Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan, developed by ManaVoid Entertainment and published by Skybound Games alongside Indie Asylum, is a vibrant and uplifting adventure that combines platforming, puzzle-solving, and a unique approach to role-playing through empathy and compassion. It tells the story of Billy, a cheerful and non-binary protagonist whose colorful world is suddenly drained of its hues and joy when the mighty Leviathan awakens from its slumber. Stripped of its vibrancy, the world falls into a state of sadness and emotional emptiness. With the help of a talking fishing rod named Rodrigo and a ship powered by friendship, Billy embarks on a journey across the Land of Imagination to restore color and hope to its inhabitants. What begins as a whimsical quest quickly evolves into an exploration of emotional healing, identity, and the strength that comes from understanding others rather than fighting them. From the outset, the game stands out with its striking visual design. Every environment bursts with color and charm once restored, serving as a powerful visual metaphor for recovery and acceptance. The contrast between the grayscale, cursed world and the radiant, fully colored one reinforces the idea that empathy and kindness can quite literally bring light back into darkness. The art style draws clear inspiration from storybooks and classic cartoons, rendered in a bright 2.5D aesthetic that feels both nostalgic and modern. Each island Billy visits has its own personality—lush forests, mechanical ruins, or surreal dreamscapes—each populated by unique creatures and characters, all rendered with meticulous detail and charm. The hand-drawn animations and warm color palette make the world of Rainbow Billy feel alive, inviting, and deeply personal. It’s a game that thrives on its aesthetic identity, creating a space where players feel genuinely motivated to restore every drop of color they can. The gameplay in Rainbow Billy is a blend of exploration, light puzzle-solving, and non-violent encounters that replace traditional combat with conversations and empathy challenges. Rather than defeating enemies, Billy “befriends” them by learning about their insecurities and fears. Each confrontation becomes an opportunity for dialogue, where the player listens and responds to emotional cues rather than attacks. These interactions are framed as turn-based “confrontations,” where success depends on understanding rather than aggression. The player’s companions—colorful creatures collected throughout the adventure—each represent different aspects of positivity and emotional expression, helping Billy resolve the inner conflicts of others. This system is both inventive and thematically resonant, reinforcing the idea that kindness and communication can overcome hostility. The minigames that accompany these encounters are simple but charming, providing a rhythm of activity that fits neatly with the game’s philosophy of inclusivity and cooperation. Exploration is another key pillar of the experience. Piloting the Friend-Ship across the world’s seas, players visit various islands, solve environmental puzzles, and interact with dozens of characters. The platforming sections are intentionally approachable, with forgiving mechanics and puzzles that emphasize observation and timing rather than difficulty. Each new area offers small mechanical twists that keep things engaging without overwhelming younger players. The world is also filled with secrets, collectibles, and upgrades that reward curiosity, giving players a sense of steady progression. The pacing is relaxed, allowing the journey to unfold at a gentle rhythm that encourages reflection rather than urgency. It’s a design choice that fits perfectly with the game’s tone—a calm, kind adventure that feels like a quiet antidote to the stress and conflict often found in modern games. Where Rainbow Billy truly shines, however, is in its storytelling and emotional depth. Though wrapped in a bright and cheerful aesthetic, its narrative touches on surprisingly mature themes: self-acceptance, loneliness, anxiety, and the courage to express vulnerability. Each creature Billy helps represents a different struggle—fear of failure, anger, self-doubt—and the process of helping them serves as a lesson not just for Billy, but for the player as well. The writing balances humor and sincerity with care, avoiding the pitfalls of sentimentality by grounding its optimism in genuine emotion. Billy’s interactions are infused with empathy, and the game takes great care to ensure its inclusivity feels organic rather than forced. The non-binary identity of the protagonist, for instance, is treated with natural respect, presented as simply another part of who they are rather than a narrative focus. This subtlety strengthens the game’s message: that everyone, regardless of identity, has the ability to bring light to others. Technically, Rainbow Billy is polished and thoughtfully crafted. The user interface is intuitive, the animation smooth, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the atmosphere. The music, with its gentle melodies and emotional crescendos, shifts dynamically to match the mood of each island or encounter, heightening the sense of wonder and introspection. While the gameplay loop can become repetitive over longer sessions—the cycle of sailing, exploring, and befriending creatures follows a predictable structure—the charm of the world and the heart behind its design keep the experience engaging. Minor issues like long load times or occasional performance hiccups don’t detract significantly from the experience. In a genre often dominated by cynicism or violence, Rainbow Billy feels refreshingly sincere, a game unafraid to be kind. Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is ultimately a celebration of empathy, inclusivity, and emotional growth. It takes familiar elements from adventure and RPG genres and reimagines them through a lens of compassion, proving that games can be just as fulfilling when built around understanding instead of conflict. Its beautiful art direction, heartfelt storytelling, and inventive mechanics make it stand out as a work of optimism and creativity. While some players may find its lack of challenge or repetitive structure less appealing, its sincerity and warmth give it a rare staying power. It’s the kind of game that leaves you smiling—not because of victory, but because of connection. Rainbow Billy is more than a charming adventure; it’s a reminder that even in a world drained of color, a little empathy can paint everything bright again. Rating: 8/10

