The Perfect Pencil

The Perfect Pencil

Studio Cima · January 29, 2026 · Metroidvania, Dark, Hand-drawn, Story Rich, Psychological

Buy The Perfect Pencil from Steam at $17.49 — the cheapest of 3 stores we compare.

PC
Mostly Positive75% · 88 📈 Making a comeback 84%
Best price 50 All-time low
$17.49-30%
$24.99⭐ lowest tracked
Steam Buy at Steam

Prices last checked

More games under $20 →More Steam deals →

Where to buy The Perfect Pencil — official stores

Steam
Steam
Standard Edition · Steam
-30%
$17.49
$24.99
Buy
Fanatical
Standard Edition · Steam
-10%
$22.49
$24.99
Buy

Cheapest The Perfect Pencil keys — keyshops

Keyshops are third-party marketplaces — keys are resold and can be region-locked or a different edition. Check the listing's region & edition before buying.

Eneba
Standard Edition · Steam
$27.77
Buy

The Perfect Pencil price by region

The Perfect Pencil costs $12.49 in Georgia (USD), $17.49 in the United States, €17.49 in Europe (EUR), £18.89 in the United Kingdom, CA$29.25 in Canada, A$32.85 in Australia, NZ$35.99 in New Zealand, R$73.99 in Brazil and zł114.99 in Poland right now.

Cheapest The Perfect Pencil offer in each region, in local currency
RegionBest priceOfficial storeKey shopStores
Georgia (USD) $12.49 $12.49 — 1
United Statesyour region $17.49 −30% $17.49 $27.77 3
Europe (EUR) €17.49 −30% €17.49 €21.50 4
United Kingdom £18.89 −10% £18.89 £19.18 3
Canada CA$29.25 −10% CA$29.25 — 2
Australia A$32.85 −10% A$32.85 — 1
New Zealand NZ$35.99 NZ$35.99 — 1
Brazil R$73.99 R$73.99 — 1
Poland zł114.99 zł114.99 zł119.11 2

Each row is a real price from that region's own stores, not a currency conversion, so the figures are not directly comparable. Switch regions in the header to shop the one you buy in.

Screenshots

About The Perfect Pencil

✦ AI summary

The Perfect Pencil is a surreal action platformer where you guide John through a hand-drawn kingdom confronting the psychological fears lurking within his mind, using his unique ability to perceive hidden truths others cannot see. Explore an emotionally rich world filled with atmospheric boss battles, branching paths, and secrets that reward curiosity, as your choices shape a personal journey through both darkness and comfort.

The Perfect Pencil is a surreal action platformer which tells the tale of personal development and the psychology of fear. Join protagonist John as he awakens in a bizarre hand-drawn kingdom and comes face-to-face with the terrors that dwell in the last place he'd have thought to look...

Embark on an emotional odyssey exploring the depths of an unfamiliar environment using protagonist John's innate ability to see things that others can’t.
Make choices that will compel you to carve your own personal route through both light and darkness, however, beware, things might not be as they seem.

Go off the beaten path and discover numerous side quests dotted throughout the world, you never know what you might find. Both dark and comforting surreal landscapes filled with secrets, surprises and peculiar personalities are waiting to be unraveled.

John’s unique analysis ability grants you the power to uncover hidden information about NPCs, peculiar objects and elements of the environment. The Perfect Pencil is filled with additional lore and secrets for players to find. Roam beyond the beaten path, scan the world around you - Who knows... behind one of these corners you might find something that will change your perspective.

John draws his strength from within, but he will also encounter tense boss battles in the form of unsettling manifestations - all symbolising unique elements of the human psyche. Some encounters may even make you question your sense of reality…but remember, in order to survive you will have to be willing to take risks.

The Perfect Pencil — game info

Platforms
Windows
Steam Deck
Verified
Player modes
Single-player
Controller
Full controller support
PC Game Pass
Not included

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

✦ AI summary

The Perfect Pencil impresses players with its unique world, creative art direction, and engaging exploration where careful attention to dialogue and choices unlocks hidden items and meaningful story payoff. However, the game is criticized for excessive, often nonsensical dialogue that cannot be skipped, obtuse gameplay systems that are hard to understand, and control issues that feel slightly off, with some finding the pacing and story confusing until much later in the game.

