Tag is a fun game with an innovative paint-puzzle mechanic. Platform or just make some nice graffiti.
Tag works on two fronts. First of all, and straightforward enough, in Tag you must platform each area to proceed to the next. The game's highlighted mechanic, of course, is using a paint gun to spray areas with specific colors which then give effects to you when you interact with them. So for instance, when you collect a green paint canister, you can spray surfaces green which when stepped on gives you a large bounce. This is used in the puzzle-platformer as a way of allowing you to climb narrow spaces (think Metroid et al) or run and jump from one building to another. Another color found early on is red, which when you run on it gives you super-speed, also needed to make some harrowing launches through space.
In each level, your paint canisters disappear, so you'll continue in each level working to collect those lying around in order to transverse the space of each level to the finish. As you can guess, each level uses greater complexity and requires more innovative thinking in order to platform successfully through. Early on, though, billboards display instructions for how to proceed, which while it can be helpful if you're stuck, is also a tad annoying since it takes away the gratification of figuring it out. All told, the platforming is fun, and the levels are challenging enough as you progress to make for an enjoyable experience.
The second front that Tag utilizes, of course, is the ability to be a burgeoning graffiti artist. While not necessarily included in any instructions, you'd have to be kinda dumb not to realize that half of the fun of Tag is simply spray painting the world. Since the paint mechanic works so well, you'd have to be a very "serious" gamer not to spend a decent amount of time doing some nice wall art. And since the world aesthetic is largely black, white, and grey aside from the paint, each surface is practically begging for a nice touch-up. It's not surprising, therefore, that the game actually includes a quick-key for taking screen shots. Clearly they expect you'll want to display your masterpieces for the world, and you should.
Unfortunately, Tag has no save mechanic (that i can find) which means that you'll have to play through in one sitting if you're intent on "winning" the game. But don't hold that against it too much. Tag feels like a game less about completion and more about experimenting, paint-love, and traversing urban landscapes, and while you'll want to see it through, I doubt you'll feel compelled to do so. Rather, if you approach Tag as an arena of "fun with paint" I think you'll get more at the heart of the game.
Bottom line: Tag The Power of Paint is an enjoyable game with a rather innovating paint mechanic that allows both for puzzle platforming as well as paint deviation. As a free download, you're sure to enjoy yourself at no risk. And of course you should send the screenshots of your work to yours truly.
Rating 7.5/10