Latest news with #Playdate
Digital Trends
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
If you can't get a Switch 2, now might be the time to get a Playdate
It's a great time to be a handheld gaming enthusiast. Last week Lenovo launched a version of its Legion Go S that comes with SteamOS, an addition that improves a capable portable PC. Nintendo has the stage this week, as the Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5. Those two devices alone are enough to keep players' hands full for a while. But another portable device is having a moment of its own right now: the Playdate. Panic's yellow, crank-controlled handheld just got a major update last week. For $40, players can now sign up for Playdate Season 2. Doing so will get them 12 new games delivered over six weeks, as well as a bizarre bonus in Blippo+, a sort of subspace television app for the system. While I hadn't planned on signing up, my curiosity got the best of me this weekend; I paid the entry fee and got access to Season 2's first two games. I'm very glad I did, because I'm now reminded why the console is so special in the first place. If the Switch's high price tag has you bummed out, this may be the perfect moment to grab a Playdate instead. Recommended Videos Upon purchasing the new season, two new games showed up on my home screen: Fulcrum Defender and Dig Dig Dino. The first one is a major attraction considering that it's the latest project from Into the Breach developer Subset Games. That was a big reason I decided to dive into Season 2, as it showed me that Panic is still serious about courting top-tier indie developers to experiment with its console. Fulcrum Defender is relatively straight forward game compared to some of Season 1's more out-there releases. It's a minimalist wave defense game where I'm controlling a turret at the center of the screen. Shapes fly in from the sides and try to attack the turret, so it's my job to shoot them before they reach it. To do that, I need to use the system's crank to spin my gun around in a circle and fire away. It's this season's version of Hyper Meteor, arguably Season 1's best game. As a simple high score chase, Fulcrum Defender is a fun little time waster with just enough depth to make it interesting. In a good run, I'm able to equip three weapons. My top D-pad button fires single shots, while the bottom shoots them in rapid-fire mode. I can't just spam those buttons, as doing so will overheat my gun and take it offline for a few seconds. I eventually get more powerful weapons that map to the left and right D-pad buttons, though those weapons have a cooldown. That combat system is infused with a light roguelike hook, as I can choose from one of two upgrades every few minutes. It's not too complex and not as original as other Playdate games I've enjoyed, but it's the kind of game that I could see myself pulling out every now and then when I want to get a quick run in. I'm more enamored with Dig Dig Dino, which has quickly become one of my favorite games the platform has to offer. The idea here is that I'm an archeologist looking for dinosaur bones. I drop into a dig site, which is presented as a small grid that fits on the display. Every time I dig in a spot, I use a tick of energy. My goal is to dig as much as I can before I run out, finding as many bones as possible as well as cash. When a dig ends, I can then buy upgrades that allow me to dig further, drill rocks more efficiently, or ping treasure locations. It's almost like a 2D version of A Game About Digging a Hole, and it's every bit as engrossing as that game. I played through the entire thing, getting every dinosaur and hidden artifact, in one sitting. As I tore through both games on a lazy Sunday, I was reminded how much I loved the Playdate when I first got it. It's basically one big game jam, where developers get to toy around with short, creative ideas. I can especially see that in Blippo+, the most fascinating app the system has gotten yet. It's essentially an alternate version of cable TV that's running its own weird shows at all times. I've yet to spend too much time with it, but it's the kind of wild swing that makes the Playdate so special. It simply inspires developers to cut loose, even three years into its niche little life. So if you're on the fence about getting a Switch 2 right now, but still want to dig into a handheld device, now might be the perfect time to grab a Playdate. You'll get a great collection of games out the gate with Season 1's offerings and be able to add Season 2 on top of that. That's not even to mention the catalogue of purchasable games, which includes Lucas Pope's excellent Mars After Midnight. The Switch 2 may have Mario Kart World, but the Playdate might be more of a Nintendo console than Nintendo's own console.
