Hi everyone, I'm delighted to announce that Pictopix is taking part in this year's Cerebral Puzzle Showcase! This event showcases a wide range of puzzle games. It runs from May 23 to 30. To celebrate, Pictopix is 30% off. Don't hesitate to share the news! https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/ Thanks again for all your positive feedback isheart Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@pictopix bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pictopix.bsky.social twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2024-05-25 16:00:12 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, Hope you're well!

1,000 reviews!

I'm very happy to announce that Pictopix hits 1,000 reviews! With 96% of positive reviews!! Thank you very much for all your support and feedback! isveryhappy Since Pictopix was released in 2017, many of you have been giving feedback and also creating puzzles in the Workshop (over 3,000 now!). When I started working on Pictopix, I never thought it would get this far. I first wanted to create a picross game that would appeal to me as a player. Then many of you helped me to improve it, as well as translating it into different languages. It's great to have a community like this. As this is my first solo game (I'd already worked for video game companies before), I've had quite an amazing adventure, and I'd like to thank you all for that isheart To celebrate the event, Pictopix is currently on sale: https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/

What's next?

On the other hand, I've got some bad news. I've been working with the Unity game engine (the one used to make Pictopix) for almost 10 years now. It's a powerful tool with which many developers have created wonderful games (Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Tunic, etc.).
Unfortunately, Unity Technnologies has recently changed its pricing structure for developers. Costs are becoming prohibitively expensive for small independent developers like me (and for companies too). Like many developers, I'm protesting these new fees. As there is little chance of Unity reversing its decision, I will be forced to stop development on this game engine. Which means no more updates for Pictopix. Maybe one day I'll port it to another game engine (a sequel?). As I also have other projects, I don't know yet ishappy In any case, I'd like to thank you for your understanding and wish you lots of fun on Pictopix. Thanks for your support isheart Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@pictopix twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2023-09-16 10:00:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, I'm very happy to announce that Pictopix is now available on Steam Deck! isstar

Fully compatible with Steam Deck!

Today Steam officially launches the Steam Deck! If you have pre-ordered the console, you will be happy to know that Pictopix has been updated to be fully compatible with the console. The game is now playable with the controller, the trackpad and the touch screen! With the help of another developer who owns the Steam Deck (Simon Bachmann who worked on the game Pathway), I was able to make sure that Pictopix worked perfectly on the console. Some parts of the game were tweaked to make the game suitable for the console.
Thanks Simon for this nice picture!

New puzzle!

I also made some small corrections and added a new skin in the Interface tab ("Black & White"). And to celebrate the arrival of Pictopix on Steam Deck, I created a new puzzle in the Workshop. I wish you a lot of fun playing it isveryhappy

Steam Deck owner?

You have a Steam Deck? Feel free to share pictures or videos on social media! (see below for links)
Have fun on Pictopix and see you soon ishappy Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2022-02-25 18:15:15 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, I wish you all a Happy New Year! isheart I hope you had a good holiday and enjoyed the Christmas puzzles recently added in Pictopix. If you missed them, feel free to read the previous news. Of course they are still available.

4th Anniversary

Today marks the 4th anniversary of Pictopix! isstar To celebrate the event, I've added a puzzle in the Workshop. The theme of this puzzle is "Special Event".
I also have another gift for you...

Special gift

A long time ago, in 2009, I was a big fan of a Nintendo game called Picross DS (maybe you played it?) It was the first time I played a game like that. I was so obsessed with it that one day I developed in a few days a little Flash game based on it. A lot of time passed. Then I recently learned that Adobe company was going to end support of Flash for good. So I dug into my archives to look at the Flash games I had created. And I found the picross game! As Pictopix's birthday was approaching, it was the perfect timing to let you discover this little game I had developed ishappy
So if you want to play the game, just click on this link to download it: http://pictopix.tomlabgames.com/download/PicrossGame.zip Then unzip the ZIP file in a new directory. I recommend reading the README.txt file before launching the game (double click on the "Run Game" icon). As you can see, the game is not as complete as Pictopix. There are fifteen levels, a small level editor and... that's it! For the record, this little game helped me get a job in a video game company isveryhappy The game is of course free so you are free to share the game with other players. And if you have any questions, don't hesitate! Have fun and see you soon ishappy Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2021-01-05 15:55:11 CET ] [ Original post ]

Oh oh oh! Happy holidays everyone! isstar First, I hope you're going well and are safe. To celebrate Christmas, I have a gift for you!

Christmas puzzles

I've added new puzzles based on Christmas theme in Pictopix! Just go in the Workshop screen to download the puzzles. Do not hesitate to sort the puzzles by "Christmas" theme if you missed those from previous years! I hope you enjoy them ishappy
Feel free to create your own Christmas puzzles with the level editor!

4 years old soon!

