Inspired and set in the tranquil surroundings of a modern art gallery, Please Touch the Artwork is a calmingly curated, creative and intelligent puzzle game. Play with color and design to present innovative puzzles that make you think outside the box.
Let me tell you up front that Please Touch the Artwork is not meant to be stressful. You need to relax and immerse yourself in the images and the stories they create. The studio has absolutely nailed this. Puzzles have no time limit or tracking. This game is about enjoying the process rather than defeating something. It tells you how many moves each puzzle requires, but that’s more useful than judgmental.
The game takes place in a minimalist art gallery. Silhouetted people stroll between frames on the wall that, when clicked, transport you to each level. “Touch the Artwork” is divided into three galleries, each with a different type of puzzle.
You have to add lines and colors with a single tap in a specific order to recreate the painting on the blank squares of the canvas. The other involves moving small squares through a series of increasingly complex tubes while collecting other squares along the way to unlock the next level. Last, she struggles to reunite her two love-stricken blocks and come together in an increasingly chaotic world. This turns a very simple puzzle into a deep and profound metaphor for relationships.
The thought and effort put into making this game shine through in every way. It’s very nice that this game (mainly color-based) offers a colorblind mode by default. A modern art theme is baked into every element, shaping the menus and instructions in a relaxing way.
Touch Your Artwork gets you thinking creatively early on. The pacing of the puzzles is wonderfully arranged. As the game invites the player into more complex thoughts, it becomes increasingly difficult to notice whether it’s the difficulty of the puzzles or the emotional weight of the story woven between them.
The narrative elements not only provide some depth, but also provide an incentive to return to the game even if you know how to solve all the puzzles. Nonetheless, it’s a simple yet moving story that keeps you hooked.
