Switching between light and dark in Games by Zaweba

Games by Zaweba lets the library follow either a light or a dark theme. You switch between them with Ctrl+T, and the change happens at once. There is no settings page to find and no restart needed.

It is a small feature, but it changes how comfortable the app is to sit in front of. A game collection tends to be used at odd hours: a few rounds of patience before work, a board game after tea, a puzzle late at night. A bright library at midnight is not pleasant, and a dark one on a sunny morning can be hard to read. Being able to flip between them with one shortcut means you can match the app to the room rather than putting up with it.

When to use each theme

The light theme is easy to read in daylight and in a bright room. It suits a family computer in a kitchen or living room, and it is the more familiar look for anyone used to ordinary desktop programs.

The dark theme is gentler in a dim room or late in the evening. It cuts down the glare from the screen, which many people find easier on the eyes over a long session. If you tend to play in bed on a laptop, or in a room with the lights low, the dark theme is the one to try.

There is no right answer. Some people pick one and never change it. Others switch with the time of day. Because the shortcut is so quick, there is no cost to trying both and seeing which you prefer.

What the theme changes

The theme applies to the game library: the shelves, the tiles and the search box you see when you browse the collection. The games themselves are drawn in code with their own look, such as the wooden board in Draughts or the chalk and blackboard of Noughts & Crosses, so they keep their character whichever theme you choose. That way the library feels comfortable while each game still looks like itself.

The Help menu

Alongside the theme, Games by Zaweba has the usual Zaweba Help menu. It offers Send feedback, Report a problem, Check for updates, Other Zaweba apps, Licence agreement and About.

Send feedback is the way to say what you like or what you would change. Report a problem is for when something has gone wrong, such as a game behaving in a way the rules say it should not. Check for updates lets you see whether a newer version is available. Other Zaweba apps shows the rest of the family of programs. Licence agreement shows the terms the app is used under, and About tells you which version you have, which is useful to mention if you report a problem.

None of these get in the way of playing. They sit in the menu until you want them, and you can go months without opening it.

Small comforts add up

Games by Zaweba is built so that nothing stands between you and a game: no accounts, no adverts and no network needed. A theme that suits the light in the room is part of the same thinking. It is one more way of making the app pleasant to return to, evening after evening.

If you only remember one thing from this, make it Ctrl+T. Press it whenever the screen feels too bright or too dim, and carry on playing.