Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Colour us impressed
One day you’re a dog living a humble life as a janitor, the next you find yourself wielding a magical paintbrush with the responsibility of fixing a world that has suddenly lost all its colour. And what better way to present this than in a top-down adventure where each grid is like the page of a colouring book for you to fill back in, in which you can even use the touchpad for a more natural movement of your brush?1
If it’s not quite precise enough, especially on occasions when you’re asked to draw a picture or portrait on a canvas, that doesn’t really matter since you’re not being judged on your artistic skills.
Chicory cares more about giving you the freedom to express yourself however you like, whether you colour inside the lines or make a joyous mess. Your task includes colouring in the charming cast of characters. The real delights, however, come from the brush powers you unlock, which provide many of the game’s inventive traversal and puzzle mechanics, such as swimming through paint or lighting up pitch-black caverns.
There’s plenty more that’s endearing about Chicory, such as the clothing you can discover to dress up your pup. However, what elevates it from charming little indie to sitting alongside Celeste2 as a future classic is that beneath its cosy aesthetic is a beautifully written story that will resonate deeply with anyone who’s ever faced self-doubt or impostor syndrome. There’s also a wonderful reminder, aided by the many places you can just sit down, that sometimes you just need to take a break, even from the things you’re most passionate about.