Picontier
- March 31, 2022
- SKIPMORE
Get on Steam"Picontier is a single-player Role Playing game with a strong emphasis on grinding, offering around 3 hours of playtime. The player awakens on a mysterious island and, with the help of an AI character, resumes life from scratch by crafting items, fishing, and farming. As the player meets intriguing islanders and explores the island, surprising twists are revealed in this slow life RPG."
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features adorable pixel art and a charming atmosphere that many players find relaxing and enjoyable.
- There are interesting characters and a unique farming mechanic that allows players to gather seeds from shrines, adding depth to the gameplay.
- The game has a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
- The control scheme is poorly designed, with no option to customize key bindings, leading to frustration among players.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with slow progression and limited activities available, especially in the early stages.
- The story lacks depth and coherence, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative and the world.
- story72 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 78 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game is described as intriguing yet poorly integrated, feeling slow and unimportant to the overall experience. While some players appreciate the charming pixel art and the potential for interesting plot developments, many criticize the pacing and lack of depth, with side quests often overshadowing the main narrative. Overall, the storyline appears to be underdeveloped, leaving players hoping for future updates to enhance its significance and coherence.
“Nice slow-paced farming game with an interesting plot related to some of the other Skipmore games.”
“The storyline was fun in my opinion, cool to see high tech and farm life woven together like that.”
“The story in itself currently looks nothing to write about but could get more interesting in future updates as stories have not really been a vocal point in Skipmore's games; rather, his simple game design philosophy. But from the intro of the game and with the current cliffhanger we're in, I am interested to see how this will all unfold.”
“The story is not well embedded inside the game; it feels weird, out of place, it's intriguing but slow, and it feels like it's not important in the game at all.”
“It has wonderful pixel art, some interesting characters (like a talking statue and a fish who loves to be... fished?), and the bones of a good farming/village life sim, but right now the story is nonsensical and the pacing is all wrong.”
“If there was at least more of a story, it wouldn't be so bad, but unfortunately that suffers too.”
- grinding32 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it offers a chill farming experience reminiscent of titles like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, many players find the repetitive nature of farming tasks and the energy consumption to be tedious and overly grindy. Some appreciate the unique farming mechanics and pixel art, but others feel that the pacing is off, leading to a sense of boredom rather than enjoyment. Overall, it caters well to fans of slow-paced farming sims, though it may test the patience of those who prefer less grinding.
“This game is very grindy, and even though I like typically grindy games, this is just too much.”
“Pacing is a bit off at times where it felt like I was grinding for a week or so in-game.”
“It's said to be a slow life RPG, but it feels straight up boring and tedious.”
- music26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as relaxing and charming, with a nostalgic SNES-like quality that enhances the overall experience. However, many players note that the soundtrack becomes repetitive after a short period, which can detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay. Despite this, the soothing melodies are appreciated for their ability to complement the game's slow-paced, life-sim atmosphere.
“The music is nice and relaxing, and I don't feel the need to mute it or get sick of it after a while.”
“I'd like to talk about the music as Misoka has once again made some amazing tracks for this game. Unlike the more energetic tracks from previous Skipmore titles, the soundtrack sounds more adventurous and soothing, like going out into the wild or traveling around your farm and village. The nighttime themes are even better, with the tracks becoming increasingly soothing to listen to—just lovely.”
“Additionally, the music has a SNES-like feel to it, with the soundtrack sounding just like it could belong in a SNES game, which makes it even better.”
“The soundtrack gets repetitive quickly, as well as the gameplay.”
“The music gets repetitive over time, and it's difficult to understand where or what you're supposed to do for your next big quest.”
“I've encountered a number of various bugs, controls are terrible, inconsistent and can't be changed, music becomes repetitive after an hour, story is barely there.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of Picontier are characterized by charming pixel art that evokes a nostalgic farming aesthetic, reminiscent of titles like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. While initially perceived as simple, players find the visuals to possess a unique personality and appeal, enhanced by adorable character designs and a relaxing atmosphere. Overall, the art style is described as delightful and fitting for a slow-paced life simulation game.
“Picontier has amazing clear dazzling graphic arts with the new pixel trend.”
“At first I was skeptical to pick this up on account of the 'simple' graphics, but once I started playing it... it actually has a lot more personality than can be conveyed through screenshots.”
“Very charming game, cute characters and graphics, pleasant music.”
“Graphics remind me of pixel art graphics if it weren't for the mobs being different and regions.”
“The art for this game I just want to briefly talk about as although it's not as detailed or complex as his previous work, I still find it charming to look at. It's like a 'pre-fairune' art style of sorts (which makes sense as I believe this game was developed for over 10 years, but I could be wrong on that).”
“At first, I was skeptical to pick this up on account of the 'simple' graphics, but once I started playing it... it actually has a lot more personality than can be conveyed through screenshots.”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally described as simple and relaxing, featuring activities like crop growing, fishing, and interacting with villagers. However, players note that it can become repetitive and grind-heavy, with some mechanics feeling imbalanced or time-consuming, such as the manual watering of crops. While the game has its charm and can be enjoyable once players adapt to its mechanics, there are calls for improvements to enhance the overall experience.
“Don't go into it expecting something huge, but it's intriguing in its own way and quite fun once you get used to the mechanics of it all.”
“Once you get the hang of how the game works and its mechanics for menus, it becomes really fun!”
“Gameplay-wise, it's very simple; currently, you can grow crops, go fishing, talk with the villagers, and have a chicken for your farm. These are all taught to you over time through the game, and you'll easily get into a pattern for each in-game day.”
“I was excited to play this, it seemed promising, but I quickly got tired of the gameplay.”
“Overall it is cute and can be relaxing, but be prepared for repetitive and grind-y gameplay.”
“In terms of gameplay, I'd say watering the crops is a bit time-consuming, requiring you to water each patch of soil one by one, and how rain for some reason drains even more of your SP than normal, which I felt made no sense and was kind of dumb.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its pleasant and nostalgic qualities, creating a charming and immersive experience that evokes fond childhood memories. Players appreciate the cute and inviting environment, which enhances the enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“A very atmospheric and cute indie game that is just a pleasure to spend time in.”
“An amazing game that brought me back to my childhood; such an atmosphere you won't find anywhere in new games.”
“A simpler farm/craft title that expands nicely over the course of the game and maintains a very pleasant atmosphere throughout.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and unique concepts, such as capturing animals with a drone, which many players find both intriguing and hilarious. Overall, the game successfully incorporates a playful sense of humor that resonates well with its audience.
“The idea of being able to capture your animals with a drone to bring back to the farm is also intriguing and hilarious!”
“- quirky with its own sense of humor; love it!”
