The premise behind the
de Blob is as goofy and fun as the gameplay. The INKT Corporation, led by Comrade Black, has invaded de Blob's world and drained the entire city of its color. The once colorful city has become a monochromatic nightmare and the once bright Raydians have been turned into dull Graydians. However, as anyone from
Trading Spaces will tell you, color is good, prompting de Blob and his fellow Color Underground members to recolor the world.
Each level requires you to score a certain number of points, which are earned by painting buildings, squashing enemies and completing challenges. For the most part, levels are really well designed and make a lot of sense. Although all levels have an expected horizontal element, most levels seem to encourage vertical movement as well. De Blob spends just as much time in the air as he does on the ground, giving your arm a decent work out. There are times where throwbacks like jumping puzzles are used; they aren't numerous enough to kill the game, but are noticeable enough to blemish it.
While plopping around town, you'll have to watch out for hazards that can hurt de Blob. Touching ink puddles will turn the colorful blob black, causing his health to drop. While de Blob is black, everything he touches will turn grey, so you need to find water quickly to wash the paint off. Getting to water, however, takes a slight bit of strategy and skill since you can inadvertently remove color from the world.
Once you complete a level, you can go back and replay it without a time limit. You can also go back and complete levels to earn medals or unlock achievements. Even if the main game is a little on the short side, there's a lot to keep you busy and the game is well-crafted enough that you'll want to keep playing.
De Blob also features multiplayer support for up to four players. Each of the three play modes revolves around painting more of the level than your opponents, but each as its own twist. In Race, buildings can only be painted once while in Paint Match, you can re-color areas. Blob on the Run is a variant of tag where only one person can paint, while the others try to steal the ability by slamming into blob that is "it". All three of the modes are enjoyable, though only if you have three or four people. Levels feel a little too big for just two players.