A 2d platformer that embraces variety, physics and silliness. It's a bit janky at times but overall it's a very enjoyable game.

This was a game I started years ago on game pass and had completely forgotten about because I got distracted by other games. Now that it was leaving game pass, I wanted to return to it and I'm glad I did!

You play as an oval with legs that interacts with towns people who put you into hilarious situations. From the towns folk thinking you're a monster, to fighting haunted toast, to puzzling through an old mine, to guitar hero style dance offs, it's crammed with variety. And all the while, everything is super silly and fun and there are no breaks from the humor.

While those things are great, the game also feels janky at times. I lost count of the number of times I missed a jump because I never really got a great handle on the feel of the jump.

Also, there is a roll move you can do and while rolling to move faster and coming out of that to jump just doesn't work great, if at all.

There is also a point in the game where they enable fast travel but they don't outright call it that so I had no idea! It's a train and I figured it had one stop because you're progressing to the next spot and the previous towns didn't have stations. I started making my way to back track to a town I visited before to do a thing, but it was blocked by this little area you need to puzzle though. The game also doesn't seem to save the actions you make, so you don't just drift through the area you already solved, you have to do it all again.

Anyway, I did the thing I wanted to do in the previous area and came back to the train only to find out I could've taken the train there. I wasn't frustrated or anything, but it did make me roll my eyes. Like, really? You don't save what I did in those sections previously but also I could've avoided doing it all a 2nd time just to get back to the valley area? Annoying.

Keep in mind that the game is also amazingly short, you will probably finish this in 1-2 sittings at most, so any kind of irritation you have won't last long.

If you're looking for a fun and silly 2d platformer that is kind of it's own thing, than this is it! Just remember that might come with a character that is a bit strange to control.

I really loved this game! Such a compelling and charismatic adventure with a surprising amount of unique gameplay ideas and super focused and funny writing. Pikuniku especially excels in creating spontaneous moments of childlike fun and joy through visuals, writing, and gameplay alike. The minigames and sub-areas I found rewarded my exploration and provided some of my best laughs and smiles without overstaying their welcome. I would love to see a sequel to this someday - idk what the devs are up to but send my compliments to the chefs for this one...

A silly and colorful platformer. The story is about a character named Piku who is trying to stop a corporate magnate from taking over the world and enslaving it's people to be his personal servants.

Lots of silly writing and at times some challenging platforming. There are collectables and a good array of achievements/trophies to unlock as well.

Co-Op is also a lot of fun and should be enjoyed with a friend or family member.

Another game I got free on the Epic Game Store at some point, I vaguely remembered hearing this was a fun game, and I needed something to fill the rest of my night because LOVE had been so short, so I ended up checking this out. I’d actually had no idea how long a game this was at the time, but I ended up beating it in about 3 hours after doing just about every side quest I could find.

Pikuniku is the story of a little island and the money man running rampant over it. Mr. Sunshine is here with his robots, and he’s gonna give you free money if you just let him take all that unimportant seeming stuff lying around! Just let his robots take what they want, and you’ll be flooded with free money! Its in the middle of all of this money giving that you, Piku, wake up in your cave. After escaping with the helpful advice of a random ghost, you emerge to a world that is certainly drowning in money, but it’s difficult to shake the feeling that Mr. Sunshine isn’t all he’s cracked up to be.

The writing in Pikuniku is really fun! I had no expectations going in, but it’s a game I found delightfully silly and funny, with some really fun dialogue writing in particular. The game also really wears its politics on its sleeve as well. It’s not exactly Disco Elysium, but it’s a pretty aggressive anti-capitalist work of satire, and it’s a very fun one at that. Perhaps it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea in regards to its humor, but I enjoyed it very much~.

The gameplay is a relatively linear side-scrolling action/adventure game. There are several large hub areas where you have a main objective to complete, and there are often some side quests you can engage with as well. Piku can jump and kick, and that’s about it, but the platforming in this game is quite satisfying, although it’s also thankfully usually optional if that sort of thing isn’t something you really enjoy. A lot of the adventure stuff and action too are really here to enhance the engagement of the story, and I’d say they do quite a good job of that.

