Help a junior weather keeper solve a royal mystery about a missing rainbow in this short, funny point-and-click story.
The Sunshine Policy is a compact point-and-click adventure about a kingdom where the rain has stopped. You play Nell, a junior weather keeper whose usual job is cleaning gutters. Then a minister gives her a royal order to bring back the last unicorn’s horn, which is supposed to restore the rainbow. Nell soon suspects that this plan is not what it seems.
Markus Fisch made the game for the js13k contest in 2026. It fits eight flat-color scenes, witty dialogue and a set of neat little puzzles into one page.
Where the story goes
You begin on the palace terrace with Minister Dullworth, a man who likes the endless sunshine much more than the farmers do. Arrows at the edges of each scene take you onward. Along the way you reach the rain mill, a meadow with a chained unicorn, a workshop belonging to the keepers, a spillway with no water in it and the gears below the mill.
Click a person to talk. Many conversations give you a list of questions, and every answer adds either a clue or a joke. Click an object to pick it up, and it goes into the inventory at the top right.
Using items
There is no dragging. To use an item, go to the scene where you think it belongs and click its icon in the inventory. Nell either uses it or explains why it does not work yet, so even a wrong try gives you a nudge.
The puzzles link together. A clever trade gets you a key. Oil and a tool help with a stuck sluice. Up on the roof of the mill, a rainbow lantern is missing parts and its shutters set in the right order.
Hints for when you are stuck
- Click on everything at least once. Even scenery gives Nell a remark that hints at a solution.
- Talk to Iris, the old keeper at the mill, and ask all of her questions. New ones appear after you learn more.
- Do not leave the biscuit on the palace table behind.
- A magpie lives in the meadow and loves anything that glitters. Think about what you carried in from the palace, sealed in gold.
- Study the diagram in the workshop. The three roof shutters must match it from left to right.
Built-in help
Clicking Nell, or opening Help and picking “A gentle nudge”, tells you only what to do next, judging from how far you have come. It never reveals more than one move at a time, so it is safe to use when you are truly stuck. Escape closes the help panel. Solve the last puzzle and a brief ending shows you what really happened to the rainbow.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look at or use a person or object | Tab to select, Enter to use | Click it (hover to read its name) | Slide to explore, lift your finger to interact |
| Next line of dialogue | Space | Click | Tap |
| Use an inventory item in the current scene | — | Click the item at the top right | Tap the item |
| Help and hints | Escape closes the help panel | Help button at the bottom right, or click Nell | Tap Help or tap Nell |
The Sunshine Policy FAQ
How long does The Sunshine Policy take to finish?
It is short enough to play through in one sitting. The adventure has eight scenes and a handful of linked puzzles. When you reach the ending, a Play again button lets you start over from the palace terrace.
Does it save my progress?
No. The story only remembers where you are while the page stays open. If you close or reload it, you start from the beginning, so it is best to finish in one go.
Can I play it on a phone or Chromebook?
Yes. Mouse, touch and keyboard all work. On a touchscreen you slide your finger to explore and lift it to interact. On a keyboard, Tab moves between things and Enter uses them. The art scales cleanly to any screen.
Is this game for one player?
Yes, it is a single-player story. You control Nell the whole way, talking to characters, collecting items and solving the puzzles that bring the rain back.
