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."
Nintendo Switch
PC
Reviews
- The game features adorable pixel art and a charming atmosphere that makes it enjoyable to play.
- It offers a relaxing experience with a unique blend of farming and RPG elements, reminiscent of classic titles like Stardew Valley.
- The characters are quirky and engaging, with interesting side quests that enhance the overall experience.
- The control scheme is poorly designed, with no option to customize key bindings, leading to frustration for many players.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with slow progression and limited activities to engage in, especially in the early stages.
- The story lacks depth and coherence, making it difficult for players to feel invested in the narrative or their character's motivations.
- story36 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in the game is often described as intriguing yet poorly integrated, feeling slow and unimportant to the overall experience. While some players appreciate the charming pixel graphics and the potential for interesting plot developments, many express frustration with the pacing and lack of depth, noting that side quests are the primary means of progressing the narrative. Overall, the storyline appears to be underdeveloped, with hopes for improvement in future updates.
“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 focal 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.”
“If there was at least more of a story, it wouldn't be so bad, but unfortunately that suffers too.”
“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.”
- grinding16 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 tasks and energy consumption to be overly tedious. Some appreciate the unique farming mechanics and pixel art, but others feel that the pacing can lead to prolonged periods of grinding that detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, it caters well to fans of slow-paced farming sims, though it may test the patience of those less inclined towards grinding.
“Farming is HP and SP consuming, and you have to plant, water, and harvest one by one, so you cannot have a big farm because it literally kills you.”
“This game is very grindy, and even though I typically like grindy games, this is just too much.”
“It's said to be a slow life RPG, but it feels straight up boring and tedious.”
- music13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % 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 atmosphere. However, many players note that the soundtrack can become repetitive after a short period, which detracts from the experience. Despite this, some tracks, particularly the night themes, are praised for their soothing qualities and adventurous feel.
“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 also like a moment to talk about the music, as Misoka has once again made some amazing music for this game. Unlike the more energetic tracks from previous Skipmore titles, the soundtrack to this game sounds more adventurous and soothing, like going out to the wild where all the monsters are, to traveling around your farm and the village. The nighttime themes are even better, with the tracks becoming even more soothing to listen to. Just lovely.”
“Additionally, the music has a SNES-like feel to it, with the soundtrack sounding just like it could be on a SNES game, which makes this soundtrack 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.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics of Picontier are characterized by charming pixel art that enhances its relaxing farming simulation experience. While initially perceived as simple, players find the visuals to be full of personality, with adorable characters and a vibrant aesthetic that complements the game's chill atmosphere. Overall, the art style is praised for its cuteness and clarity, making it appealing to fans of the genre.
“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, if it weren't for the mobs being different and the regions.”
“The art for this game is charming to look at, but it's not as detailed or complex as his previous work. It has a 'pre-fairune' art style, which is interesting considering this game was developed for over 10 years, though I could be wrong about that.”
“At first, I was skeptical to pick this up because of the 'simple' graphics, but once I started playing, it actually has a lot more personality than can be conveyed through screenshots.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally described as simple and relaxing, with players enjoying the core mechanics like farming, fishing, and interacting with villagers. However, it suffers from repetitiveness and grind-heavy tasks, such as watering crops individually, which can become tedious. While some players find the game fun once they adapt to its mechanics, others note issues like imbalanced features and a lack of quality-of-life improvements, such as better navigation for locating villagers.
“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 grindy 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.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % 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 memories. Players appreciate the cute and inviting environment, making it a delightful title to engage with over time.
“A simpler farm/craft title that expands nicely over the course of the game and maintains a very pleasant atmosphere throughout.”
“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.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and unique elements, such as the amusing concept of capturing animals with a drone, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining touch to the gameplay. Players appreciate this distinctive sense of humor, finding it both intriguing and enjoyable.
“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!”
