Pikuniku is a small indie 2D platforming adventure developed by Sectordub and published by Devolver Digital. Devolver Digital’s games are some of my favorites and all of them are beloved and this one is no different. Pikuniku is a game I have covered along with other games in the past but I think the attention I gave it was not enough so here is a fully-fledged dedicated breakdown review of Pikuniku.
PRESS ‘H’ TO WEAR A HAT
In a world where every game developer tries to make their game look artistically better and AAA studios going for realism, Pikuniku casually comes in and kicks all that with standing out of the crowd by being as simple and going as minimal as possible. An extremely simple art design with the use of basic shapes and colors like a child designed them and that works for the audience it is trying to capture. However, it also attracts another group of audience in the practice of doing so and that is a good thing. The audio design is also kept minimal but the soundtrack is very charming and happy, while the music in any boss battle is fast and fierce, filling you up with furiousness to complete the challenge. There are also some specialized soundtracks for specific important NPC’s so that you can figure out that a challenge is coming.
PRESS ‘C’ TO KICK
The gameplay of Pikuniku matches up to its art design, “simplicity”. Gameplay is very easy to learn with some basic controls like arrow keys for walking around, space for jumping, press ‘X’ for rolling around the map legless like a bean, and ‘C’ for kicking stuff, you can also press ‘Z’ for talking to simpleton NPC’s on the way. Pikuniku plays out like a 2D platformer with some minigames and boss battles in between which could only be accessed once throughout the game. Which was a problem for me because I wanted to replay some of the really fun minigames like the one where you draw stuff without clearing out my save files. There are also shops in some areas of the game from where you can buy different types of hats and collectibles in exchange for coins which can be found laying around all-around the map. There are also secret locations in-game that award the player with different trophies. There is also one shop where you can’t buy anything but you can break every ceramic in there and after you do, the old guy in charge tells a short story which would make you pity yourself. So…uhh…F for the old man. Also, each hat gives you a unique ability. Like a pencil hat gives you ability to draw, a watering hat helps in watering the plant, and my personal favorite sun shades that give you drip among the common peasants.
There are also fifteen short 2 player co-op levels present in the game which are really fun and unique while also being challenging for the players, along with some minigames which are luckily replayable with a mere selection of level. The co-op is one of the best couch play experiences out there. Unluckily the person I was playing with was so clumsy, that it took us hours to complete what was actually childs play. This signifies that coordination is a must among both players. The co-op also introduces new features like usable ropes and cars. I am telling you, it is better than Forza Horizon 4. The main target audience being 7+ kids and I can assure you it will be extremely enjoyable for them. Sadly though this game is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch and PC platform at the time of this review with no news of any other console release
USE MOUSE TO DRAW
The story in Pikuniku is short and linear. You are a small 2 legged bean who is awakened from his sleep after a really long time greeted by a mysterious ghost. This is a clear clue the game is giving us that it is not serious and it is all dumb fun. The ghost later gives you a basic tutorial for movement and stuff and gives his best wishes for the outside world. On coming outside you realize that the local villagers have created a stereotype of you being a beast but after you help the villagers fix a broken bridge everything is sorted out . After roaming in the village for some time we realize that a corporate man collects the corn which villagers grow and gives them “free money” in exchange and also kidnaps some of them in disguise of “free tour”. Our role is to travel nearby areas gather more information, build a resistance (wait no), meet and make new friends, and ultimately defeat the corporate rule. Now the character interaction, objectives, mission, dialogues are lightly humorous and fun to experience for almost all ages. It is short enough to be finished in one dedicated setting. What makes it more fun is its unique games like beating a toaster man, drawing a scary crow mask, Friday night Funkin, murdering a baby, hiding the body, joining a cult, playing volley ball, tax fraud and more really fun stuff. The story of the co-op is just two beans vibing out.
PRESS ‘Z’ TO CLAIM FREE MONEY
Pikuniku is a short fun 2D platformer about a two-legged bean clearing out stereotypes and helping out villagers and making new friends on the go finally kicking out the corporate rule. What makes it special is its pure absence of violence and some really interesting character conversations. Though I have my share of problems with the game like lack of collectible items and minigame replayability (you have to restart the game to play a majority of cool minigames) and some more after-game interaction, the package it offers as a base game is still pretty sustainable and a really cool night out plan, and with the co-op being designed to be chaotic and crazy with a friend or family member. A totally simple and sweet short game which I highly recommend when on sale. Our reports say that the day this article is published Pikuniku will be on a major sale so keep an eye out on steam
Pikuniku more like Pik nik
Pikuniko is on sale now on Steam for 70% off through May 11th!