Pictopix will be 4 years old on 5 January 2021! I would like to thank you all once again for your feedback and great reviews. It's a real pleasure to see the community grow, create lots of puzzles (2,000!) and enjoy Pictopix. So, have fun! isveryhappy Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! isheart Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2020-12-23 16:00:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone and welcome to new players! I hope you are doing well and having a good time. Right now, it's the fall sales on Steam. So you can get Pictopix for 33% off! It's also the 2020 Steam Awards! To celebrate the event, you can vote for your favorite games in various categories. Pictopix has got free updates and contents throughout the year, so the game is open for nominations for "Labor of Love"! Feel free to vote! isveryhappy
I would like to thank you again for your support isheart Have fun! Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram

[ 2020-11-27 10:11:37 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, I hope you are all safe and well!

2,000 puzzles!

I'm very happy to announce that the number of puzzles created in the Steam Workshop has exceeded 2,000! You're just amazing isveryhappy Since the release of Pictopix in January 2017, you have never stopped to create new puzzles. Themes are varied. It goes from video games to animals, comics, tv show, food, movies and many more! Some of the puzzles are very original and beautiful! I cannot name you all, but there are great contributors such as philomath_jp, Mattcraft900, bobscomic1, NPC #2431, theunnecessary, WheatTooth, MrNiceCream, Bl, Cakoka, Nupfi, Plushymanceress, Misora, Turbulent, Korb3n, Rena, [CN]sunyatsen6, Ishtar, Mittens, Hennihenner, Perendi, Flying Tom, pEppEr, ChildishGiant, Kethlak... I'm probably forgetting names! So, I'd like to thank you all for continuing to play Pictopix and creating new puzzles. I'm still amazed that so many people still enjoy playing Pictopix, so thank you very much! isheart
Two thousands, that's a lot of puzzles! Don't forget you can filter the puzzles with the sort options (theme, size, etc.). You can also let the game randomly choose a puzzle for you by clicking the Random button.

Update

Following your latest feedback, Pictopix is still being improved. The last version is 1.5.0c and you can check out the changelog here (or in game). If you have any suggestion or feedback, please do not hesitate to let me know. Here, on the forum, or on Discord if you prefer ishappy Have fun and see you soon! isstar Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram

[ 2020-10-08 14:55:34 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone, I hope you are all safe and well! I'm pleased to announce a new update for Pictopix! ishappy

Awards

A major modification has been made: The way you earn awards (crowns) has been changed! As you can see on the picture below, you now earn more awards when playing in Intermediate and Expert mode. And if you solve a puzzle in Expert difficulty with almost no errors, awards are golden! Thus, newcomers to picross games will get more pleasure to make progress and experienced players are still challenged in Pictopix!
(Game Options > Hints Tab > Awards Section) When you launch the game after the update, your game save (awards + achievements) will be updated. Some achievements might be unlocked! isveryhappy

Patterns

Following players' suggestions, it's now possible to choose a pattern for the grid background. Spotting a square or counting squares will be easier and quicker!
(Game Options > Interface Tab) Don't forget that enabling "Preview Filling" (Game Options > Gameplay Tab) displays a squares counter on screen! (more info here)

Running on background

One of your requests was to let the game run when you switch to another application. That's now the case! When the game loses focus, Pictopix no longer pauses. If you prefer the game to pause, you can check the "Pause game on focus loss" option (Game Options > Interface Tab)

And more enhancements!

As you can see in the changelog (version 1.5.0), other enhancements have been made to improve the game experience. Once again, thank you for the feedback and suggestions! isheart

1,800 puzzles in the Workshop!

I'm pleased to see that the number of puzzles is still growing in the Workshop. More than 1,800 puzzles have been created by the community! Some puzzles are very nice and originals! Thank you for your contributions isveryhappy

On sale

Pictopix is on sale for 33% off starting today on Steam! Feel free to share the news with your friends isveryhappy https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/ Have fun and see you soon! Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram

[ 2020-05-21 16:00:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everybody, I wish you all a Happy Lunar New Year!

New puzzles

For celebrating the event, I have added new puzzles in the workshop! Just go in the "Workshop" section in Pictopix to play the "Lunar New Year" puzzles ishappy
I would like to thank Fall/ for his advice and suggestions for the puzzles. He also translated Pictopix into Chinese! I hope you will enjoy the new puzzles/pictures isveryhappy

Anniversary

If you missed it, Pictopix celebrated its 3rd anniversary the 5th January! To mark this occcasion, a puzzle has also been added in the workshop ("Special Gift" theme).

