He did it again! Our DAE alumnus Thomas Meynen from Studio Waterzooi, who released his own game ‘Please, Touch the Artwork’ a few years ago, released ‘Please, Touch the Artwork 2’! 

 

‘Please, Touch the Artwork 2’ is a game where you will assist a wandering skeleton artist by navigating him back to his hand-painted universe. You have to gather hidden objects, unravel laid-back challenges, and repair fractures in the fabric of the paintings. Just like ‘Please, touch the Artwork’, the second game is a set of puzzling, story-rich games & experiences. But this time the universe is filled with the iconic historic paintings made by James Ensor, a famous Belgian artist. By wandering through, you uncover the deeper layers and details of his magnificent works. 

 

Release date: February 19th 2024 

 

Platforms: Steam (Windows/ Mac), Apple App store, Google Play Store 

 

 

Where the inspiration comes from 

"What would happen if you DID touch the artwork?" That's the fantasy Thomas started playing with back in 2016 after reading ‘What Are You Looking At’ by Will Gompertz. In Dutch (his mother tongue) the title was changed and it freely translates to ‘My little sister can do this as well. Why modern art is art.’ Thomas has a technical background but very artistic parents. He's always had a complex relation with modern art so this title triggered him. It’s an anecdotal and informative book which sketches the chronology of the origins of modern art, from the impressionists to the present. 

 

You go on a journey and read about where these artists lived and worked, who their friends were and what drove them to make their art. They reflected on the rapidly industrializing society. All artists portrayed their own inner criticism and opinions on that society thus their art became very personal. It is precisely that aspect - the emergence of the path of the artist - that he found so exciting about this period. 

 

At that time Thomas, who worked at AAA studios like Larian Studios (Baldur's Gate) and IO-Interactive (Hitman), wanted to create his own indie-games. He wanted to take a wholesome, casual approach and make accessible playful slices of life, attracting both gamers and non-(frequent)-gamers. Combining art and games turned out to be the best way to achieve this!