Every year there's one game that captures my heart.  This year I think I may have very well found my gaming crush in Contrast.  In this charming puzzle platformer you play Dawn, the stoic dolled-up imaginary friend of a lonely little girl named Didi.  Throughout the story you shed light on the secrets within Didi's family, ultimately helping Didi in her quest to reunite her parents.

The main mechanic in this game is Dawn's ability to meld into the shadows at any given moment.  This enables her to solve puzzles and traverse a hauntingly beautiful 1920's Paris that seems ripped straight out of a vaudeville stage set.  

At Gamescom this week Compulsion Games released a gameplay trailer, and this is what caught both my eye and my breath.  I admit that this game has until now been completely off my radar.  Now that I've seen what the combination of innovative mechanics, deep thoughtful storytelling, and female-centric characters can look like, I'm hooked.  

Below you'll find the initial teaser trailer, as well as the Didi trailer and gameplay footage that were released at Gamescom.

Teaser Trailer

Didi's Trailer Released at Gamescom 2013

Gamescom 2013 Gameplay Footage

Contrast will be launching this Winter on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PC.