Nekograms is a cute and cozy puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch. It features cats and cushions with the simple objective of helping each kitty reach a cushion so it can take a well-earned nap. Did I mention it’s cute?
The game began life as an alternative to Picross. Although it started out using light bulbs as the main gimmick, during development, it evolved into a cat-based version. But don’t let the adorable aesthetics fool you; this relaxing puzzle experience will still tickle your brain.
Nekograms is packed with 120 levels, providing plenty to do. Each one is short and sweet, depicting a number of cats, cushions, and other objects in a grid-based format. The catch is that felines can only be moved left and right. Those comfy pillows, on the other hand, only traverse in a vertical direction. Other objects like beach balls and coffee cups are there to block your path, adding complexities.
Puzzles are spread across three worlds, with forty levels apiece. You begin in a cat café, a very Japanese concept that complements the game’s title (“neko” is Japanese for cat, after all). From there, it’s off to the beach for some fun in the sun before finally heading to a lovely park area. And are those cherry blossoms in the park? Each world is decorated with colorful backdrops that pop off the screen.
Nekograms keeps things cozy with no time limit to stress you out, allowing you to think through each puzzle at your own pace. However, the challenge lies in the set number of recommended moves assigned to each one. So, while you can take as long as you like, completionists (or perfectionists) will want to earn the top rating of three stars, achieved by hitting that par number of moves.
The menu provides a neat overview of all levels, depicting your star ratings and making it easy to see which levels you need to revisit. New levels are locked until the previous one is completed, but you don’t need to collect a specific number of stars to move on. This balances the difficulty, allowing players to move on relatively easily by adding a challenge for anyone looking for more to do. And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, there’s an unlockable endless mode to keep you hooked, well, forever.
The music is simple and sweet, perfectly suited to the cartoony kitties and that relaxing vibe. The cat noises originated from a real cat, adding to the experience with an authentic feel. If you’re a cat person who loves puzzles, this will be right up your alley.
A puzzle game like Nekograms screams for touch controls. Thankfully, the developers have done a terrific job keeping this intact for the Switch version. The touch controls work perfectly in handheld mode, allowing you to slide those kitties and cushions to your heart’s content. It’s intuitive and quickly became my favorite way to play. That said, the controls are equally simple and easy to use, so playing on a television is just as accessible.
Overall, Nekograms is an adorable puzzle game all about helping cats take a nap. It just doesn’t get any more adorable – but there’s more to it than cuteness. Nekograms also presents a strong puzzle element with over 100 levels to conquer, along with a star rating and endless mode to keep you hooked. This relaxing and well-designed puzzle outing is sure to please genre fans.
Looking for even more? We also spoke to Hungry Sky, developer of Nekograms, at PAX Aus 2024.