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Contrast (2013)

Compulsion Games

PC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 3 · PlayStation 4 · Xbox 360 · Xbox One

2.97 from 410 ratings

1566 members have it in their collection · 33 playing now · 621 backlogged · 175 wish listed

How long? Main story 3h · with extras 3h · 100% 4h (from 14 logged playthroughs)

Contrast is a puzzle/platform game where you can move between a fantastic 3D world and a mysterious shadowy universe in 2D in the blink of an eye. Delve into a dreamlike and surreal 1920s world, inspired by the performance art world of vaudeville and film noir, and cradled by a smooth and sultry jazz ambiance.
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Details

Developers
Compulsion Games
Publishers
Focus Entertainment
Genres
Indie, Platform, Puzzle
Themes
Fantasy
Steam
View on Steam

Release dates

  • Nov 15, 2013 (Full Release) (Worldwide) PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox 360
  • Nov 15, 2013 (Full Release) (North_America) PlayStation 4
  • Nov 19, 2013 (Full Release) (North_America) PlayStation 3
  • Nov 20, 2013 (Full Release) (Europe) PlayStation 3
  • Nov 26, 2013 (Full Release) (Europe) PlayStation 4
  • Jun 26, 2014 (Full Release) (Worldwide) Xbox One
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Featured in lists

3D platformers with a narrative focus by tylerisrandom · 29 games · 5
PS+ Games by peter · 197 games · 0

Rating distribution

5 stars
29
4 stars
70
3 stars
190
2 stars
102
1 star
19
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Community All Reviews Statuses

Gothd011

Review Gothd011 2/5 · May 25, 2023

Well...very clucky controls

Sigh 🙄 this game could have been great but you can tell it was a budget game. It Had a cool concept, but storyline or storylines should I say. Didn't make a lick of sense. I went and read what the developers had to say and basically I got they didn't have enough money, though they use the words we …

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Sigh 🙄 this game could have been great but you can tell it was a budget game. It Had a cool concept, but storyline or storylines should I say. Didn't make a lick of sense. I went and read what the developers had to say and basically I got they didn't have enough money, though they use the words we wanted to leave it open and ambiguous. I read that as *Oh you lost the plot somewhere!? And really had no idea to having too many ideas ay?" I don't know if they were doing the 4D dimension thing, which we all know is hard to do regardless or a little girl name Didi with mental issues according to her family tree🤷🏽‍♀️ good thing it was short and I got it for free. 2.5 for nori feel and vibes.

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2 Comment
jared_c

Review jared_c 3/5 · Mar 12, 2023

A Heartfelt Tale That Runs A Bit Too Short

3.5/5 Contrast is a puzzle platformer where you play a young girl's imaginary friend helping her cope with events in her life. The catch to this game is you can phase into the walls when there is a source of light to go 2D as a shadow. There are some clever puzzles implementing this feature, though none are ever too …

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3.5/5 Contrast is a puzzle platformer where you play a young girl's imaginary friend helping her cope with events in her life. The catch to this game is you can phase into the walls when there is a source of light to go 2D as a shadow. There are some clever puzzles implementing this feature, though none are ever too difficult. The story itself is pretty heartfelt, with some nice voice acting. This was initially released during the 360 console lifecycle so the graphics look a bit rough, mostly in the faces (well, face..as the little girl you accompany is the only human you see in the 3D space). I completed the game right at about 3 hours, so it's a very short game that I'm glad I hadn't paid full price at launch for. If you can find it on a big sale (or play it on Game Pass as I did) then I recommend checking this out for a fun way to pass an afternoon.

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1 Comment
V1CGaming

Review V1CGaming 3/5 · Nov 16, 2022

Solid experience.

First off this game is not perfect. The controls can be janky and there are a few bugs. But this game is cool. The characters are interesting, the story is brilliantly told, the shadow play forming is genius and super original, the location and atmosphere are so cool and immersive. What a cool game! It’s also really short which I …

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First off this game is not perfect. The controls can be janky and there are a few bugs. But this game is cool. The characters are interesting, the story is brilliantly told, the shadow play forming is genius and super original, the location and atmosphere are so cool and immersive. What a cool game! It’s also really short which I like for a game like this! I can’t believe this was Compulsion’s first game, that blows my mind! This is a must play on any console or PC. It’s also free on Game Pass. If you have the access there is no reason not to give this game a go.

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2 Comment
DanMaul

Review DanMaul 3/5 · Apr 16, 2022

Short, sweet, and well worth a playthrough

This is a game I barely even heard of before I saw it on Game Pass and decided to give it a go. I’m still to play We Happy Few, but I was positively impressed by Compulsion’s first effort. Simply put, Contrast offers about 4 hours well spent with a unique mechanic, the manipulation of light and shadow to change …

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This is a game I barely even heard of before I saw it on Game Pass and decided to give it a go. I’m still to play We Happy Few, but I was positively impressed by Compulsion’s first effort. Simply put, Contrast offers about 4 hours well spent with a unique mechanic, the manipulation of light and shadow to change the gameplay back and forth between 3D and 2D worlds. This opens the door to a ton of interesting puzzle opportunities which the game makes good use of, though admittedly a few of them were too hard for my dumbass self to solve on its own. What stood out to me the most, however, was its awesome visual and audio style. The noir aesthetic in this game is fantastic, at times giving me some serious vibes from other games, mainly Bioshock Infinite’s Burial at Sea and Limbo. And both the music and voice acting are equally impressive. This alone would’ve been worth the price of admission, but the story also surprised me in how it subverted my pretty straightforward expectations.

I do wish it had more polished controls and platforming segments, and was a bit more directive in its puzzle implementation, but I had a really good time with Contrast all the same. The original mechanical premise, compelling narrative and incredible style, combined with the short length, turned this into a pleasant surprise. Easy to recommend to everyone and a no-brainer recommendation if you’re on Game Pass. 7/10.

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2 Comment
tylerisrandom

Review tylerisrandom 4/5 · Nov 26, 2017

Really charming little story-driven game with a stylish 1920s-meets-Coraline aesthetic. The shadow platforming mechanics can be really finicky, but the game is short enough that I didn't really have time to be too frustrated with it (I completed the game in just shy of 3 hours). It doesn't hurt that the game's story is compelling... a point of comparison might …

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Really charming little story-driven game with a stylish 1920s-meets-Coraline aesthetic. The shadow platforming mechanics can be really finicky, but the game is short enough that I didn't really have time to be too frustrated with it (I completed the game in just shy of 3 hours). It doesn't hurt that the game's story is compelling... a point of comparison might be The Unfinished Swan, in that the mechanics of the game wouldn't hold my interest on their own but work well within the narrative.

I went in a little nervous because a lot of reviews mention the game being buggy. I played on PC and did not encounter any bugs.

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0 Comment
killerstar

Review killerstar 3/5 · Apr 10, 2017

The art style and the concept is great, but the game itself is buggy as hell.

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droewyn

Review droewyn 2/5 · Feb 1, 2014

Game is pretty glitchy and needs a patch. I found some of the shadow platforming frustrating and difficult. Game was very short, did not explain what's up with the shadow world.

If the glitches get patched out, it'll be a 3/5.

0 Comment