Picross Touch
- August 24, 2016
- Jon Gallant
- 26h median play time
Find the hidden image in this fun and addictive logic puzzle game. All puzzles have unique solutions, ensuring 100% logically solvable puzzle grids.
Reviews
- It's free, making it accessible to everyone.
- Offers a large variety of puzzles, including user-generated content through workshop support.
- The game has a simple and clean interface, making it easy to play.
- Many puzzles are too easy, lacking challenge for experienced players.
- Some puzzles have multiple solutions, which can be frustrating.
- The maximum puzzle size is limited to 15x15, which may disappoint advanced players.
- music35 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game features no background music, relying solely on minimal sound effects, which some players find enhances their experience as they can listen to their own music or podcasts while playing. While many appreciate the relaxing nature of the game, several users express a desire for in-game music to enrich the atmosphere. Overall, the lack of music is seen as a non-issue for those who prefer to enjoy their own soundtracks during gameplay.
“Lovely game to pass the time and listen to music to!”
“A fun game that is great to chill out to while listening to some music or a podcast.”
“The perfect game to chill to while you listen to music.”
“There is no music, only sound effects.”
“It's picross and it's free, very bare bones (there is no music and sound effects are very minimal, almost colorless graphics) but what else to expect.”
“The presentation is extremely simplistic and it lacks some quality of life features that would make it much better (animations, background music, etc.)”
- graphics22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are described as minimalistic and easy on the eyes, focusing on functionality rather than flashy visuals. While the aesthetic is generally pleasing and supports a smooth gameplay experience, some users noted that the visuals can feel drab and lifeless, lacking in dynamic elements. Overall, the graphics are well-suited for the picross genre, providing a straightforward interface that enhances the puzzle-solving experience.
“A nice, easy-to-digest aesthetic that just gets right into what you want to do (play some good old-fashioned picross), and it has a ton of content!”
“You can adjust the resolution and graphical quality to fit whatever system you might be playing on.”
“Mindless, fun, free, aesthetically pleasing.”
“After the latest patch, some of the workshop puzzles are impossible to solve due to graphic errors.”
“It's picross and it's free, very bare bones (there is no music and sound effects are very minimal, almost colorless graphics) but what else to expect.”
“Additionally, the visuals are drab and lifeless, there's no music at all, the largest puzzle size is only 15x15, there's no hint systems in place for newer players, the numbers on the left and top of the puzzle don't grey out individually, and there is no timer to keep track of how long it takes you to solve a puzzle.”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this picross game is generally well-received, featuring a good layout and a variety of customization options, including over 300 puzzles of varying difficulty. Players appreciate the absence of punitive mechanics like "three strikes you're out," allowing for a more relaxed experience. While some puzzles may be overly simple, the core mechanics are solid and fluid, making it enjoyable for both casual players and completionists.
“It is a good picross client with a lot of options to customize the gameplay experience.”
“Over 300 puzzles to play through (57 easy/5x5, 122 medium/10x10, 187 hard/15x15), multiple color themes you can choose from and even edit, workshop/custom puzzles you can play/make, and several gameplay options (touch, manual tagging, row locking when you fill, timer).”
“The last quarter of the 'hard' level puzzles provided by the dev include some inspired level design, but the rest of the built-in levels are tediously simple and the mechanics of clicking (which is slightly buggy) is the only thing that slows you down; don't bother unless you are a crazy completionist like me.”
“The mechanics in the game are pretty fluid and there's no issues with marking/unmarking blocks on my part.”
“Overall a pretty solid game, and the game enables you to actually just play picross, without having to struggle with mechanics.”
- monetization19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 42 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional monetization model, being completely free with no ads, microtransactions, or additional paid content. Players appreciate the absence of any monetization tactics, allowing for an uninterrupted gaming experience. Overall, it stands out as a rare example of a fully free game that prioritizes user enjoyment without financial barriers.
“It's free and with no ads on top of that.”
“For being an absolutely free game without any microtransactions or wait times, this is a great game.”
“A straightforward free picross game with no ads, annoying microtransactions, or unnecessary fluff.”
“Another thing about the 3DS Picross games is that even though most of them are free, they still have microtransactions.”
“Just under 12 hours for me to complete all of the built-in puzzles, all without any nagging ads or pointless microtransactions/restrictions.”
