Make weird art for an AI in Art Sqool next month

I’ve always wondered what the art students were up to when I was dozing through ancient history lectures. Art Sqool finally offers some insight into the mysterious lives of burgeoning artists by letting everyone become one. You’ll be able to wander the alien campus, get assignments and then watch as an AI educator and critic grades your great works when Art Sqool launches on February 5. Check out the trailer above.

This certainly jives with how I’ve always imagined art school. Lots of pleasing pastel colours, bizarre structures with no obvious purpose sprouting out of the ground, artists’ spirits being crushed by grades—it all seems pretty authentic.

Graduating from Art Sqool won’t take as much time as getting a degree, but you will need to complete the 50 assignments doled out by Professor Qwertz, the AI art expert, all graded based on colour, composition, linework and approach. It’s science! There are 18 brushes to collect, too, because what is an artist without their tools?

Art Sqool reminds me quite a bit of Passpartout, though perhaps a bit more bonkers. I hope the AI is a less savage critic, though, because Passpartout’s art connoisseurs feed on the tears of artists that they’ve torn down. It’s a tough gig.

Art Aqool is out due out February 5 on Steam and Itch.io for $11.99.

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.