Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a perfect co-op game

Dear Polygon

It’s great to find games that my spouse and I can enjoy together. The most real successful game we sort of played together was Samorost 3 — the vibe, the puzzles, the creativity, we both enjoyed immensely. Although I enjoy many games, it can sometimes be difficult to find something my wife and me can talk about together and then play as a team. She will be drawn to things with story, puzzles and beautiful aesthetics.

We’re keen to explore some of Amanita’s other games like Samorost 3, and we have our eye on Stray, since we both love cats. My wife can also get motion sickness from too much head bobbing in first person and not looking around.

— Bret

Hi, Bret. Finding the right game to play with a companion is really important, because the wrong game can cause chaos and frustration on both players’ parts — especially if one is less experienced than the other. If you’re looking for a collaborative experience, you aren’t going to want to play a competitive classic like Mario Partyor an intensive, in-depth game that requires a lot of inputs like Do not overcook. Finding the right cooperative game is something I’ve absolutely struggled with — especially when playing with friends or family who aren’t as used to games as me.

I know you’re not necessarily looking for a game to play cooperatively, but I think I’ve got a game that will be perfect nonetheless. This is it! Happens To be co-op

Although my husband and me occasionally enjoy competitive games, such as Overwatch together, we both have much more fun when there’s collaboration. He’s not as into games as I am, and I admit to getting A little frustrated if he can’t keep up. Last year I discovered a game that worked perfectly for me: Chicory: An enchanting tale.

Chicory: An enchanting taleThis 2D adventure video game features a dog and a paintbrush who must bring back color to the black-and white world. When Chicory, a famous painter and paintbrush wielder, stops painting, it’s the player’s job to take over. It can be played by two people. One person navigates Pizza through the world while the other takes over the paintbrush. This is the most thrilling part of it, at least for me. (Pizza is the dog’s canon name, but you choose a name based on your favorite food. You would name your Pizza Watercress, if I were you. Your dog, if you were Mike Mahardy the reviews editor, would be Cacciatore.

All of the players have different skills, which can all be crucial in solving problems. Chicory’s puzzles. The player controlling Pizza is in charge of navigating the actual game world — where your controller dictates, Pizza goes. These players are responsible for solving puzzles and interfacing with the world. They also have to communicate with non-playable characters. This player is responsible for coloring and arranging the world. Pizza can’t be moved by the paintbrush, so second player is able to use many different brushes and colors. They’ve got the fun of coloring everything in, but it’s still an essential part of the game. There are many of these. Chicory’s puzzles require paint to adjust the world in key ways: For instance, there are flowers that need color to bloom, and in their bloomed state, they become a bridge for Pizza to pass over. When they’re uncolored, they turn back to small flowers, and Pizza cannot pass.

These sorts of puzzles range widely in terms of difficulty and involvement from both players, and the fun of it is in figuring out what bits move and change, and how — or if — color will change the world in some intriguing way. It’s a multiplayer dynamic that requires players to talk to each other while playing, to ask for help and give ideas. But it’s also really fulfilling when both players eventually understand each other and the game’s language so well that those same calls for help are no longer necessary.

It might be something that you and your spouse enjoy. It’s a truly beautiful game with lovely design, real heart, and a touching story — personally, it was my favorite game last year!

Also, I’d like to thank YouThanks for the suggestion! I hadn’t heard of Samorost 3 — or any of the Samorost games — before reading your letter. The art style is stunning, and I can’t wait to give it a go. Chicory: An enchanting tale seems totally different, but I’d love to hear how you and your wife fare with it.

—Nicole

P.S.: Citizen SleeperAnother game that my husband and me are currently playing together is “The Last of Us”. It’s single-player, so one of us is doing the controls and the other is just helping make decisions. It’s like a digital tabletop role-playing game with a lot of reading and decisions to be made. Your wife definitely won’t get motion sick here!