The Perfect Pencil

A surreal action platformer where analyzing your surroundings reveals secrets

Studio Cima · Published by Studio Cima, Doyoyo Games · Released Jan 29, 2026

Reviews: Mixed; 68% of 71
Recent reviews: Not enough recent
Players: 0; daily peak, Oct 28, 2026
Steam Deck: Verified
Last update on Steam: 7 months ago; Mar 9, 2026
Minimum PC: TBD; 4 GB RAM · 5 GB disk; Full requirements

What is The Perfect Pencil?

This single-player 2D metroidvania follows John as he awakens in a hand-drawn kingdom and confronts fear. You explore its routes, pursue side quests, and fight bosses that represent aspects of the human psyche. Choices shape your path through the world.

For you if...

+you enjoy dark psychological stories in strange settings
+you like uncovering optional lore beyond the main route

Not for you if...

−you want a story told with minimal dialogue
−you dislike retracing your steps while exploring

What players say

68% of 71 reviews are positive

Players praise the art direction, distinctive characters, and rewards for exploration. Some criticize sluggish attacks and awkward movement, while others find the conversations overlong and the story hard to follow.

Screenshots and trailer

The Perfect Pencil system requirements

Minimum: TBD, 4 GB RAM, 5 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run The Perfect Pencil?

The published requirements do not name a graphics card we can compare.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Processor: Intel Dual-Core 2.6 GHz / AMD Dual-Core Athlon 3.0 GHz
Graphics: TBD
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Storage: 5 GB available space
DirectX: Version 11
Notes: TBD

Does The Perfect Pencil have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Single-player

Does The Perfect Pencil run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
Shows Steam Deck controller icons
In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM: None declared on Steam
Controller: Full controller support
Platforms: Windows
Achievements: 30
Steam features: Cloud saves, Family Sharing
Languages: Text only: English, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish - Spain, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese - Brazil, Russian.

Does The Perfect Pencil use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam