Throughout my life, I would call myself a fan of precisely one artwork, otherwise I, like many other people ruined by this generation, lack the attention span for brushstrokes and the like. If there were more games like Please, Touch The Artwork 2 though, that might change, as it brings some interactivity to the frames.
Developed by the one-man army of Studio Waterzooi, this new virtual gallery is composed entirely of works by James Ensor, a Belgium Moder Art pioneer, and a man who, through the eyes of this non-expert, painted some pretty weird yet somehow captivating works. I’m no art critic, but I am a connoisseur of weird, and I can approve of these.
You will journey across five unique worlds, all packed to the rafters with Ensors’ artwork, and all whilst being escorted by your new best friend, a skeleton who roams the works with you. Navigation is done through simple clicks, and there is a nifty zoom function to help you explore every little detail.
Of course, this being a game it can’t just be pretty pictures, so there are a host of casual little puzzles to solve. Fix cracks in the painting and find hidden objects to see the full work, as the tranquil sounds put your mind at ease. From the sounds of it, this will be quite a relaxing time.
To make it even more stress-free, there is a handy hint function to nudge you towards the correct answer if you get really stuck, to keep the experience more about the art than some frustration missing banana or what have you.
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is available to download from the App Store and Google Play. Thanks to the Flemish government, the game is free for all to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Ensors’ passing.
