Compulsion Games

Compulsion Games have announced their next game, We Happy Few, with an announcement trailer that can be seen below. After their work on Contrast, they have decided to take a new approach to their development cycle. This time they want fans to start playing the game as soon as possible so that they can start collecting feedback and then utilize it to improve the game. Which would also explain why they announced that the game will be playable at PAX East for all who want to stop by and check it out, Booth #6216.

There’s no time frame for a release date yet since the game is still quite early on in development so the announcement trailer and some new artwork will have to hold us over until Compulsion Games decides to reveal new information.

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Contrast is developed and published by Compulsion Games. It was released on Xbox One for $14.99 on June 6, 2014. It is also available on Xbox 360 for $14.99. An Xbox One copy was provided for review purposes.

A shadow is the absence of light behind an object. Shadows know nothing else besides darkness and only exist in attachment to another. Shadows emit fear, mystery, the unknown. A shadow adds another layer to an object, a person. Often over sought, we often only view what’s on the surface, we don’t think twice. What’s on the surface is rather accordingly never as it seems, yet a shadow can show exactly what it seems. The warping of light and spacetime; the peeling back of our layered complexities; and questioning of what is reality are all captured by the beautiful artistry of Contrast.

Set in turn-of-the-century Paris, Contrast tells the story of a young girl, Didi, as she sets out upon the nocturnal Parisian streets to bring her family back together. Her mother works late nights at the gentleman’s club, and her father is deep in debt with the gangs. Didi just want to have one happy family again. Tagging along is her shadowy companion Dawn, who uses her mysterious powers to warp into the shadows and complete complicated platforming puzzles based upon the manipulation of light and shadows cast on the walls. Thus, the game becomes an existential experience that comments on family, science and emotion.

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Compulsion Games’ most recent trailer for its forthcoming download-only game, Contrast, highlights a new song from the game’s original soundtrack. The new jazzy single is titled House on Fire; lyrics are by Compulsion with music by WaveGeneration Audio, while jazz singer Laura Ellis provides the sultry vocals.

Contrast tells the story of Didi and her friend Dawn — an imaginary friend capable of shifting into the shadow dimension. With Dawn’s power, players will navigate the puzzle/platform world of Contrast while uncovering the mystery of what happened to Didi’s parents. With its noir-esque visuals and atmosphere and a soundtrack that’s shaping up nicely, Compulsion’s new game looks very promising. Check out our hands-on preview from E3 2013 here.

Contrast hits the Xbox Games Store November 15, 2013 for $14.99. Watch the new music trailer after the break.

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Compulsion Games has announced its puzzle-based platformer, Contrast, will finally see the light of day on November 15, priced on Xbox Live Arcade at $15. The game places you in the role of Dawn, the imaginary friend of a troubled little girl, Didi, who relies on the playable character as a coping mechanism to process an unknown trauma. As Dawn you’ll accompany Didi, slipping in and out of shadow form to platform along two-dimensional shadows cast by the 3D environment.

We delved into Contrast at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo during our preview with Compulsion Games Studio Head Guillaume Provost. The game is quite simply loaded with charm and a striking, film-noir aesthetic, but that story of a little girl who escapes into her imagination might be the biggest draw. “We try to explore something that’s a little bit more interesting than saving the world, or beating a big bad guy or getting revenge for something or other,” Provost said during our time with him. “It’s really the story of this little girl and what she wants out of her family.”

Our time with Contrast definitely left us wanting more. Be sure to keep this one on your radar for a busy November, and for more glimpses into the shadows enjoy the slideshow after the jump.

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Contrast, the upcoming XBLA game by Compulsion Games, just received a new trailer, and it looks phenomenal. The film noir aesthetic and jazz music tie in very well to …
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“So the basic idea being, what would happen if you could become your shadow, and I’ll start walking on shadow lines in the world. That really, at its core is where the game concept first evolved. In the same way as Portal, I wanted to create a mechanic that really fit well and [you could] learn well. So something that had enough depth that as long as there is a light source in the game you can become a shadow and use this mechanic in several ways.”

This is how Compulsion Games Studio Head Guillaume Provost presents his game to XBLAFans and a smattering of other members of the games media. He does it behind closed doors at Contrast‘s Electronic Entertainment Expo booth. It’s a little backwards. Having played the demo half an hour ago, I’ve already walked on the shadow lines to which Provost refers. I’ve already manipulated the power of light to illuminate a cabaret stage and subsequently born witness to a less-than-harmonious meeting of lovers after the close of the show for which I played at stagehand. I’ve already become a shadow to platform across the dark contours of merry-go-round horses at an eerily deserted circus in an old town.

Now, after they’ve already been experienced, these things are explained for the first time, and that leads into some questions. Chief among our curiosities are finding out who these characters are and what it means when they become shadows. Provost and Complusion’s public relations and community man, Sam Abbott, are mostly forthcoming with the answers. Mostly.

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Contrast is 2D/3D puzzle-platformer from Compulsion Games, where you take control of Dawn, an imaginary friend of a young girl, Didi. The setting is a 1920’s dreamworld, where you …
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Compulsion Games rather quietly announced Contrast back in March. At the time the platforms were announced. Recently our favorite tipper @lifelower did some digging. First he noticed a post …
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