Picturim started as a single mode: a hidden image you scratched with your finger or mouse. The idea was simple — guess the word while revealing as little as possible — but as I played it I noticed two very different player profiles emerging, and that ended up splitting the game into two modes.
Classic mode: a continuous decision
Scratching the image is a continuous decision: at any moment you can stop and gamble a guess. Each extra millimetre revealed lowers your score, but also your margin for error. The game becomes a tug-of-war between your confidence and your patience.
It works really well in relaxed sessions, where you want to peel things back slowly. And it's especially satisfying when you nail the word with less than 20% revealed — the signature play of Classic mode.
Boxes mode: a discrete decision
Boxes mode splits the image into a grid and forces you to uncover complete squares one at a time. That turns Classic's continuous choice into a discrete decision: each opened box is a bet. Some players prefer this mode precisely because it gives you that "eureka moment" when a box reveals the key detail (an eye, a wheel, a logo).
Boxes also fits short mobile sessions better: tap, evaluate, decide whether to open another box or just lock in your guess. Scratching friction is no longer a factor.
Why two modes instead of one
I tried to merge them into a single mode more than once. Every attempt lost something. With only scratch, players who wanted "clean decisions" got bored. With only boxes, the ones who enjoyed the continuous risk of scratching asked for the old mode back. Keeping both costs more maintenance, but it lets each player have "their Picturim".
What's next
Next on the Picturim list: new image categories and a daily challenge — same image for every player, same box order in Boxes mode, a simple leaderboard. If you have ideas or categories you'd like to see, drop me a line from the contact page.
And if you haven't tried it yet, Picturim Classic and Picturim Boxes are ready.