Have you ever wanted to be an artist? Came up with a concept that you know you can make if only you had the right tools to work with? Desperate that you can't unleash your artistic potential because you can't afford your own art studio and materials? Well, you can finally have an outlet for all your frustrations with SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator. For only $19.99 you will be able to live the life of a true artist and create the art of your dreams in a digital space.
What is SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator?
SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator is a sandbox artist simulation game. It is developed by a single person – Vincent “Voolgi” Delannoy – who, I imagine, is quite a genius himself. This is his first full game, and is being published by HypeTrain Digital. While this is his first full game, a shorter, free version of SuchArt called Creative Space is also available as a sort of trial demo for the full game.
In the game's story mode, you are given a high-tech art studio – in space – where you have access to a lot of fancy gadgets. You're a genius artist – or at least that's what a mandatory DNA test says. Whether or not its results were accurate, one thing is for sure. This is your life now. You're an artist – in space, in the year 2130.
As a genius artist, you will be receiving commissions from clients from Earth and elsewhere. You may take their commissions and produce art to their specifications. You may also opt not to. In fact, you can just ignore all of the commissions your receive from your clients and just do as you please. SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator will not get in the way of your artistic ideals. You can produce whatever you want, whenever you want.
Gameplay
Playing SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator feels like Half-Life 2 or Portal 2 with artworks. If this game were to have a VR game, we won't be surprised. It lends itself quite neatly to controls like that, being able to pick up items with a click of a button, and dropping them or throwing them whenever you want. You can have several items up in your inventory to bring around your studio, bringing them up whenever you need them.
Speaking of things you need, your art studio in this space station is equipped with a lot of them. There's a high-tech color-chooser that lets you generate spraypaint and paint of any color, a physical eyedropper tool that lets you get the exact hex code of anything you point it at, a canvas generating machine that also serves as a sort of holder that you can use to turn the canvas around – just to name a few. A lot of thought and effort has obviously been put into giving you all the tools you'd need in the game. Voolgi clearly understands what kind of tools artists in our world only wish they have – and now they can have them in the digital world.
Story
SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator offers different game modes depending on your appetite. If you just want to make art to your heart's content, you can simply pick up the game's sandbox “Creative Mode.” You can play through the game's “Story Mode” and figure out why you're out in space in the first place, working on commissions to earn both fame and money that you can use to buy new tools and equipment for your studio. Finally, there's a “Fast Forward Mode” that lets you play through the story, but you gain more fame and money than usual.
In Story Mode, you get through your day as an artist through different commissions you receive from your computer. You complete gaining money and fame – which in turn gets you more tools to make better artwork and more commission requests from other people. These give your Story Mode experience some kind of direction, along with a journal that offers a checklist of things for you to do.
As for the story itself, it's told through emails you receive from your computer. Aside from commissions, you get email updates from your handlers, as well as information from your sister. The game's story unfolds very slowly, and you can choose to ignore it if you want. However, I was intrigued by the game's story. I didn't really expect top-tier storytelling from a game that aims to be an artist simulation. But still, Voolgi's creative mind extended beyond just the visual sphere. Although it's not going to sell any books, SuchArt‘s plot is interesting and somewhat compelling, to say the least.
Graphics
The game's graphics are beautifully rendered. While the entire game's art style has a soft, round-edged feel, you can expect the graphics to deliver when it comes to your artwork. The game's color accuracy is unbelievably accurate. There's also enough pixel density for you to make intricate artworks on your canvas, allowing for very detailed works. Any artwork you make in this game will be Instagram-worthy even if you just screenshot them using Steam's own screenshot functionality.
As for the art direction – it's very innocent-looking and inoffensive. It's colorful and very vibrant, but I don't feel like any model or character in the game will wow you. It's serviceable, and not in a bad way. We think that the design's the perfect medium for a game like SuchArt, as something with a more realistic approach might not suit the game well. With that said, the game's art direction is just good enough for what it's trying to do, but it's not exactly pushing the boundaries of gaming in terms of graphics.
Music and Sound Design
I'll be honest here. I'm not a fan of SuchArt‘s music, and I had it turned off just a few minutes into the game. It might have been the best idea I had (let's be real, my art ideas probably won't blow anyone's mind off.) Without music on, I was able to enjoy the relaxing comfort of having a quiet art studio all by myself. It also lets me enjoy the game's sound design better. Everything you do has audible feedback fitting whatever you're doing. The sound design is accurate to how these things should sound in real life, and props should be given for this.
Accessibility
Of course, it goes without saying that your mileage might vary in this game depending on how artistic you actually are. Thankfully, the game's community is very supportive and helpful. There are a lot of guides on Steam to help you get started in the game. There are even helpful videos on Youtube that can help you develop your artistic skills through this game.
You might also have a hard time with the game's controls. I myself can't make any sketches digitally as I can do on paper. Thankfully, the game supports multiple control options for you to choose from. You can play with either a mouse and a keyboard, or plug in a gamepad and play it with dual-stick controls. I personally liked using the mouse and keyboard setup more, but it's good to know that there are multiple options to choose from.
In terms of accessibility, SuchArt offers different color-blind modes as well. I can't try it out myself because I don't have that condition anyway. But Voolgi obviously believes that having color blindness shouldn't stop you from creating art. Thanks for believing in all of us, Voolgi.
Finally, SuchArt has a Streamer Mode. Toggling this will leave you at peace knowing that playing the game won't get your content demonetized.
Verdict – Is SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator worth your time and money?
Aside from being a video game, SuchArt is a legitimate tool where you can hone your artistic skills. The game is more than just the sum of its parts. As a whole package, the game is fun and relaxing to play. Whether you take the game seriously or you just goof around your studio, the game offers a very chill experience that really gives you an escape from real life. If you've ever fantasized about owning your own studio with all the tools you need to make the art of your dreams, then SuchArt: Genius Artist Simulator is for you.
Score: 8/10
Disclaimer: ClutchPoints Gaming received a free review copy of the game from the publisher.
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