Chicory test: A Colorful Tale - a Zelda-like coloring much deeper than you imagine

Do you remember the simple and uninhibited pleasure provided by the coloring books of our childhood? Of course, we weren't all artists. Our features were hesitant; the colors, poorly chosen, regularly overflowed the frame. But no matter: there was in these scribbles an innocent outlet which, for many, is now only a distant memory. What if I told you that Chicory: A Colorful Tale was the perfect Proust madeleine for nostalgics of that time?

The result of a well-conducted crowdfunding campaign, the new game by Greg Lobanov (Wandersong) evokes both the afternoons spent with fingers studded with marker stains and those long hours, NES or Game Boy controller in hand, roam the dungeons of The Legend of Zelda.

It's true: behind the visual stripping that seems to characterize Chicory, and its legitimate label of "cute game", hides a captivating adventure, which knows how to involve its player and address very current themes without lack of taste. The most beautiful indie surprise of the beginning of the summer.

Give the world back its colors

Look around you. The green of the trees, the blue of the water, we owe them to the Painters. A chosen caste; heirs to a Brush with magical properties which, on its own, is capable of giving its colors to the world around us. At least, that's how it is in the province of Picnic and its inhabitants – anthropomorphic animals that are all named after a food.

Problem: the current holder of the Brush, Chicory, no longer has the strength to continue her task. Resigned, and suffering from a strange illness, she causes the colors of all things to disappear.

A lifelong admirer of Chicorée's work, our little Tiramisu (the protagonist is named after your favorite food, and can be gendered to your liking) enters by happy chance in possession of the Brush. He therefore has the possibility of painting the world around him to restore its brilliance.

Having become a hero in spite of himself, Tiramisu goes in search of the origin of the evil that is eating away at the former painter, and will take the opportunity to help the many inhabitants of the surrounding villages.

A journey of learning

Chicory's genius lies in the way he shares his character's doubts with us. He (or she) who has always wanted to become a Painter sees his wish granted. But is he up to it?

Questions that the player also asks, in view of the unspeakable combinations of colors which are used to restore cheerfulness to the world. Luckily, the inhabitants of Picnic are always very encouraging. And what does the quality of our “works” matter? Moreover, it is up to you to indulge in the exercise of coloring or not. If the Brush is an essential brick of the gameplay of Chicory, nothing obliges you to be zealous and to color the smallest plot of ground if you prefer to concentrate on the story.

The operation of the Brush is elementary. Each zone has its own palette. We have in each of four colors from which to draw, and we are free to use them to scribble the surroundings. Three stroke sizes are available, and a long press quickly fills an entire space. Over the course of the adventure, we will also unlock patterns, which will bring a little more diversity to our laborious drawings.

A particularly enjoyable game on PS5

Chicory is among the first indie games to make extensive use of the features of the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller. Through precise vibrations, of course, but also and above all through striking force feedback on the triggers when using your brush .

We almost “feel” the hardness of the textures we paint. Too bad we lose (compared to the comfort of a mouse) dexterity to flaunt his talents.

But, you can imagine, these colors do not only have an aesthetic aim. It is thanks to them that we will be able to progress in the game. Because in the manner of Zelda, Chicory will ask us to go and explore "dungeons", which contain their share of puzzles of all kinds, and each of which uses a mechanism particular asking to widen (a little) the meninges.

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The puzzles are numerous and well thought out.

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Like a metroidvania, you will sometimes have to retrace your steps once a new power has been unlocked.

A touch of color on these mushrooms, and you will build a bridge allowing access to a new area; completely color the floor of this ledge, and a special ability will allow you to cross it without risking falling. Other puzzles even recall the unforgettable The Witness and ask us to memorize patterns to reproduce on steles blocking our way.

The darkness of everything

You will quickly understand that as colorful and benevolent as it is, Chicory contains a certain darkness. We mentioned it earlier, the game imagined by Greg Lobanov explores themes such as burnout, impostor syndrome and depression through fair dialogue, which never veers into pathos.

