PUNIRUNES Interactive Digital Toy

The Punirunes is like having a virtual pet squishy toy or gummy. The most unique aspect of this game device is the squishy sticky mochi on the inside of the shell which is the top of the joystick used to interact with your pet and play the mini games. Gameplay Overview The gameplay itself is like a combination of the PuniTapiChan and a Tamagotchi. The interface, sound effects and animations are most like the PuniTapiChan or the Sumikko Catch. This game has its own music and the characters all have voices. There is no actual speaking, which makes knowing any languages unecessary. Language This is the English release, so the yes and no options are in English. The rest of the game has no words, so figuring out what to do takes patient playing, experimenting and observation if you don't feel like unraveling the giant instructions sheet. Actual Gameplay First, select your skintone for a truly immersive experience when you stick your finger into the shell. Your finger is picked up by a sensor even before you touch the joystick, so it appears on the screen and your virtual finger moves along with yours. The inside is kind of warm! You start with a tiny mochi and the starter food, green gummy bears that never run out but only fill up the hunger a small amount. Feed it, pet it, bathe it and clean up poop using the menu options and the squishy joystick. There are 4 evolutions and 55 different gummy creatures to collect. Select the door to explore the Punirunes world with its market, arcade and forest pond, where secret combinations of gummy gems unlock some stuff but I don't know what it is yet. Games & Touch Subtle touches yield the best results. The joystick is directional. You'll be tempted to press hard to register touches but don't-- the reason why it's not picking up your touches is because you're pressing down hard rather than forward, back or side to side. Quick gentle taps are key when petting, cleaning and bouncing to catch gummy runes or bouncing into portals. You'll learn quickly while playing mini games that it's all about a combination of gentle, directional pressing. To avoid stick drift over time and to ensure the longevity of the device, I highly recommend not allowing really small children with underdeveloped motor controls (or self control!) To play with the Punirunes. Also, it is best to play it with clean, dry hands. As you can see in some of my pictures, the gummy is already picking up a bit of fuzz. Clean with a small cloth with some rubbing alcohol on it, then pat dry. My Opinions I love it. For the novelty, the games, the pet play, the characters and the customization options in pet accessories, rooms and furniture. Customize items by combining color gummies and make your Punirunes shine with their own style. I do wish that there was a little bit more text and dialogue but that's just me. I guess that was foregone given how it can slow down gameplay. Too much something that annoys me on the Tamagotchi Pix is the long dialogues and cut scenes between each activity.... I'm glad the Punirunes is my go-to stress relief pet and won't die on me while I'm running 3 other v-pets at the same time. These pets don't die by the way, but it takes effort to get their happiness and hunger back up! In this way it's a happy medium between the Sumikko Catch and a Tamagotchi Uni, with different foods having higher or lower hunger sating power. And just like the Bitzee, you don't have to worry about feelings of heartbreak or loss if you fail to care for it. I just got this thing yesterday 7/17/2024 so my review will be updated in the future as I figure it out more! Overall I'm VERY satisfied with my purchase and with Spin Master distributing one of Takara Tomy's most genius electronic toys for the western market!