Aesthetically, Pikuniku is as whimsical and weird as you’d expect a title published by Devolver Digital to be, really. Lots of bright colors, funky music, and strange yet simple characters populate the island, and they all have their own weird and funny ways of acting and moving. The weird silly walking style that just about everyone (especially Piku) have is one of the stand out highlights, as odd as that may sound. It’s a joke that could easily get worn out if the game were longer, but I think just how straight the game plays it makes it an enjoyable bit of fun that underscores every cutscene.


Verdict: Recommended. It might be a bit short for some, but this is a really good time! The writing is super fun, and the platforming is too (though it can perhaps be a bit too hard for its own good at times). If you want a weird and wacky action adventure game to spend an afternoon with, then this is an excellent choice for you~.

Pikuniku soma elementos que muito me agradam: humor, direção de arte carismática e comentário social por baixo dos panos.

A temática anticapitalista com a breve nuance do fantasma do socialismo é uma camada que fica pouco sutil no texto e no desenvolvimento dos personagens de Pikuniku.

O vilão é o capitalista malvadão que usa o dinheiro para comprar recursos (produzido pelos trabalhadores) que ele usa para construir robôs (mão de obra barata) que lhe servem como empregados diretos em seus planos maquiavélicos de destruição do mundo o substituindo por novos espécimes e robôs, sob sua gerência e controle.

É uma ambição de brincar de deus que mistura com o humor simples e pastelão do jogo, marcado pelas piadas e pelo movimento dos personagens, desengonçado e cômico.

O próprio personagem do jogador tem um caminhado engraçado e ações que utilizam a física dos objetos de cena para criar plataformas e interagir com quebra-cabeças, algo que costuma divertir por si só pela forma inesperada que se comportam ou mesmo pela dificuldade de dominá-la.

Seja pela comédia emergente, ou por seus diálogos divertidos, a leveza é a palavra do dia, e mantém o comentário social satírico longe de um didatismo que possa torná-lo doutrinário. Pra todos os efeitos, sua crítica social é anti-capitalista, mas não necessariamente socialista, o que deixa tudo mais a cargo de nuances e interpretativas.

A direção por sua vez, entrega cores vibrantes e contrastantes em um estilo de colorização mais chapado (flat) e blocado (color blocking) criando uma atmosfera lúdica e infantiloide. Isso o torna um jogo acessível e palatável pra todas as idades, servindo uma personalidade vivaz e alegre, casando bem com o humor e a trilha sonora igualmente pitoresca e simplória.

O tempo necessário pra terminar também é um gostinho extra pra uma rápida sessão. Por suas mecânicas simples, ele não chega a se tornar cansativo ou necessitar de mais complexidade pra se manter entretendo justamente pela sua curta duração. Eu amo isso? Demais.

I’m back!!!

It’s only been 800 years since I last finished a game. But anyways, this was really cute and fun. So short though! Me and my girlfriend had a good time playing it, and it felt like such a wholesome, light experience.

Some really cool level design, pretty much impossible to get really stuck anywhere. So many little secret things to find and mess around with, and even some really cool little racing levels that were so random and fun.

I’d be okay with playing a lot more games as cute and harmless as this one.

Cute little indie game that's more of a walking simulator than a platformer. Sorry, it's a "cinematic platformer".

Don't take me wrong though. I had a blast, more than with any other cinematic platformer I've played before. Also, it has a little more action than many of said genre. Still, for me it fits that genre's common description as the platforming feels clumsy and there is almost no difficulty to it.

The dialogues I thought were really funny as well as the story overall. Nothing outstanding, just a very good time.

I was ready to rate it 3 out of 5, then I played the co-op levels. They were the best designed part of the game, leaning more to the puzzle platforming bits of the game. They were also very few and completely separated of the main game.

Finally, I had an issue post-game. Went back to my save file to try and complete some objectives. However, after catching a bird for one of those side quests, my game got stuck. No matter if I closed, reinstalled or even played through the cloud. Nothing worked. When I load my save, I'm stuck over the house in the spot I caught the bird on and I can't move. A real shame.

Played through Xbox Game Pass for 8 hours exactly, main story + co-op. Don't know why it took me so darn long.