restore it across all exit paths, including async-signal-safe signal handlers.
+
+## 2025-01-24 - Inclusive Achievement Feedback
+**Learning:** Requiring a pre-existing non-zero high score before celebrating a "New Best" excludes first-time players from a key moment of delight. Checking `score > initialHighscore` (where `initialHighscore` may be 0) ensures every player feels rewarded for their progress from the very first session.
+**Action:** Always ensure achievement logic handles the "zero-state" gracefully to include first-time users in celebratory feedback loops.
+
+## 2025-01-24 - Robust Terminal Redrawing
+**Learning:** Manual space padding (e.g., `"           "`) to clear old text in a terminal is fragile and dependent on the previous string length. The ANSI "Erase in Line" sequence (`\033[K`) is a more robust and idiomatic way to ensure a clean redraw regardless of string length changes.
+**Action:** Use `\033[K` (CLR_LINE) for all in-place terminal updates to prevent "ghost" characters and ensure a polished UI.

src/main.cpp

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #define CLR_NORM  "\033[1;32m"
 #define CLR_CTRL  "\033[1;33m"
 #define CLR_RESET "\033[0m"
+#define CLR_LINE  "\033[K"
 
 struct termios oldt;
 
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ int main() {
     }
 
     for (int i = 3; i > 0; --i) {
-        std::cout << "\rStarting in " << i << "... " << std::flush;
+        std::cout << "\rStarting in " << CLR_CTRL << i << CLR_RESET << "... " << std::flush;
         auto start_wait = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
         while (std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count() < 1000) {
             int elapsed = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::milliseconds>(std::chrono::steady_clock::now() - start_wait).count();
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ int main() {
             }
         }
     }
-    std::cout << "\rGO!             \n" << std::flush;
+    std::cout << "\r" << CLR_NORM << "GO!" << CLR_RESET << CLR_LINE << "\n" << std::flush;
     std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(200));
     tcflush(STDIN_FILENO, TCIFLUSH);
 
@@ -137,10 +138,11 @@ int main() {
         }
 
         if (updateUI) {
-            std::cout << "\r" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << " "
+            std::cout << "\r" << CLR_SCORE << "Score: " << score << CLR_RESET
+                      << " | High: " << std::max(score, highscore) << " "
                       << (hardMode ? CLR_HARD "[HARD MODE]" : CLR_NORM "[NORMAL MODE]")
-                      << (score > initialHighscore && initialHighscore > 0 ? " NEW BEST! 🥳" : "")
-                      << "           " << std::flush;
+                      << (score > initialHighscore ? " NEW BEST! 🥳" : "")
+                      << CLR_LINE << std::flush;
             updateUI = false;
         }
     }
@@ -151,7 +153,7 @@ int main() {
 
     tcsetattr(STDIN_FILENO, TCSANOW, &oldt);
     std::cout << "\n\n" << CLR_SCORE << "Final Score: " << score << CLR_RESET << "\n";
-    if (score > initialHighscore && initialHighscore > 0) {
+    if (score > initialHighscore) {
         std::cout << "Congratulations! A new personal best!\n";
     }
     std::cout << "Thanks for playing!\n";