Artistic video games don’t come out often, but they’re always a treat when they do. That’s why Behind the Frame appealed to us, which is a unique take on the point-and-click adventure game genre. This one is by Taiwanese indie devs Silver Lining Studio.

It launched in August 2021 and is available on PC, smartphone, PS4 and Switch. With its Studio Ghibli style looks and casual pace, here you get to paint some lovely pictures and enjoy an hour or two with a sweet-natured story.

Examine Paintings in Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

One of reasons we cover gaming content is to highlight to our largely non-gamer audience these things aren’t all about carnage and mayhem. In fact, a lot of games are introspective and intellectual.

Behind the Frame is a fine example, even if it offer just one hour of gameplay.

It’s a simple game and more of an interactive experience than anything else, but heck the world needs stuff like this right now and we found it all very relaxing.

What you do is observe the story of a young painter. She’s finishing her final piece and is looking forward to an upcoming art exhibition.

Her neighbour is also a painter, but he doesn’t say much (and he has a big old fat cat to look after). You observe his behaviour from a distance, all while examining paintings in your home.

Each painting has a story behind it. The goal is click on these, explore her history, and discover the emotional backstory of each piece.

This isn’t a challenging game at all, one you can even just sit and watch unfold. If you’ve got a spare 44 minutes, this is how the whole thing plays out.

Behind the Frame certainly looks great. Its visual style needs to be good, what with it being a game about art and all that. There are the Studio Ghibli flourishes, but each painting you examine nods to a different artistic history in their own right.

It’s a bit like the chillout painting game Eastshade (2019), just an opportunity to wallow in some relaxing vibes and interact with all the artistry. The addition of a charming little story, and uncovering the neighbour’s reasons for his solitude, are nice touches.

Occasionally, you get to help her finish the odd painting, too (as she was using lots of yellow we were happy… because yellow is our favourite colour).

Whilst this won’t be for every gamer, what Behind the Frame does offer are relaxing vibes and some very eye-catching stuff on show. It’s short, sweet, but will leave a lasting impression.