Nintendo Officially Announces WarioWare-Like Pictonico! Mobile Game for iOS and Android

Nintendo just dropped a new mobile game called Pictonico, and it turns everyday photos into a nonstop stream of short, goofy challenges built around the faces staring back at you. Available on iOS and Android starting May 28, the title comes from the same studio behind the WarioWare series, and that shows in every quick burst of action. You open the app, grab shots from your phone library or fire up the camera for fresh ones, and the game spins them into dozens of tiny experiences where your friends and family take center stage. No photos leave your device. Nintendo never sees them.

You’re following your cousin’s portrait on a wild goose chase through a horde of zombies while frantically tapping your screen to clear the road. The next thing you know, Grandpa’s face is staring up at you mid-sky dive, and you’re anxiously attempting to tilt the phone just right to direct him to a safe landing. A headshot transforms into a furious game of corn-munching pandemonium, with you dragging the mouth open and shut at the perfect speed to avoid being clipped. Then there’s another round in which the crabs are pulled off someone’s cheek before they pinch too hard.

Each round lasts only a few seconds, yet the results are so replayable that you’ll stay glued to the screen. The cast of characters changes all the time because you can just feed it a fresh photo and let the fun begin. Give your uncle a ballerina costume and watch him perform on a makeshift catwalk. A married pair receives the royal treatment on a red carpet that can be controlled with a single swipe of the finger. You need to pluck the nose hairs, zip up the mouth, or extract a genie from a lamp carried by your best friend’s still smiling mug. The variety keeps piling up across roughly eighty minigames split into purchasable packs after the free starter set of three.

There’s more to the game than just the main rounds, since there are other additional modes that allow you to really stretch your legs. Want to get a high score on your favorite game? There is a mode for it. Want to combine multiple rounds to create a longer, more extended run? There is a board game map for that. Even a crazy fortune-telling segment that reads your chosen photo and makes incredibly ridiculous predictions that always seem to hit the mark. Saving all the craziness is as simple as creating it; simply press the screen, record a brief film or take a photo of the wildest moments, and send it directly to the group chat.

It’s completely self-contained, since you can play the entire game offline once you’ve downloaded the volumes you want, with data required simply to launch it for the first time or to purchase more. Volume 1 is $5.99, while Volume 2 is a little more expensive at $7.99, but it provides a very straightforward path to the entire collection without any devious hidden traps. Pre-registration is now open on the official website, and you can be one of the first to get in.