The Verge
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Playdate's second season is off to a great (and very weird) start
A lot of games have been released for the Playdate since it launched in 2022, as a quick browse of or the Catalog shop will attest. But still, there's something unique about the handheld's seasonal format, which just kicked off its second iteration. When it first launched, the Playdate came with 24 games from notable indie developers that were steadily released on a weekly cadence, making a perfect introduction to the little yellow device and its crank. Now, a few years later, we finally have season 2, and it's off to a solid start — and it even includes a bizarre mystery. The new season runs for the next six weeks and totals a dozen games, two of which will drop each week. The entire collection will run you $39. To start, we have a pair of very different games. Fulcrum Defender, from FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games, is sort of like a modern take on Asteroids. You control a little ship in the middle and fire guns at little squares flying toward you. The twist is that you use the crank to rotate the ship around and aim your shots. There's also something of a roguelike element, where you steadily unlock random upgrades like new weapons or a larger spread for your bullets. The goal is to last for 10 straight minutes. It's a pretty challenging game — so far, I've only really had success on easy mode — but it's also surprisingly chill, eliciting that sort of zen state that the best shooters and puzzle games can create. This is helped by its lo-fi soundtrack that pretty much demands you play with headphones on. It's an absorbing game. On the other end of the spectrum is Dig Dig Dino!, developed by Dom2D and Fáyer, who brag that the game 'is perfect to play while watching TV! No time pressure, no quick reflexes needed!' It's a puzzle game where you travel to different dig sites to uncover dinosaur bones, artifacts, and trash. You only have a limited amount of moves per dig, but you can upgrade your capacity over time — while also getting new tools to smash rocks or dig deeper — letting you dig both more and for longer. It's sort of like a really cute take on Minesweeper, one clearly designed for short play sessions. It's not exactly difficult, but there's still something satisfying about uncovering a large dinosaur bone when you're just about to run out of moves. These two games do a good job of showing the breadth of games possible on the Playdate; one is meant for quick bursts, the other for longer, more focused sessions. But the launch week package is rounded out by something a whole lot weirder. It's called Blippo Plus and, well, it's a series of TV channels you can flip between using the crank. Some are nothing but static, while others have giant FMV videos of strange TV shows or commercials. One show, called Tantric Computing, is nothing but closeup shots of someone using a computer mouse. Another, Werf's Tavern, is some kind of musical talk show. There's also a messaging tool and some kind of fax service. What's most interesting about Blippo Plus, though, isn't just that it's odd. It's also a mystery that seems like it will evolve over the course of the season. Playdate maker Panic says that 'Playdate season 2 owners should tune in weekly and make sure they are connected to WiFi when season 2 updates at 10 AM PT on Thursdays.' There are lots of other promising games planned for season 2, including the point-and-click adventure Shadowgate PD and whatever the heck Long Puppy and Tiny Turnip are. But an FMV mystery that unfolds over the course of weeks is something that's pretty unique to this format — and further evidence that the Playdate exists in its own parallel universe.
Engadget
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
If you like puzzles, check out this trippy comic-style escape room game for Playdate
Meeting an online friend in person for the first time can be pretty awkward. If only there were a way to skip the weird small talk part and get right into the flow of real conversation — like, say, getting shrunk down to the size of a chess piece and trapped in a series of board games, forcing you to communicate so you can find your way out. That's exactly the scenario in which characters Alex and Sarah find themselves in the Playdate game Escape the Boardgame , and it's incredibly charming. Escape the Boardgame is kind of like an interactive comic, and it's the second such game by Julie and Anders Bjørnskov, following 2024's Escape the Arcade . You use the crank and sometimes the D-pad to move the story forward panel by panel, running into puzzles along the way that will serve as temporary roadblocks until you've come up with the solution. While it is an escape room of sorts, this isn't a high-tension situation; Alex and Sarah are stuck in a cozy boardgame cafe, not Jumanji . As they try to make their way out the door by traversing various game boards, they encounter a bunch of quirky but ultimately harmless characters. Just because it's casual doesn't mean it'll be a breeze to solve the puzzles, though. They're really creative, sometimes requiring you to pay close attention to every little detail on the screen in order to crack some obscure code, and other times forcing you to zoom out and consider the whole picture to see what's hidden in plain sight. The games within the game, like one in which you need to match pets with their correct owners, are a delight to take in. There are multiple hints for each puzzle, which you can access in the menu, so you can have varying degrees of assistance depending on how stuck you are. Savvy puzzle solvers will probably finish Escape the Boardgame in under an hour, so this one is perfect for when you just want to play something easygoing that can be wrapped up neatly in one sitting. Instead of leaving you frustrated, it's a brain teaser you're likely to walk away from feeling all warm and fuzzy.
