PiKUNiKU

With so many serious games out there, it can be hard to remember that games are supposed to be fun. PiKuNiKu is a cute and simple little game that will take you right back to the early days of gaming, without the frustrations of super early games.

The game starts with Piku, a cute little blobby red ‘beast’ that is essentially simply a blob with legs. Piku can interact with the world by kicking at various objects, and when he wants to move quickly, by sucking his legs in and simply rolling along.

Local villagers that dwell near Piku’s cave ask him for help when the evil Mr. Sunshine offers to harvest their corn in exchange for ‘free money.’ As Mr. Sunshine keeps taking more and more resources, the villagers beg for help to save their world.

Simple but cute art

PiKuNiKu features simple artwork based in primary colors. The artwork has a strong LocoRoco vibe, with simple outlines and strong colors rather than fine detail. Although the art is exceedingly simple, it fits well into the relaxed gameplay and silly nature of the puzzles.

Hilarious puzzles

You interact with most of the world by kicking things. Sometimes you kick things and it turns out to be a bad thing. Kick a birds chicks out of the nest and you’ll have to go find them and put them back. Kick a hole in a wall and you may end up ruining a rock’s tea party and have to play hide and seek.

Even the bosses are fairly simple, requiring just three hits to defeat them. No matter what you do in the game, adventure is sure to await you, and it’ll probably make you laugh when it happens. On top of the ‘main quest’ there are also a handful of mini games that make the game more enjoyable.

Co-op available

PiKuNiKu also has a co-op game that allows you to run with Piku’s twin, Niku. The games in co-op are separate from the rest of the game, and allow you to get into more hilarious shenanigans with your favorite character. There’s even a game of basketball where you have to kick the ball into your own hoop—but often end up kicking your friend as much as the ball itself.

Very short gameplay

It only takes about 6 hours to finish PiKuNiKu. The main game itself is 4 hours, and the co-op games can be finished in about 2. If you are looking for a more robust game PiKuNiKu might be a disappointment, but if you’re just looking for a way to relax on the weekend, it’s the perfect way to relax the day away.

Pros:

• Relaxing gameplay
• Ideal for beginner gamers

Cons:

• Very short