Paint it Back on PC

Puzzle games come in many varieties. From complex system-solving to simple word and number games, there’s no end to the style of puzzles that game developers have thrown out over the years. Paint it Back by Casual Labs takes a pretty familiar Sudoku-style formula and puts an artistic twist on it, tasking players with recreating a gallery’s worth of art that’s been unintentionally erased by a ghost. The premise may sound strange, but it works out pretty well.

Paint it Back consists of remarkably simple gameplay, with players simply applying paint in rows that make up the canvas. Rather than painting with a variety of colors, players are only asked to fill in the correct spots along the grid in order to complete the works. Numbers along the outside edge of the canvas tell players how many sequential spots in a given row will need to be filled in, and it’s up to players to find all the proper placements to recreate the artwork, with grids becoming more complex over time.

The first several levels of Paint it Back are very simple, giving players the chance to learn the ropes with some guidance along the way. As you progress, though, the paintings become both larger and more complex. It’s not long before completing paintings on the easier difficulty setting will require working on sections rather than the whole, though higher difficulties allow players to tackle the entire larger picture all at once.

Aside from working on one painting at a time, Paint it Back is broken into different thematic displays within the gallery. Completing a certain number of paintings will unlock the higher-level displays, and players are free to switch between these areas once they’re unlocked, meaning there’s plenty of different material to work on if you get stuck on a particularly tough piece.

While Paint it Back may be very simple in its presentation, the puzzles and paintings get pretty tough as you progress. With the complexity ramping up quickly from one area to the next, even seasoned puzzle-players will find some challenge in the latter stages. With individual difficulty modes selected on a per-painting basis as things get tougher, though, it maintains an approachability for players of all skill levels.

While I’m not sure those who aren’t already fans of the genre would find much worth the $7.99 price on Steam, those who are will find something fun to play. With dashes of humor thrown in through some of the titles and works of art, there’s also a good amount of light-hearted fun surrounding the whole thing. Paint it Back may not break any entirely new ground, but it’s a cute and enjoyable experience for those who enjoy using their brains for leisure.

Score: 3/5