Nihilumbra
A puzzle-platformer where colors alter the world.
Nihilumbra is a puzzle-platform game from 2012, created by the Spanish studio BeautiFun Games. It launched on iOS in June of that year and supports seven languages. Players control Born, a black creature formed from emptiness, who navigates platforming levels by walking and jumping. Initially, Born cannot defeat enemies or environmental hazards, so the player must avoid them.
The game is split into five worlds, each granting a new color that can be painted onto surfaces by touching the screen. These colors alter the environment in specific ways: blue makes surfaces slippery and increases movement speed; green causes objects and monsters to bounce; brown makes surfaces sticky and slows movement; red lets objects and monsters burn on contact; and yellow conducts electricity between devices. After finishing the main game, a harder mode unlocks, sending Born through the same worlds again with all five colors—including red, allowing him to destroy most enemies—and more complex puzzles that require using all colors skillfully.
Critics gave Nihilumbra generally positive reviews. It holds an aggregate score of 86 on Metacritic from 12 critics, 85.71% on GameRankings from 7 reviews, and an 8/10 from ComboCaster.
Other versions followed. A Wii U version, announced during the August 2013 Nintendo Direct Europe, came out on May 14, 2015. A Nintendo Switch version arrived in May 2018 via the Nintendo Store. A PC version was made available through Steam Greenlight. A remastered edition, with updated graphics, soundtrack, and voice-acted narration, was released on September 25, 2013 for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The soundtrack, composed by Álvaro Lafuente and remastered by Furius Music, launched on Bandcamp the same day. Nihilumbra was also part of the PlayStation Plus January 2016 lineup for PlayStation Vita, supporting both joypad controls and optional touchscreen input.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Nihilumbra
- Developer
- BeautiFun Games
- Designer
- Kevin Cerdà
- Programmer
- Aniol Alcaraz / Pol Urós / Marcos Sueiro
- Artist
- Freya Horn / Lourdes Nicolich
- Composer
- Álvaro Lafuente
- Released
- iOS / 2012-06-27 / Windows, macOS, Linux / 2013-09-25 / PS Vita / 2015-01-27 / Wii U / 2015-05-14 / Android / 2015-05-26 / Switch / 2018-05-03
- Genre
- Puzzle-platform
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Wii U, PS Vita, Android, Switch
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Nihilumbra (from the Latin words for 'nothing' and 'shadow') is played as a standard platform game, controlling Born—a black anthropomorphic creature born out of nothingness—as he walks and jumps across levels. The game is divided into five worlds: Frozen Cliffs (blue, makes surfaces slippery), Living Forest (green, makes objects and monsters bounce), Ash Desert (brown, makes surfaces sticky), Volcano (red, makes objects and monsters burn), and The City (yellow, conducts electricity). In each world, the player gains a new color to paint on terrain by touching the screen, modifying the environment's behavior. Born is initially unable to destroy enemies, requiring avoidance. After completing the game, a hard mode is unlocked, where Born explores the same worlds with all five colors and more complex puzzles.
Reader's Guide
Nihilumbra's significance lies in its innovative color-based gameplay mechanic, which integrates puzzle-solving with platforming. The game received generally positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 86 on Metacritic (based on 12 critics) and 85.71% on GameRankings (based on 7 reviews). It was ported to multiple platforms: a Wii U version announced in August 2013 Nintendo Direct Europe and released May 14, 2015; a Nintendo Switch version in May 2018; a PC version via Steam Greenlight; a remastered version on September 25, 2013 for Windows, macOS, and Linux with updated graphics, soundtrack, and voice acting; and a PlayStation Vita version as part of PlayStation Plus January 2016 offering, which used joypad and keys but offered touchscreen as alternative control. The soundtrack was released on Bandcamp on September 25, 2013, with Álvaro Lafuente credited as composer and Furius Music with the remaster. Its legacy includes being one of the earlier mobile games to successfully transition to consoles and PC, demonstrating the viability of touch-based mechanics adapted to traditional controls.
Did You Know?
- The game's title comes from Latin words for 'nothing' and 'shadow'.
- The player gains a new color in each of the five worlds to modify terrain behavior.
- A hard mode is unlocked after completing the game, equipping Born with all five colors.
- The remastered version added voice acting for the narration.
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