There are two reference types: "Same Reference" and "No Reference." This refers to a reference image.
When using "Same Reference," you will see two copies of the same image. The left one is the reference image - it has not been altered by the game. The right image is "in play" - being altered by the game or by you. How it gets used depends on the game mode (explained below), but you will always have a visual reference.
"No Reference" levels will show you a rectangle of neutral gray on the left, where the reference image would otherwise be. You must play these levels without the benefit of a reference image.
We highly recommend using "Same Reference" until you are getting consistently high scores on all available difficulties.
If you have a free account, you can play on the easiest difficulty. (To play all five difficulties, upgrade to a Pro account.) Because there is an element of randomization, we recommend playing through each difficulty at least a few times before moving on. Without a large enough set of results, it may be difficult to gauge your progress or current skill level. All unlocked difficulties are available for "Identification" and "Correction" modes (described below).
You can play the game with any of the colors. At first, we recommend playing with all the colors. Once you have played enough games for your statistics to be useful, you can begin to practice with the colors that challenge you the most. These differ from person to person, so you can create whichever combinations seem interesting to work with.