[b]chromatic fantasy[/b] is a sliding game with colorful dragons. they all got captured by an evil wizard and put in a dungeon, your task is to help them escape. not only does dialog appear immediately during story bits, but you can go back and forth in case you want to read something again. nice.
the dungeon is deep, [b]about 50 levels[/b] to unlock in a somewhat non-linear fashion, so sometimes there's more than one to tackle at a time, but [b]branching progression could've started sooner[/b]. the main goal is to move the dragons to the portal of their color, preferably within par or the other par, but anything will count for completion. it's essentially a 3-star system and the move counter and both pars are on-screen in the bottom left corner. level select (the dungeon) also shows the ratings and your best attempts, and each level has a name for easier reference. there's also the wizard's tower to conquer once you're above ground.
for whatever reason, pink hourglasses are rewarded for solving levels and a few more for getting within either par (levels can be replayed, of course, but hourglasses can't be farmed). they are used to remove magic barriers in the dungeon, so basically, every now and then there's an 'hourglass check' to see if you can proceed to the next section. they aren't consumed, but I think a simple star-based check would've sufficed, the current system adds nothing, just another, slightly different number to the screen.
[b]this isn't your garden variety sliding game though.[/b] only being able to bypass colored chains or doors with the right dragon is a given, but gray/uncolored objects act as walls until you change their color with the appropriate [b]chromatic ink[/b]. pick up the bottle with the matching dragon, then apply it to the desired objects before bashing into them. dragons don't only differ in color but their abilities: red is fire-based and can move over lava, yellow is electric, blue can roll over water, and green ignores thorns. there are minecart tracks to manage, gargoyles to change dragon direction, the usual keys, switches, portals, etc.
[b]unlimited undo[/b] is at your disposal. only backspace can be held to take back more than one step at a time, have to keep tapping 'z' (sadly intentional), but they work for bringing back dragons who already left the level, or to undo ink usage. and it wouldn't be a dungeon to brag about without more than just our dragons as occupants, so there are [b]other prisoners to rescue, who in turn can be summoned to help if you get stuck[/b]. just make sure to click around on the map to find them. they can create or destroy walls, break chains, collect ink, etc. and can be upgraded to be more useful by completing [b]limited-move treasure vaults[/b] also found in the dungeon (undo doesn't work from a fail state there).
up to 3 summons can be used per level (none in treasure vaults) and each only once. the within-par bonus goes out the window they came in, and their powers are limited, so can't use them to breeze through the whole thing (wouldn't be possible without enough hourglasses anyway, though you still get them for completion). obviously, replaying levels properly returns the hints used there, but [b]helpers aren't instantaneous[/b]. click to place wall, done, right? nope, [b]there's a long animation before each use that can only be skipped by space at the very beginning, for about half a second, making the entire system more frustrating than useful[/b]. granted, it's optional, but it's a feature and should work without ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ like this. either let me skip them anytime, also with a click, or add a toggle to disable them entirely.
there's also an [b]encyclopedia with lots of unlockable entries[/b], which I really like. useful info about gameplay, controls, treasures, secrets and achievements. it doesn't spoil all the mechanics right from the start, though I don't mind knowing what's ahead in that department. [b]it's also worth mousing over the levels to see if there are exclamation marks to click[/b] for some flavor text and hints towards optional objectives.
[b]controls are iffy and aren't rebindable.[/b] I prefer the keyboard for sliding games, and in this case tab and f1-f4 selects dragons, arrows move them, or you can drag them in the desired direction with the mouse, no need to select one first. there are icons and hotkeys for chromatic ink (1-4), the menu (esc), helpers (s), the encyclopedia (h), undo (z/backspace), and 'r' restarts the level without going to the menu, where the arrows don't work. can only place ink with the mouse, so [b]the game can't be played only with the keyboard[/b].
also, [b]each dragon has their own hotkey, but none of them gets selected at the start of a level or when they're the only one left, nor does clicking make them available for keyboard movement[/b], which is a major cause for frustration, and since it's another intentional questionable design decision, it's not gonna change for the better either. right on the very first level you have to press tab or f3 to select the only dragon available before it can be moved. mouse works, of course, but as I said, I'd prefer the keyboard in a game like this. at least the dragon remains selected after messing with ink bottles, otherwise it would be too much. still, [b]you're better off playing with the mouse[/b]. if only movement speed was a little bit faster...
good enough colorful graphics, critters walking around the walls, dragons going to sleep after some idling, stuff like that, and an [b]excellent soundtrack[/b]. there are 3 resolution options and a full screen toggle, separate volume settings and toggles for skipping the intro and colorblind mode. they're accessible while playing levels as well, and there are multiple player profiles.
there's [b]lots of cool stuff that puts it above an average collection of sliding puzzles[/b], but the usual dissonance between cute presentation and challenging puzzles is present here as well. I really wanted to finish it, but my barely measurable brainpower and patience put a stop to it. since most of it is done really well, it's a bit [b]easier to overlook the annoyances, but because of those I can only recommend it on sale[/b]. there's a [b]demo to try[/b] with a mix of easy and more difficult levels.
