Discolored
- November 11, 2019
- Jason Godbey
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Discolored" is a single-player horror simulation game with masterful mechanics and beautiful graphics. You explore a desolate diner in the desert, solving puzzles to restore color and uncovering secrets in this two-hour experience. With a haunting soundtrack and intricate puzzles, the game features a striking aesthetic and immersive atmosphere.
iPad
iPhone
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Phone
Windows
Xbox One
Mobile Platform
Xbox
Reviews
- The game has a unique and interesting concept of restoring color to a grayscale world, which makes for engaging puzzles.
- The atmosphere is well-crafted, with beautiful visuals and a relaxing soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The puzzles are generally intuitive and provide a satisfying challenge, with a built-in hint system for players who may get stuck.
- The game is very short, typically taking only 1-2 hours to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
- Some puzzles lack logical connections, leading to frustration as players may resort to trial and error without clear guidance.
- The game feels incomplete or like a demo, leaving players wanting more content and a deeper narrative.
- story84 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and often feels like a mere premise rather than a fully developed narrative, leaving players with hints of a larger story that may be explored in future sequels. While some players appreciate the mystery and potential for deeper lore, many express disappointment at the lack of character development and coherent plot, describing the experience as more focused on puzzles than storytelling. Overall, the game serves as a proof of concept with a compelling atmosphere, but it ultimately leaves much to be desired in terms of narrative depth.
“There is a sequel coming soon, and from the looks of it, Discolored 2 is going to be like this but longer, with more story and horror elements thrown in.”
“The story leaves much to the imagination, and the conclusion is giving me the idea that the developers are not done with it yet.”
“Very unique game, I really enjoyed playing it but the ending was disappointing; this game has so much potential for a bigger story but ends on a cliffhanger.”
“There is no story, only a premise, and no narrative crumbs to spur your imagination apart from a general air of mystery.”
“The story doesn't really exist; there aren't any characters, and I don't really know where or when it took place... this game is literally nothing at all but assets and some inventory puzzles.”
“But in the end, it was the lack of story, or explanation of the story, that made the game fall short in my opinion.”
- music56 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively enhancing the overall experience with a mix of beautiful, relaxing tracks and more sinister tones that fit the game's themes. Players appreciate the thematic consistency, noting influences from styles reminiscent of Twin Peaks and the Twilight Zone, while the incorporation of in-world music sources adds to the immersive environment. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the standout features, contributing significantly to the game's mood and enjoyment.
“I love this game, the puzzles are fun, the soundtrack is beautiful, and the 3D model work is astounding!”
“The graphics are beautiful and the music fits the mood perfectly.”
“This game was absolutely beautifully done, the music was fantastic, and the puzzles were hard enough to be challenging, but not so hard as to be frustrating.”
“What's with the creepy music?”
“Music makes me think it's about to turn into a horror game.”
“With any game that relies on a certain ambiance, the music and sound effects are key and they work really well in discolored.”
- gameplay56 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Discolored" is centered around a unique color-restoration mechanic that involves solving puzzles through a point-and-click interface, which some players found intriguing yet underutilized. While the game is praised for its original concept and atmospheric design, many reviewers noted its short length (around 1-2 hours) and a lack of challenging puzzles, leading to mixed feelings about the overall gameplay experience. Despite its limitations, the game is considered enjoyable and worth the price for fans of atmospheric puzzle games.
“A good game with an original gameplay idea.”
“Short and intriguing puzzle game with intuitive mechanics.”
“It introduces a number of interesting mechanics, the puzzles are overall pretty novel even if they aren't especially challenging, and the vaguely noir-like environment design is something pretty unique to this kind of game.”
“Tedious gameplay.”
“$8 for one hour of gameplay feels a little steep.”
“They seem almost like arbitrary mechanics tacked on to an otherwise bland point and click adventure.”
- atmosphere54 mentions
- 81 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its elegant visuals and immersive sound design, creating a unique and engaging experience that emphasizes mood and aesthetics over gameplay. Many players appreciate the slow build-up of atmosphere and the non-verbal storytelling, likening it to a blend of isolation and mystery reminiscent of the Twilight Zone. However, some reviewers express disappointment at the game's brevity, feeling that the rich atmosphere leaves them wanting more.
“However, I enjoyed the way the atmosphere slowly built up, and the way it manages to communicate non-verbally quite well.”
“The game has a great atmosphere, the puzzles are fair - not too easy, not too difficult - and the world opens up to the player.”
“Come for the atmosphere of silence and mystery, stay for the bizarre puzzles.”
“But disappointment doesn't evolve from a bad gameplay experience or frustration but from loving the atmosphere and longing for more but being let down after not even 1.5 hours.”
“The whole atmosphere of the game is a feeling of isolation and like you are trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.”
“It just means that it was more the experience of the aesthetics, atmosphere, and wondering what was going on that I enjoyed more than the actual gameplay.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their tidy, elegant visuals and appealing art style, featuring simple textures and a cartoony look that enhances the overall atmosphere. Many players appreciate the calming aesthetic and how the visuals complement the sound design, creating a cohesive experience, although some note limitations in graphical complexity and narrative depth. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as beautiful and fitting for an indie puzzle game, making it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the genre.
“The graphics are beautiful and the music fits the mood perfectly.”
“Graphics: the game looks really good, there's simple textures and a 'cartoony' look, which blend well with the game.”
“Beautifully crafted visuals were simple in nature but good, the sound was on par with the game, the music was nice, the gameplay simple to pick up, and the puzzles were fine and made for an enjoyable, albeit short, game.”
“There's no reason given for why you are doing this, and the graphics are very limited.”
“It features basic room escape graphics, free roaming within the worldlet, but no real puzzles, just inventory item combinations and 'world context switching' similar to what you find in the Rusty Lake series.”
“It just means that it was more the experience of the aesthetics, atmosphere, and wondering what was going on that I enjoyed more than the actual gameplay.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many users noting that the short playtime of under an hour does not justify the cost. While the world is well-polished, there is little incentive to replay, as players feel there is not enough content or variety to warrant a second playthrough. Overall, it appears to be a disappointing experience for those seeking value in replayability.
“If you're a frugal spender, this probably isn't the game for you; there isn't a lot of replay value unless you want to mess around in the surprisingly well-polished world for a bit.”
“It is not even an hour long and there is no replay value.”
“A one-hour playthrough (and it's not very replayable; yeah, I didn't unlock every achievement, but there's no way I'm replaying 1 hour just to find a lone missing object) is a bit disappointing for the price point.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably poor, with frequent bugs affecting gameplay, particularly in clock-based puzzles and controls. Players have reported needing to troubleshoot extensively to get the game running properly, which significantly detracts from the overall experience.
“I managed to finish this in under 2 hours, including initial troubleshooting to get it to run properly on Manjaro Linux.”
“Controls are not great, and the developers used pre-scripted movements often to account for buggy controls.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be enjoyable and occasionally wholesome, though some express feelings of frustration or inadequacy when relying on the hint function more than they anticipated. Overall, the emotional experience is a mix of fun and self-reflection.
“It honestly made me feel dumb at times, needing to use the hint function more than I would have liked, even as a puzzle game lover!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, characterized by excessive backtracking and repetitive tasks that detract from the overall experience, leading some to feel relieved they purchased it on sale.
“Tedious gameplay.”
“Glad I bought it on sale, because there was so much running around, back and forth, up and down the stairs multiple times, and it began to feel tedious by the time I was near the end.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its optimization, providing a smooth experience that enhances the immersive game world and complements the fitting music.
“The game is optimized pretty damn well; the game world has a vibe, and the music fits the mood.”
