Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Chicory: A Colorful Tale takes place in an entire world that has suddenly lost all its color after its longtime guardian, a legendary painting brush, mysteriously vanished without a trace. Playing as a dog named Pizza, the player finds this magic brush and must use it to restore color to the world, all while uncovering along the way what happened to its previous holder, the beloved artist Chicory, and why she gave up her duty so suddenly and without a word.

The brush works as a universal tool — it paints colors into the surrounding environment, but it's also the core mechanic for solving puzzles, opening paths, and creating temporary platforms, ladders, or reflections needed to progress, much like in classic Zelda-style games. Yet the game doesn't present itself merely as a cute children's fairy tale; it gradually reveals a surprisingly deep reflection on creative anxiety, impostor syndrome, and the pressure artists place on themselves trying to live up to their own past successes, making it a title that resonates with adult players who have creative work experience and the fear that their ideas aren't good enough anymore. An optional multiplayer mode also lets a second player paint together in the open world and complete the townsfolk's side quests.

On PlayStation 5, the game boasts bright, saturated colors that are the central motif of the entire experience, and it responds fluidly to brush strokes in real time thanks to precise analog-stick control. Lighthearted, cheerful music contrasts with the story's more serious themes, underscoring its remarkably sensitive and honest tone. Chicory: A Colorful Tale was received upon release as a fresh and emotionally honest title, praised especially for how elegantly it ties the painting mechanic to the theme of creative confidence, aided by a free-drawing tool that lets players decorate the world entirely their own way.

Why play it: For players open to an unconventional painting mechanic, through which Chicory sensitively ties its game system to the theme of creative confidence and offers free drawing to decorate the whole world.