We are back with yet another Picross game on the Switch, which isn’t exactly a bad thing in my opinion. Whenever a new Picross S game comes out, I buy it immediately and proceed to consume it like a vampire. I very rarely talk about a new release like this, because there’s not a lot you can actually say about them: it’s just a bunch of new puzzles in a cheap package. Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons deserved a nod, however. It’s not particularly groundbreaking. In fact, it is, well, just more Picross. It’s its crossover appeal which makes it stand out from other games in the genre, even if it actually makes little sense when you stop to think about it.

As the title implies, this picross title bears the logo, visuals and additional elements from the Harvest Moon / Story of Seasons franchise. All puzzles are designed after a character, item, crop or additional element from the franchise. They aren’t particularly well-designed as a puzzle from the Picross S series, but as soon as you start playing the game, it’s not like you are going to stop and properly pay attention to it. I certainly don’t, I usually just utter a “huh” after completing a puzzle and realizing what it was supposed to look like.

Gameplay-wise, it’s par for the course. Have you ever played a Picross game? Well, you know how to play Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons, as it doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any kind of way. The only main difference I’ve noticed is that you have unlimited uses of the Check Mistake feature, which is useful for newcomers, and completely ignorable if you’re a veteran. In no moment did I feel like abusing this feature, even though I could. As or the rest, there is no touchscreen support, and I did notice some slight amounts of input delay. It’s still easygoing and intuitive, though.

After completing each puzzle, there’s a chance the object you’ve just unlocked will actually appear on a fully polygonal recreation of a traditional Story of Seasons farm, which acts as just a pretty background for what’s otherwise a standard puzzler. You can’t explore the farm, nor customize it: all you can do is occasionally influence on the crops being planted, depending on what crop-shaped puzzles you have already completed, and the season you are currently in. Is it a bit disappointing? Well, yes, but then again, I knew what to expect. Just like the Hatsune Miku title released a while back, I knew this was just going to be Story of Seasons-themed puzzles in a cheap package.

You can also unlock trivia and gallery entries from all games in the series (or at least the ones starting from the moment the franchise started being called Story of Seasons). There are also tons of songs from all of these games, which can be tested whenever you want in this gallery mode. As a way to celebrate the franchise, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons does quite a lot, in fact. I just don’t know if celebrating it as a puzzler was the way to go.

The Story of Seasons branding just adds charm and some (unnecessary) crossover appeal to the collection of puzzles featured in Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons, as there aren’t many innovations in terms of gameplay. I am not going to complain about yet another collection of entertaining and thought-provoking puzzles which fit perfectly on a portable like the Switch, but I am not sure if this was the best way to celebrate the franchise’s history. Are there that many people who love Picross and farming simulators? Whatever the case, Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons might not be as robust or polished as the titles in the Picross S series, but it’s still a very entertaining collection of brain teasers. If you’re hungry for more Picross, don’t even think twice.

Graphics: 7.0 Some puzzles are well-designed, others aren’t. The inclusion of polygonal visuals and a virtual rendition of a farm adds some extra charm to the game, but they are rendered at a very small resolution, to the point you can see jagged edges even on portable mode.	Gameplay: 8.0 A bit of input delay is noticeable during puzzle-solving, and there is no touchscreen support. Still, the quality of life features seen in other Picross games are featured in this game, so it’s still intuitive and easygoing enough.
Sound: 6.5 A better soundtrack than most Picross games, courtesy of the Story of Seasons brand. Not mindblowing, but relaxing.	Fun Factor: 7.5 The Story of Seasons branding just adds charm to this collection of puzzles, as there aren’t many innovations in terms of gameplay. Still, it’s 300 puzzles to enjoy, on a console perfectly suited for such kind of game.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons is available now on PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Switch.

A copy of Piczle Cross: Story of Seasons was provided by the publisher.