Été, the Amélie-inspired game where you paint Montreal into life

The forthcoming game is a nostalgic exploration of a city in summer. Its creative director explains how it helps players to feel they are making the world more beautiful

How do you make painting fun for those without an artistic bone in their body? Game developers have come up with a few answers – or at least, they’ve tried. There’s the straightforward approach of something like Mario Paint, where players are handed a mouse accessory and creation tools similar to Microsoft Paint. In Ōkami, a painter’s brush is used as a weapon and a magic wand in a Zelda-like world. In The Unfinished Swan, the world (and the story) are gradually revealed by the player’s spattered ink.

Forthcoming painting game Été is less about the process of making art on a canvas, and more about making players feel as if they are making the world more beautiful. It lets you make art without any of the friction. “Like lots of games, Été fulfils a fantasy through role playing, the fantasy of being a painter – and to do so, we assume your avatar is already a talented painter,” says creative director Lazlo Bonin. “Painting in Été is not about skill, it’s about creativity and enjoyment.”

Été is out on PC on 23 July.