Was thinking along the same lines. The orange squares seem deliberate, not just for artistic effect. But how do we know to read from upper left to lower right in each 3x3 block?

And did you notice that the dark green "paths" in the puzzle look like pipes? And the terracotta colors simulate rust. And the shimmery triangles make the yellow blocks look like water. The painting evokes the scene described in the text adventure. Very clever!!