Express Tribune
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Stolen Girl' will steal your time
There are shows that hook you from the opening thirty seconds, and others that are so repellent from the outset that you need to take refuge in a dark sensory room. Netflix whodunnit The Residence, for example, slots into the former division, and anyone who spent a childhood studying the ripped pages of Archie comics would be the first to tell you that Riverdale takes the crowning glory in the latter. Disney+ thriller The Stolen Girl, however, occupies neither bracket. Instead, this thriller packed with nonsensical there-for-the-hell-of-it twists (picture a screw made out of playdough molded by a three-year-old) falls into that other overlooked but nevertheless appreciated TV category: background noise. If you are on the hunt for something you can nap along to on the sofa but lack the energy to go upstairs to bed like a sensible person, congratulations. The Stolen Girl is the answer to a tired insomniac's prayers. Been there, done that Containing slightly less charm than radio static, this utterly forgettable thriller, adapted from the novel Playdate by Alex Dahl, is billed as every parent's worst nightmare. Spanning five episodes, The Stolen Girl circles around a girl who is, well, stolen. Denise Gough (Anora) stars as Elisa, our designated irresponsible mother, although she won't like you calling her that. Elisa is careless enough to allow her nine-year-old daughter, Lucia, to attend a sleepover after befriending a suspiciously friendly white-blonde woman calling herself Rebecca (Holliday Grainger from Strike). The charming Rebecca, too, has a daughter the same age as Lucia, and one thing leads to another, with Elisa agreeing to let her daughter spend the night at Rebecca's – a move she will heartily regret for the remainder of the show. For any mothers who are already wary of overly chatty women at the school gates, The Stolen Girl is an excellent example of why they are not to be trusted. Sadly for Elisa, Rebecca has an agenda of her own that, at this stage, she has declined to share with the audience. For now, all we know is that she has put a devious plan in motion to whisk Lucia far away from her family for reasons best known to herself. She offloads most of the heavy lifting to a dodgy builder-like man, who, fortunately for an otherwise uninspired police force, ends up being incompetent enough to be filmed at a key location on CCTV. Whether Rebecca does this just for kicks or because she has taken a particular dislike to Elisa is something that will become clear later on, but do not worry if you give in to that insomnia and miss most of the explanation. Also, do not be alarmed, on waking, to learn that Rebecca is now called Nina and speaks fluent French. Yes, she is leading a double life. Yes, she is skilled at kidnapping. No, she does not always pick the best henchmen. Yes, she knows how to dispose of said problematic henchmen. Yes, she has her reasons. No, her method of coping is not really what a trained therapist would recommend. Yes, Elisa deserves everything headed her way. In short, there is nothing here that hasn't already been done scores of times in any Harlan Coben thriller (in either book or screen format) about a murky past catching up with you. Any redeeming qualities? In terms of plot, the short answer is: no. As is standard practice in this special brand of fiction involving criminals who abscond with children, there is not a single police officer with any imagination or initiative. Of course, fans of thrillers and crime fiction already know that to expect big brains from a police force is like having a pigeon fly in through an open window and expecting blind obedience when you tell it to go away. In other words, you would have better luck turning lead into gold. In the opening episode of Sherlock, for example, Benedict Cumberbatch's titular character outrightly accuses one particular detective of lowering the IQ of the whole street. Whilst the police force in The Stolen Girl may not be as blatantly dim as the policeman that so irked Sherlock, they are still slow (or at the very least, unmotivated) enough to be outwitted by outwitted by young Selma, a journalist who is who is brown, female and homosexual, ticking three diversity boxes in one fell swoop. Selma's will to live is being sapped away by having to cover news stories about errant pigs. However, duller than dishwater work has not diminished this journalist's spark, and her antenna begins to twang after she espies Elisa's repeated appeals on Instagram to help find her daughter. Selma decides, on the basis of Elisa's lack of social media presence up until a few years prior, that something is "off" about her. The lesson to be learned here is that if you also never bothered to create an X account because you don't see the point, you, too, may find yourself at