PancitoMerge was released in December and I got hooked from the get-go. I had played the demo a few months ago and I was really excited for the full release! This was also the perfect game to help me wind down in busy times and just pick up something casually without overthinking it.
Thank you Hey Bud! Games and Fáyer for the game key for this review!
Practical information
- Game: PancitoMerge
- Release date: 10 Dec, 2025
- Genre: Puzzle
- Developer: Fáyer, Sketchy Ceviche
- Publisher: Fáyer
- Available for: PC, MacOS
- Price: €7,99
- Demo available: Yes
From Steam: Drop, stack, and merge colorful pan dulce into bigger, tastier treats in this cozy puzzle adventure! With charming visuals and simple gameplay, it’s a sweet celebration of Mexican baking, perfect for quick sessions and high score chases.
Gameplay & What I liked
PancitoMerge is a puzzle game where in each turn you have to drop a different type of Mexican pastry – pan dulce – inside your little paper bag. If two of the same type of pastries touch, they merge into a bigger one of a different kind (and you get points for that). The biggest difference in mechanics from PancitoMerge compared to other games of the same genre is that every few rounds you get a customer asking for a pastry, and if you have that one in your bag, you can choose to “sell” one to them in exchange for some points.
There are 3 different levels as of now: La Tradicional, Día de Muertos and JapoMexa. Complexity increases slightly with each level, even if the mechanics stay the same – for example, in the JapoMexa level the shapes of the pastries make them harder to “find” each other in the bag. In fact, I’ve never managed to get the 12th pastry, even though I’ve played the game for about 10 hours so far. Each level has its own 12 pastries, thematic art and music. The main track of the game is the same but it changes a little depending on the level – for example, in the Día de Muertos one, it gets a little eerie flavor.
I absolutely love the art of this game. The pan dulce look amazing and some of them reminded me of the delicacies I find in Brazilian bakeries. The art from the visiting customers is really charming. My favorite customer has to be the dog from the Tradicional level, as it reminds me so much of my own dog.
There are also leaderboards and you can see how your scores for each of the levels compare to other players and also your Steam friends.
What I didn’t like so much
There is a rare occasion when the pastries merge and one of them disappears from the bag and drop into it again from the top. I reported it to the developer who said it is by design to deal with an issue when the pastries merge in a tight spot. Predictability when it comes to the mechanics is something I find important, so this can be frustrating even if it’s not a big deal most of the time.
A minor thing to mention here, but I wish some of the sound effects were different. I think the “plop” when your pastry drops on top of the pile and the sound of the pastries readjusting inside the bag are a bit off for me, I can’t explain exactly why. However, I love the soundtrack and the little bell that rings when a new customer arrives.
My final thoughts and who I think this game is for
I mentioned in my previous blog post that I played PancitoMerge a lot in the last month. It is the perfect game if you want a casual game to play in short bursts, or maybe if you want a casual game in-between longer ones. Even if puzzle games are not your thing, I can still recommend this one, as the merge mechanics are simple and you can play it however you like. Simply a solid choice for experienced and inexperienced gamers alike!
Thank you for reading,
-Luna
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