Lunar Sale

In celebration of the Lunar New Year, Pictopix is 33% off on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/ Have fun and see you soon! isheart Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram

[ 2020-01-25 12:02:32 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Pictopix is open for nominations for "Labor of Love" in the 2019 Steam Awards! Initially released in January 2017, Pictopix has got regular updates and free contents, so feel free to vote for Pictopix in the "Labor of Love" category ishappy

• Mosaics mode - 14 Mar, 2019
• Twitch integration - 30 Aug, 2018
• Endless and Challenges modes - 24 May, 2018
• 2018 Anniversary update with new and larger puzzles - 5 Jan, 2018
• Christmas and Halloween events - 2017, 2018
• Workshop - 27 Jan, 2017

Be sure you are logged in on Steam to ensure your vote is taken account! Thank you very much isveryhappy Tom

[ 2019-11-28 15:10:40 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hey everyone, I'm very pleased to announce that the number of puzzles created by the community has passed the 1,700 mark since the release of Pictopix in 2017! ishappy It's just amazing! I would like to thank all the players who continue to play and create new puzzles on Pictopix. Some puzzles are very fun to play and you have a lot of imagination. As you can see below, some pictures are really nice! (click to enlarge)



So again, I would like to thank all the community of Pictopix for sharing their creations isveryhappy

Halloween

In celebration of Halloween, Pictopix is 33% off on Steam this week! Feel free to play Halloween themed puzzles if you want to be scared steamhappy

Update

As usual, fixes and improvements have been made since the last update. Take a look at the changelog (version 1.4.4) to check them out. Have fun and see you soon! isheart Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/

[ 2019-10-31 15:00:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everybody, I'm very excited to announce that a new free update is available for Pictopix! This update adds new content and foremost a new game mode: the Mosaics Mode! isstar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVqKxQN_cxE

Mosaics Mode

In this new game mode, you'll have to reveal three large pictures! They are composed of grids of puzzles. Solve the puzzles one after the other for unveiling small parts of the picture. When all of the tiles are completed, the entire image will appear in color! You can play the puzzles in any order you like or, if you prefer, click on the Shuffle button (upper right corner of the screen) to pick a random puzzle! As you can see in game, the size of the puzzles vary from one mosaic to another. In the first mosaic, the puzzles are 10 x 10. In the second one, 15 x 15. And 20 x 20 in the last mosaic! There are more than a hundred of puzzles to solve! Completing the three large mosaics should take several hours. ishappy

New Achievements

I also added four new achievements in relation to the Mosaics Mode. The most skilled players among you will probably want to earn all the awards in this mode! isveryhappy
I hope you will have fun with the Mosaics Mode! Do not hesitate to give feedback ishappy As usual, you can read the full changelog here (version 1.4.0). I made some minor fixes and improvements in the game. Once again, I would like to thank the players who help me translate the game. isheart To celebrate the arrival of the Mosaics DLC, Pictopix is on sale for several days! Feel free to share the news with your friends! https://store.steampowered.com/app/568320/Pictopix/ Have fun and see you soon! Tom isgood Official Discord isgood Facebook isgood Twitter isgood Tumblr isgood Instagram

[ 2019-03-14 16:05:44 CET ] [ Original post ]

Happy Holidays everybody! I hope you are enjoying some time off with family and relaxing with good games! To celebrate Christmas, I have a gift for you! Some new puzzles and a small update ishappy

Christmas puzzles

I've added puzzles of various sizes based on Christmas theme in Pictopix. Go in the Workshop, you will see the new puzzles. Do not hesitate to sort the puzzles by "Christmas" theme if you missed those of the past year!
A little surprise is waiting you when you complete a puzzle on Christmas theme!

Workshop notifications

When you run the game, a notification will now appear on some buttons if new puzzles have been added in the Workshop. The notification will display the number of puzzles created since your last visit.
Besides this new feature, I made some minor tweaks and fixes in the new update (version 1.3.6)

Winter Solstice

Today is winter solstice! If you have (almost) finished the classic mode, perhaps you should take a look at puzzles ishappy

Two years old

On 5 January 2019, Pictopix will be 2 years old! Once again, I'd like to thank all of the people who play Pictopix! Thanks for helping me improve the game and translate it in different languages. Thanks for creating hundreds of puzzles in the Workshop. Thank you also for your positive reviews and feedback! isheart It's amazing to see players spending hundreds of hours on Pictopix so it makes me very happy! I hope you will continue enjoying Pictopix isveryhappy Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! isstar Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-12-21 15:00:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everybody, To celebrate Halloween, I'm really pleased to announce a new update for Pictopix!

