CiniCross

I'm a big Picross head. Hundreds if not thousands of hours across the DS and 3DS games and the various nonogram games on Steam. What I really, really like about Picross is the feeling of methodically untangling a nonogram's knot. CiniCross is not built around that. It rewards speed above all else, and late enough in a given run, it is basically solving the puzzles for you. I frequently found myself just quitting the game before letting an endless run reach its logical conclusion, because I was bored. This game takes everything I love about nonogram puzzles and replaces it with flashy juicy noise. I played through just long enough to unlock every class and get up to like difficulty 7, and then put it down. It's not for me.

I suck at nonograms, i usually take 6 minutes to do a 10x10, but this game made me love them! it also doesn't hold back as you are pressured by time to do them. The game has a tutorial that does a decent job at explaining the basics of nonograms, but if you wanna do 10x10 or 15x15 nonograms, which the game will throw at you eventually by difficulty 2+, you will eventually have to look for outside materials for tips on how to do them fast. i just wish there was a practice mode with no time pressure and disabled achievements, but regardless you can always practice on https://www.puzzle-nonograms.com/ to get better timings. As a roguelike this game is pretty good as well, slay the spire structure dungeons, items either make you get more: Time,Hp, or solve blocks easier. But dont be deceived, this game requires more of your skill than luck when doing these. If you suck at nonograms, i recommend unlocking the soldier class as he is the most forgiving class (most hp more mistakes and his legendary sword solves 1/4 of the nonograms by itself)

This game is very fun, but the endless mode is terrible. Your abilities get so powerful that you can just randomly click cells and complete the puzzle without losing health or time. Additionally, the difficulty scaling doesn't actually make the floors harder, it just makes the boss way longer. As insult to injury, you only gain XP when you die, but once you get to a certain floor it becomes impossible to die. I think if the endless mode was fixed this could be a very fun game since the core gameplay loop is quite enjoyable.

Developer Hydrobates takes the familiar concept of nonogram puzzles and reshapes it into something far more adventurous with CiniCross, a title that blends logical deduction with roguelite progression in an unexpectedly natural way. Published by Hydrobates as well, the game abandons the calm, meditative pace commonly associated with picross-inspired experiences and instead places players inside a dangerous dungeon where every completed puzzle represents another step toward survival. Rather than existing as isolated brain teasers, the nonograms become the primary mechanic that drives exploration, progression, and decision-making, resulting in a hybrid that feels refreshingly different from both traditional puzzle games and standard roguelites. At its core, CiniCross revolves around procedurally generated nonogram challenges that steadily grow in size and complexity throughout each expedition. Players begin with smaller grids that introduce the mechanics before gradually facing much larger and more demanding puzzles that require careful concentration and logical thinking. The dungeon itself branches into multiple routes, encouraging players to make meaningful choices about where to …

I really like the idea of this game, but there are definitely balance issues. I think it's worth sticking with though!

Very fun take on picross