Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an adventure video game created by independent developer Greg Lobanov and published by Finji. It was available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 in June 2021; on Nintendo Switch in December 2021; and on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S in May 2023. The game follows a dog character that looks and acts like a human and uses a magical paintbrush to color the game world. Chicory: A Colorful Tale received high praise from critics.

Gameplay

Chicory: A Colorful Tale, also known as Chicory, is an adventure role-playing video game. The characters are small animals that look like humans. The player controls a dog character. The dog's name is based on the player's favorite food, or it is named "Pizza" if the player doesn't choose a favorite food. The game world starts as black and white. Players can use a large paintbrush called The Brush to color the world. This brush is also used to solve puzzles in the environment. As the game progresses, players earn new abilities. These include jumping and swimming through the painted areas. Later, players can swim up walls and waterfalls. Boss battles are the only combat part of the game. Players must dodge fast-moving projectiles while using the brush to attack the boss. These battles take place in areas with dark, negative color filters. The game allows players to skip boss fights if they choose.

Plot

The Picnic Province is a place with no color. The person who holds the magic Brush is responsible for bringing color to the world. Long ago, the Brush was made from a branch of a magical tree. The Brush has been passed from teacher to student for many years.

Pizza works as a helper for the current Brush wielder, Chicory. One day, while Pizza is cleaning Chicory’s Tower, all color suddenly disappears from the world. Pizza finds the Brush left near Chicory’s bedroom and takes it. Pizza travels to Supper Woods and meets Blackberry, a former wielder and Chicory’s teacher. Blackberry leads Pizza to a corrupted tree deep in the woods. There, Pizza fights an unknown creature using the Brush. Returning to the Tower, Pizza finds Chicory feeling very sad. Chicory refuses to take the Brush back and gives it to Pizza, who promises to help restore color to the world.

After defeating another corruption, Pizza finds Chicory feeling better outside the Tower. Chicory tells Pizza to go to Gulp Swamp to find the next corruption. In the swamp, a ghostly image of Chicory criticizes Pizza’s abilities. Blackberry tells Pizza to speak with Chicory, suspecting she may be connected to the corruptions. At the Tower, Chicory admits she is the cause of the corruptions, as they represent her fears and worries. She tells Pizza to leave her.

A group from the bug kingdom takes Pizza to the underground city of Feast, where they must remove another corrupted tree. Inside, Pizza fights a ghostly version of themselves, showing that Chicory is not the only one linked to the corruptions. Back at the Tower, Pizza finds Chicory’s room covered in darkness. Chicory blames herself and begs Pizza to leave her. After Pizza comforts her, Chicory realizes the Brush is the true source of the corruptions, as it is the only thing they share. She agrees to officially accept Pizza as her apprentice and guide them through four trials.

During one trial, Chicory explains her past with Blackberry. Blackberry’s strictness caused Chicory stress, leading her to hide her struggles. Blackberry refused to pass the Brush to Chicory during the final trial, but Chicory took it anyway. After this, the corrupted trees began to appear. After completing the trials, Pizza returns to the Tower to fight the final corruption. Chicory suggests destroying the Brush, as it causes corruptions by showing a wielder’s thoughts and feelings. Inside the corrupted tree on the Tower’s roof, Pizza faces the ghostly apparition again, who takes the Brush and knocks Pizza out.

Returning to the Tower’s base, Chicory explains she gave Pizza the Brush to escape the burden of being a wielder. Pizza’s choice to take the Brush showed that the tradition of wielders was not necessary. Sad about losing the Brush, Pizza creates a new brush tree. Pizza returns to the corrupted tree but struggles to fight the creature inside. Chicory arrives, having grown her own brush. Together, they destroy the original Brush, ending the corruptions. They decide to teach others how to grow their own brushes so that color can be shared freely by all.

Development

Chicory, originally called Drawdog, was introduced through a Kickstarter campaign on August 15, 2019. The game was planned to release in 202X. It was created by independent developer Greg Lobanov, who had previously worked on a game called Wandersong. The project received funding quickly, within one day. Chicory was shown at PAX West 2019 and received positive reviews from RPGamer. The game began development when Lobanov wanted to create an art-focused game that explored how art influences the world.

The game’s composer, Lena Raine, explained that she wanted to create a difference between music that sounds like nature and music that sounds dark. She used electronic and acoustic instruments with special effects to make a chaotic and amplified version of reality. The game’s soundtrack was released in June 2021 and was described as music meant for listening continuously.

During development, the character Chicory faced challenges in being clearly defined. Some testers in early versions of the game thought she was the villain. The character was inspired by Alexis Dean-Jones’s real-life experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The game’s release date, June 10, 2021, was announced in May 2021. It was released on June 10, 2021, for Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. On December 15, 2021, the game was made available for the Nintendo Switch. Later, it was released for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on May 30, 2023.

After the game’s release, Lobanov shared a message online showing an animated image of a two-legged fox-like creature. He mentioned he was working on another game with the same team and would share more details in 2022. This game was later named Beastieball.

In 2023, the Wishes Unlimited production logo was added to the game’s opening screen after the development studio was formed that year. The company is now credited as the game’s developer, along with the names of the main individuals who worked on the game when it was first released.

Reception

According to Metacritic, a website that collects game reviews, Chicory: A Colorful Tale received "universal acclaim" for Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch and "generally favorable reviews" for PlayStation 5. Another review site, OpenCritic, reported that 96% of critics recommended the game, calling it "mightily approved."

A review on Destructoid, written by Zoey Handley, noted that the game’s story is relatable to many people. She wrote, "If you are creative, have faced self-doubt, or struggled with criticism or hard work not paying off, Chicory: A Colorful Tale may deeply connect with you." IGN reviewer Rebekah Valentine highlighted the game’s supporting characters, who offer thoughtful and kind insights about topics like grief, overworking, and challenges related to identity and sexuality. She said the game handles these subjects with care and honesty, without pretending problems are easy to fix. GameSpot’s Alessandro Barbosa praised how the game combines puzzles and storytelling, writing that "pleasing puzzles and creative painting features support the game’s story about overcoming self-doubt."

Destructoid later named Chicory: A Colorful Tale the best PC game and best overall game of 2021. Giant Bomb gave the game awards for "Chillest Game," "Best Soundtrack," and "Best Overall Game of the Year."