“Its fun, controls well, made first-hand to run on PC, and has no IAP or ads.”
- grinding11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is generally viewed as excessive, particularly regarding achievements that require completing a large number of puzzles, which some players find tedious. However, many appreciate the game's relaxing nature and engaging puzzle design, suggesting that while the grind can be annoying, it is manageable for dedicated players. Overall, the game offers a solid picross experience, but completionists may find the grind more pronounced.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The achievements are pretty grindy for this game and that is fairly annoying.”
“In conclusion: the puzzles are perfectly fine, but the game performance is one grindy thing.”
“Though the achievements are grindy (beat 2000 puzzles!?), it is a great, addicting, expansive, free game.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a strong appreciation for the story in "Khimera: Puzzle Island," which is praised for its charming narrative and engaging elements, contrasting with other puzzle games like "Picross Touch" that lack a storyline. While some players enjoy the depth and moral lessons in "Khimera," others find the absence of a story in simpler puzzle games to be a drawback. Overall, the narrative aspect significantly enhances the experience for those who value storytelling in games.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“If you'd like Picross with a lot more effort, a suave soundtrack, a charming story, and some extras, I'd recommend Khimera: Puzzle Island.”
“Gamers familiar with my reviews will recall that I really appreciate the story and usability features of Khimera, which is a far better game to my taste.”
“The pictures are two-toned, which may be boring for some players used to the Fantasy Mosaics series, and there is no story.”
“No annoying boss fights, no super feelsy storyline...”
- stability9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 56 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with many users reporting smooth performance and no significant glitches. However, some players have experienced minor issues, particularly with freezing during workshop levels and occasional interface bugs, especially after updates. Despite these concerns, the game is praised for its easy controls and solid performance, particularly on Linux.
“It works fine, the puzzles don't feel unfair, and I've encountered no glitches.”
“Very easy controls, lots of content, runs great, puzzles are fair and easy to navigate.”
“I encountered no glitches or problems, everything ran smoothly, and it was aesthetically fine.”
“All my complaints are minor; sometimes the game freezes up if you click on a workshop level with a lot of plays.”
“Some minor glitches such as interface, functions, or workshop issues may potentially arise after updates.”
“But it freezes at the completion of every workshop level for me.”
- replayability9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, primarily due to its integration with the Steam Workshop, which offers thousands of user-created puzzles alongside the base game’s selection. Players can easily wipe their save files and still find a virtually endless supply of new challenges, making it highly engaging and fun for both new and returning players. Overall, the community-driven content significantly enhances the game's longevity and replay value.
“There is a selection of 5x5, 10x10, and 15x15 puzzles that come packed with the vanilla game, but there are thousands upon thousands of puzzles created by the community, which virtually elevates the replay value to infinity.”
“The integration with the Steam Workshop means that the game has pretty much infinite replayability.”
“Easily replayable; I could wipe my save file and there's no way I'd remember how to do 95% of these.”
“There's a workshop, which gives it more replayability than the old DS version; I haven't tried the new 3DS one though.”
“Fantastic picross game with a great tutorial for new players and nearly endless replayability thanks to the Steam Workshop.”
- optimization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while some players report smooth performance without bugs, others criticize it for being poorly optimized, particularly for PC, leading to sluggish interactions. The consensus suggests that the game feels more suited for mobile devices, with performance issues noted on less powerful PCs.
“The game runs smoothly, and I found no issues or bugs with it (apart from the aforementioned logic issues).”
“In conclusion: the puzzles are perfectly fine, but the game performance is one grindy thing.”
“Poorly optimized; dragging and clicking feels cumbersome, clearly made for mobile.”
“The reason could be the PC I played on - that little boy is not the fastest and really not optimized for gaming.”
“Just for comparison: I run other games on this certain PC that probably demand higher performance and work just fine, so I can't help but suspect the programming...”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted and whimsical nature, with players finding it amusingly easy and enjoying the quirky, comedic elements presented through its design and gameplay. The references to "funny blocks" and "funny little squares" highlight a playful tone that adds to the overall enjoyment.
“It's the funny Jerma game.”
“Funny blocks.”
“Funny little square make picture good.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally rewarding, as it provides a sense of accomplishment and intelligence through solving numerous puzzles. The customization options enhance the experience, allowing users to tailor the game to their preferences and enjoy it more fully.
“This game made me feel very smart.”