ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard – Colorful Puzzles and Nintendo Switch 2 Innovations
Following the acclaimed original, Pixel Maniacs returns with ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard, an inventive first-person puzzle-shooter that takes color theory and environmental problem-solving to new heights.
Launching worldwide both physically and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2, ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard modernizes and expands upon its predecessor’s core mechanics, bringing fresh challenges and technical achievements to fans of the genre. Building Upon the ChromaGun Legacy ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard picks up directly after the events of the first game, but the development team at Pixel Maniacs, led by founder and CEO Benjamin Lochmann, crafted the sequel to be approachable for new players while rewarding series veterans.
According to Lochmann, “The story continues from where the original left off, and although prior experience isn't required, we included numerous references and callbacks for returning players.
These easter eggs deepen the experience for longtime fans without alienating newcomers.” Iterative Puzzle Design Through Extensive Playtesting To fine-tune the balance between challenge and accessibility, ChromaGun 2 underwent a rigorous playtesting process.
Pixel Maniacs collaborated closely with PM Studios, showcasing the game at major events including gamescom, GG Bavaria, Comic Con, Pax West, and WePlay.
Player feedback collected both in-person and online—over 25,000 participants responded to playtest calls, resulting in more than 700 detailed feedback forms—enabled the team to identify and enhance the game’s most engaging elements.
Lochmann recounted, “Significant demos were reworked after observing real player interactions, ensuring that the core puzzles and environments truly shined.” Technical Milestones: Porting and Optimization for Nintendo Switch 2 Porting the game to Nintendo Switch 2 began in mid-2025 through PM Studios, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
Lochmann described performance optimization as the most significant technical hurdle: “With extended playtime—roughly 12 to 20 hours for a complete run—we needed to make sure the experience was robust on all platforms.” The team ensured frame rates of 30 frames per second in docked and handheld modes throughout the game, and 60 frames per second in most areas, particularly impressive given the expanded universes and graphical upgrades. Unreal Engine proved a strong foundation for development, although optimizing for the very new Nintendo Switch 2 hardware required close cooperation with available software development kits (SDKs).
Lochmann noted, “Despite the lack of public documentation early on, our Unreal Engine version integrated smoothly with the Switch 2 SDKs, and reports from our QA sessions and playtesters were extremely encouraging.” Community Insights and Player-Driven Features Pixel Maniacs made several design improvements based on feedback from the original ChromaGun.
Notably, the team reworked mechanics that previously allowed players to become stuck and forced to restart a level.
For ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard, every puzzle can now be solved without such frustration.
Responding directly to Nintendo Switch community feedback, the sequel introduces both gyro and mouse-style controls on Nintendo Switch 2, a feature highlighted by both developers and early players. Reflecting on the game’s difficulty, Lochmann mentioned, “While there are definitely some head-scratching puzzles, we intentionally placed the most challenging ones near the end.
Throughout development, if any levels became unsolvable due to design tweaks, playtesting quickly brought issues to light and allowed us to resolve them before launch.” Nintendo Support and the Future of ChromaGun As one of the early indie releases on the Nintendo Switch 2, ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard benefitted from direct support from Nintendo, particularly across German Nintendo channels.
While there is currently no confirmed plan to bring the original ChromaGun to Nintendo Switch 2, Lochmann expressed interest in developing a remastered version if the sequel performs well. ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is now available globally both physically at retail and digitally via the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2.
For puzzle enthusiasts and fans of inventive shooters, the sequel delivers brightly colored chaos, clever design, and a technically impressive debut on Nintendo’s latest platform.
Launching worldwide both physically and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2, ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard modernizes and expands upon its predecessor’s core mechanics, bringing fresh challenges and technical achievements to fans of the genre. Building Upon the ChromaGun Legacy ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard picks up directly after the events of the first game, but the development team at Pixel Maniacs, led by founder and CEO Benjamin Lochmann, crafted the sequel to be approachable for new players while rewarding series veterans.
According to Lochmann, “The story continues from where the original left off, and although prior experience isn't required, we included numerous references and callbacks for returning players.
These easter eggs deepen the experience for longtime fans without alienating newcomers.” Iterative Puzzle Design Through Extensive Playtesting To fine-tune the balance between challenge and accessibility, ChromaGun 2 underwent a rigorous playtesting process.
Pixel Maniacs collaborated closely with PM Studios, showcasing the game at major events including gamescom, GG Bavaria, Comic Con, Pax West, and WePlay.
Player feedback collected both in-person and online—over 25,000 participants responded to playtest calls, resulting in more than 700 detailed feedback forms—enabled the team to identify and enhance the game’s most engaging elements.
Lochmann recounted, “Significant demos were reworked after observing real player interactions, ensuring that the core puzzles and environments truly shined.” Technical Milestones: Porting and Optimization for Nintendo Switch 2 Porting the game to Nintendo Switch 2 began in mid-2025 through PM Studios, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
Lochmann described performance optimization as the most significant technical hurdle: “With extended playtime—roughly 12 to 20 hours for a complete run—we needed to make sure the experience was robust on all platforms.” The team ensured frame rates of 30 frames per second in docked and handheld modes throughout the game, and 60 frames per second in most areas, particularly impressive given the expanded universes and graphical upgrades. Unreal Engine proved a strong foundation for development, although optimizing for the very new Nintendo Switch 2 hardware required close cooperation with available software development kits (SDKs).
Lochmann noted, “Despite the lack of public documentation early on, our Unreal Engine version integrated smoothly with the Switch 2 SDKs, and reports from our QA sessions and playtesters were extremely encouraging.” Community Insights and Player-Driven Features Pixel Maniacs made several design improvements based on feedback from the original ChromaGun.
Notably, the team reworked mechanics that previously allowed players to become stuck and forced to restart a level.
For ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard, every puzzle can now be solved without such frustration.
Responding directly to Nintendo Switch community feedback, the sequel introduces both gyro and mouse-style controls on Nintendo Switch 2, a feature highlighted by both developers and early players. Reflecting on the game’s difficulty, Lochmann mentioned, “While there are definitely some head-scratching puzzles, we intentionally placed the most challenging ones near the end.
Throughout development, if any levels became unsolvable due to design tweaks, playtesting quickly brought issues to light and allowed us to resolve them before launch.” Nintendo Support and the Future of ChromaGun As one of the early indie releases on the Nintendo Switch 2, ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard benefitted from direct support from Nintendo, particularly across German Nintendo channels.
While there is currently no confirmed plan to bring the original ChromaGun to Nintendo Switch 2, Lochmann expressed interest in developing a remastered version if the sequel performs well. ChromaGun 2: Dye Hard is now available globally both physically at retail and digitally via the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2.
For puzzle enthusiasts and fans of inventive shooters, the sequel delivers brightly colored chaos, clever design, and a technically impressive debut on Nintendo’s latest platform.
