Please, Touch the Artwork is one of the more creative games I’ve seen in quite some time. It first launched for PC and mobile devices, with Matt featuring it in one of his interesting games collections. I wrote about it being featured in a Guerrilla Collective showcase just prior to its Nintendo Switch launch. Until now, the touchscreen was required to play – but that changes now!
There is a patch available that allows for players to use Joy-Cons or controllers to play, allowing it to be played in TV or tabletop mode in addition to the previous handheld option. To me, this hints that we may see this indie gem on other consoles soon since cursors/touchpads are no longer necessary. I’m not going to lie, I still prefer the touchscreen option, but it’s nice to have a variety of choices to allow more players to access the title!
The developer, Thomas Waterzooi, explains what the game is about via a press release: “I made this game because I wanted to explore my complex relationship with modern art. What should I feel? Can my little sister do this? I’m still not 100% sure, but I do know that modern art has had an impact on everything and everyone in the world today. And so I hope my game can have an impact as well.” The game doesn’t seek answers about modern art, rather it creates game mechanics and stories inspired by Mondrian paintings.
Please, Touch the Artwork features three unique puzzles, each based on a different painting. De Stijl (The Style) is the origin story of abstract art; players add lines and colours to a canvas to recreate paintings. Boogie Woogie is about reunited two characters (okay, squares) across a rapidly-growing world; help Woogie reach Boogie by figuring out how obstacles influence his path. New York City has the player moving to the Big Apple only to find themselves overwhelmed with mixed emotions; players will move through the craziness of the city while collecting letters to form a poem.
All puzzles are procedurally generated, so each player has a unique experience. There are no time limits on them. There are even hints for those who get stuck. For those worried about the colours, don’t be: there’s a colour-blind mode.
Developed by Waterzooi and published by Nakana.io, Please, Touch the Artwork is now available for iOS/Android, PC via Steam/itchi.io, and Nintendo Switch.
