The Playdate has officially started shipping to order and has even added more countries to its shipping list. If you are like me, that was the final push you needed to order one for yourself. I wanted to put together a list of great games that I have found so far that will have you cranking that thing more than Soulja Boy. I am only including games that are NOT part of the Season 1 collection because I want to provide extra games for you to look into.
Bloom
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Rooftop Garden in Bloom
Bloom is such an interesting game and not like anything I have played before. I will try to explain as much of the game as I can without spoiling anything. You play as a girl who just finished high school and you decided to open a flower shop instead of continuing your parents’ plan for you to go to college. The game is in real-time flower shop simulation with a lot of narrative elements as well. You have to tend to your garden, answer text messages, manage your shop, and more! Also, the soundtrack is just so good.
P-Racing
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Arena Mode in P-Racing
This game looks great and has so much content. There are multiple races each with a separate time trial as well. There are also missions and even their own version of Rocket League called Arena that you can try out. I enjoy that there is a list of challenges as well listed. There is a really cool feature where it connects high scores from users around the world and creates ghost racers so it is like you are racing with other players. This is such a cool racing experience for the Playdate with a ton of content to keep you busy.
Red Terror
Where to Get: Itch.io
FPS Action in Red Terror
You are playing as Alex in the year 1935. You have just woken up in a cell that is located in a correctional labor camp in the USSR. Your only way to escape is by shooting your way out! This is an old-school FPS game that combines the style and gameplay from DOOM and Wolfenstein. The graphics are fantastic and the gameplay is great as well. There are 7 maps/levels and you can use a pistol, chainsaw, or machine gun. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes old-school FPS games.
PullFrog
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Making Lines in PullFrog
This is a newer game added to the catalog. You play as a frog who is inside of a Tetris-like game. The goal is to clear as many lines as you can. You can use your tongue to move the blocks and even destroy part of the blocks to make them fit better. You can use the crank to help speed up the fall speed of the blocks as well. It is much more difficult and intense than it sounds. You can spend your well-earned cleared lines on upgrades like tongue power, tongue length, and more. There are even unlockable characters!
Under the Castle
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Killing Enemies in Under the Castle
Under the Castle is a roguelite game that takes a lot of inspiration from past GotM game, Cave Noire. There are 3 separate dungeons that have different quests that get increasingly more difficult as you beat more of them. One has an objective of slaying a certain amount of enemies, another is about collecting orbs, and the final is freeing captured prisoners. The goal is to open a middle dungeon when you finish the other 3. One feature I that I thought was really cool is the music gets more muffled the more damage you take. If you like a quick pick-up and play game, this one may be the one for you!
Pocket Pets
Taking Care of my Pocket Pet
Okay, so this game has a little bit of everything and I will do my best to explain it. You are taking care of a monster in a Tamogatchi style. You also maintain a farm to grow food for it to eat as well. The farm is in real time and you will have to check on it to see the progress of your crops. You also can earn money by playing a fishing mini-game that takes advantage of the crank. There is also a battle mode where you can battle your creature in Mega Man Battle Network-like battles and level-up. This is a lot, but it all works together so well!
Sketch Share Solve
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Solving a Puzzle in Sketch Share Solve
This is Picross for the Playdate. You are solving sort of number logic puzzles to color in squares to create an image. There are tons of puzzles and it is a great game to play a puzzle or two when you get a chance and want to. The best part? You can even create your own puzzles and share them. This type of game works great on the Playdate.
A Balanced Brew
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Getting Coffee in A Balanced Brew
You wake up and you just really need a coffee. You could walk to the coffee vendor down the street, but walking is for chumps! You are going to go there in style on your unicycle. This game makes great use of the crank as you must use it to balance and ride to the coffee stand at the end of each level. The levels get increasingly difficult and there are 80 of them! There are multiple game modes to go with this one as well. This is a perfect game that is difficult at first, but very addicting once you get the hang of it.
Castle Tintagel
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Taking Down Monsters in Castle Tintagel
Castle Tintagel is a game that is played like the old-school Castlevania games. It has the same idea of sidescrolling platforming and defeating enemies, but in a King Arthur setting. The game is tough as well like the old NES days. Luckily some options can make the game easier so anyone can enjoy this one such as invisibility, infinite lives, and more. If you are a fan of the old Castlevania games, give this one a shot!
Bomber Panda
Where to Get: Playdate Catalog
Bomber Panda Causing Destruction
In this game, you play as a Panda with a cardboard box on his head. The game is a Bomberman clone with a similar premise of using bombs to destroy enemies and items that are in your way. You can also obtain upgrades that make you faster, be able to place more bombs or increase your blast radius. This game is really fun and fits the Playdate very well.
The Playdate is fantastic. I love it so much and I am having a blast experiencing new games. Do you have any game suggestions or did you make a game you want me to check out and feature in the future? Let me know in the comments or on our Discord!
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