Picross DS offers gamers quick and easy play that is designed to challenge seasoned Picross players and those who are new to the game. To finish each puzzle, gamers must fill a grid with squares and crosses that complete patterns and unlock pictures hiding beneath the board. Players can begin their Picross career on small 5x5 grids and then work up to finishing puzzles on 20x20 grids. Stumped gamers may access roulette style clues that fill in one row on the board.
Picross DS comes loaded with a variety of gameplay modes including My Picross, Daily Picross, Multi-Picross, Online Battle, Error Search, Memory, and No X's. However, only a few mode of play are available from the start. Completing puzzles in the Daily Picross mode for several days straight will open up more activities. Though the game comes with more than 300 puzzles, gamers may also create their own and share them with friends or download new puzzles from the online community. Players may also challenge friends and strangers to competitive forms of Picross by connecting to a wireless network.