In art, the term "monochromatic" refers to something that contains only one hue, which consists of all the tints, tones, and shades of that hue. For example, the hue of a monochromatic image can be red, and the lighter tints of red to white, the darker shades of red to black, and the mixture tones of red to gray can all contribute to it.
While most classic titles were forced to use monochromatic colors due to hardware limitations, many modern games deliberately use the art style. Out of these beautiful titles, here are the best ones according to Metacritic.
World of Horror - 80
Designed like '80s PC adventure games and inspired by the works of Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft, World of Horror is a survival horror roguelike RPG released in early access in 2020. In the seaside town of Shiokawa, Japan, eldritch gods have awoken and the world is slowly succumbing to various nightmares born in their wake. As one of five unique characters, the player must solve the supernatural mysteries in the area and try to prevent the apocalypse.
Throughout the game, players will have to make tough choices and fight in difficult turn-based battles, and each singular mystery has multiple endings. Unlike most RPGs where one full playthrough is enough, the various characters, multiple gods to choose from, and roguelike gameplay all give this experience plenty of replay value.
Echochrome - 81
Released in 2008 for the PSP and PS3, Echochrome is a puzzle game where the player controls a wooden artist's mannequin as they go through over 50 levels of impossible geometry inspired by the works of Oscar Reutersvärd and M.C. Escher. The goal of each level is to collect all of the shadowy "echos."
To get through the impossible geometry, the game uses the Object Locative Environment Coordinate System, which means that the existence of objects in the virtual space is determined by the perspective of the camera. For example, if there is a gap between two walkways, the player can move the camera so that a piece of the environment obscures the gap, and the gap will no longer exist as long as it's obscured. Besides a PS3 sequel, this game had a great PSP spinoff called Echoshift.
Aviary Attorney: Definitive Edition - 81
Inspired by the popular visual novel series Ace Attorney, Aviary Attorney is a 2015 legal drama adventure game that takes place in an alternate reality of Paris, France in 1848 that's inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. As corruption continues to spread, the game follows a kindhearted defense attorney named Jayjay Falcon who strives for justice alongside his apprentice Sparrowson.
To help clients receive a "Not Guilty" verdict, the two find evidence, interview witnesses, visit crime scenes, and cross examine in the court room. Unlike the Ace Attorney series, players only have a certain amount of time to investigate a case, and it's possible to accidentally miss important evidence. With the art of French caricaturist J.J. Grandville and the music of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, the game has a unique vibe that can't be found in any other game.
Hidden Folks - 83
Nominated for several awards and similar to the Where's Waldo franchise, Hidden Folks is a 2017 hidden object game where the player must find various people and objects within 32 detailed and unique environments. All of the areas are animated, and players may have to interact with the world to find the person or item they're looking for.
The art in the game is all hand-drawn, and all of the sounds originated from the mouths of the two developers. Since the people and items the player has to find is randomly decided at the start of the level, players have a reason to keep playing even after going through all 32 levels.
The End Is Nigh - 84
Developed by Edmund McMillen, who is best known for the notoriously difficult games The Binding of Isaac and Super Meat Boy, and Tyler Glaiel, who is most known for the puzzle-platformer Closure, The End Is Nigh is a action-adventure platformer about a small blob named Ash who is the sole survivor of the apocalypse. After his favorite game cartridge breaks, Ash sets off on a quest to create a new friend.
As the player goes through over 600 brutal screens filled with plenty of traps and enemies, Ash finds the parts that can be used to make a friend. With two endings, many secrets, and plenty of collectibles, players will find this game hard to put down.
West of Loathing - 87
Set within the same universe as the 2003 browser-based multiplayer RPG Kingdom of Loathing, West of Loathing is a 2017 single-player comedy RPG with a fantasy Western setting. After customizing their character, the protagonist begins the story by leaving their family farm to go on an adventure.
While the art style initially makes the game seem simple, it's actually extremely in-depth with a large world to explore, an interesting turn-based battle system, and thousands of lines filled with hilarious dialogue. Though the player may start the game thinking they'll just play for a bit, they'll get sucked in by the many quests and well-written dialogue.
Super Hexagon - 88
Created by Terry Cavanagh, who is best known for developing many unique games such as Don't Look Back, VVVVVV, and Dicey Dungeons, Super Hexagon is a 2012 fast-paced action game where the player controls a small triangle at the center of a monochromatic hexagon. The goal of the game is for the player to simply survive as long as they can by moving the triangle to avoid the in-coming walls.
But, this simple game requires a quick reaction time because the movement of the walls increases exponentially as time goes on. To make things more challenging, the screen is constantly spinning, changing to different monochromatic hues, and playing a catchy soundtrack.
Return of the Obra Dinn - 89
Created by Lucas Pope, who also developed the award-winning game Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn is a puzzle adventure game that takes place in 1807 and follows an insurance inspector from the East India Company's London Office. After disappearing five years prior, the merchant ship Obra Dinn mysteriously reappeared with its sails destroyed and none of its crew, and the inspector must figure out what happened to all of them.
With a pixelated monochromatic aesthetic inspired by early Macintosh games, the game has the player explore the ghost ship and uncover the mystery of what happened to each individual on board. Using a magical pocket watch called the "Memento Mortem," the player is able to time travel to the moment of death of any corpse that is found.
LIMBO - 90
Before developing the award-winning 2016 game INSIDE, the indie studio Playdead had already created a critically acclaimed horror puzzle platformer in 2010 titled LIMBO. In this game, players control an unnamed boy as he searches for his sister within a purgatory-like world known as LIMBO.
After waking up in a forest, the boy immediately makes his journey through many puzzles that use the dark grayscale art style to hide traps. Besides the environmental hazards, the player also has to deal with plenty of dangerous creatures such as giant spiders and parasitic glow worms.
Contre Jour - 93
Released in 2011, Contre Jour is a physics-based puzzle game that follows a little blob named Petit, which is a reference to the beloved French novella The Little Prince. Since Petit cannot move on their own, the player must manipulate the environment of each of the game's levels in order to move Petit from one end of the screen to the other.
The term "Contre-jour" is a photographic technique where the camera directly faces a light source, which makes any person or thing that appears in the shot a dark silhouette. This technique fits with the black-and-white aesthetic of the game, and the gorgeous art and smooth gameplay go perfectly with the soothing piano background soundtrack composed by well-known American musician David Ari Leon.