Adventure Game Désiré Peers at the World Through a Color-Blind Lens

Folks like me who can see colors probably can’t truly appreciate the ability. Color vision deficiency affects one in 12 males on average, and the protagonist of the French game Désiré suffers from said color-blindness. As this was the case from birth, the game is entirely in black and white.

Désiré, is a loner, literally seeing the world without colors, which reflects on his attitude as well. He feels no joy as he traverses the streets, trying to find his purpose in life. A schoolteacher asks him why he didn’t draw the sun, and his response is a somber “It’s always night in my head.” Although he’s young, he meets several characters on his journey who alter his perspective on the world.

The adventure is based on the personal experiences of lead designer and writer, Sylvain Seccia. He’s worked on Désiré with a small team, having started conceptual planning about three years ago. Seccia intends the game to subvert today’s video game trends of immediacy and reward, instead drawing players into a contemplative journey. The game critiques a consumerist, profit-obsessed society.

Game developers should take note of the Adventure Game Engine, which Seccia developed himself and made freely available (Désiré runs on it). The download page is here along with explanations on how to use it to craft adventure games.

As for the color-blind adventure, Désiré will be out this Fall on Windows, Mac, Linux, as well as Android and iOS. For more info, be sure to like the game on Facebook and follow along on Twitter; stay tuned to IGM for more coverage.