Halloween

Like last year, there is a special event hidden in the game! To discover what it is, here's a little hint: go into the Workshop and play a puzzle in the Halloween theme ishappy Feel free to use the search engine to find puzzles quickly!
Henceforth, this event will be active every year over the same period. I've also created a new puzzle in the Workshop. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Preview filling

In the new update, Pictopix introduces a new feature named "Preview filling". When this one is enabled, now you can preview the squares that you are filling. Hold the button and move the cursor to highlight squares. Then release the button to fill the squares! A counter is also displayed next to the cursor. It shows the number of squares highlighted. It can be helpful to count them.
This feature works with the mouse, the keyboard or the controller! You can enable "Preview filling" in the game options (Gameplay tab) Some players were asking me regularly this feature. I was reticent at first because I thought the feature will give an advantage to players in Challenges mode, but it does not. ishappy

Interface improvement

In the previous update (version 1.3.4), I added the "Thick line" option in the Interface tab. When you check it, the five-block indicator lines are thicker (thanks constantcompile for the suggestion!)
I also updated some skins and added two new ones ("Classic Dark" and "Amethyst") :

Translation

Once again, I would like to thank the players who help me translate Pictopix in their own language. Sometimes they are not always available so there may be some missing translation. In such cases, feel free to let me know! As usual, you will find the full changelog here (version 1.3.5). Have fun and see you soon! isveryhappy Tom discord: https://t.co/Kf4rbUOeJi twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-10-31 16:45:33 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well! I'm glad to announce that Pictopix has got a new update with some special features! The first one is the integration of Twitch. Let me introduce this new feature!

Twitch Integration

After several tests and iterations of this feature with the help of a few players and the french streamer Seldell (many thanks to him!), I'm finally satisfied with the Twitch integration. When the streamers enable this feature, the viewers can interact with the game by typing commands to the Twitch chat! For example, if a viewer wants to fill the square at coordinates B 4, he just types "!fill B4". The proposal will be displayed on game screen. The streamer can check the proposal ("!fill 15" in the screenshot) before validating or discarding it. The streamer can also activate an "Autoplay" option and the most submitted actions will be played automatically after a certain period of time!
Following is a list of commands you can type in Twitch chat:

• !fill: fill blank squares.
• !cross: mark blank squares with crosses.
• !mark: mark temporarily blank squares.
• !clear: clear blank.
• !help: display the commands in chat.

The first four commands can be used in this way:

• !fill [letter]: fill a column (for e.g. !fill A)
• !fill [number]: fill a row (for e.g. !fill 1)
• !fill [letter][number]: fill a square (for e.g. !fill A1)
• !fill [letter][number] [letter][number]: fill a line (for e.g. !fill A1 A5)

Streamers can enable Twitch Integration in the game options (Streaming tab):
I hope you will appreciate this new game mode! Do not hesitate to give feedback about Twitch Integration. ːishappyː

Discord

I've added Rich Presence suppport to Discord. Now you can see which game mode your friends are playing. If one of them is playing Challenge Mode for example, you can join him to try to break his record!
Feel to join the discord of Pictopix if you want to discuss about the game!

Steam Chat

As in Discord, you can see which game mode your friends are playing.
If you want to learn more about the Steam Chat update, you can click this link: https://steamcommunity.com/updates/chatupdate As usual, many fixes and improvements have been made since the last update. Take a look at the changelog (version 1.3.2) to check them out. Have fun and see you soon! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-08-30 15:01:35 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well and that you don't keep on dreaming about small squares… I've been working on a new update – I hope you'll like it. No new puzzles this time but I've added some new game modes: an Endless mode and a Challenges mode! I'll tell you about them. ːishappyː

Endless mode

In this game mode the grids are generated at random! Choose the size of the grids you want to have and define other parameters. If you prefer square grids of which the size is a multiple of 5, it's possible! You can therefore customize your puzzle as you wish. An abstract image will be shown at the end of each puzzle – with different colors.
The interface of Endless mode If you want to practice or just do a quick puzzle in Pictopix, Endless mode is a good addition to the puzzles created by the players in the Workshop!
A random generated puzzle

Challenges mode

If what you like is solving puzzles as quickly as possible, Challenges mode is made for you! Different challenges are presented, notably against the clock. Solve a series of four 5x5 puzzles as quickly as possible. Your time will be saved in a leaderboard. Not only can you compare your times with other players but also watch their game! The challenges are renewed every half hour and the leaderboards are stocked for 24 hours.
The Challenges mode interface As of now there are 4 Time Trials challenges. I may add other kinds of challenges later!
Watch players' games!

New achievements

To mark the occasion, 4 new achievements have been added and 2 have been modified. The 4 new achievements are linked to the Challenges mode. To unlock them, do the challenges in the time allowed. The other two are "5 ■ 5" and "10 ■ 10". These were originally created when playing puzzles in Shuffle mode (in Classic mode). They are now linked to Endless mode because they are more appropriate to randomly generated puzzles.

