PICO PARK vs Pippin Plaza: how the two co-op puzzle games differ
Both are 2D side-on cooperative puzzle platformers built on keys, doors and timing. They are not the same game, they are not from the same studio, and they do not run on the same hardware. Here is what actually separates them.
Disclosure: Alulim Games publishes Pippin Plaza. PICO PARK is developed and published independently by TECOPARK. This comparison applies the same factual criteria to both games and links to first-party sources for every claim. We do not name a winner, because which game you can play is decided mostly by the hardware you own.
Non-affiliation: PICO PARK and TECOPARK are the property of their respective owners and are named here only to identify the games being compared. Alulim Games and Pippin Plaza are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or licensed from TECOPARK. Pippin Plaza is not an official PICO PARK product or port.
The short answer
PICO PARK is a 2–8 player cooperative puzzle game from TECOPARK, released on June 8, 2019 for Nintendo Switch / Steam. It supports both online and local same-screen play, and it needs at least two people.
Pippin Plaza is a native iPhone and iPad cooperative puzzle platformer from Alulim Games, with online co-op for 2 to 4 players over a private room code, and a solo route where one player controls two Pippins.
The practical difference: PICO PARK has no native iPhone or iPad version, and Pippin Plaza runs on nothing else. If you own a PC or a Switch, PICO PARK is available to you and supports twice as many players. If you want to play on a phone, or play alone, it is not.
Which PICO PARK do you mean?
The name now covers three separate games with three separate platform lists. Mixing them up is the single most common error in write-ups on this topic, so this page is explicit: the comparison below uses the original PICO PARK (2019) unless a row says otherwise.
They are not the same game, and not from the same studio.
Pippin Plaza is not an official PICO PARK product, is not a PICO PARK port, and is not made by or licensed from TECOPARK. The two share a genre — 2D side-on cooperative puzzle-platforming built on keys, doors and timing — not a lineage.
“PICO PARK” now means three different games.
The original PICO PARK (2019) lists Nintendo Switch and Steam, and its own page states cross-play is not supported. PICO PARK 2 (August 28, 2024) lists Steam, Switch, Xbox and Windows and does support cross-play. SONIC PICO PARK is dated November 12, 2026 for seven platforms. None of the three lists a native iPhone or iPad version. This page compares the original unless it says otherwise.
TecoGamePad is not PICO PARK on your phone.
TECOPARK publishes a free companion app that turns a phone into a gamepad for a supported computer version over the same local network. The game still runs on the computer.
Side by side
| Feature | PICO PARK | Pippin Plaza |
|---|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | TECOPARK | Alulim Games |
| Released | June 8, 2019 | September 1, 2026 |
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch / Steam | iPhone and iPad |
| Native iPhone / iPad version | No | Yes — requires iOS 16 or later |
| Supported players | 2–8 | 1 solo, or 2–4 online |
| Minimum players needed | 2 — it cannot be played alone | 1 |
| Online co-op | Yes | Yes |
| Local same-device co-op | Yes — shared / split screen | No |
| Cross-play | Not supported in the original PICO PARK | Not applicable — one platform |
| How you get into a session | Steam or Nintendo Switch lobbies and invites | Create a private room, share the code |
| View | 2D side-on | 2D side-on |
| Level structure | 48 levels | 53 numbered handmade quests, plus a separate tutorial |
| Levels adapt to the number of players | Yes — terrain changes with player count | No — quests are fixed designs |
| Modes | World, Battle, Endless | Quest campaign, Rush, Survival, Marathon |
| Competitive mode | Yes — Battle mode | No — co-op and solo only |
| Solo play | No | Yes — you control two Pippins, switching between them |
| Built for touch controls | No — gamepad or keyboard | Yes |
| Price | Paid — US$4.99 on Steam at verification | Free to download |
| Ads | None | Yes — an optional purchase removes the automatic ones |
| In-app purchases | No | Yes, optional. No subscriptions |
What each one does better
Neither game is a replacement for the other, and each has things the other cannot do. Both lists below are drawn from the same table.
Where PICO PARK is stronger
- Up to 8 players. PICO PARK supports 2–8 players. Pippin Plaza's online co-op tops out at 4.
- Local multiplayer on one screen. PICO PARK is listed on Steam with shared / split screen co-op. Pippin Plaza has no same-device co-op mode at all — its co-op is online only.
- Levels reshape themselves around your group. TECOPARK's page states each level adjusts its terrain for the total number of players. Pippin Plaza's quests are fixed designs.
- A competitive mode. Battle mode lets the same group stop cooperating and play against each other. Pippin Plaza has no competitive mode.
