Whether or not video games are a piece of art is debatable among people. However, there's no denying that every new title nowadays requires time, lots of polishing, money, and hardworking developers. Additionally, making a game means putting a lot of effort into art style and design to make the visuals stand apart. Some games do it by creating something new, while others rely on well-established techniques from the past.
One such visual style is Technicolor, which was once a color process for motion pictures and included a special camera that recorded using three black & white films. Although, in today's digital age, Technicolor is more or less an art style. Here are a few games that utilize it.
10 Little Orpheus
Little Orpheus is one of the latest titles that utilize the technicolor visual flair. It is an action-adventure game that focuses on storytelling rather than platforming. In terms of gameplay, Little Orpheus is a side-scrolling title with an indie vibe.
It is also one of the unique games from developer The Chinese Room, as they've previously made first-person adventures such as the Amnesia series and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture. Little Orpheus is bright, colorful, artistic, and simply a gorgeous-looking title that deserves a play just for its visual style.
9 Max Payne 3
Rockstar Games may not release new games often, but most of their much-awaited titles are fun to play. One such game is Max Payne 3, which came years after the second game to conclude the trilogy. On the surface, this 2012 third-person shooter game is an action game with the noir style.
However, it also has an essence of retro-style technicolor look, which makes it stand apart from most other similar games. Playing Max Payne 3 feels more or less like watching an old movie, with all its lens flares, artificial vibrance, and amazing cinematography.
8 Elliot
Elliot is an excellent precision platformer by developer Plain and Game. It's a 2020 title with a cute art style but a pretty challenging gameplay system that requires a lot of skill and timing. The game's intro text on the Steam store states it is a "colourful 2D platformer inspired by 16-bit classics."
Additionally, it says the game may be vibrant and cartoonish, but players mustn't take it for an easy game. According to Elliot's description, it's a "technicolor hell" for anyone who dares to step into it for casual fun.
7 ULTRAWORLD EXODUS
ULTRAWORLD EXODUS is the perfect title for players looking to experience the technicolor vibrance free of cost. This bright and colorful game is an exploration title where players visit an "abstract landscape of bleeding technicolor wonder, armed with a camera, curiosity, and freedom." At its core, ULTRAWORLD EXODUS is a walking simulator. However, its vast vistas and explore-at-your-pace gameplay design make it one amazing free-to-play game.
Even the popular magazine PCGamer claims, "Ultraworld is a surreal and beautiful first-person exploration adventure." While the game is a 2014 title, it is still worth playing for many reasons, including its visual style.
6 Kraken Academy!!
Kraken Academy is one of the most popular new games on the list that prides itself upon the colorful art style, dark humor, and 8-bit retro look. It's a 2021 title with adventure-style gameplay where players can explore, make friends, help spirits and save the world from its ultimate doom.
The game's description states that Kraken Academy is "a technicolor fever dream that for legal reasons can only be described as "technically a school." Overall, most reviewers have praised the game's funny writing and think it's a must-play for fans of the role-playing genre.
5 Fractal: Make Blooms Not War
Fractal: Make Blooms Not War may look simple from the screenshots, but it is far more challenging than anyone expects. It is a casual puzzle game that came out in 2011 alongside Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. However, its indie nature stopped it from reaching the heights it should've otherwise.
According to the Steam store description, Fractal: Make Blooms Not War is all about running "through a pulsing technicolor dreamscape," all the while expanding consciousness. At a such a low price point, Fractal is one of the unique technicolor games on the list.
4 PANORAMICAL
PANORAMICAL is one of the most memorable games on the list for multiple good reasons. First, it is an indie title with a highly curated single-player experience from two developers. Second, it's an experimental game where players have an atmospheric adventure that isn't available anywhere else. PANORAMICAL comes with 15 unique environments, "meditative to explosive technicolor madness," and dynamic interactive music by award-winning musician David Kanaga.
The game prides itself upon 18-dimensional analog controls and nominal system requirements such as 2GB ram, a built-in graphics card, and only 1GB hard drive space.
3 Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between
Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between is a philosophical indie adventure game that came out in 2022. It is one of the most stylized and atmospheric games on the list and has a pretty impressive gameplay style that is quite common in other titles.
The game's Steam description states it as a "surreal journey through the spaces between places," where players travel around at midnight, finding themselves at different locations such as a deserted airport lounge, empty park, overnight train, and more. Glitchhikers: The Spaces Between is a paid game with a "Positive" score on Steam. However, it is one of the games that deserve more attention.
2 RetroShooti
RetroShooti is an early access title that first came out in 2021. It's an old-school shoot-em-up game about mindless action in a world full of aliens and cosmic beings. At its core, RetroShooti is a side-scroller that emphasizes giving the players a classic gaming experience with a ridiculous art direction.
Even the game's developer team claims RetroShooti is all about a "crazy scrolling highway of oncoming traffic, space debris and technicolor lunacy," where players must help "Shooti," a spaceship-shaped friend and hero.
1 In The Pause Between The Ringing
In the Pause Between the Ringing and other titles by Studio Oleomingus are some of the best examples of technicolor games on Steam. While their games aren't some technical masterpieces or action-based funhouses, they're a memorable experience in terms of art direction and visual style.
In the Pause Between the Ringing is their second main game on Steam, which is a free-to-play indie game based on a tale written by Mir Umar Hassan in July 1958. From design to aesthetics, this one is worth experiencing for its casual nature and $0 price tag.