From da630b14aafa675c9ce8e8590d6b53c241a48db2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "google-labs-jules[bot]"
 <161369871+google-labs-jules[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:24:41 +0000
Subject: [PATCH] Add explicit empty state for highscore

Co-authored-by: EiJackGH <172181576+EiJackGH@users.noreply.github.com>
---
 .Jules/palette.md | 3 +++
 src/main.cpp      | 2 ++
 2 files changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.Jules/palette.md b/.Jules/palette.md
index 05d4366..753fa87 100644
--- a/.Jules/palette.md
+++ b/.Jules/palette.md
@@ -33,3 +33,6 @@
 ## 2024-04-24 - Avoiding Trailing Artifacts in CLI Applications
 **Learning:** When dynamically updating terminal lines using carriage return (`\r`), relying on hardcoded padding spaces to overwrite old text is brittle and leads to trailing text artifacts when new lines are shorter than previous ones.
 **Action:** Always use the ANSI escape sequence `\033[K` (Erase in Line) immediately after the carriage return (`\r`) to cleanly clear the line before writing new content, rather than manually managing padding spaces.
+## 2024-05-18 - Explicit Empty State for Highscore
+**Learning:** Hiding the high score when it is 0 leaves new users without a clear goal or understanding of the achievement system.
+**Action:** Provide explicit, encouraging empty states for data or achievements rather than hiding the UI element when empty, to clarify system state and improve user onboarding.
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index b9144b7..d43524c 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,8 @@ int main() {
 
     if (highscore > 0) {
         std::cout << " Personal Best: " << CLR_SCORE << formatWithCommas(highscore) << CLR_RESET << "\n\n";
+    } else {
+        std::cout << " Personal Best: " << CLR_SCORE << "None yet! Go set a record!" << CLR_RESET << "\n\n";
     }
 
     std::cout << "Controls:\n " << CLR_CTRL << "[h]" << CLR_RESET << " Toggle Hard Mode (10x Speed!)\n "