Nintendo's new Pictonico app gamifies digital photos, coming May 28

Nintendo has announced a goofy experimental new smartphone app Pictonico that turns photo-taking into a game, and a gallery into a canvas for wacky minigames.

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Nintendo is embracing its unpredictable energy with Pictonico, a new mobile app that allows users to take and transform digital photos in a gamified way. The experiences are kind of like little social microgames, not unlike WarioWare infused with the zany spirit of the Game Boy Camera from the 1990s, while adding a new level of personal fun when players play with their friends.

Pictonico will be free but it will also have microtransactions, and the free version is predictably limited--quite restricted, actually. The selling point here is the minigames, which Nintendo sells in two "volumes"--Volume 1 is $7.99, and Volume 2 is $5.99. Unfortunately, Pictonico's free version only has three minigames.

A quick FAQ confirms some specific details: Photos aren't actually sent to Nintendo (the company won't have access to your photos), and that Pictonico is free-to-start, meaning purchases are required to actually play but users can try playable demos of some minigames for free.

It's also interesting to note that Pictonico folds into one of the major new innovations of the Nintendo Switch 2--the camera.

Users can pre-register on Google Play, but the App Store link is currently down. The app is currently set to launch on May 28.

Turn your photos into minigames! Sure, it's kind of silly... But there's no telling what will happen next!

・ Here come your school's sports stars...strutting down the red carpet!

・ Your boss is hungry and needs your help!

・ Try to wash away those embarrassing high-school memories.