Not recommended Mar 26, 2026
The perfect pencil is the most confusing metroidvania i've ever played, from a complete nonsensical story with unclear endings to gameplay systems that are obtuse, random and hard to understand. It's also the most dialogue bloated metroidvania i've ever played, and i suffered through every conversation in nine sols. At least that game had consistent writing and some really good moments but this one has at least twice as many with no quality to show for it. Every single conversation is filled with so many filler lines that are both nonsensical and meant to pad out gametime. In my roughly 15 hours of playing i must've spent at least two full hours reading lines which you can't skip over as progression is tied to SOME dialogues. Which ones you ask? God knows, because there's no rime or reason to them so you end up having to speak to everyone to not get stuck. I'm a fast reader as well so it might take some people EVEN longer to get through the game. It doesn't even form a satisfying or coherent narrative because you can't make sense of it. It deals with heavy themes and subject matter such as depression, resolve and hope but it does them a disservice by constantly shifting between se…
8 found this helpful
Recommended May 31, 2026
I really like this game. Its unique but familiar and walking around there is always something just around the corner to get interested in. There are so many little areas or puzzles that you can completely bypass but it you don't and you say the right thing you get items that are useful hours later. its just so engaging with all the little mini games and strange crazy people. - It seems like it was going to be like hollow knight or ori but its not. The fighting is almost secondary not primary its more about experiencing the strange world and all the people but with platforming mixed in so you are engaged in the exploring of it all. - I wasn't happy that you couldn't pogo off enemies or that there wasn't a sprint feature but now that I have played it longer it makes sense why they did that. You get a platform mid game as the double jump equivalent and that really changed how you can fight and maneuver in a unique way - also if there was sprint I think you would miss a lot of the random stuff you can pick up by blowing passed it ( it still would be nice to get at the very end for item gathering though ... in the game I found some playdough put it in a machine and picked traits…
2 found this helpful
Recommended May 26, 2026
This game is so close to being extremely good. Artistically and narratively, the world building, the character development, it's all top shelf. Before you read further, I need to say: I absolutely recommend this game on its artistic merit alone. The time that I was able to put in, I enjoyed thoroughly. Unfortunately, it suffers from design issues that *just* miss the mark enough to make the experience (for me) not worth putting in more time: * Controls are a little loose. Attacks don't come out *quite* immediately, wall jumping sometimes will fail inexplicably. The platforming is weirdly tight horizontally, but vertically it's just off * I'm 7 hours in and still haven't found fast travel. I know it's there, but I haven't seen it. Fast travel really shouldn't be buried like that. * No in-game rebinds. You can use the Steam method for controller, and whatever keyboard software you have, but there's nothing in-game. It's supposedly coming? That last one is really important for me. I'm not a controller player, I'm KBM, and the way the controls are mapped in-game doesn't really let me use third-party options to conveniently remap everything. I'd need to spend probably an hour or t…
2 found this helpful
Recommended May 31, 2026
I played the demo for The Perfect Pencil years ago and had been looking forward to its full release ever since. After finally playing it, I can confidently recommend it—it deserves far more attention than it's getting. It's a metroidvania packed with charm, personality, and creativity. The world feels unique and memorable, with imaginative art direction and enemy designs. The story can be a bit difficult to follow in the early and middle parts of the game, so it requires some patience before everything starts to come together. Once it does, it delivers a meaningful narrative that explores mental health themes in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
1 found this helpful
Not recommended Apr 2, 2026
كانت جيدة في البداية وتحمست بصراحة ، بس فجأة تحولت الى شي ممل وحسيت اني مو جالس استمتع ابدا فيها ، وقفت بعد 3 ساعات ونصف تقريبا حاولت ارجع لكن كل مره اكرهها اكثر ، انتهت بالنسبة لي
1 found this helpful
Recommended Apr 30, 2026
A game that definitely deserves more attention! excellent level design, truly inspired visuals, and a engaging narrative that kept me hooked to the screen all the way to the end credits.

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like The Perfect Pencil

News

All news →
Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition: skip it, play on Game PassXbox

Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition: skip it, play on Game Pass

The Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition asks you to pre-order two unannounced DLC packs for a game Game Pass already gives you. What it contains, and why the upgrade can wait.

Sep 30, 2026
Is DayZ worth it? A straight answer before you buyPC

Is DayZ worth it? A straight answer before you buy

Is DayZ worth it? Twelve years on it is still the genre's least forgiving game. What you are buying, who it suits, and what our 97-day price record says about the timing.

Sep 30, 2026
Transport Fever 3 price: which edition to buy on launch dayPC

Transport Fever 3 price: which edition to buy on launch day

Transport Fever 3 is out today. The Transport Fever 3 price splits three ways, the loyalty discount has a fortnight-long fuse, and our record shows what the older game really costs.

Sep 29, 2026
No Man's Sky price: how low it gets and when to buyPC

No Man's Sky price: how low it gets and when to buy

The No Man's Sky price has come a long way down since 2016, and the game is on PC Game Pass too. Our tracked 12-month low, the regional key gap, and what to actually pay.

Sep 29, 2026
Sekiro cheap: what our price record shows, and what to avoidDeals

Sekiro cheap: what our price record shows, and what to avoid

Search Sekiro cheap and the results are keyshop listings, not a store discount. Our three-month price record explains the gap, and why so few live offers changes the advice.

Sep 28, 2026
System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 OctoberFreebies

System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 October

System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 to 8 October, alongside BURIED STARS. Our price record shows why its floor has not moved in three months, and why waiting beats buying this week.

Sep 28, 2026
Dead Island 2 cheap: which edition, and what the price doesPC

Dead Island 2 cheap: which edition, and what the price does

Dead Island 2 cheap used to mean under a dollar. Our price record shows the floor has roughly doubled since September - here is which edition to buy, and the one that is a trap.

Sep 27, 2026
Steam Autumn Sale 2026: the games that cannot be discountedDeals

Steam Autumn Sale 2026: the games that cannot be discounted

The Steam Autumn Sale 2026 runs 1-8 October, but Valve's own rules bar every September release from it. Which games are locked out, and what our record says about the two biggest.

Sep 27, 2026

Top games right now

All rankings →
  1. 1Counter-Strike 2Free
  2. 2Dota 2Free
  3. 3PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSFree
  4. 4Grand Theft Auto V Legacy—
  5. 5Terraria$2.20
  6. 6Rust$25.62
  7. 7Team Fortress 2Free
  8. 8Black Myth: Wukong$35.70
  9. 9HELLDIVERS™ 2$30.56
  10. 10ELDEN RING$52.89
  11. 11Apex Legends™Free
  12. 12Left 4 Dead 2$9.99
  13. 13Stardew Valley$14.73
  14. 14Wallpaper Engine$3.99
  15. 15Euro Truck Simulator 2$4.99
  16. 16Dead by Daylight$10.40
  17. 17Red Dead Redemption 2$10.54
  18. 18Baldur's Gate 3$41.99
  19. 19Phasmophobia$18.29
  20. 20War ThunderFree
  21. 21Call of Duty®—
  22. 22ARK: Survival Evolved$14.24
  23. 23Among Us$3.03
  24. 24The Forest$19.99