Game Reviews

The follow-up to the incredibly addictive puzzle game Picross DS, Picross 3D moves the picture finding gameplay into the next dimension, a game of block breaking and brain teasing that's also one of the best Nintendo DS games of the year.

Instead of presenting the player with a blank canvas and numbered clues with which a player must study to draw a simple, pixelated picture, Picross 3D hands the player a giant block from which to carve a 3D model. Numbers on the side of each remaining cube inform the player how many blocks must remain in each row or column. Smash the rest to discover what's underneath. Each hidden treasure is simple and abstract, a collection of ultra low fidelity 3D representations of dogs, scissors, breakdancers, pianos, hot air balloons and hundreds of other items.

Picross 3D is a game about paying attention, thinking logically to determine your next carving spot, and mostly about being awesome.