I just noticed this game has 127 reviews and I can't believe it. I haven't beaten it, but the time I've put into it has been great. The combat is unique. What really captured me though was the characters. Each pokemon collectible type creature has a character ark. There's a lot to explore, which is a good and a bad thing. The character moves so slow it gets tedious whenever I wanted to back track and look for secrets (which there are a lot of). Ultimately, this is a unique RPG with wholesome characters that kept me coming back. It's not perfect, but deserves more love. I think I got it on sale for like 5 bucks, and can't really recommend it for a full $20. But for my $5, it's a solid 8/10.

I liked it was a good game i cried a tiny bit at the end and it has its charms. honestly if they ever fixed minor things and added more animations for somethings it be cool

Really cute so far. I wish more games embraced the collector/collectathon genre :)

Good early on but the amount of friends with each one being a fight filled with boring minigames just got to be too much, it would be a way better game with combat removed entirely.

Mature, moving experience that will stay with you for a long time. Extra points for the game's emotional "battle" system, its characters and imaginative world. The best part - from time to time I want to play through this adventure again. :D

On explore de petites îles avec sur chacune d'elle une petite énigme à résoudre pour soit trouver des bonus ou un compagnon, soit faire progresser l'histoire. Le recrutement des compagnons se fait par l'intermédiaire de "combats" non violents. On doit convaincre l'adversaire de nous rejoindre. Pour cela, deux phases: A: une phase de dialogue à la bioware, un mot clef qui devrait normalement résumer ce qui va se dire après mais aux résultats souvent douteux et pas du tout ce que l'on voulait dire. Pour calmer le futur compagnon et connaitre ses couleurs. B: une phase de placement de jetons tirés au hasard et qui feront des "dommages" d'une certaine couleur si l'attaque est validée par un mini jeu. Le jeu vise une audience plutôt jeune (8-14 ans). Les graphismes, l'histoire et les dialogues sont très enfantins et mignons. Pour un jeune publique, tout est relativement cohérent et bien amené, pour un publique plus âgé, comment dire...ça devient assez vite gnangnan Points positifs: -Le monde beau et coloré, très agréable à explorer. Pas vraiment de difficulté à ce niveau mais je n'ai fait que le premier monde. -Les nombreux compagnons rencontrés, relativement diversifiés avec chacun leur problème. Mais, je n'ai plus 8-14 ans depuis un bout de temps, il m'est assez difficile de juger. J'ai trouvé que même s'ils étaient nombreux, on interagis assez peu au final nos protégés, deux dialogues et hop on passe au suivant, mouerf, pas terros par approfondir une relation ou une problématique. -Les mini jeux des combats sont souvent bien réussis et sympathiques. Et je déteste les mini jeux en général. Points négatifs: -Les combats, le reste. Il y a trop de hasard. Plus on a de compagnons, plus le pot dans lequel on va piocher nos jetons devient important. On ne peut pas trier ce qu'on met dans le pot. Chaque jetons permet d'attaquer 1 à 3 couleurs et certaines couleurs sont beaucoup plus rares que d'autres. On peut se retrouver à attendre un tour ou deux, juste à attendre que notre foutue couleur sorte alors que le jeu se complaît à nous imposer cette couleur rare sur les ennemis. C'est chiant et frustrant et injuste, pourquoi, ne pas nous permettre de faire un deck. Farmer des compagnons devient presque un désavantage !?!. - 2ème point noir des combats: les phases de dialogue, pas