Chicory is a unique feel-good puzzle platformer about bringing color to a black-and-white world. Playing this game with a controller is a significant handicap, but the overall difficulty is so low it didn't matter. Coloring in the world is immensely satisfying, and almost all of the finicky drawing sections are optional. I do not have the gene for visual art, but the game makes coloring very accessible while still allowing for higher-order art if that's something you enjoy.

Unlocking new abilities and exploring the world was great fun, and most of the puzzles were engaging. Boss fights are really creative and visually stunning, although a couple of them are so gruesome and nightmarish that I can't imagine a child playing them. It's a real shame, because otherwise this is very much a sophisticated game for modern children, with a lot of room for player expression and optional secrets.

The game is well-written, but I would have liked a few more "quirky" characters (Pickle is the MVP). The message of the game is beautiful and heartwarming, but it misses the mark a bit by over-indulging in dialogue. For a game that is so diagetically unique and compelling, you really don't need to underline every theme over and over again. If a picture is worth a thousand words, you don't also need a thousand words to explain it.

way too realistic art kid simulator

Absolutely adorable.