Pikuniku

January is now becoming a month where increasingly “big” games come out. This year, those big games were not so much my thing. Good news is, there are always plenty of “little” games ready for your attention. So it happened that the first 2019 game I played was Pikuniku, an off-the-wall adventure game that left me smiling the whole time.

This might have been the quickest turnaround from me hearing about a game to finishing it. In one day, I watched the Quick Look of Pikuniku, decided I was interested, realized that I got it for free thanks to Twitch Prime, and played it in one sitting. I was planning to write this in the same day, too, but by now you might realize that I like to procrastinate.

Pikuniku starts with Piku, a little red ball with soulless eyes and wacky legs, waking up and exiting their cave. The local villagers believe that Piku is “the beast” who was sealed in the cave to prevent mass destruction. After only a few minutes they realize that Piku is chill, actually, but bigger problems are afoot. The area is under a deal with Mr. Sunshine, a Once-ler type who’s exploiting natural resources for his own gain (in exchange for FREE MONEY!!). It’s up to Piku and some other well-meaning characters to free everyone from Mr. Sunshine’s spell.

The look and feel of Pikuniku is simplistic to the point of being barebones. Everything is made with solid colors and basic shapes. It’s basic, but also appealing and suited to the game’s vibe. Gameplay is, not to sound reductive, nothing past what you’d find in a well-made Flash game. It’s a platforming adventure game that’s designed to never be too taxing. The main interactions are kicking junk and rolling around. There are a few button puzzles and the like, but even to a schlub like me it’s nothing difficult. You won’t get game overs aside from a few specific sequences.

That’s not to say it’s always carefree. This game surprised me with some of its more actiony moments, even if the challenge didn’t go up much. There are a few chase sequences, boss fights, and even an awesome dance-off. Off the main path are some platforming challenges and sidequests for additional rewards. These were a lot of fun, especially since they showed off more weird characters.

Like many of the games I find myself playing these days, Pikuniku is stuffed with charm. Most of the characters are hilariously inept, completely giving themselves over to Mr. Sunshine’s lies (though wouldn’t you, if there was free money?). I love the writing for everyone. It’s weirdly modern and clashes with the children’s book art, but it only compounds the charm for me.

While they may not be as memorable as other adventure game characters, a few of them stick in my mind, like the barely competent resistance movement and the sour shopkeeper who was making his living off of scary beast merchandise. I do feel bad for breaking a pottery maker’s entire inventory unprompted, making me wonder if Piku deserves that beast label after all.

The sound design fits right in to the aesthetic. The soundtrack is filled with MIDI bass and quacking synths. It’s almost unbearably catchy. When rolling, Piku will rattle like they're filled with beans. Another weird thing is the item fanfare, comprised of cut up syllables mashed together to say the item’s name. It’s a totally bizarre choice that I found hilarious.

I don’t want to spoil too much that happens in the game, since it's just a few hours, but I really dug the ending and epilogue. Pikuniku gets by on charm over anything else. If you look at a clip and decide it’s not your style, I wouldn't invest in it. But at this point in time, it’s exactly what I wanted – and I didn’t have to pay anything extra for it, either. If you’re not feeling zombies or keyblades this time of year, Pikuniku gets my stamp of approval.