[b]pictopull[/b] is essentially [b]pushmo[/b] on pc with some pretty elaborate pixel art. if you don't know that game (I was in the same boat), it's a puzzle platformer where you push and pull shapes that make up levels, then jump on them to grab the chest on top. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/1507270/]grab toy[/url] on steam would be another example with a lot less content and features for almost the same price.
[b]150 'story' levels[/b] unlocked one by one within a pack, but more sets open up simultaneously after a while. no actual story, just different locations and some tutorialization. on-screen level names are a thing, would be nice to have them numbered too, like on level select. [b]level skip and unlock all levels option[/b] are available, making the game as accessible as it should be without getting stuck on [i]that[/i] puzzle for good.
just be aware that level select is only good for solved stages, unlocked but incomplete ones can only be played from the story. a bit confusing. [b]level editor with workshop support[/b] is also at hand, but that always relies on games getting noticed and popular enough among creative people and it rarely happens. the store page also mentions 'bonus level packs', but in reality it's just one with a few levels that are also part of the story. weird and misleading.
[b]non-rebindable controls without alternatives aren't great, as only wasd moves, arrows mess with the camera[/b], so non-qwerty or arrow people can skip this for the time being. the dev said rebindable controls might make the release version but it still hasn't happened. controller is supported. other keys are shift to push/pull, space to jump, 'q' for a [b]generous rewind[/b], 'f' to activate things, and holding 'e' shows a full 2d view of the level. sounds handy but can't tell which block is pushed how deep. [b]mouse only works in the menus but navigation is inconsistent, also with keyboard.[/b] esc and right click to go back works in one place but not another, wasd/arrows only move the cursor in chapter selection, not level select or the pause menu.
as someone who doesn't like platformers, I obviously had issues regardless of bindings. the game really leans in on verticality and [b]many levels are huge, often unnecessarily so and really early on[/b] (some packs are called murals for a reason). size doesn't equal difficulty, but a smoother curve for both would've been nice. at least with rewind I didn't have to climb the same thing over and over. [b]hints are available sometimes[/b] (very rarely, actually), but that didn't help with diagonal jumping, when you have a block above your head, or activating stuff mid-jump. so yeah, platforming means platforming.
constant tug jobs would be tiresome, even more so with just one hand, so luckily [b]pullouts[/b] are a thing. jumping on a colored button predictably pulls relevant blocks all the way out or pushes them in. other variations only move blocks once per use. [b]blockers[/b] prevent movement, [b]union blocks[/b] of the same color are moved at the same time, including blockers. [b]opposite blocks[/b] are also unionized but moving a positive moves a negative in the opposite direction and vice versa, regardless of color.
it wouldn't be a puzzler without [b]portals[/b], activated with a keypress, just like [b]cannons[/b], adding wall-to-wall action to the mix. and finally, [b]timer blocks[/b] retract after 12 seconds. thankfully, there are only a few levels with this mechanic. blocks being timed blink but an actual timer somewhere would be less stressful. or just as much but more informative.
it's a nice touch that [b]you're not bound strictly to the level area[/b], can wander off just for fun, to [b]grab hidden beets[/b] or change location more slowly (beets aren't always hiding, just hard to get to). can even fall into water/whatever, then respawn without resetting the level. that is done by jumping on the reset button (and only there, no option in the pause menu), which I think is kind of in the way and might lead to accidents. can't just step on it but falling from above is essentially jumping, though rewind also works here.
[b]as a fan of pixels, I liked the presentation.[/b] simple but effective, a bit minecraft-like in places and there are a few player skins available (no steve). music is what can be expected from a cutesy game like this, you'll want to turn it off fast, and [b]there's annoying gibberish during dialog and no instant text setting, have to press the 'f' key[/b] to make sentences appear immediately. why can't space and mouse clicks do the same? and why does it only kick in after a few levels? also, punctuation is missing all over the place, always annoying as well.
otherwise settings aren't too bad but they're not available while playing a level. separate volumes for sfx and music (would absolutely need one for 'speech' and walking sounds aren't affected by sliders), v-sync, framerate limiter, resolutions, windowed mode, so the absolute basics (except rebinds). there's even in-game representation of achievements, always nice to see them integrated even if I don't particularly care about them.
despite some smaller annoyances, control issues and my general dislike of platformers, [b]it's a fun game, great package, but only recommendable on sale until it gets fixed up[/b], though I wouldn't hold my breath for rebindable controls at this point. hope I'm wrong. [b]no idea how long it takes to complete[/b], I imagine times can vary greatly. I checked out every level, kept trying until I ran out of patience, solved nearly half and skipped most huge levels and the final two packs, spending a lot more time than expected. the in-game timer is also just runtime like steam's, not much help. anyway, [b]demo available[/b], has dozens of levels and the editor also works, but if you don't copy the demo save over (it's in the install folder), you'll have to start the full game from the beginning.
