diff --git a/build/colors b/build/colors
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..48d8379
Binary files /dev/null and b/build/colors differ
diff --git a/build_colors.sh b/build_colors.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0c8b58f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_colors.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+code="$PWD"
+opts="-g -Wno-switch"
+
+mkdir -p build
+cd build
+echo colors
+clang $opts $code/src/colors.main.c -lncurses -o colors
+
diff --git a/project.4coder b/project.4coder
index f983a29..54dc483 100644
--- a/project.4coder
+++ b/project.4coder
@@ -24,10 +24,15 @@ load_paths = {
 commands = {
  .build_printinput = { .out = "*compilation*", .footer_panel = true, .save_dirty_files = true,
    .win = "build_printinput.bat", .linux = "./build_printinput.sh", .mac = "./build_printinput.sh", },
+
  .build_animate = { .out = "*compilation*", .footer_panel = true, .save_dirty_files = true,
    .win = "build_animate.bat", .linux = "./build_animate.sh", .mac = "./build_animate.sh", },
+
+ .build_colors = { .out = "*compilation*", .footer_panel = true, .save_dirty_files = true,
+   .win = "build_colors.bat", .linux = "./build_colors.sh", .mac = "./build_colors.sh", },
 };
 fkey_command = {
 .F1 = "build_printinput",
 .F2 = "build_animate",
+.F3 = "build_colors",
 };
diff --git a/src/colors.main.c b/src/colors.main.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d19390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/colors.main.c
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#include "mr4th/mr4th_base.h"
+#include <ncurses.h>
+
+#include "mr4th/mr4th_base.c"
+
+int main(){
+  Arena *arena = arena_alloc();
+  
+  // initializes ncurses
+  initscr();
+  
+  if (!has_colors()){
+    goto no_color;
+  }
+  
+  start_color();
+  
+  // settings
+  noecho();
+  cbreak();
+  
+  B32 animating = 1;
+  
+  // get size
+  U32 window_x = 0;
+  U32 window_y = 0;
+  getmaxyx(stdscr, window_y, window_x);
+  
+  U32 window_stride = window_x;
+  
+  // color pairs
+  struct ColorPairs{
+    String8 text;
+    S16 fore;
+    S16 back;
+  };
+  struct ColorPairs color_pairs[] = {
+    { str8_lit("  WHITE /   BLACK"), COLOR_WHITE  , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit("    RED /   BLACK"), COLOR_RED    , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit("  GREEN /   BLACK"), COLOR_GREEN  , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit("   BLUE /   BLACK"), COLOR_BLUE   , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit(" YELLOW /   BLACK"), COLOR_YELLOW , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit("MAGENTA /   BLACK"), COLOR_MAGENTA, COLOR_BLACK   },
+    { str8_lit("   CYAN /   BLACK"), COLOR_CYAN   , COLOR_BLACK   },
+    
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /   WHITE"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_WHITE   },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /     RED"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_RED     },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /   GREEN"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_GREEN   },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /    BLUE"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_BLUE    },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /  YELLOW"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_YELLOW  },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK / MAGENTA"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_MAGENTA },
+    { str8_lit("  BLACK /    CYAN"), COLOR_BLACK  , COLOR_CYAN    },
+  };
+  
+  // print
+  for (S16 i = 0; i < ArrayCount(color_pairs); i += 1){
+    S16 pair_idx = i + 1;
+    init_pair(pair_idx, color_pairs[i].fore, color_pairs[i].back);
+    attron(COLOR_PAIR(pair_idx));
+    printw("%.*s\n", (S32)color_pairs[i].text.size, color_pairs[i].text.str);
+    attroff(pair_idx);
+  }
+  
+  getch();
+  endwin();
+  
+  if (0){ no_color:
+    endwin();
+    printf("no ncurses color support\n");
+  }
+  
+  return(0);
+}