Chicory: A Colorful Tale ~ a meditation

slurpy artistry

 

Color has been sapped from the world. As the wielder of a magical paintbrush, you are tasked with restoring vibrancy. Essentially every part of this game is an empty canvas. Map segments feature buildings, trees, and denizens, all of whom you can paint with the slurp of your brush. Backgrounds are rendered with thick outlines, as if they were sketched in Faber-Castell pen. The grass, the water, little flowers and ivy-- everything (and I mean basically everything) is waiting for a splash of color, but beware perfectionists: this game wants you to be sloppy.

I played on PS4 using the dual-shock touchpad. My finger guided the brush, and the controller emitted ooey gooey noises with each stroke. You can adjust the size and pattern of your brush; however, it is still finicky by design. Chicory: A Colorful Tale isn't about making virtuosic masterpieces. It is about learning to embrace and even cherish perceived imperfection.

Without spoiling anything, the game tackles questions of artistic identity. The protagonist and the titular Chicory act as foils for one another, each struggling with self-doubt, perfectionism, and convergent life trajectories. I'm charmed by how fully these two complement one another, being at once friends, teachers, and fleeting enemies.

Despite all of the positive, innovative qualities in this game, I am most smitten by boss fights. These sequences offer a refreshing change of scenery, with battles set against an entirely black backdrop. The combat system is a tad clunky -- yet I cannot overstate just how stylish it is. The pulsating music, the bright teal and red strokes splashing across a black expanse, it all comes together so exquisitely. Battles feature inverted colors and bullet-hell evasion, evocative of Undertale but not derivative. In battle, brushstrokes are not permanent. The paint does not stick but is quickly subsumed by darkness. In these moments, I reflect on how Chicory: A Colorful Tale subverts typical gaming tropes. It asks you to be creative far more often than it demands destruction. Battles contrast with other elements of gameplay, such as puzzles, platforms, and painting. Rather than being a regular mechanic, these moments are a thematic culmination, embodying the doubt and hopefulness inherent in art.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a heartening story. It offers a glimpse of what games can be rather than recycling old conventions. Ultimately, it asks players to participate in the making of world and a legacy.