the mercy of a journalist bored out of her mind after writing pig-related content. And so, Selma begins her investigation, carrying out a simple reverse Google image to identify a key piece of evidence, which is not something that occurs to anyone on the investigative team. Does she succeed? Is Elisa reunited with Lucia? Does Rebecca/Nina get her comeuppance? Does Selma ever get promoted? By all means, take the plunge and find out for yourself, but please do not fall for IMDb reviewers in raptures about the "twists and turns" and "pivotal role of a journalist" or a "layered script". There is no sound track that will lodge itself into your head, nor any characters whose decisions make any sense. The actors do the best they can with the material they have been given. You haven't got a hope of figuring out any of the twists for yourself, so at least the burden of trying to unravel the plot on your own is taken off you. For the shallow brigade out there, there is one small glimmer of hope here, and that is Jim Sturgess, who plays Fred, Lucia's father and Elisa's criminal lawyer husband. If you are plagued by the repeated thought that the painfully confused looking Fred resembles a boyband lead singer far more than a member of the legal profession, you are not entirely wrong. Sturgess' other claim to fame is playing Jude in Across the Universe (2007), whence he spent much of his screen time serenading his lady love of choice with Beatles songs and one cock of an eyebrow. Sturgess appears to have aged barely a week since his Jude days, and if we can get our hands on whatever anti-ageing potion he is on, all is not lost.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Playdate Season Two includes an action arcade game from Into The Breach studio Subset
The long-awaited second season of weekly Playdate game drops commences on May 29. During a showcase on Thursday, Panic revealed that players will get two fresh games on their console every seven days for six weeks. It's also promising a surprise of some kind. Unlike the first season of games that's included with every Playdate, you'll need to pay extra for this one. Playdate Season Two will run you $39. You can pre-order now through the Playdate Catalog. Part of the allure of Playdate's seasons is that the games are a bit of a mystery, so you never quite know what you're going to get in your weekly drops. To that end, Panic didn't go super in depth into all 12 during the showcase, instead opting to shine a spotlight on four of them. One of the games will be of particular interest to FTL: Faster Than Light and Into The Breach fans. Subset Games, the studio behind those hits, has made a brand new game for the Playdate. It's an arcade action game called Fulcrum Defender. You'll use the crank to aim and shoot at waves of enemies as you try to survive. Subset co-founder Jay Ma says the enemies will progressively become more complex and you'll need to have good aim and choose upgrades wisely to keep your run going. Antonio "Fáyer" Uribe, one of the folks behind last year's well-received Arco (which Panic published), teamed up with Flinthook designer Dom2D to make Dig! Dig! Dino!. This is a relaxing puzzle game in which you'll be digging for dinosaur bones and treasure. Sell the booty and you can unlock upgrades to help you dig deeper for more bones and artifacts. The maker of Playdate titles Life's Too Short and Time From Earth is back with another game that will be part of Season Two. It's a remake of the classic point-and-click adventure Shadowgate for the diminutive console. Pixel Ghost says it took the best parts of the previous versions to make Shadowgate PD, which includes new music, art and features. The fourth game that was featured in the showcase is Taria & Como, a puzzle platformer that's based around swinging instead of jumping (that reminds me a little of the wonderful Grapple Dogs). You'll take on the role of Taria, a girl with a prosthetic leg who sets out to find her sister, Como. JuVee Productions, Viola Davis' production company, collaborated with Popseed Studio on this project. "A few years ago, my friend's son was diagnosed with Tourette's, and I began to think about what sort of stories he'd grow up with. As a disabled person, I've seen the same tropes recycled — pity case, inspiration, disability as a superpower, magical cures," Taria & Como creator Kip Henderson said in a statement. "Disability is complex, and we're more than the inspirational fodder for able-bodied people. Taria & Como is the story I wish I had growing up." In addition to the Playdate Season Two details, Panic revealed a new cover for the console to go alongside the purple, blue and pizza ones. This one is yellow to match the hardware and it costs $34. The price of the console itself recently jumped up to $229, but you might be able to snag an official refurbished model for the system's original price of $179.
