Picross S

If you're looking for a good puzzle game for your Switch, this should definitely be your first stop. Most of the puzzles are bite-sized and easy to stop when you're on the go, but it's also meaty with so many puzzles (over 150 and double that if you count the Megas) that it can easily eat up hours of your time. While I miss the simplicity of the touch controls, it's a small quibble when there's still so much to be enjoyed from this game.

Even with no major changes and some minor issues, Picross S is a satisfactory, affordable puzzle game. Not much else needs to be said.

Picross S is a solid entry to the series, offering a good place to start for newcomers as well as a whole bunch of new puzzles for veterans to sink their teeth into. The puzzles range from nice and easy at first to extremely tricky (the last level took me one and a half hours to complete on its own!) and the gameplay is very enjoyable. Perhaps best for those looking for something to do on their daily commute, Picross S is a definitely a decent option for puzzle fans.

Picross S still manages to entertain with the ultra solid nonogram formula, but overall it feels like a lazy project for newcomers that will probably disappoint the old fans of the franchise.

Picross S is a fully recommended title for anyone who doesn't own a Nintendo 3DS after some puzzling action to play on the go, which is the preferred way to play this type of game. Whilst lacking the superior touch controls of the 3DS versions, this one does add an array of great assist options and throws a multiplayer twist into the format. Compared to what the long-running Picross e games provide, though, offering just two modes and Mega Picross being slightly adjusted Picross puzzles is unfortunate. For the budget price, 300 puzzles is excellent value, especially if this is one of your first dabbles into the series, but there is no question that more could have been added here. If you have a 3DS, it would be better to stick to the Picross fun on that system.

The gameplay remains intact and unchanged but the lack of support for the touch screen and screen pointers for the television screen make the interaction less involving, while keeping the screen the same size as its 3DS counterparts makes its direction difficult to understand.

Picross S is the epitome of a one-trick pony, it knows exactly the kind of experience it’s going to deliver and it does just that. Those of you that loved the Picross e games will find plenty to love here, as this is essentially just another 300 (well, 150) puzzles, now with local multiplayer support. Still, it all comes off as being a bit bland, while the absence of Micross and mission systems seen elsewhere makes Picross S feel like a lazy sequel. We give this a recommendation to fans of puzzle games, or anybody looking for a slower paced game for their Switch. Just don’t go into this one expecting a comprehensive, ultimate entry in the series.