Restore the Missing Colors in the Surreal Puzzle Adventure Game Discolored
Summary
- Discolored is a surreal, first-person, puzzle adventure game where all the colors have gone missing and it’s up to you to bring them back.
- Explore and solve inventive puzzles to restore the missing colors.
- Discolored is available now on Xbox One.
In Discolored you explore a strange and desolate roadside diner at the end of an abandoned highway trying to restore the colors that have gone missing. The inspiration for this game comes from science fiction shows like “The Twilight Zone” and books by Ray Bradbury. I love how those stories have an otherworldly quality to them, giving off a sense of mystery with a slight hint of something uneasy in the air. However, at the same time there is a sense of wonder while experiencing the surreal nature of those worlds. I wanted to create something similar to that with Discolored.
In the same fashion, the puzzles and gameplay of Discolored also have a unique quality that can fall just outside conventional rules of the modern world and require you to think outside the box. As you start to restore color to the world you’ll discover certain items must bend to the rules of each color. Keeping these rules in mind while collecting new items, and sometimes combining them together to solve puzzles, the world opens up more and you might also get the sense that you are not alone at this diner in the middle of the desert.
The game’s minimalist art style is largely influenced by the traditional artists Edward Hopper and John Register whose paintings contain simple details, but it is in their striking use of color and light that makes their worlds come alive.
For the story, I wanted to approach it with the same minimalism. Taking inspiration from games like Limbo and The Witness, there are hints here and there revealing the story, but it is also a narrative exercise in your own mind where you start to fill in the blanks of what is really going on. Be sure to find all the achievements to catch all hints of the story.
Discolored was made mostly by myself over the course of two years. It was a fantastic experience creating it and I’m honored to be able to bring it to the Xbox One. I invite you to check it out and I hope you enjoy it!
Discolored
Godbey Games LLC