Please, Touch the Artwork 2 – A Visual Feast with Puzzles!

“Art is creative for the sake of realization, not for amusement: for transfiguration, not for the sake of play. It is the quest of our self that drives us along the eternal and never-ending journey we must all make.” – Max Beckman

Overview

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a casual hidden object game set in a world made up of pieces of art. The player must help a lonely skeleton traverse through the paintings and find his way home.

This game is being reviewed as part of the Indie Game Collective (IGC) showcase.

Gameplay

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 features laid-back gameplay consisting of travelling between various paintings and finding set numbers of objects for the different people that are encountered. There are also some light puzzles such as repairing canvases by creating shapes and spot-the-difference tasks. None of the problems are especially challenging and the game focuses more on exploration and aesthetics. The game takes place over a number of distinct chapters with their own settings creating a nice flow to the gameplay. There were a couple of bugs that resulted in replaying certain sections and this did hinder enjoyment somewhat but overall it was a relaxing and fun experience.

Narrative and Styling

The narrative is very minimal and follows a suited skeletons return home after a journey through various pieces of artwork. The skeleton itself is hand-drawn it is in black and white and does not have a lot of detail consisting solely of linework. The paintings that are explored are by the late Belgian artist James Ensor who had a great influence on both expressionism and surrealism, giving the game a wonderfully quirky aesthetic. In fact, the game was created in honour of James Ensor’s 75-year remembrance. The paintings featured in this game are varied, some vivid and some more sombre, creating a cohesive look at the artist’s work.

The music is unintrusive and relaxing for the most part, and features a number of well-known classical tracks such as Clair de Lune by Debussy and Gymnopédie by Erik Satie. The soundtrack fits very well with the visuals and creates a somewhat traditional overall aesthetic. Sound effects are not abundant but do help add to the immersion within the various scenes.

Summary

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is both delightful and bizarre. It offers a look at the work of a prolific artist and his work that spanned the 19th and 20th centuries. The puzzles and hidden object tasks lack difficulty and are stress-free but still very satisfying and provide something a little different to other titles in the genre through the meaningful and historical aesthetic. It will take around one hour to play and is completely free, with no DLC or IAP making it virtually without risk! I’d recommend this game for fans of hidden object games or anyone looking for something casual but cultured!

Looking for more art-themed games? You may like these reviews:
Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery – Artistic & Emotive Puzzle Game! – Exploring Dark Arts in Layers of Fear – I commissioned some bees – An Artistic Hidden Bee Game!

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