Timo Kuilder launches Kontrast, an illustrated mobile puzzle game

Illustrator Timo Kuilder has launched Kontrast, an illustrated puzzle game for mobile that invites interaction with his works and “blurs the lines between game and illustration” he says. Featuring his signature clean-cut lines and block colours, the monochromatic artwork animates through interaction as the player navigates the maze of seven illustrations. The game was conceived by the Amsterdam-based illustrator with interaction design and coding by his brother Jurre Kuilder, developed independently as a side project by the duo, with sound design by Ambrose Yu.

“Each level has its own peculiarities, almost everything in it can be moved or adjusted,” Timo explains. Players must use “creativity and resourcefulness” to find a way through the world, “in which playful investigation is rewarded”. He recommends users do so in one sitting, which he estimates could take up to half an hour. The objective of the game is to help each shape find its way home.

Depicted entirely in black and white, hence the name Kontrast, the game has a distinct aesthetic compared with many existing puzzle games, which Timo hoped for. He also aimed to bring a new dynamism to his work and have it seen in an altogether different context. “I call it a game, but it’s really more of a way to give illustrations a new and entertaining dimension.”

Kontrast is available on the App store and Google Play Store from today (4 May).