Hue (PS4) – add a bit of colour to your gaming life

A new indie puzzler imagines a world of colour that only you control, in one of the most imaginative downloads of the year.

When people look back at the Xbox 360 generation of consoles they’re going to wonder why gamers were so invested in experiences where all colour had been artificially drained from the world. In recent years there’s been a noticeable return towards a more realistic colour palette, but it still feels as if most developers are nervous about moving away from the browns and greys of yesteryear. But that’s certainly not true of the makers of Hue.



Hue is a great example of a high-concept puzzle game, where everything has been designed around one central idea that dominates both the gameplay and the visual design. In this case it involves manipulating the background colour of the otherwise black and white landscape of the game. As you change the background any objects that are also that colour blink out of existence, allowing you to traverse the 2D platform world you find yourself in.

As is often the case, Hue sounds more confusing when describing it than it is actually playing it. But how it works in practice is that it allows you to materialise or dematerialise objects as you need them. At the simplest level it has you removing walls or other obstacles that block your way, or creating previously invisible platforms to jump on. As you gain the ability to control more and more colours the puzzles become increasingly more complex, as you shift through multiple hues to complete your objective (don’t worry, there are special symbols to help the colour-blind).


Hue (PS4) – turn the background blue and the rocks disappear

Although in basic form the game recalls several major indie hits, as well as last year’s Runbow, it’s VVVVVV which it reminded us of the most – in terms of how it gets the maximum use out of an apparently simple gameplay gimmick. Hue is nowhere near as difficult as that game though, and its platforming elements in particular are fairly easy and clearly not meant to be a major impediment. Instead there’s more of a Metroidvania angle to the game, as gaining access to more colours allows you revisit areas that were previously impassable.

Switching colours from the colour wheel slows down time considerably, and so soon enough you’re jumping through the air while materialising objects in and out of being and racing invisible boulders to the exit. In general though the game is not especially difficult, especially once you become confident switching colours quickly, although having to restart a screen from scratch if you do fail can become exasperating if you only made a mistake right at the end.

The pacing in general is also a little off, with a slow build-up that may cause some to give up before the game gets really interesting. Hold on past the first hour or so though and the extra colours bring with them new ideas such as coloured lasers and jets of paint, as well as having to deal with black-coloured objects that aren’t part of the colour wheel.

Hue (PS4) – things get nice and tricky later on

The only other downside is that few of the puzzles have alternative solutions, and so there rarely feels like there’s much chance for real experimentation. But this doesn’t limit the replayability as much as it might, thanks to some especially well hidden collectables that are generally a step above the rest of the puzzles in difficulty.

Perhaps the most surprising pleasure of Hue is that it has a thoroughly engrossing storyline to accompany the action. At a surface level it’s simply about trying to find your now invisible mum, but optional story elements present the colours as a fourth dimension that the game’s inhabitants initially have no knowledge of. This in turn inspires existential questions about the nature of reality, in a manner that recalls Edwin A. Abbott’s classic novel Flatland.



The story ramifications are an unexpected bonus for a game that exceeds expectations even once you’ve stopped admiring the clever premise. It does take a little too long to get going, but once it does Hue is revealed as one of the most original and engrossing platform puzzlers of recent years. And it’s all thanks to being as colourful as possible.

Hue In Short: A colourful new puzzle idea used to its full potential in terms of gameplay and, surprisingly, storytelling. Pros: The central gimmick works very well, with lots of clever variations on a theme. Interesting plot elements and attractive artwork and music. Cons: Slowing pacing in the first few hours, and the rather basic platforming lacks nuance. Score: 8/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox One, PC, and PS Vita

Price: £11.99

Publisher: Curve Digital

Developer: Fiddlesticks

Release Date: 30th August 2016 (PSV TBC)

Age Rating: 3

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