Translations

I would like once again to thank the players who translate the game. If you can play Pictopix in your own language, it's thanks to them. Excuse me if some parts of the game have not yet been translated. The players do the translations in their own free time so we must give them time to complete them. Don't hesitate to thank them personally! Their names are in the game credits. As always, you'll find the modifications in the changelog (version 1.3.0) Have fun and see you soon! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-05-24 15:15:18 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everybody, For this rather special day I wanted to build a rather special update for you! On the face of it the update will look quite inoffensive but maybe when you play a puzzle I've added to the Workshop (theme "Machine" from Tomlab Games) something will happen! Some things might have changed in the game!
To give you a clue, this update involved quite a lot of texts... A big part of them have been translated in some languages, so I would like to thank the translators who have joined in. The task was not easy :ishappy: With this event, a new achievement will be unlocked and a permanent option will be added to the game options (in the "Gameplay" Tab). I hope you'll like this little surprise! As usual some small corrections have been made. You'll find them here (version 1.2.4)
I'll take the opportunity to say that in version 1.2.3 which came out two weeks ago the game's ergonomics were improved. The Options window has been totally redesigned to be more user friendly. Above all, it is now possible to reconfigure the keys on the keyboard, the mouse and even the controller! In the same way, the keyboard shortcuts in the editor can also be modified. Have fun and see you soon! :isheart: Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-04-01 12:05:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everybody, For this rather special day I wanted to build a rather special update for you! On the face of it the update will look quite inoffensive but maybe when you play a puzzle I've added to the Workshop (theme "Machine" from Tomlab Games) something will happen! Some things might have changed in the game!
To give you a clue, this update involved quite a lot of texts... A big part of them have been translated in some languages, so I would like to thank the translators who have joined in. The task was not easy ːishappyː With this event, a new achievement will be unlocked and a permanent option will be added to the game options (in the "Gameplay" Tab). I hope you'll like this little surprise! As usual some small corrections have been made. You'll find them here (version 1.2.4)
I'll take the opportunity to say that in version 1.2.3 which came out two weeks ago the game's ergonomics were improved. The Options window has been totally redesigned to be more user friendly. Above all, it is now possible to reconfigure the keys on the keyboard, the mouse and even the controller! In the same way, the keyboard shortcuts in the editor can also be modified. Have fun and see you soon! ːisheartː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-04-01 12:05:42 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Here I am again with another update! The welcome you gave to the first anniversary update gave me great pleasure. I got several articles in the press (which you can find on twitter or facebook). A website like Rock, Paper, Shotgun did a great article on Pictopix which you can read here.
I would like to thank the players once again for all the positive feedback and remarks which help me to improve the game. With this new update I will be replying to your expectations. Here are the new features and improvements:

Skins

The other novelty is that you are now able to select the skin of your choice in the options. This will change the color of some parts of the interface as well as the grid. So, if you would like the background color to be darker while you are playing the game, it's now possible. For those of you who like tinkering with this sort of thing it is possible to add your own skins in the application's Skins directory. (Default path: \Steam\steamapps\common\Pictopix\Pictopix_Data)

Cursor

As from now you can choose between two types of cursor: the original square one and another which lights up the column and the row you are hovering on. On the bigger grids this can be helpful by making it easier to identify the squares or boxes in the row/column concerned.

Selection of numbers

When the hints are disabled it is possible to click on the numbers to gray them out manually. Well this is now possible from the game controller or from the keyboard! It's quite simple you just have to hold down the LT button or the Alt key. Arrows will come up on the row and column concerned. Select the row or the column with the stick (or the directional arrows) then move along the numbers to gray them out with the A button (or the space bar). When finished release the LT button (or the Alt key) to get the cursor back on the grid.
To see the other modifications and corrections you can consult changelog (version 1.2.1). If you'd like to see Pictopix on gog.com one day dont hesitate to vote on the thread created by a player. One never knows! In closing, I would like to thank Red Orc who has kindly translated the puzzles (Anniversary update) in Japanese. Have fun and see you soon! :ishappy: Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-02-22 15:45:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Here I am again with another update! The welcome you gave to the first anniversary update gave me great pleasure. I got several articles in the press (which you can find on twitter or facebook). A website like Rock, Paper, Shotgun did a great article on Pictopix which you can read here.
I would like to thank the players once again for all the positive feedback and remarks which help me to improve the game. With this new update I will be replying to your expectations. Here are the new features and improvements:

Skins

The other novelty is that you are now able to select the skin of your choice in the options. This will change the color of some parts of the interface as well as the grid. So, if you would like the background color to be darker while you are playing the game, it's now possible. For those of you who like tinkering with this sort of thing it is possible to add your own skins in the application's Skins directory. (Default path: SteamsteamappscommonPictopixPictopix_Data)

Cursor

As from now you can choose between two types of cursor: the original square one and another which lights up the column and the row you are hovering on. On the bigger grids this can be helpful by making it easier to identify the squares or boxes in the row/column concerned.

