It’s late December. You’ve spent the entire year trying to keep up with aflood of games. In fact, you’re probably still trying to work your way through that exhausting backlog as you crush late-year releases likeThe Callisto ProtocolandHigh on Life. Perhaps you just want to take a break from it all and play a smaller game that’s well off the beaten path while on your holiday vacation.
If you fit that description, allow me to introduce you toPicross X: Picbits vs. Uzboross. It is pure chaos.
Released this week on the Nintendo Switch eShop,Picross Xisanother puzzle collectionfrom developer Jupiter. The studio specializes in Picross games specifically, which is a puzzle format that has players filling in grids by using number clues in each column and row. Picross is usually a relaxing kind of game that takes a lot of patience and a bit of math.
Picross Xthrows all of that out the window entirely. This version is all about solving puzzles as fast as humanly possible. Levels consist of a gauntlet of 5×5 puzzles that players need to speed through quickly — I’m talking two seconds a pop. It starts simply enough, but levels introduce new complications along the way. Some puzzles may ask players to fill out columns in a set order, while others will invert the puzzle and ask players to remove squares from a fully filled-in grid. Some gimmicks are even more complicated, like one that removes the gridlines or another that floods the screen with dog paw prints as you attempt to solve puzzles.
There’s a point to all this, albeit not one that’s going to make this sound any less absurd. The more puzzles players solve during a level’s time limit, the more attack power their boxy avatar and its pals gain. Each level ends with a boss fight against a snake creature, turning all acquired points into damage. The faster you can solve puzzles, the better chance you’ll stand against it.
It’s a fun formula shake-up for Picross experts who have found themselves bored of a puzzle format that doesn’t often see iteration. The fast-paced approach provides a good challenge for people who usually zip through early puzzles in Jupiter’s Picross games. The little distractions provide some brain-busting moments too, testing players’ puzzle literacy. Though its hook can get repetitive after a long session. I’ve already found myself hooked as I try to smash my high scores.
What I’m especially impressed with here is how complete a package this is — something that Jupiter’s usual Picross games don’t always strive for. Not only does it include a sizable story mode with 10 worlds, but it also features local and online multiplayer where up to eight people work together to rack up damage for a collective boss fight. It also has an avatar customization suite (complete with lots of unlockables), a solo challenge mode, and a skill system that has players equipping and leveling up different buffs.
If you love strange games that strive to be unlike anything you’ve played before,Picross Xfits the bill. It’s a simple puzzle game, an action-RPG, and a blazing-fast speedrun game rolled into one colorful package. While I won’t promise that you’ll love it, I can confidently say that you won’t be bored if you check it out.
