videogamescritic
← all games
Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Wishes Ultd., Greg Lobanov, Alexis Dean-Jones, Lena Raine, Madeline Berger, A Shell in the Pit · released Jun 9, 2021

AdventureIndieRPGPCPlayStation 5, PlayStation 4Xbox Series X, Xbox OneNintendo Switch

A top-down adventure game in a coloring book world full of vibrant characters. Use painting powers to explore, solve puzzles, make friends, and draw on anything! From creators on Wandersong + Celeste.

89
VGC Score
Stablemedium confidence
93%
At launch
97%
Steam all-time
88%
Press
80%
Player sentiment
91%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (OpenCritic)8844
Creator reviews (1 tracked)981
All-time Steam reviews97%931000
Metacritic user ratings8027
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)91%854
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Acclaim gate: the raw blend lands at 91.6, but scores above 88 must be earned in front of a mass audience; this verdict rests on 4,133 player reviews, a largely self-selected fanbase. As more players weigh in, the ceiling rises (full scale unlocks at 100,000 reviews).

Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 10 reviews sampled · 9 total reviews in window · weighted 7.3 up / 0.8 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (66)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 90
    trust 76Jul 14, 2021

    Chicory's strengths lie in the myriad heartwarming stories it wants to tell, and the wealth of accessibility options it gives the player in how they want to experience these stories. A sedate, and, at times, hilarious use of the canvas of gaming.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 76Dec 23, 2021

    As an adventure game, Chicory is quite sincerely up there with the very best of the genre. There's plenty to see and do and a full completion run will probably take you 25-30 hours. The characters and their travails are rich and likeable, the game's sense of humour is generally inspired, and it's all very sweet without being sugary-twee and talking down to the player. It's also an affecting little tearjerker that will definitely strike a chord if you make art, and almost certainly will even if you don't, so long as you're capable of pretty basic empathy. Chicory is simple to play but impressively long and complex, with perfect controls, performance and visuals. Throw yourself into painting the world and you'll be left with a game that's very much your own and speaks to you directly, a beautiful marriage of mechanics, themes and visuals.

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 75Jun 26, 2021

    As I approached the end of Chicory, wiping tears out of my eyes and grinning like a fool, it became immediately apparent that this game had broken through as one of those special games. As one of my favorites of all time. At some point, I knew where Chicory would rank in my books, and it blew me away. I didn't think we'd get here so soon, but . . .

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 75Sep 30, 2021

    Chicory: A Colorful Tale is like a warm hug from a wise old aunt, simultaneously bursting with creativity and offering an unblinking but hopeful look at humanity.

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 74Jul 23, 2021

    Despite not everything going off without a hitch, and some systems sure to appeal more to certain kinds of gamers, Chicory’s emotional core is so strong, so impactful that it eclipses all other shortcomings and just leaves the player with an overwhelming feeling of pathos.

    read full review ↗
  • 85
    trust 74Jun 29, 2021

    Lena Raine's fabulous soundtrack also must be commented on, which glistens with life but feels airy and sparse as if to mimic the gaps in color you have to fill over the course of the game. Despite being a pretty "wholesome" game, it doesn't mince words and never presents a simple solution to serious issues. I'm really happy I played Chicory-it's one I truly needed to play, and I hope a lot of people get something out of it too.

    read full review ↗
  • 100
    trust 71Jun 18, 2021

    Long story short, Chicory embodies the one major word that keeps us going: hope. All wrapped up in a charming title.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 69Jun 12, 2021

    An indie adventure with the confidence of heavy hitters like Undertale, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is one hell of a pleasant surprise that excels on every level it is possible to do so. Would it be too hackneyed to say it belongs in an art gallery?

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 69Jan 18, 2022

    The soundtrack is stellar and completes the package on display here. It's a game that can be enjoyed for all ages and if you decide to pursue all the sidequests, complete the decorating minigames, and find all of the collectibles, you can certainly spend a lot of time in the world of Chicory. My only gripe is a personal one-that I didn't play this game last year-because without a doubt it makes for a wonderful late addition to the best of what 2021 had to offer. I cannot wait to see what Greg, Lena, Em, Alexis and Madeline will make next, because Chicory can't be described as anything other than a piece of modern art.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 67Jun 18, 2021

    'Chicory: A Colorful Tale' is an adventure game that anyone can enjoy lightly like a coloring book. You can feel stable while filling maps with various colors, and fall in fun with well-organized Zelda style puzzles and actions.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 67Jun 11, 2021

    Chicory is a game for a particular subset of moods. It can be an engaging mood lifter. Or an effective break from life’s stresses. Or even a therapeutic way of dealing with personal troubles. But everyone has these moods sometimes, and coincidentally, everyone should also play Chicory.

    read full review ↗
  • 90
    trust 67Jan 14, 2022

    Chicory: A Colorful Tale has a simple principle, but its gameplay quickly gains a dynamic of its own. The result is a fantastic work that puts painting at the centre of the adventure and will lead the player into completely unexpected paths. Thanks to the Nintendo Switch touch screen and the ability to play anywhere, Chicory: A Colorful Tale finds a perfect home in this console and it fits just right with anyone looking for a fun and enveloping adventure.

    read full review ↗

…and 54 more tracked reviews.

Patch history