Picross S3

Up until about a month ago I had never heard of picross – the game or the puzzle genre. But while laying in bed, browsing the Switch eshop for a puzzle game, I found Picross S3.

I have never played a picross puzzle before that point in time, but Picross S3 was rated pretty well in the eshop. So I decided to give it a shot.

Picross is a type grid style puzzle game in which the puzzle is bordered by a sequence of numbers and the player must fill in squares within the grid based upon the sequence of numbers. Once finished, the filled in squares will create a “pixelated” image – think 8 bit image.

It is a simple activity that proves to be a bit addicting. Not only are you trying to logic your way through a puzzle that feels a bit like sudoku, but after you are done, you are revealing a little picture. It’s like a free gift for solving the puzzle. It’s really pretty neat.

Picross S3, the 3rd in a line of Picross video games, thus S3, from the developer Jupiter, offers a bit extra. The basic set of 150 puzzles range from 10×10 grid puzzles to 20×20 puzzles. But completing some of those puzzles open up other puzzles in another section called “Clip Picross”. In this section, you will be solving varying sizes of puzzles that will, once all are solved, reveal a large thematic 8-bit picture. This back and forth of solving one set of puzzles to solve a larger puzzle, gives me a sense of unlocking and achievement that I find fulfilling.

Picross S3 also includes Mega Picross puzzles, which amp up the difficulty adding in number sets in adjacent rows and columns of the grid. Color Picross is the final set of puzzles available, that adds a color element to the boxes. But honestly, I don’t find either of these as appealing as the two aforementioned variations. Part of the fun of those variations are the simplicity and slight challenge. Not too hard, not too easy. Just enough puzzley bits to be a decent time waster. Once you get beyond that, it starts to feel like work.

It does have a two player option available, but really why? My girlfriend and I have played it, and it is okay, but really you are just solving the puzzle together. Co-op puzzle solving. If that’s your thing, you may love that, but I just found it kinda blah.

Picross S3 is a decent solid puzzle experience. I play it usually just before bed to kinda decompress from the day, but it proves to be an effective way to pass the time pretty much anywhere.

I like it, and I will be a bit sad when I finally finish the basic set of puzzles.