Game of the Week: Picross
This week features a casual video game I've been spending a lot of time with lately. Picross is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS. You are presented with a blank grid, and need to fill in the grid using the clues located along the top and left of the grid. For example, a clue of "5 1" means that there are five squares in a row filled in, followed by at least one blank space, then one square filled in. Once all the clues are complete, you end up with a picture that fits that level's theme.
There are three modes: Easy, Normal, and Free. Easy mode features fifteen puzzles that can be solved within a minute or two. Both Normal and Free mode have ten levels of fifteen puzzles each. In Normal mode which features beginner-to-intermediate puzzles, you are penalized for making mistakes. The first mistake adds two minutes to your time, the second four minutes, and each additional mistake after that costs eight minutes. You have a total of sixty minutes to complete the puzzle. Free mode features intermediate-to-advanced puzzles, and does not penalize mistakes--but doesn't warn you if you do make a mistake.
The levels of fifteen puzzles are further divided into three groups of five puzzles. After each group, you have a chance to play a timed mini-game. The first mini-game is Catch, in which you must tap the moving tiles within the time limit. The second mini-game is Sketch, in which you must replicate the image shown on the top screen. The final mini-game is Hit, in which you must tap the blinking squares before time runs out.
There is also Daily Picross, a set of five timed challenges. The first challenge is Nonstop Time Attack, in which you must solve five puzzles in succession as quickly as possible. The second challenge is No X Marks, which also has fie puzzles to solve but prohibits the use of X marks to mark blank spaces. Next is Error Search, in which you must find the errors located in the puzzle. The errors can be a space filled in erroneously, or a missing fill. In Memory, you are shown a grid and numbers for fifteen seconds, then must fill in the grid from memory. Finally is Secret, in which three of the clues are missing from the grid and shown on the top screen. You must determine where the missing clues belong and solve the puzzle. I've been playing Daily Picross for over 444 days now.
This entry was originally posted at http://xnera.dreamwidth.org/750147.html. Please comment there (you can comment using OpenID if you don't have a Dreamwidth account). There's
comments waiting for you to read!
There are three modes: Easy, Normal, and Free. Easy mode features fifteen puzzles that can be solved within a minute or two. Both Normal and Free mode have ten levels of fifteen puzzles each. In Normal mode which features beginner-to-intermediate puzzles, you are penalized for making mistakes. The first mistake adds two minutes to your time, the second four minutes, and each additional mistake after that costs eight minutes. You have a total of sixty minutes to complete the puzzle. Free mode features intermediate-to-advanced puzzles, and does not penalize mistakes--but doesn't warn you if you do make a mistake.
The levels of fifteen puzzles are further divided into three groups of five puzzles. After each group, you have a chance to play a timed mini-game. The first mini-game is Catch, in which you must tap the moving tiles within the time limit. The second mini-game is Sketch, in which you must replicate the image shown on the top screen. The final mini-game is Hit, in which you must tap the blinking squares before time runs out.
There is also Daily Picross, a set of five timed challenges. The first challenge is Nonstop Time Attack, in which you must solve five puzzles in succession as quickly as possible. The second challenge is No X Marks, which also has fie puzzles to solve but prohibits the use of X marks to mark blank spaces. Next is Error Search, in which you must find the errors located in the puzzle. The errors can be a space filled in erroneously, or a missing fill. In Memory, you are shown a grid and numbers for fifteen seconds, then must fill in the grid from memory. Finally is Secret, in which three of the clues are missing from the grid and shown on the top screen. You must determine where the missing clues belong and solve the puzzle. I've been playing Daily Picross for over 444 days now.
This entry was originally posted at http://xnera.dreamwidth.org/750147.html. Please comment there (you can comment using OpenID if you don't have a Dreamwidth account). There's
comments waiting for you to read!