Nekograms is a cute and comfy puzzle sport for the Nintendo Change. It options cats and cushions with the straightforward goal of serving to every kitty attain a cushion so it could actually take a well-earned nap. Did I point out it’s cute?
The sport started life as a substitute for Picross. Though it began out utilizing gentle bulbs as the principle gimmick, throughout growth, it advanced right into a cat-based model. However don’t let the lovely aesthetics idiot you; this stress-free puzzle expertise will nonetheless tickle your mind.
Nekograms is filled with 120 ranges, offering loads to do. Each is brief and candy, depicting numerous cats, cushions, and different objects in a grid-based format. The catch is that felines can solely be moved left and proper. These comfortable pillows, alternatively, solely traverse in a vertical course. Different objects like seaside balls and occasional cups are there to dam your path, including complexities.
Puzzles are unfold throughout three worlds, with forty ranges apiece. You start in a cat café, a really Japanese idea that enhances the sport’s title (“neko” is Japanese for cat, in spite of everything). From there, it’s off to the seaside for some enjoyable within the solar earlier than lastly heading to a beautiful park space. And are these cherry blossoms within the park? Every world is adorned with colourful backdrops that pop off the display.
Nekograms retains issues cozy with no time restrict to emphasize you out, permitting you to suppose by every puzzle at your personal tempo. Nevertheless, the problem lies within the set variety of advisable strikes assigned to every one. So, when you can take so long as you want, completionists (or perfectionists) will need to earn the highest ranking of three stars, achieved by hitting that par variety of strikes.
The menu gives a neat overview of all ranges, depicting your star rankings and making it straightforward to see which ranges you should revisit. New ranges are locked till the earlier one is accomplished, however you don’t want to gather a particular variety of stars to maneuver on. This balances the problem, permitting gamers to maneuver on comparatively simply by including a problem for anybody in search of extra to do. And if that’s not sufficient to maintain you busy, there’s an unlockable limitless mode to maintain you hooked, nicely, perpetually.
The music is easy and candy, completely suited to the cartoony kitties and that stress-free vibe. The cat noises originated from an actual cat, including to the expertise with an genuine really feel. If you happen to’re a cat one that loves puzzles, this will probably be proper up your alley.
A puzzle sport like Nekograms screams for contact controls. Fortunately, the builders have accomplished a terrific job preserving this intact for the Change model. The contact controls work completely in handheld mode, permitting you to slip these kitties and cushions to your coronary heart’s content material. It’s intuitive and shortly turned my favourite solution to play. That mentioned, the controls are equally easy and straightforward to make use of, so enjoying on a tv is simply as accessible.
Total, Nekograms is an lovely puzzle sport all about serving to cats take a nap. It simply doesn’t get any extra lovely – however there’s extra to it than cuteness. Nekograms additionally presents a robust puzzle factor with over 100 ranges to beat, together with a star ranking and limitless mode to maintain you hooked. This stress-free and well-designed puzzle outing is certain to please style followers.
On the lookout for much more? We additionally spoke to Hungry Sky, developer of Nekograms, at PAX Aus 2024.
