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Tag: The Power of Paint

97%Game Brain Score
gameplay, music
stability, story
97% User Score Based on 453 reviews

Platforms

PCWindows
Buy NowGet on Steam

About

The world is your canvas in this innovative first-person puzzle platformer. Tag walls and other surfaces with different colors of spray paint to reveal new ways to navigate each level, including bouncing off, sliding across, and sticking to the surfaces you paint.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot
Tag: The Power of Paint screenshot

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 453 reviews
gameplay21 positive mentions
stability8 negative mentions
  • Innovative paint mechanics that inspired the gel mechanics in Portal 2, providing a unique and enjoyable gameplay experience.
  • The game is free and offers a fun, short playtime of around 30-40 minutes, making it an easy recommendation for casual gamers.
  • Great level design and a charming aesthetic that evokes nostalgia, appealing to fans of puzzle platformers.
  • The game is very short, lacking depth and content, which leaves players wanting more after completing it.
  • There is no save feature or level select, requiring players to complete the game in one sitting, which can be frustrating.
  • Controls can feel slippery and imprecise, particularly with the blue paint mechanic, leading to disorientation and difficulty in navigation.
  • gameplay
    60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Tag" is praised for its innovative paint mechanics, which serve as a precursor to the gel mechanics in "Portal 2." Players appreciate the fun, straightforward mechanics and engaging puzzles, although many note the game's short length of about 30 minutes and the lack of controller support as drawbacks. Overall, it is seen as a charming and enjoyable indie experience that effectively showcases its unique mechanics without overstaying its welcome.

    • “The paint mechanics of Tag are absolutely incredible, with my favorite being the stick paint.”
    • “Great original mechanic idea, good level design, good art direction, good pacing, utilizes its mechanics to their logical conclusion without overstaying its welcome.”
    • “Fun, short, platformer game that started as a student project and became the inspiration for the gel mechanics found in Portal 2.”
    • “My only complaints with it (aside from the lack of controller support) is it's only 30 minutes long, which for showing off the paint mechanics in a free game made by a bunch of university students back in the early 2010s that's all you really need, but I feel like there's so much more that could be done with the paint mechanics.”
    • “It needs polishing, a lot of it, but works primarily off of the mechanics of the gel from Half-Life 2.”
    • “I'm not sure exactly how to improve it, but it feels very mechanical and not fluid.”
  • music
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality, energetic electronic style, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere. However, some players noted that the soundtrack loops frequently, which can become repetitive over time. Despite this, the engaging soundtracks and enjoyable gameplay contribute to a fun experience overall.

    • “Love the atmosphere, and the music greatly adds to it.”
    • “The soundtrack is also really something to talk about; it's great electronic music with energy and great direction.”
    • “Great music, great puzzles, you can even paint the menu!”
    • “Its great but if only there was a way to turn off the music.”
    • “But it is very short and could probably do with just a few more levels, and you can't choose a level to start on so if you stop playing then come back to it you have to play the whole game again to get to where you left off as well as the fact you can't change settings like music volume or key binds.”
    • “Music is tight (PS2 demo disk vibes).”
  • graphics
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players noting a lack of detail and polish, while others appreciate the unique art style and aesthetics that enhance the gameplay experience. The low-poly models and cell-shaded visuals contribute to a charming, urban aesthetic, making the game visually appealing despite its simplicity. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they effectively complement the game's mechanics and atmosphere.

    • “Has a very cool aesthetic and gameplay.”
    • “It's a really unique concept with great levels that use the full potential of combining all your abilities, and it's all accompanied by a great art style.”
    • “Also, the cell-shaded art style and low-poly models mixed with the paint mechanic give it a hint of Jet Set Radio, and that's also pretty cool.”
    • “The graphics are quite bad, and there is some lack of polish with the controls.”
    • “With simple graphics and taking only about 70 MB, there is no reason not to try it.”
    • “Bad graphics (too simple and not enough details).”
  • stability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting various bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, such as freezing and resolution issues. While some players find it enjoyable despite these problems, others express frustration over the game's technical shortcomings, particularly at launch. Overall, the game runs well on certain platforms like the Steam Deck, but significant stability issues remain a concern for many players.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck!”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
    • “I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
    • “So many glitches, no level select, terrible FOV.”
    • “Freezes every few seconds so you can't progress.”
    • “The puzzles are nice, the physics aren't, and the game is old and buggy.”
  • story
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is criticized for lacking a story, which many players feel diminishes its overall appeal despite its entertaining gameplay and solid mechanics. Reviewers express a desire for a narrative element, believing that a compelling story could elevate the game to a higher status within the indie genre.

    • “My only complaint is that I wish this game had more of a story because it has so much potential to be one of the best indie games of all time if it just had a story element in it, but besides that I really have no other complaints.”
    • “This game has a big chance of being the next best thing if only it had a story to it.”
    • “Concept was great, gameplay was entertaining, checkpoints were reasonable, but there wasn't really a storyline or achievements which made it a little less interesting.”
    • “While the game is good, it lacks a story of any kind and is not that long at all.”
    • “Concept was great, gameplay was entertaining, checkpoints were reasonable, but there wasn't really a storyline or achievements, which made it a little less interesting.”
    • “My only complaint is that I wish this game had more of a story because it has so much potential to be one of the best indie games of all time if it just had a story element in it.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with users noting a lack of control adjustment options and unstable performance. However, some players report that it runs surprisingly well even on low-end hardware, suggesting that it may still be worth trying for those undeterred by its optimization issues.

    • “Runs smooth on my potato of a PC that can only run TF2 on the lowest performance settings possible at 20 fps.”
    • “Controls are not well optimized in general.”
    • “Barely any adjustment options, unstable performance across the board... still, I'd check it out if none of that fazes you.”
    • “Runs smoothly on my potato of a PC that can only run TF2 on the lowest performance settings possible at 20 fps.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming, likening it to needing a "second life" to complete. While the game offers replay value for speedrunning, issues like floaty air movement and frequent hitching can make the grinding experience tedious, though the overall short length of the game mitigates this concern for casual playthroughs.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Sadly, while the game has replay value for speedrunning, floaty air movement and frequent hitching make it tedious to play, but it's short enough that it's not a huge issue for a normal playthrough.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with many users noting that the music significantly enhances the overall experience.

    • “Love the atmosphere, and the music greatly adds to it.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players found the humor in the game particularly enjoyable, highlighting the credits as a standout feature that made completing the game worthwhile.

    • “The credits were very funny and definitely worth beating the game just to see them.”
    • “The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes that had me laughing out loud.”
    • “I loved the witty dialogue and hilarious situations; it kept the gameplay light and enjoyable.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers some replayability for speedrunning enthusiasts, but its floaty air movement and frequent hitching can make repeated playthroughs tedious. However, its short length mitigates this issue for casual players.

    • “Sadly, while the game has replay value for speedrunning, the floaty air movement and frequent hitching make it tedious to play. However, it's short enough that it's not a huge issue for a normal playthrough.”

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