Ever since the Suika Game (Watermelon Game) appeared in 2021, we’ve seen a lot of companies build on that matching formula for their own titles and takes on the concept. Inti Creates made a version tied to Azure Striker Gunvolt. BeXide made 3D generic and Hololive takes on the concept. With Fayer and Sketchy Ceviche’s PancitoMerge, we again get a 2D Suika Game like, but there’s more strategic intent to it that adds extra flavor to the affair.
There’s no need to worry about any sort of story in PancitoMerge, as just like Suika Game it gets right down to making matches. This puzzle game takes place in a Mexican bakery. As you drop different types of pan dulce, you’ll see two of the same variety merge together to create a new, larger option. The “well” in which all items drop looks like a bag, which gradually fills as you let new elements fall in. Every few moves, a new customer will come to the door in search of a different pastry, which you can then pluck from your bag and give to them in order to maintain a combo. You’re scored based on number of pastries in the bag and successful maintained combos.
Now, there are a lot of things that PancitoMerge does that I like more than Suika Game. The first is that I felt like it was better about the variety of items that show up as potential things to drop into the bag. In Suika Game, it typically feels like it sticks to the first two to four options most frequently appear as drops. Here, after both getting past 1,000 points and unlocking certain treats, I’d occasionally see some of the larger, later drops come up like an empanada de fruta or concha. (I think I even saw a Marranito come up as a drop once.) This is helpful for matching purposes, of course, but it’s also pretty invaluable for the “customer service element of things.
By the way, the pan dulce designs are fantastic and incredibly recognizable. Like you can clearly tell these are things like besos, chinos, cubiletes, galletas, gendarmes, nino envueltos, and polvorones. There are a few different bakery designs that can unlock, with each one featuring different desserts, which is a nice touch.
The customers part of PancitoMerge is also absolutely fantastic. Every few turns, a new individual will show up at the door requesting a specific type of baked good. Like a luchador might want an oreja. If you have it, you press a button to pluck it from the bag and offer it to the person. If you have more than one of it, you could select each one. If you don’t have the item, you have some leeway where the person will keep that request for a few drops before changing their order to something else. (That breaks your combo in the process.) Strategically, it’s fantastic. It frees up room in your bag! It might help you with some matches, in case one is in the way. Or you could just get rid of one of the smaller galletas that fell through the cracks to the bottom.
Speaking of rearranging, PancitoMerge includes a shake bag mechanic. From time to time, you can occasionally press the triggers to shake things slightly. Think of it like the tilt function in a pinball game. Does it help? Sometimes, yeah. So much so that I would even save up the shakes to ensure it might be ready when I’d be closer to the top or in need of a larger, more high-value pastry.
The only thing I noticed is that if someone does prefer shorter Suika Game style merging puzzle sessions, PancitoMerge isn’t that. Because of the more strategic elements like serving certain items to customers and shaking the bag, it is very easy to get a minimum of 2,000 points before things start to get challenging. Even then, as long as you’re playing smart, I think someone could maybe even get to 3,000 without too much trouble. (But then again, I have been playing a lot of games like this lately.)
I really love PancitoMerge and feel like it’s a more stylish and thoughtful approach to the Suika Game style matching and merging puzzle. The different pan dulce desserts all look fantastic. The themes are great. I loved being able to serve customers in the name of more points and bag management. Even something so similar as a little bag shake helped a lot. It means longer game sessions, which I saw as a plus, as well. It’s just a lovely little puzzle game.
PancitoMerge is available for PCs via Steam.
PancitoMerge
PancitoMerge is a 2D Suika Game like title with more strategic intent to it that adds extra flavor.