Colour blindness-themed Désiré yearns for crowdfunding

Written by Jack Allin — November 15, 2014 at 12:48

Adventure games are often filled with vivid cartoon colours, but what would the world look like if the protagonist himself couldn't see colour? And what would it take to bring colour into that world? That is the premise of indie developer Sylvain Seccia's Désiré, a "poetic" adventure now seeking funding through Indiegogo.

The titular character has been colour blind since birth and living in a world of black-and-white. This handicap is not without its consequences: the boy is a "taciturn loner, ill at ease" as he tries to mark his place in a world that has "never brought him much joy." Now, however, he is about to meet several characters from his childhood who will "elicit in Désiré intense emotions and alter his vision in surprising ways. Is colour at the end of the road?"

Although an "old style" point-and-click adventure inspired by the genre's classics, the game is also atypical in that "unlike today's clichés of immediacy and speed, Désiré drags you into a subtly poetic and contemplative ambience." Inspired by the works of French writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline and based on the personal experiences of the game's own designer, Désiré promises a tale that is "both ragged and delicate...repugnant and alluring... wistful and light-hearted... but most of all, it is distinctly human and profoundly singular." Music will be crucial to the story as it "carries meaning and emotions", and the protagonist's changing emotions will be conveyed through more than 80 minutes of original piano music.

While a fair bit of work has already gone into the game, in order to finish it Seccia and his team are seeking an additional €15,000 by December 16th on Indiegogo. Although no firm release date has yet been announced, successful funding should see the game released sometime in 2015. Désiré will be distributed free for Windows, but backers will have the opportunity to download the game for Mac and Linux with a minimum €10 pledge. For complete details, visit the Indiegogo page to learn more.