Selection of numbers

When the hints are disabled it is possible to click on the numbers to gray them out manually. Well this is now possible from the game controller or from the keyboard! It's quite simple – you just have to hold down the LT button or the Alt key. Arrows will come up on the row and column concerned. Select the row or the column with the stick (or the directional arrows) then move along the numbers to gray them out with the A button (or the space bar). When finished release the LT button (or the Alt key) to get the cursor back on the grid.
To see the other modifications and corrections you can consult changelog (version 1.2.1). If you'd like to see Pictopix on gog.com one day don’t hesitate to vote on the thread created by a player. One never knows! In closing, I would like to thank Red Orc who have kindly translated the puzzles (Anniversary update) in Japanese. Have fun and see you soon! ːishappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-02-22 15:45:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, It is with great pleasure that I present the Anniversary Update! Here's what you'll find in the new version of Pictopix:

• 45 new puzzles
• Bigger puzzles up to 40 x 40
• New achievements
• New secrets
• Zoom button for big grids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhzB6x_y3Y According to my tests and calculations the time needed to solve the 45 new puzzles is longer than it was for all 155 initial puzzles! I was astonished to discover that the total playing time is more than doubled with this latest update. I therefore hope that you’ll be happy with it ːishappyː Quite a lot of modifications and improvements have been made to the game. To see a list of them, consult the change log of the 1.2.0 version.
One of the new puzzles Once again I'd like to thank the translators who have kindly translated the new puzzles. There are just one language in which the new texts have not yet been translated – Japanese. The translators are players who do this in their free time. I hope you’ll understand that they need time to complete them.
Zoomed grid Some players have expressed the wish to play a DRM-Free version of Pictopix on gog.com. It’s quite possible to envisage this. Even if the game will lack the Workshop, I could leave the puzzle editor in there. I will study the question before contacting gog.com. In the meantime I suggest you show your interest in Pictopix by voting on this topic created by a player: https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/pictopix If you wish to be informed of the latest news about Pictopix, you can now subscribe to the newsletter: http://pictopix.tomlabgames.com/newsletter I wish you all a very happy New Year and all the things you could wish yourselves! ːisstarː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-01-05 12:00:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, It is with great pleasure that I present the Anniversary Update! Here's what you'll find in the new version of Pictopix:

• 45 new puzzles
• Bigger puzzles up to 40 x 40
• New achievements
• New secrets
• Zoom button for big grids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhzB6x_y3Y According to my tests and calculations the time needed to solve the 45 new puzzles is longer than it was for all 155 initial puzzles! I was astonished to discover that the total playing time is more than doubled with this latest update. I therefore hope that youll be happy with it :ishappy: Quite a lot of modifications and improvements have been made to the game. To see a list of them, consult the change log of the 1.2.0 version.
One of the new puzzles Once again I'd like to thank the translators who have kindly translated the new puzzles. There are just one language in which the new texts have not yet been translated Japanese. The translators are players who do this in their free time. I hope youll understand that they need time to complete them.
Zoomed grid Some players have expressed the wish to play a DRM-Free version of Pictopix on gog.com. Its quite possible to envisage this. Even if the game will lack the Workshop, I could leave the puzzle editor in there. I will study the question before contacting gog.com. In the meantime I suggest you show your interest in Pictopix by voting on this topic created by a player: https://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/pictopix If you wish to be informed of the latest news about Pictopix, you can now subscribe to the newsletter: http://pictopix.tomlabgames.com/newsletter I wish you all a very happy New Year and all the things you could wish yourselves! :isstar: Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2018-01-05 12:00:05 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Pictopix will soon be celebrating its first anniversary! The 5th of January 2018 to be exact. 2017 has been a good year for Pictopix. The game has been well received by the press and by the players. Thanks to your feedback, as the months went by, I was able to improve the game. What is more, you, the players, have created more than 1,000 puzzles in the Workshop! I'm therefore greatly excited to announce a major update coming out on the 5th of January! There'll be new puzzles, new achievements and playing time more than doubled! There'll also be some surprises. This update will be free and won't contain loot boxes! I promise! I will put up some pictures of the update on the social networks so don't hesitate to follow Pictopix on Facebook or Twitter for example. While waiting for the update, keep your eye on the Workshop! With Christmas coming, I may add some puzzles! Moreover, a Christmas update is available (version 1.1.20). Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New year's! :isstar: See you soon! Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2017-12-15 15:45:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, Pictopix will soon be celebrating its first anniversary! The 5th of January 2018 to be exact. 2017 has been a good year for Pictopix. The game has been well received by the press and by the players. Thanks to your feedback, as the months went by, I was able to improve the game. What is more, you, the players, have created more than 1,000 puzzles in the Workshop! I'm therefore greatly excited to announce a major update coming out on the 5th of January! There'll be new puzzles, new achievements and playing time more than doubled! There'll also be some surprises. This update will be free and won't contain loot boxes! I promise! I will put up some pictures of the update on the social networks so don't hesitate to follow Pictopix on Facebook or Twitter for example. While waiting for the update, keep your eye on the Workshop! With Christmas coming, I may add some puzzles! Moreover, a Christmas update is available (version 1.1.20). Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New year's! ːisstarː See you soon! Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2017-12-15 15:45:41 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, IndieDB's 2017 Indie of the Year Awards began two days ago! Players vote for their favorite indie games. If you want to give your vote to Pictopix, please follow this link and click on "Vote"! The top 100 will be announced on the 10th of December. Let's do our best! Thank you again, have fun with Pictopix and stay tuned for the next news! :ishappy: Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2017-12-03 19:29:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, IndieDB's 2017 Indie of the Year Awards began two days ago! Players vote for their favorite indie games. If you want to give your vote to Pictopix, please follow this link and click on "Vote"! The top 100 will be announced on the 10th of December. Let's do our best! Thank you again, have fun with Pictopix and stay tuned for the next news! ːishappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pictopix_game/

