Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Chicory is yet another Kickstarter game that looks like a cute coloring book about little animals with food names. And then, of course, it punches you deeply in the feelings. You are a small dog who accidentally gets a magical brush after all color disappears from the world. No pressure, just go and restore everything while also dealing with someone else’s role, legacy, expectations, burnout, inner critic, artistic crisis, and a bunch of very polite NPCs who sometimes say things that are waaaaay too real. The map is not huge, but it is dense: different biomes, palettes, music themes, small mechanics, little side stories. The best way to play it is not to rush. You paint, wander around, talk to everyone, get weirdly attached, and slowly realize this "simple coloring game” is actually having a conversation with you about creativity and perfectionism. My personal boss fight was not even a boss fight. It was leaving uncolored spots on the screen. At first I tried to carefully paint every new area before moving on. Then I got tired even with the fill tool. Then I went full chaos mode. Then I accepted that both versions were probably fine. Suspiciously therapeutic. Also, Lena Raine’s music fits perfectly: gentle, bright, a bit old-fashioned, but not childish. Kind of like the game itself. Recommended if you like cozy games that secretly hurt, coloring books, Celeste-adjacent emotional damage, and slow exploration. BUT not recommended if you want something fast, polished-clean, or mechanically intense.

Loved!! Great story, challenging puzzles, people pleaser/self doubter representation. What more can you ask for

loved 100%ing this. the boss fights were very creative and a nice break from basic turn based rpg stuff, also loved the overall story and message. loved all the little things there were to find and everywhere there was to explore.