I was so excited to buy the Panic Playdate. It was a device that I really looked at with such envy when someone posted it. The innovative crank, the indie games, the bright yellow color, this device had it all. After taking the plunge on one, did it hold the test of time and do I still enjoy it?
If you want to check out Ban’s original review of the Playdate, here you go.
Why This Article?
I had a day of “I need to downsize my collection!” and the device that kept nagging in my brain to sell was my Playdate. I haven’t touched it in months and figured someone would give it a good home. I heard there were some new announcements from Panic coming this week as well, so as I took pictures for my listing, I decided to charge it and play it one more time.
Before I knew it, I was hooked again like that first month of me having the device. I was playing a few rounds of Root Bear and even passed it to my wife to try and beat my score. I was cranking with meticulous movements in A Balanced Brew. Finally, I was enjoying my favorite free game of the week, Racheteer from friend of RH, and MinUI creator, Shaun Inman.
How could I even have contemplated selling this thing, to begin with? The portability of this device is great. If you splurge to get the case with it, it safely slides into your pocket. The library of games is constant and there is so much care and love put into them.
What Could Be Improved
That was a glowing review after months of not using the device, but I do have some things that I wish could be changed in the future if Panic decides on another Playdate. The obvious answer is to have a backlit screen. The screen on the Playdate is very nice, but sometimes trying to play it in a dark room is a bit of a chore. I used a booklight on mine attached to the case like the photo below.
The other thing that could be improved is the battery life. I feel like the battery life can go on the Playdate so fast. I also wish there was an option to just turn it off when it is not in use as well. This could help reserve some battery life, especially if you are going to not play it for a few days (or months).
Finally, I would love to see a Season 2 for their games. The first season was 2 games released every Monday for 12 weeks. This was so exciting to be able to go home and play 2 new games. If they were to do a Season 2, I think this could be a huge hit!
Final Thoughts
Is the Playdate still a great device in 2024? Of course. I am going to keep it and keep loving it at the same time. I love away to play Indie games because the love that goes into them is so nice to see. The games are fun to pick up and play and I am going to keep looking for good ones. With that, time to make a sequel to my 10 Great Play Date Article.
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