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Chicory is not afraid to tackle sometimes difficult topics.

Il faut aussi parler de la musique qui nous accompagne. Composée par Lena Raine (Guild Wars 2 mais surtout Celeste), la bande originale est généreuse, variée et impeccablement raccord à ce qui se déroule à l’écran. Tantôt épique et enlevée, elle sait se faire plus douce et mélancolique lorsque les personnages livrent leurs états d’âme. Une réussite totale.

Compositions that have the opportunity to shine in the few battles you will have to fight to unravel the plot. Never very magical, they are no less intense, and evoke certain full-bodied patterns straight out of Isaac or other rogue-likes. Luckily, the entire game can be played with two players (the second embodies a second brush), and Chicory is extremely well stocked with accessibility options.

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Armed with his only brush, Tiramisu will have to face tenacious adversaries in the dungeons of Picnic...

Everything from the speed of the opponents, to the display of colors (for the color blind) is configurable. You can even decide to skip the fights, if you're not there for that. Nothing, on the other hand, we will save you from occasional problems of readability induced by a perspective sometimes difficult to define in black and white. We deal with it.

Finally, various telephone booths are also scattered throughout the territory, and allow you to call your parents if you are lost. Hilarious exchanges, animated by a master hand, which give access to two levels of advice. Our mother will give us some rather vague instructions to get back on track. If that's not enough, our protagonist's father can prompt us with the answer outright. The goal is not to frustrate the player, but to make him have a good time.

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Lost ? A call to our parents and we quickly find the way.

The School of the Silver Brush

And this is perhaps where all the interest lies in the game designed by the small team set up by Lobanov (5 people in all, not counting Lena Raine). Chicory can be enjoyed in many different ways. Some will not conceive of becoming the Painter without doing a favor to all the inhabitants of Picnic (and there are many of them). Others, more accustomed to Zelda-likes, will rush headlong to reach the last dungeon in order to liberate the province from the evil that is eating away at it. Whatever your style, the game adapts without flinching, and above all without ever taking the risk of distorting its subject.

Chicory is also generous in its content. It doesn't look like it, but completing the adventure in a straight line will take you nearly 10 hours. Multiply that by two if you're the applied type, and want to unlock the many outfits available in the game. Clothes that, you imagine, can be painted the color that suits you the most. Revealing the entire map will also require tenacity, in that some areas are very well hidden, or accessible only via side roads requiring powers that only unlock later.

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The game map is quite extensive.

We must also mention the Academy of Painting, whose teacher will suggest that you paint a new picture freely on each visit. Either from an abstract instruction (“what scares you the most”), or by reproducing a “classic” of Aboriginal pictorial art. And even without being a potential David, I must admit that these moments of hesitation did me good. Like everything Chicory offers, these breathing bubbles are always funny, quirky, relevant and encouraging.

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My talent impresses you, doesn't it?

Chicory : A Colorful Tale, l'avis de JVFR

Cute enough to eat, Chicory: A Colorful Tale should not be hastily put away in the box (the closet?) of benevolent independent games. Carrying a real message about self-esteem, the game of Greg Lobanov and his cronies won us over in that it adapts perfectly to the player – and not the other way around.

Comme l’on peut choisir de quelle couleur peindre le monde, Chicory offre une variété d’approches rafraîchissantes. On peut prendre le temps ; redonner ses couleurs à la moindre fleur de la province de Picnic. Ou au contraire foncer tête baissée pour boucler l’aventure, en ne découvrant même pas tous les recoins de la carte et en la laissant en noir et blanc. Tout se vaut ; il n’y a pas de bonne réponse.

Evoking the golden age of top-down adventure gaming, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a deeply charming tale, clever in everything it does, and fiercely inclusive in every way. You don't know it, but you already love it.

Test carried out on PS5 using a key provided by the publisher.

Chicory : A Colorful Tale

Chicory is a pure zelda-like that bases its gameplay on the use of colors in a black and white world. Very accessible without forgetting to be smart, the game of Greg Lobanov is of a rare benevolence, and can be shared with 2 players locally.