toujours cohérentes. Entre le mot clef et ce qui se passe après, il y a parfois de très grandes libertés, du grand n'importe quoi avec cette idée dont on n'arrive pas à se détacher " mais c'est pas du tout ce que je voulais dire, il débloque là ou quoi?". J'ai fini la première zone et vaincu le premier boss mais du à ces deux défauts, l'expérience n'a pas été plaisante.Le combat est long (20 minutes) et m'a paru injuste et hasardeux. Plus eu envie de continuer après ça. C'est dommage, car de nombreux combats ont été travaillés avec des événements qui viennent changer la routine. Mais ces événements sortes de nul part, sans être annoncé, laissant un sentiment de "ah, c'est bien fait pour toi et tu pouvais pas le prévoir". Conclusion: Pour un jeune publique, pas un gros pousse rouge. Mais une impression d’absence de contrôle sur ce qui se passe assez maladroite.

For starters this game is way more oriented towards younger audience. I thought this was going to be more similar to the paper mario / bug fables due to the artwork / combat(?) / others saying it was. Its not but, it is a decent game so far. You play as Billy who is here to save the black and white world with the power of friendship. You travel on a boat, going island to island saving other inhabitants of this world. Riding around reminds me of windwaker a bit. You can't ride far as you need to save other islands to advance further. Now for "combat" Instead of being a fight its called a confrontation. Instead of HP you have Morale. and to win these confrontations you must listen then choose the best option. And combat is almost like a puzzle game, you have shapes that correlate with your friends and you want to match up the shapes. They are hidden until you pick the correct choice. TBH even on the hardest diffuculty, I was choosing bad options on purpose to see dialogue and was still able to win over friends. (like real life) Now everytime you collect a friend they hop on billys ark and you can feed them gummies or give them items you fished from the sea to level them up for different shapes. So you want to collect as many friends using talk no justu as they are your "weapons" Almost like a creature collector w/ deck building combat. Now Platforming, I haven't got far but it seems very simple. You have moving platforms, have some parts you need to use coconuts to help, but since the islands are....islands. Its just not alot going on. Now this is more of a nitpick, you run into dirt piles right. You try to interact with it, but one of your friends is all "you need a shovel brah can't help you" maybe 30ish mins later you run into a girl who has a quest item you need. She ends up becoming one of these dirt piles, after dealing with a confrontation, the same friend who said he cant help you turns into a shovel....BRHUH....WHAT...WHY U SWITCHIN UP!!!! Also another thing is when you unlock a friend, when they "attack" they have a special minigame. Some are just no effort. You will have some that maybe 3-5 inputs. While another just has 1...just 1???? made no sense... There is a really cool feature that I wish more games would implement. When you hit play, you jump straight into the game, no loading screen or anything. Just BAM already where you last left off and ready to play. very nice. Now myself I might not finish this game, its just not my speed. I wish there was actual combat versus talking it out. BUT I get it is geared towards younger audience most likely kids <10yrs. If you are a parent and want a game to connect with your kids I think this is a good game. While it maybe not have much depth gameplay wise, there is a good message on dealing with social interactions.