It is fair to say that when Please, Touch the Artwork 2 was announced, I was a tad excited. Not only is it a sequel to one of the best puzzle games in recent memory, but also a fresh retrospective on both surrealist painter James Ensor and, naturally, art itself. Of course, coming from the ever-innovative Thomas Waterzooi, it was bound to be good, but I wasn’t quite prepared for just how good. Please, Touch the Artwork 2 simultaneously managed to reframe my perspective on art, introduce me to one of the 20th century’s greatest painters, and offer a touching, heartfelt narrative imbued with great reverence for a medium that is perhaps at its best when we get to poke it with a giant skeleton hand.
“Please, Touch the Artwork 2’s gameplay loop is fun and masterfully draws your attention to the very art you’re clicking away on.”
Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a hidden object game with a smattering of puzzles woven throughout. You’ll explore a variety of interconnected paintings spread across a handful of chapters, with each one thematically symbolic of both your own journey and the life of their creator. There is a wonderful sense of progression, both in terms of the complexity of the puzzles and the emotional core of the game’s story, which is an all-encompassing exploration of art and the life of Ensor.
Over the course of the game’s roughly 1-hour runtime, you’ll need to collect a series of objects for an increasingly bizarre cast of characters, all of whom inhabit these paintings. Their requests range from the normal to the most abnormal, such as stealing people’s rather large mustaches. It’s humorously absurd, much like a lot of Ensor’s paintings, and thus thematically relevant. I also found it to be extremely compelling, as scouring each of the various paintings to find where Waterzooi had carefully integrated each hidden object was mind-bogglingly fun.
Of course, should you find yourself struggling to locate some of the more cleverly concealed objects, there’s a handy hint button that points out their location. At times, certain objects are located behind a character or object, or the part of the painting it is on has been ripped out. This encourages you to locate new characters to help or fix up the painting in a line-based puzzle to reveal them. It’s a fun loop, one that doesn’t over-extend its welcome over the brief runtime and masterfully draws your attention to the very art you’re clicking away on.
“I believe the strength of this series is Waterzooi’s ability to immerse you so intently within these works of art that you’ll find yourself caring about them without realizing it.”
Of course, Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is as much a truly remarkable puzzle experience as it is a museum exhibit, carefully taking you through a fantastically curated exhibition of Ensor’s art, from his earlier, more somber works to the more surreal paintings of his later years. All of this is scored by not only classical music of the era but Ensor’s own music, of which he is perhaps lesser known. All of this, in conjunction with the emotional narrative that genuinely brought a tear to my eyes, serves to create an educational experience that never feels like one.
You can very much play Please, Touch the Artwork 2, as you could the first game, as a video game, and enjoy it as such. However, I believe the strength of this series is Waterzooi’s ability to immerse you so intently and so creatively within these works of art and the art world itself that you’ll find yourself caring about them without realizing it. It is a remarkable achievement, then, that not only has Waterzooi created a compelling gameplay loop through which to experience this exhibit but also one that is heartfelt and informative and, much like Ensor’s work, leaves a lasting impression.
“Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a remarkable achievement and one that I will never forget.”
Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a phenomenal work of art. Its compelling and challenging hidden object puzzle design helps to contextualize art for a modern audience while never feeling overly cumbersome. Similarly, its narrative, deftly told through the plethora of gorgeous artwork, is filled with a heartwarming sincerity that imbues genuine excitement in the player for both the art and the artist. There is a complexity to Please, Touch the Artwork 2, both mechanically and emotionally, that resonates throughout and affords it the moniker of both artwork and video game, a feat few titles have managed before.
It is fair to say that Thomas Waterzooi has outdone himself, masterfully crafting a delightful experience that everyone, Ensor fan or not, should play. Part video game, part museum exhibit, part work of art, Please, Touch the Artwork 2 is a remarkable achievement and one that I will never forget.
Disclosure: Game Crater was provided the game for this review. Some links provided in this article are affiliate links. Game Crater will be paid a commission if you use these links to make a purchase.
