Logic Pic is a picross puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch. These fun puzzles—also known as nonograms—may have been around awhile, but this little title does its best to create a game that stands out from the crowd. It offers a lot of content and various play modes that keep it feeling fresh.
I love solving picross puzzles; there’s something relaxing about idly filling in squares to reveal a hidden image. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s easy to play. Logic Pic also has an optional tutorial available to help newcomers.
The basic premise is that each puzzle consists of a grid of blank squares. Your job is to use the numbers on the left and top of the grid to figure out which squares should be filled in. This adds a logical element since the numbers on each side indicate how many squares and spaces you’ll need in each line. Filling in all the relevant squares creates a picture, and voila! The puzzle is solved.
It’s a relaxing affair, although each puzzle is timed. This allows you to take things slightly more seriously by racing against the clock. It also means you can go back and beat your best time if you like. There are no specific goals; the faster, the better. Perhaps a star rating could have created a little more competition or replay value. I’d also like to see a list of times rather than only showing the fastest. There’s a record of your mistakes, too, so perfectionists will want to revisit completed puzzles to ensure that particular number is a solid zero.
Aesthetically, Logic Pic has a cute and clean interface. The whiteness of the backgrounds allows the puzzles and the images to stand out. I appreciate this simplicity, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere. The ambient music compliments this sentiment, settling neatly into the background while you nut out each nonogram.
A couple of minor issues stop Logic Pic from being perfect. For example, there’s no zoom functionality. I love that the game can be played with the touchscreen; what nonogram would be complete without that option? However, this isn’t a 3DS, and I don’t have a stylus. My hands aren’t exactly large, but my fingers are big enough to make pointing at tiny squares fiddly on bigger puzzles. It’s very easy to touch the wrong square by mistake, a slightly annoying experience if you’re aiming for a perfect score. I would love the ability to enlarge the view to avoid this issue.
On the plus side, Logic Pic comes packed with a lot of content, offering players around 1000 puzzles. These are split into 40 or so categories, from farm and home to space and sports. Most are unlocked by default in an area called Collection. Others are locked in a section called Story Mode. I was excited to try this mode after completing the prerequisites (e.g. complete 10 puzzles from the home category in Collection to unlock dogs in Story Mode). However, it turned out to be another picross collection. I’m glad for the extra content, but it’s definitely not a story, which is a little disappointing.
Despite this, there are two other fun modes that I haven’t actually come across in a picross game before (though I believe Picross S does have something similar). Each puzzle gives you the option of playing solo, co-op, or versus. Co-op and versus are multiplayer modes, meaning a local friend or family member can jump in to assist or compete with you while you solve the nonogram. It works really well, with each cursor given a different color and your own list of stats along the side. If you’ve ever wanted to play picross with someone on the couch, this is the perfect chance, and it makes Logic Pic feel like a fresh entry to the genre.
And finally, if 1000 puzzles isn’t enough for you (hey, it’s possible), then you can purchase even more content via DLC. It’s an inexpensive exercise, with three packs available at only a couple of dollars each. They’ll contribute 100s more to your collection, keeping you going for a very long time.
Overall, Logic Pic is a fun picross title that boasts many puzzles to solve. If you’re a nonogram fan, you’ll absolutely enjoy this outing. With zoom controls, this would score even higher. As it is, it’s still well worth your time.
