Earlier this week, developer Fiddlesticks released their colorfully and vibrant award-winning game Hue on Steam, Xbox One and PS4 (with a later release date for PS Vita). The game is described by Digitalspy as being equally colorful and impactful as it is sorrowful. In Hue, you assume the role of a young boy who’s lost his mother so he sets out to find her. Living in a world that is monochromatic, Hue finds himself with the task of venturing out in this world where he will have to utilize the world’s hidden colors to get through the many obstacles that face him. Fortunately for Hue, his mom was a scientist and she managed to design a ring that reveals all the world’s hidden colors, and Hue must use this ring to aid him in his journey to rescue her. As Hue, you will need to collect a variety of color pieces (in the order of spectrum of visible light). These colors will then help you solve the many puzzles that stand between Hue and his mother. You will need to lurk through caves, mountains, and even a school. Below is a trailer for the game:
Many have compared its 2D platform feel to that of Limbo. There are some similarities between the two: fragile small boy who interacts with boxes/planks and switches to solve puzzles in his way. But Hue is different than Limbo in that you constantly need to use colors to solve these puzzles. The way this works is by collecting colors to your ring, then making anything in your patch that’s an obstacle disappear by matching it with your color ring. So solving these puzzles with require you to both match the color by constantly switching them, while also moving objects around in order to ensure you’re safe moving around. If you so much as hit the wrong color when Hue is jumping on to a specifically colored floor, Hue will plunge to his death.
Developer Fiddlestick has crafted each puzzle so that each one doesn’t feel ridiculously out of reach for gamers. But that’s not to say that the puzzles don’t require a certain skill. Some, later, levels require the player to use several different colors simultaneously. Some colors will tests gamers’ keen eye for a color’s hue: yellow and lime green can be difficult to differentiate when you’re faced with a split second decision.
The puzzles evolve over time, increasing in complexity as you gain more and more colors. The story progresses with letters Hue receives from his mother, which serve to propel him forward in his quest. According to Crowdfundinsider, Hue received several awards in 2015, including Develop Indie Showcase winner, Reboot Develop Most Creative, Casual Connect USA Game of Show, and Indievelopment Audience Award. Hue is out in Steam and is also available for Xbox One and PS4, at a later date PS Vita will also receive the game.