- No ads and no in-app purchases. PICO PARK is a paid game, so nothing is monetised after the purchase. Pippin Plaza is free and shows ads.
- Long-established release. The original PICO PARK launched on June 8, 2019, more than seven years before Pippin Plaza's release on September 1, 2026.
Where Pippin Plaza is stronger
- It runs on an iPhone. This is the whole reason people arrive at this comparison. TECOPARK's official pages list no native iPhone or iPad release for any PICO PARK title.
- You can play it alone. PICO PARK needs at least two people. Pippin Plaza's quest campaign can be played solo by controlling two Pippins and switching between them.
- Free to download. No purchase is needed to start. PICO PARK was US$4.99 on the U.S. Steam storefront when we checked on September 22, 2026, plus the hardware to run it.
- Designed for touch from the start. Pippin Plaza's controls are built for a phone screen. PICO PARK is played with a gamepad or keyboard.
- Joining is a room code. Share a six-character code and friends are in — no store platform, no friends list, no console required.
- More separate modes outside the campaign. Rush, Survival and Marathon sit alongside the 53-quest campaign.
How Pippin Plaza's co-op actually works
This is the part we can describe from the inside rather than from a store listing, so it is worth being specific.
Getting into a session. One player creates a private room and gets a six-character code. Everyone else enters that code. There is no friends list, no platform account and no matchmaking queue — the code is the whole mechanism, which is why it works across households as easily as across a table.
Two to four players. Everyone plays on their own device in real time. The quests are built so each player contributes: keys have to be carried, doors have to be held, platforms need weight on them. A four-player room is not a two-player room with spectators.
Playing alone. The quest campaign does not lock you out without a partner. You control two Pippins and switch between them when a puzzle needs both characters in different places. You are not driving both at the same time — you move one, position it, then take over the other. This is the clearest functional difference from PICO PARK, which cannot be started with fewer than two players.
Beyond the campaign. The 53 numbered quests and the tutorial are the main route. Rush, Survival and Marathon are separate modes with their own pacing.
Direct answers
Is Pippin Plaza an official PICO PARK game?
No. Pippin Plaza is published by Alulim Games and has no affiliation with, licence from, or endorsement by TECOPARK.
Is Pippin Plaza made by TECOPARK?
No. TECOPARK develops PICO PARK, PICO PARK 2 and SONIC PICO PARK. Pippin Plaza is a separate game from a separate developer.
Can I play PICO PARK natively on iPhone?
No. As of September 22, 2026, TECOPARK's official pages list Nintendo Switch and Steam for PICO PARK, and no iPhone or iPad version for it, PICO PARK 2 or SONIC PICO PARK.
Can I play Pippin Plaza natively on iPhone?
Yes. It is a native iPhone and iPad game and requires iOS 16 or later.
Does Pippin Plaza support online multiplayer?
Yes, for 2 to 4 players. You create a private room and share its code; everyone plays on their own device in real time.
Can Pippin Plaza be played solo?
Yes. One player can work through the quest campaign by controlling two Pippins and switching between them when a puzzle needs both. PICO PARK requires at least two players.
Are the two games identical?
No. PICO PARK supports 2–8 players, has local same-screen co-op, adapts each level's terrain to the player count and includes a competitive Battle mode — none of which Pippin Plaza does. Pippin Plaza runs natively on iPhone and iPad, can be played solo, is free to download and is built for touch — none of which applies to PICO PARK.
Which one should I play?
That depends on hardware more than preference. If you have a PC or a Switch and two to eight people, PICO PARK is the game this genre is named after. If you want to play on an iPhone or iPad, or you want to play alone, PICO PARK is not available to you and Pippin Plaza is.
If you are actually shopping for an iPhone game
This page compares two specific games. If the real question is what else is worth installing, we compared nine native iOS cooperative puzzle games — including both of the ones above where applicable — on player count, online play, solo modes and pricing. See the broader guide to co-op puzzle games on iPhone for PICO PARK players.
Primary sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of these, all checked on 2026-09-22.
- PICO PARK — official page (platforms, player count, level count, modes, release date, cross-play status)
- PICO PARK on Steam (current price, online and shared-screen co-op categories)
- PICO PARK 2 — official page (separate platform list and cross-play)
- SONIC PICO PARK — official page (seven platforms, November 12, 2026)
- TecoGamePad — App Store (companion controller app)
- Pippin Plaza: Online Co-op — App Store (platforms, players, modes, pricing, iOS requirement)
Store pages change. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@alulimgames.com.
Pippin Plaza on iPhone and iPad
Free to download. 53 handmade quests plus a tutorial, online co-op for 2 to 4 players over a private room code, or solo by controlling two Pippins.