While far from the most important aspect of a video game, a standout visual style can do wonders for elevating an experience. There has been no shortage of titles attempting to entice players making bold decisions regarding their aesthetic, and exclusively rendering most (if not all) of a game in black and white is one of the boldest.
In the interest of highlighting the games that have been the most successful at pulling off this monochromatic feat, here are the best video games that are entirely in black and white.
Limbo
Best Black and White Video Games
2010’s Limbo is perhaps the most commonly discussed game on the topic of monochromatic visuals, which makes its early inclusion on this list an absolute must. This puzzle-platformer puts the player in control of a boy who wakes up in a shadowy forest with no recourse but to try and find his way out. The more straightforward narrative and control scheme serve to highlight the game’s clever brain-teasers, while the black and white aesthetic establishes the game’s intensely atmospheric world.
Developed by Playdead and initially published by Microsoft Game Studios, Limbo released to critical acclaim, was one of the highest selling games on the Xbox Live Arcade, and is now available on all major platforms (including the Nintendo Switch). If you have yet to play Limbo and any of the above sounds intriguing, it’s well worth picking up.
Downwell
Best Black and White Video Games
Downwell is a game with a simple premise. You fall down a procedurally generated hole in the ground (also know as a well), blasting enemies from above and slowing your descent by firing off your Gunboots. The game’s high-concept setup makes for an immediately exciting experience that’s effortless to pick up and play, and there’s a very noticeable element of feeling yourself getting better at the game with the more time you spend in it.
Technically the game uses a four-color palette rather than existing entirely in black and white, but the other two colors are used sparsely in comparison and accentuate the monochrome majority. Downwell launched on iOS and PC in October of 2015, but is now also available on Android, PlayStation 4, and (more recently) Nintendo Switch.
MadWorld
Best Black and White Video Games
MadWorld was the very first release from the action game greats at PlatinumGames. Published by Sega in the beginning of 2009 exclusively for the Wii, it still remains one of the most unique games on the platform. It’s packed to the brim with bloody mayhem and sees protagonist Jack Cayman competing in a violent game show called Death Watch for a large cash prize to the tunes of a hip hop soundtrack.
More importantly for the purposes of this article, the game’s visuals are evocative of a graphic novel in motion. Both the environments and characters are drawn on-screen in dark, inky visuals that are only broken up by stylish streaks of red as the player mows down enemies with the chainsaw embedded in Jack’s arm.
Although the title underperformed in sales and never left its original console, MadWorld remains one of the most singular games to ever see the light of day and easily earns its place on this list. Fans are still holding out for a remaster, though.
World of Horror
Best Black and White Video Games
Even among the many unique games on this list, World of Horror is one of the titles that stands out the most. It launched into Steam Early Access in February 2020 and features a seamless blend of roguelite, RPG, and point-and-click gameplay elements infused with a horror setting inspired by the works of Junji Ito and H.P. Lovecraft. Combining these elements together makes for a compelling and relentlessly replayable game, especially given that it offers 12 possible mysteries to solve and over 200 possible events in each playthrough as of this writing.
In the case of World of Horror, the blocky, monochrome pixel art elevates the eeriness of the events that unfold. The detailing is such that World of Horror is consistently unsettling, but still gives your imagination room to wander, as all good horror does.
If you want to learn more, you can check out Twinfinite’s overview of the game prior to its Early Access launch. As of right now, it’s only available on PC.