In case you missed it: Stitch. review – A satisfying cosy puzzle game about making art

Easy to learn, hard to master. That’s both the tagline for Stitch., the cosy puzzle game from Lykke Studios, and a commentary on the hobby of embroidery itself. But don’t let that deter you from diving in! Now that Stitch. has made the jump from Apple Arcade to Nintendo Switch, we could get our hands on this adorable, addictive game. 

For me, Stitch. is best described as a combination of embroidery and Sudoku, which is an odd pairing, but highly compelling. The main objective of the game is to fill in the levels’ areas with no gaps to complete each embroidery hoop. Each hoop has an outline of the design you’re working on, and in small sections, you will use different embroidery stitches and colours to gradually complete the whole picture. The grids are populated by numbers, which indicate both the total squares that need to cross that number, as well as the colour that will be filled in. 

As you play, Stitch. helps you grow your skills by starting with small hoops and small sections. Hoops come in different sizes, from extra small to extra-extra large (i.e. a marathon), and various intricacies, from easy to difficult. But each hoop will start you off with a simple section, to give you a feel for what you’re working with, and gradually work you up to larger areas. It helps to remember the bigger picture, and you can zoom out at any time to see how far you’ve come on any particular hoop. It’s deceptively simple, and the more you play, the more you want to play. There were many times where I said to myself, “okay, just one more section” and before I realised it, I had completed the hoop. 

To give you something to work towards, there are various challenges you can tackle to collect points, upgrade in tiers and get achievements, which unlocks further adorable hoops with the game’s mascot. There’s also a Weekly challenge hoop, an XXL hoop that’s themed around world events (like World Embroidery Day on 30 July). Any hoop you complete is also then available for Free Stitch mode, where you can take a finished design and recolour it however you’d like. 

If I had to say anything negative about Stitch., I found using the joysticks and buttons to navigate the stitching experience on Nintendo Switch somewhat challenging, so I would often resort to using the touch screen. As Stitch. was originally a mobile game (though it always had controller support), this makes sense in terms of the gameplay, lending to the impression that you’re working on a real piece of embroidery in your lap. But this does detract from the game if you’re playing with your Switch docked, and occasionally tapping on the right squares is particularly difficult when the grid is small. 

That small niggle aside, there was something about Stitch. that just clicked with my brain. The variety of the hoops is impressive, whether you want a small, quick puzzle as a time-filler, or if you want to sit down and play for hours. It’s both relaxing and engaging, and there is an immense sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from creating pieces of art out of nothing more than numbered grids and coloured threads. 

Play Stitch. now on Nintendo Switch, as well as Apple devices through subscription gaming service Apple Arcade.