P8ZZNIC

P8ZZNIC - A PICO-8 Interpretation of the Tile-Matching Classic, Puzznic

A puzzle game to exercise your brain

Get ready to challenge your mind with P8ZZNIC, a PICO-8 tribute to the arcade puzzle classic, Puzznic. Your mission: clear 144 screens by matching tiles adorned with various symbols. Use your cursor to move blocks left or right — when two or more matching tiles meet, they vanish. Earn bonus time by orchestrating clever trick shots that clear four or more tiles at once. But beware — plan your moves carefully, or you might leave behind an unsolvable puzzle!

Each level in P8ZZNIC consists of four screens. After completing a level, you'll return to the level-select screen, and your progress is automatically saved. 

Controls

• Arrows: move cursor
• C (or Z): select tile. While holding a tile, push left or right to move it.
• Hold X (or V): reset the current screen
• Return: open the pause menu, where you can quit the game in progress, toggle music etc.  

Note: if the game doesn't respond to key presses you might need to click on the game window first.

Notes

Unlike the original arcade game, the clock in P8ZZNIC counts up instead of down. Without the pressure of a time limit, you can focus on solving puzzles without worrying about losing progress. This makes for a more laid-back gaming experience—perfect for thoughtful puzzle-solving. However, for those seeking an extra challenge, you can replay levels to improve your clock time and compete with others by posting your best records in the comments. Pro tip: set up chain reactions for massive bonuses that reduce your clock time!

Encouragement

The full game is available right here in the browser for free.

However, if you enjoy P8ZZNIC and want to show your support, I would greatly appreciate you sending a few pounds (or your local currency). As a thank you, you'll get access to downloadable versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux that you can enjoy offline. Please note that the downloadable versions do not include the CRT effect found in the browser version.

Stay in touch

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Credits

All PICO-8 code, graphics and music conversion, by @shadowphiar

Based on the arcade game Puzznic, by Taito 1989. Original music by Tim Follin (from the Amiga version of Puzznic)

PICO-8 is a fantasy console and development environment by Lexaloffle games
CRT effect template by carlc27843 using a filter by Mathias_G