[ 2017-12-03 19:29:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone! Here’s a small update a bit special… For Halloween I've prepared a little surprise. It’s easy to take advantage of it – just go into the Workshop and play a puzzle in the Halloween theme. Don’t hesitate to use the search engine to find them quickly!
Once you’ve finished the puzzle… well… I'll leave you to find out what happens! I've also created a new puzzle on this theme in the Workshop to mark the occasion. You’ll find others created by the players as well – I hope you'll like them! There are several improvements and corrections in this update as well. You’ll find them in the changelog (version 1.1.19). To keep up with the news on Pictopix, sign up on one of the social networks such as twitter, facebook or tumblr. Have fun! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/

[ 2017-10-20 14:08:49 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone! I’m really pleased to tell you that the number of puzzles created by the Pictopix community has now gone past the 1,000 mark! This target was reached on August 15th by Paduk. Blü has created a puzzle to commemorate the event. Thank you both and my thanks to all of you who contribute to the Workshop regularly: Misora, Rena, Korb3n, Ishtar, Cakoka, [CN]sunyatsen6, Hennihenner, Kethlak, Nupfi, Klaus Otto... There are certainly many more I have forgotten! One thousand, that's a lot of puzzles. New players could be a bit lost. Don't hesitate to use the different sort options to play your favorite puzzles!

About the 3 crown note system

I would like to take the opportunity of this announcement to sound out your ideas on the 3 crown note system. Do you find this is fair or would you prefer that the third crown didn't depend on the number of errors? Here are some changes I could make: [quote] - 1 crown : finishing a puzzle in Novice mode (The hints Highlight and Fade Numbers activated.) - 2 crowns : finishing a puzzle in Intermediate mode (The hint Fade Numbers activated.) - 3 crowns : finishing a puzzle in Expert Mode (No hints activated) [/quote] I could add one or more Achievements to players who finish the bigger puzzles with practically no errors. Let me know what you think!
As usual an update comes with this announcement (version 1.1.17 - Changelog). The game has been improved yet again and some translations have been corrected. Your remarks and suggestions are always welcome. Thanks again and good gaming!!! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/

[ 2017-08-18 14:30:57 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hello everyone, In this new update (version 1.1.16), I’ve concentrated mainly on improving the Pictopix Workshop. As you can see on the screenshot below, new sort options have been added to make it possible to sort the puzzles as you wish. If your friends play Pictopix you can now see their favorite puzzles or those which they have created. In addition, if you follow other players on Steam you can now see their creations by clicking on “From followed authors”. In selecting “Friends’ Favorites” or “Friends’ Creations” you will also be able to sort the puzzles according to the date, the theme or the rating (for the moment this is not possible in other sort categories on the Steam API).
I’ve also added two buttons in the pop-up displaying the selected puzzle. These allow you to pass quickly from one puzzle to another without closing the pop-up window. Navigation is thus much easier. If you play using a controller or the keyboard you can use the LB and RB buttons to pass from one puzzle to another (Page Down and Page Up on the keyboard).
I know that some players complained about the length of the animation when a puzzle is solved. Following up a player’s suggestion (Thanks Sumire !) I’ve worked out a compromise solution. Now you just have to hold down the left button on the mouse to speed up the animation (a small image “Speed Up” will appear at the top of the screen). This also works with the space bar or the “A” button on the controller.
There are other modifications designed to improve playing comfort (see changelog). I hope you’ll appreciate them! As I mentioned in other messages it is now easy to translate Pictopix into other languages. Should you wish to translate the game into your language, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me through the on-line contact form. Once again, good gaming and see you soon! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/

[ 2017-07-18 15:57:21 CET ] [ Original post ]

With this new update (version 1.1.12), Pictopix has been further enriched with yet more languages! This time it's Russian, Japanese and Turkish which have been added. I'd like to thank the Tolma4 team, Wasabim and Aydm Aslangören for their translations and their friendliness. The game is now available in 9 different languages. Here's the full list up to date: - English - Czech - French - Hungarian - Japanese - Russian - Spanish - Simplified Chinese - Turkish
Some small modifications have also been made. You can see the details here. This news bulletin is also to let you know that Pictopix is now listed in the "Top Best Bestest Games Of 2017 So Far" at Rock, Paper, Shotgun! This is a proud day for me. I hope that you, the players, like the game too. I will try to continue to improve it in accordance with your wishes. Thanks once again and "good gaming"! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/

