Christophe De bont 
25/07/2018
As you might remember, our proud nation is once again gearing up for a majestic presence at gamescom in Cologne. The Belgian games booth will be even bigger (168m²) than last year so all Belgian game companies can show the gaming world what they’re made of.
They say you never forget your first time and so this next newcomer to cross our path on the road to gamescom is in for an unforgettable experience. Enter Studio Waterzooi, one of the most promising indie game developers to emerge from the Belgian scene as of late.
Don’t let the fact they are named after a popular local dish fool you: these guys are serious about creating stellar game experiences. The driving creative force behind the studio is developer Thomas Meynen, who worked at both Larian Studios (on Divinity: Original Sin) and IO Interactive (on the first season of Hitman). Gaining invaluable experience by having worked at a breakout indie studio as well as in AAA development, he felt the time right to start doing his own thing and start exploring new themes.
And it sure sounds different alright. Their debut game Please Do Touch The Artwork is a singe tap procedural color puzzle-art-game where players (re)create abstract art from three early 20th century painters. The game aims to educate the player about art history while providing a subtle growing puzzle challenge at the same time. It aims to illustrate the creative process these pioneers might have gone through and inspire people in any way possible, just as the artworks of the pioneers did with other modern artists.
This may sound very high brow but it aims to be a relaxing and meditative game experience. Please Do Touch The Artwork will feature three tracks (one for each painter) and will feature a different puzzle mechanic for each painer. The Mondrian and Malevich tracks will be playable at gamescom so swing by the Belgian games booth to check those out.
Next to getting the name of both game and studio out in the wild, Studio Waterzooi is also looking for like-minded creators to set up publishing or marketing partnerships. Again, come talk to them and let them inspire you with their ideas and design philosophy.
As always: a warm thank you to the wonderful people at Flanders DC, who turn gamescom into an essential experience. They couldn’t do that without the valuable support of Digital Wallonia, Brussels Invest and Export, Screen Brussels, VAF Gamefonds, WALGA, Creative Europe and ADN. Thank you all!
