The Artist (2017)

[h1][i]The Artist[/i] is a minimalistic first-person puzzle adventure game that doesn't really evoke any positive emotions except maybe a smidge of nostalgia for puzzle adventure games from 25 years ago. But even if you do yearn for more of those games, it's doubtful whether 'a smidge of…' will justify opening your Steam wallet for this extremely basic attempt at imitating an experience from bygone days.[/h1] In the Steam Store page's description, the developer compares [i]The Artist[/i] to [i]Myst[/i] among other adventure games. Indeed, when playing [i]The Artist[/i], you immediately see where that comparison comes from but you also can't help but feel it's just a very shallow attempt at generally recreating a certain gaming experience from 25 years ago, adding nothing and taking away everything except for the very bare basics. First of all, I think it's fair to pose the question whether people are generally waiting for more games like Myst, Riven and the likes. We're talking about adventure games that were so difficult that 98% of the players could only finish them by repeatedly consulting a walkthrough or by writing down dozens of pages of possible clues they encountered and…

[i]I would like to mention that I have been in contact with the developer (we talked after I had initially purchased and started to play the game). Please enjoy my thoughts on the game![/i] The Artist follows the story of someone (you, the player) who is transported into a painting and must figure out the events leading to the existence of such a world. The narrative progresses through puzzle solving and exploration of the island, much like the Myst series. You mainly interact with the world by clicking on various buttons, switches, books and locks which remain consistent throughout the world and are done so intentionally. I found puzzles involving these to not be frustrating and that entering the solution to them, once figured out, felt right. There were solutions to some puzzles that I found annoying to enter in which lead me no choice but to get help, however, these were scarce. The puzzles themselves were all well thought out and nicely intertwined with one another. For the most part, the puzzles had an order in which they had to be solved. This means that if you are stuck, you have no choice but to continue to work on the current puzzle. Overall, I found all the puzzles to …

This game was fun. Has fun elements from other puzzle-adventure games! RECOMMEND!

From my perspective, this is a game that clearly wants to be a Myst clone but doesn't replicate what I enjoy about Myst. Its superficially similar in that you're stranded on an island solving puzzles, and you travel to other worlds. But the puzzles, while challenging and logical to a degree, are a different breed when compared to how the puzzles flow in the Myst games. This game is probably great for fans of The Witness, The Room, Rhem, or for die-hard puzzle solvers. For a casual Myst fan, I'd recommend games like Haven Moon or Elansar instead. EDIT: (2 years, 10 months later) Changing the review to recommended, because I still remember trying to play this. If a game left a lingering impression on me, I think that's enough for a thumbs up. And I have played many worse games in this genre since I first wrote this review...like "Zof".

The Artist, developed and published by Motoda Media, is a quiet, puzzle-focused exploration game that leans heavily into atmosphere and abstraction rather than traditional gameplay structure. It places players inside a surreal, painterly world—an island that feels less like a physical place and more like an extension of a creative mind. The premise of being trapped within an artist’s creation is immediately intriguing, suggesting a blend of introspection and discovery, though the game ultimately approaches this idea with restraint rather than ambition. The core experience revolves around first-person exploration and environmental puzzle-solving. Players wander through interconnected areas, searching for clues and interacting with objects that unlock new paths forward. There is very little direct guidance, with the game relying on observation and intuition to carry progression. This design choice can be rewarding when solutions click into place naturally, creating small moments of satisfaction driven by understanding rather than instruction. At the same time, the lack of clarity can occasionally lead to confusion, especially when visual cues are too subtle or when puzzle logic feel…

I painted a masterpiece but got mush — even the canvas rolled its eyes and ran away