CiniCross
Last updated: 2026-02-12
- Innovative Picross and roguelite blend
- Fun and addictive gameplay
- Engaging boss battles
- Gameplay and design flaws
- No save functionality
- Performance and crashing issues
Emotions
Players are frustrated primarily due to technical issues such as game crashes, freezing, and lack of a save system. Additionally, game balance issues, particularly with boss abilities and difficulty imbalances, contribute significantly to this frustration.
The game's creative blend of roguelike elements with traditional nonogram puzzles is highly enjoyable. Players find the gameplay addictive and appreciate the unique twist on classic Picross mechanics.
Players express joy due to the game's fun and satisfying take on Picross. The game is particularly enjoyable for those who love nonogram puzzles and find the experience highly engaging.
The full game did not meet the high expectations set by the demo, leaving players feeling disappointed. The lack of polish and inability to save progress further contribute to this sentiment.
The full release introduced significant improvements and additional content, which players find satisfying. The roguelite elements add depth and replayability to the game.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 74% · Negative 26%. Score: 26 / 100
Positives:
- Players appreciate the unique combination of Picross puzzles with roguelite elements, creating a fresh and engaging experience.
- Players noted significant improvements in the full version compared to the demo, addressing issues and enhancing the overall experience.
- The game is particularly enjoyable for fans of Picross and nonograms, offering a familiar yet enhanced experience.
- The gameplay is consistently described as fun, addictive, and challenging, keeping players engaged.
- Boss battles are highlighted as fun and challenging, adding a significant layer of enjoyment to the game.
Negatives:
- The game feels undercooked, lacks polish, and has frustrating elements, including poorly designed bosses and annoying mechanics.
- The game lacks a save system, forcing players to complete it in one sitting without the ability to save progress or leave and return later.
- The game suffers from lagging, crashing, and general performance issues, particularly noticeable on certain floors.
- The game has significant balance problems, with difficulty spikes and unbalanced relics, bosses, and items affecting gameplay.
- Puzzles are either too easy or poorly designed, with some becoming unsolvable or illogical, and difficulty scaling issues.
Gameplay:
- The game features Picross and Nonogram puzzle mechanics, which involve methodical puzzle solving and are central to the gameplay.
- The game incorporates roguelike and roguelite elements, such as procedurally generated puzzles, branching paths, and increasing difficulty across floors.
- The game offers various difficulty levels and requires balancing health, time, and items to progress.
- A key mechanic in the game is the time limit, which adds pressure and strategy as running out of time results in taking damage.
- The game includes boss battles with unique abilities and mechanics, providing varied and challenging encounters.
Performance:
- Multiple players report game crashes, particularly around specific floors and during general gameplay.
- Players experience significant lag and freezing, making the game nearly unplayable at times, with levels taking up to 10 minutes to finish.
- There is a notable bug where consumables are not being added to the player's inventory.
- Players mention various bugs and quality of life issues affecting the overall gameplay experience.
- A specific bug related to the jackpot spinner has been reported by players.
Recommendations:
- The game is highly recommended for those who enjoy Picross and similar puzzle games. Players are advised to try the demo or other similar games to build familiarity before purchasing.
- Players are enthusiastic about the game and encourage others to try it, indicating a positive reception and word-of-mouth promotion.
- The game is recommended for players who enjoy Minesweeper and roguelike games, indicating it has elements that appeal to fans of these genres.
- Players found the demo version unexpectedly engaging, spending several hours playing it. This suggests that the game can be very captivating for fans of puzzle games.
- The game is suggested as a good purchase for those who find it interesting, implying that it meets expectations and provides value for money.
Miscellaneous:
- Players have expressed a desire for the ability to use the D-PAD for navigation or control within the game.
- There is feedback indicating that players would like the cursor to wrap around the screen, allowing for easier navigation.
- Players have requested a feature to bind a function to highlight or count a range of cells, which could be useful for various gameplay mechanics.
