G5 Entertainment and Funzai have teamed up for Art Mogul on the Mac. It’s available at the Mac App Store. The price is normally US$4.99, but it’s on sale for a limited time for $2.99.
Here’s how the game is described: “Art Mogul tests you to see if you have an artistic eye required to be a world-renowned mogul of the arts. You will travel around the world, bidding at exciting auctions, exposing fakes and masterpieces as well as acquiring priceless collections. Find over a thousand objects, open your very own art gallery and build your art empire that will stand the test of time.
“One of the distinguishing features of Art Mogul is uniqueness of game sessions. It’s up to you to buy a famous artwork in the gallery that is a guaranteed original, or look for masterpieces in the cafes, though they often host skilled counterfeits. To lower the price of the painting you need to find various items on it. If you find all the hidden objects, you’ll get a large discount. Then you can visit another gallery to sell the pattern at a higher price. If you purchased a fake artwork in a café, you can sell it to another café or even to a gallery, but it can put your career at risk.
“In order to get a precious painting at a lower price and prevent other dealers from further bidding, you’ll have to find an object on the painting that is shown at the bottom of the screen in a few seconds. If you fail to do this, you may end up paying higher for the painting than it actually costs. Another source of income is requested paintings. If you can find and deliver an artwork with particular elements, you’ll get a considerable fee for it.”