Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Review

Game: Please, Touch The Artwork 2
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
System: Steam (also available on Apple App Store & Google Play)
Developers | Publishers: Thomas Waterzooi
Controller Support: Yes
Price: US $ Free | UK £ Free | EU € Free
Release Date: February 19th, 2024

Review code used, with many thanks to Press Engine.

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 has been developed by the same solo developer who brought us the first Please, Touch the Artwork game in 2022. You can find that review here.

The first game in the series featured art by Piet Mondrian; however, this time, the developer Thomas Waterzooi has focused on artist James Ensor for Please, Touch the Artwork 2. The game was created with the support of the Flemish Government in honour of the 75th Anniversary of Ensor’s death and is available for free on Steam, Apple Appstore and Google Play.

The Artwork of James Ensor

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 Artistic rendering merging a classic painting by James Ensor with modern illustration. The background features an Impressionist-style landscape with a dynamic, swirling sky in shades of blue, purple, and pink, reminiscent of Van Gogh's works. Below the vibrant sky is a serene village with traditional houses and a church tower. In the foreground, superimposed on the painting, is a stylized, skeletal figure in a white suit seated casually on a rectangular block, drawn in a simple, contemporary line art style. The figure's presence creates a stark contrast with the historical scene, suggesting a blend of old and new art forms. — The skeleton climbs out of the grave.

If, like me, you’re not well-versed in the world of art and struggle to tell the difference between various paintings or even recognise the artists, I’ll save you the trouble of googling to find out who James Ensor is. James Ensor was a Belgian painter (1860 – 1949) and printmaker celebrated for his unconventional imagination; he had a reputation for producing macabre paintings of crowds, carnivals and skeletons.

Although he was best known for his scenes of strange skeleton figures, James Ensor’s work covered a wide range of genres and moods, from landscape and seascape to satire and social commentary.

Look For Hidden Objects in Please, Touch the Artwork 2

Please, Touch the Artwork 2, Find the hidden objects in the paintings. Digital art piece featuring two framed paintings side by side. The left painting shows a still life with a partially erased blue and white vase, a burning candle, and books on a table. The right painting displays a vibrant bouquet of pink flowers in a pot against a yellow background. Both paintings are in an expressive, brushstroke-heavy style reminiscent of post-impressionism. Between the frames, game-like controls are visible: pause buttons on the left and a skeletal hand cursor on the right, suggesting interactive elements overlaid on the art. — Find the hidden objects in the paintings.

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a hidden object game, with point-and-click gameplay. You play the part of a skeleton painter who climbs out of a grave at the beginning of the game, and you must help him find his way back home. Moving through the paintings is effortlessly intuitive. Using a large skeleton hand, you click on the screen to guide the skeleton through the various artworks.

Some of the artwork is above, below or beside the artwork the skeleton is in. Furthermore, the way some of the art is displayed is reminiscent of a seek-and-find adventure, where you must find the differences between two paintings positioned adjacent to each other.

Solve Puzzles

Please, Touch the Artwork 2 A rip in the painting that needs repairing. Digital collage art juxtaposes a skeletal figure in a white suit onto a classic European cityscape painting. The figure stands to the left, with a thought bubble empty for potential text. The central part of the painting is obscured by a large, brushstroke-like red cross, while the rest of the scene depicts detailed, colorful buildings and rooftops with a hazy sky. The bottom of the image features a skeletal hand pointing upwards. Game-like pause and clue icons float at the top, suggesting an interactive art or puzzle game element — A rip in the painting that needs repairing.

Within certain paintings, characters will prompt you to assist them in locating specific objects, ranging from buckets and bottles to planks of wood.

However, uncovering these items can prove challenging, as some are cleverly concealed across multiple artworks or obscured behind additional puzzles. So be prepared to do some backtracking until you find all the objects. Also, you can not zoom in on all the paintings to get a closer look, making it harder to find an object, especially in the darker paintings.

A creative image showing a beige, burlap-like path in the shape of a square with an extended arm, laid out against a grey fabric background framed with wood. Part of the path is torn, revealing a red layer underneath, suggesting a hidden layer or message. A skeletal hand cursor with a swirling arrow symbol is positioned near the torn section, indicating an action point or interactive element within this textured, puzzle-like art piece. — Fixing the rip in the painting.

Every so often, you encounter a part of a painting that needs to be repaired. To do so, you must complete a short puzzle, nothing too challenging, though the puzzle solving is a nice break from finding the hidden objects.

Helpful Hints

A whimsical artwork that combines a classical painting with modern interactive elements. The painting depicts a somber scene of a person sitting in a dark attire, with a contemplative or waiting posture. The figure is painted in an impressionistic style with muted colors. To the left, a skeletal hand with a pointing gesture overlaps the frame, and game-like icons, such as pause and thought bubbles, float at the top. These playful additions suggest a gaming interface layered over the historical art — Use the hint system.

Please, TouchThe Artwork 2 is perfect for casual players, as the game even includes a helpful hint system that you can use to send you in the right direction.

There is no limit to how many hints can be used, so it is accessible to players of any skill level. However, I would use caution if young children are around or playing the game, as some of the artwork is a little weird for young eyes to see.

The Artworks

This image is a creative blend of art and whimsy. A classical painting of an eclectic crowd is altered with quirky elements. Among the painted characters are figures with skeletal heads, adding a surreal touch. A standout figure is a skeleton in a white suit and top hat, seemingly engaging with the crowd. The painting is framed in a traditional style, and a skeletal hand appears at the bottom right, mimicking the gesture of holding a paintbrush. — James Ensor artwork.

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 includes a prologue, five unique worlds, and an epilogue. Each world is made up of its own sets of artwork from James Ensor and animated to bring it to life, including works like The Bathing Hut, The Oyster Eater and The Skeleton Painter.

Much like humour is subjective to each individual’s sense of humour, art is the same; whatever artwork one person likes, there will always be someone who doesn’t agree.

After playing the game, I can say that I am not a fan of James Ensor’s artwork, as I found some of the paintings to be rather unusual, and some are just weird. However, I did enjoy the gameplay; the paintings are vibrant and colourful, and the amination of the artwork is well done, as are the music and sound effects. There are also touches of humour in the game, which is always welcome.

The game is fully optimised to be played with a controller, and it all works as you would expect. Additionally, it ran well on my computer without any hiccups.

A vibrant and eclectic artwork that superimposes modern graphics onto a classical painting. The original artwork portrays a lively crowd with a banner reading 'VIVE LA SOCIALE' overhead. Added to this are two skeletal figures in white suits, one standing on a balcony and the other among the crowd, creating a juxtaposition of historical and contemporary themes. Above the scene are pause and play icons, suggesting an interactive or gaming layer to the experience. The colorful, busy scene is filled with a variety of expressive faces and characters, hinting at a narrative waiting to be explored. — Guide the Skeleton home.

Conclusion

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 offers unique and engaging gameplay with the challenge of a hidden object puzzle game. With its seamless integration of gaming and art appreciation, Please, Touch The Artwork 2 shows the creativity that can be found between gaming and the art world, and developer Thomas Waterzooi’s love of the arts shines through in the gameplay.

Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up