Picross S6 (Nintendo Switch) Review

Not being the first title in this series, Picross S6 is yet another instalment that persuades with its number of puzzles and features. For some, doing the same thing over and over may become tiring after a while, but Jupiter manages to spice things up for this series. Several modes to select from, as well as extra puzzles and different options for display, button mapping and music, allow for a special experience. The classic Picross mode is exactly as expected. Increasing in size and difficulty; this mode sports an incredible 150 grids to solve. The next mode, Mega Picross, spices things up a little. The rules are slightly different, as some rows or columns can now be combined into two. This makes solving grids slightly more challenging and is a welcome deviation from the normal mode. Mega Picross offers 150 grids to solve, which also increase in size and difficulty.

Colour Picross is, without a doubt, one of the best modes. Here, each of the numbers are a different colour and indicate the number of squares that need to be filled with a certain colour. These different rules again demand a slightly different way of thinking. Once a grid is solved, the picture is animated as well, which is a nice touch. The downside of this mode is that there are only 30 grids to solve. This is a little disappointing, as this mode is one of the best. Clip Picross is a mode that has to be earned. While solving grids in the normal Picross mode, grids for the Clip Picross mode are being unlocked. These grids then have to be solved individually, revealing a large picture made from all the grids at the end. Each grid in this mode abides by the normal picross rules.

The final mode is the Extra mode. Here, there are two very difficult, large grids to be solved. These will take some time and are a true challenge! If there is safe data for Picross S, Picross S2 and Picross S3, three additional large grids will be unlocked. These challenges are amazing, however it would have been nice to see more extra puzzles for safe data for Picross S4 and S5. This title offers a substantial number of options. Assist options are available, which are helpful for newcomers or people enjoying a bit of assistance. Hint Roulette, which has to be activated each time a new grid is started, will randomly fill one row and one column of the grid, providing a good starting point. It is possible to set the navigation to highlight correct or incorrect lines (but not both), and it is possible to set the game to autocorrect mistakes and to use high contrast colours.

Additional options include, but are not limited to, cursor speed and button mapping options, as well as sound volume and background music options. It is possible to play Picross cooperatively in couch-coop. Whether this makes a lot of sense is a different issue, but it is definitely nice to add the feature in, in case someone does have a puzzle-buddy at hand. Overall, the game runs very well. Despite the overall simplicity of the title, Jupiter understands how to add modes with different rules to spice things up and make the experience overall great. This is another wonderfully relaxing entry in the Picross S series.