[ 2017-06-08 14:31:13 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, In this new update (version 1.1.11), the Workshop has been improved with the arrival of two new sort options: Sorting puzzles placed in your favorites and sorting puzzles by author. In fact it is now possible to add puzzles to your favorites. It’s very easy. When a puzzle is finished you can click on the star to add it to your favorites. This is also possible from the Workshop. The option appears when clicking on a puzzle which is already solved.
On the image you will have noticed the little button "+" which appears next to the author's name. When you click on this the list of the puzzles created by this player will appear on screen.
This update brings with it a new language, the Hungarian. I'd very much like to thank Gőz Richárd (The_Reaper_CooL) for his translations. The game is now translated into 6 languages! This is partly thanks to several players who have proposed their services. If you would like to translate the game into your own language don't hesitate to get in touch with me using this link. Other parts of the game have also been improved in this update. To see the details have a look at the patch notes. See you soon and have fun! ːishappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/

[ 2017-06-02 21:33:56 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everybody, Great news today! I'm pleased to announce that Pictopix has new background musics. As of now it has a playlist with ten pieces which will accompany you as you play. They are chosen from bossa nova tunes and more traditional jazz. I hope you'll like them and that you’ll let yourselves be carried along by the rhythms of the guitar or the piano! Note that as you play you can pass on to the next piece using the "N" key on your keyboard or the right stick of your Xbox controller.
The other new feature is the localization of the game. Pictopix can now easily be translated into different languages. In addition to the English version Pictopix is now available in French, Spanish and Chinese. I would like to thank Joseahfer and Fall Ark for their translations and their help. At startup, Pictopix will detect the language of your OS. If the game has been translated into this language, it will be selected – otherwise it will default into English. It is also possible to change the language in Options – Misc tab. I take the occasion of this announcement to review things. Since I added the Workshop at the end of January there have been numerous improvements of lesser or greater importance like support for touch screens. You can consult the patch notes here. As for the Workshop itself, there are now 800 puzzles! Thank you all for your contributions! If I am able to continue to add new features it is thanks to the success of the game, and thus it's thanks to you, the players. I'd therefore like to thank you once again for your support and your suggestions! I'll keep on improving the game experience and I have a few ideas for the future... Have fun! ːisveryhappyː Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ tumblr: https://pictopix.tumblr.com/ http://store.steampowered.com/app/568320

[ 2017-05-19 19:59:23 CET ] [ Original post ]

Today Pictopix has a new feature: the Steam Workshop! This feature which was part of its initial conception will allow you to publish the puzzles you have created on the Steam Workshop and what is more, you’ll be able to find other players’ creations using the inbuilt browser.
An integral part of the game since the beginning and now available to all, the Puzzle Editor allows you to create your own puzzles. It’s easy to use and has two layers. One of these is for the squares to be colored in by the player and the other is for the picture which will be revealed. The editor enables you to create puzzles of all sizes from 5x5 to 25x25, as yet. You can also import and export images in PNG format.
The Puzzle Browser allows you to explore other players’ creations using a search engine and filters so that you can choose which puzzles to play. You can also vote for your favorite puzzles and keep yourself informed about the popularity of different puzzles. I’m hoping that the Pictopix community will produce some great puzzles!
Be careful to respect the intellectual property rights and not recopy existing puzzles (from this game or from any other). I must reserve the right to delete any puzzles which don’t keep to this rule. The game will of course continue to evolve – there are still improvements to be made. I’m all ears to your suggestions in order to propose the best possible game experience. I would like to thank all of you for all the feedback I’ve received. It isn’t always easy to satisfy everybody but I hope that most of you take pleasure in playing Pictopix. Now it’s your turn! Let your creativity run wild! Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ http://store.steampowered.com/app/568320

[ 2017-01-27 16:31:08 CET ] [ Original post ]

Hi everyone, Pictopix is now available on Steam! First, I'd like to thank all those who supported the game on Steam Greenlight. Thanks to you, Pictopix is now on the Steam Store. I hope you will have a lot of fun! As from now I will keep the game up to date. In the first phase there’ll be the integration of the Workshop. I’m working on that at the moment. This will allow players to share their creations and it will be available soon in a beta version of the game. I know that lots of players are looking for different things in this kind of game. This experience will lead to improvements: additional content will be added and new playing modes could come along! Happy New Year 2017 and have fun! Tom twitter: https://twitter.com/pictopix facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pictopix/ http://store.steampowered.com/app/568320

[ 2017-01-05 12:02:27 CET ] [ Original post ]