Picma Walkthrough

I'm a picross fanatic... PERIOD! And I'm sure I'm not alone. Some picross fans out there may have discovered the fun brought by this game through a puzzle in a magazine. Some perhaps fell in love with this kids game in an online or downloadable PC game. Others call it picross, some call it nonograms, and there are a million names this game is called - BUT that hardly matters. What I know is that I can't get enough of this game! And to whet our puzzle solving appetite, Moonberry Studios has designed a brand new puzzle / kids' game - Picma. This is NOT your average picross game. It takes the game to a whole new level and it will surely satisfy you and your child's craving for picross!

In theory, playing picross shouldn't make you break a sweat. You are given a grid that comes with numbers outside. These numbers indicate how many squares within the grid are filled or colored. For example, if you see a series of numbers like 3, 5, and 2, then you know that, within that line, there is a block of 3 squares. The next line has a block of 5 squares. And lastly, the line next to that one has a block of 2 squares with at least a space in between. If you are playing in a 15 by 15 grid, things shouldn't be too difficult... even for a 12-year old child as long as he knows the game's mechanics. HOWEVER, if you are working on a larger grid, then the difficulty level is ramped up significantly. BUT, whether you are working on a 15 by 15 grid or one that is larger, picking up the basic strategy and knowing the game's mechanics is easy even for those who have never played the game.

Picma elevated picross to a different level - going the extra mile by tossing in multi-colored puzzles along with the regular single-color picross. These puzzles are harder and trickier than your average picross puzzles. For one thing, there isn't always in between the colored blocks. With that in mind, your regular picross solving techniques should be tweaked to cope up with the new challenges. This may not be for kids and they may find it frustrating. BUT don't worry, they can always go back to the regular picross mode. And come on! It won't hurt to give it a shot! On the other hand, folks who have mastered picross and know how to play it like the back of their hand will surely find the not-so-regular version of this kids game fun and challenging!

What's even sweeter and better is that Picma showcases a 'Create Your Own Puzzle' section. As the name suggests, this section of the game allows you to form almost anything from a 5 by 5 picross puzzles all the way up to 50 by 50 brain-racking puzzles. You can choose between single or multiple colored blocks. The game and the site has registration, BUT if you don't want to bother with it, you can play the five levels and 120 puzzles straight away. BUT if you do register, you can create puzzles and have access to MORE challenging puzzles. Either way, you and your child is bound to have a heck LOT of fun!

It's very evident that great pains and efforts have gone into the creation of Picma, and it's worth every sweat. The result is a kids game that is a joy to look at and even better to play whether for kids or grown-ups. The interface of the game deserves 2 thumbs up. It has the ability to use on screen icons. On the other hand, if hot keys are your thing, the game's interface also has it. As for the visuals, the game is stunning. The grids appear on yellowed paper; it sits on a wooden table top... which gives this book or magazine page kind of look. For folks who enjoyed this fantastic game way before the age of the internet and computers, this is sort of a 'back to the future' trip when all you had was a pencil, a puzzle magazine, and tons of smarts and wits!

When it comes to challenges as well as amount of puzzles to enjoy, Picma has your back covered... even if you are a certified picross expert and fanatic. You get five levels of play that are increasing in difficulty - it starts off with Apprentice Level (these are easy grids and most of them are 5 by 5 grids) and it ramps up all the way up to Grand Master (as the name suggests, this is for the BEST picross-ers out there with 25 by 25 to 50 by 50 grids). Each of these levels comes with 24 puzzles. To top it all off, there is a timer to let you know how much time you took to solve every grid, as well as a selection of puzzles that lets you know the average time players took to complete the puzzle. While picross doesn't need to be timed to be enjoyed, it's nice to know how you stack up with other picross lovers and enthusiasts.

The background visuals; the sound track and music; the control scheme - all of these and more work hand in hand to give you a picross experience that is a heck lot of fun and amazing. It has to be one of the best kids games out there (which is enjoyable for adults as well of course). Picma is very much suited to casual gaming - it's something you can do when you have a couple of minutes of free time. BUT if you want to sink your head on it, that's perfectly fun and fine as well.