I’ve been a huge fan of the idea of the Playdate since it was first announced over half a decade ago. Once it came out in 2022, it became a smash hit with indie developers and people who love classic LCD games. Now, we’re looking at Playdate Season Two, which brings even more awesome games.
But, what does the Playdate do?
The Playdate is a tiny video game console, around the size of the classic Pokémon Pikachu electronic pet toy that came out over 25 years ago. Yeah, I know that’s a deep cut. If you ever owned a Gigapet in the 1990s, you may also understand the size here.
The difference is that the screen can do so much more than the old LCD toys and games, even if it is monochrome. The Playdate also comes with a physical crank on the side that can potentially be used by the games on it.
Previously, the Playdate has had a full online store that allows you to buy games a la carte, or you can take advantage of their Season One pass that gave 24 games across 12 weeks that were specially curated for the pass. Once you get them, you get to keep them forever. They drop two games per week and just get transmitted to your Playdate via WiFi.
Playdate Season Two is finally here!
Season One was really long, as it’s been available since 2022. Playdate Season Two seems to be shorter, at twelve games for six weeks. The difference is that it’s possible that Seasons may be shorter, and we could get more ongoing content going forward.
But, how does it work? You pay $39 for Playdate Season Two on Playdate’s digital store, Catalog, then the first two games get beamed to your system each week on Thursday at 10 AM Pacific Time for six weeks. The entire thing started on May 29th and will end on July 3rd. But, no worries; you can start at any time, even after July 3rd. You just miss out on the weekly experience at that point.
The first two games on Playdate Season Two are Fulcrum Defender (made by Subset Games) and Dig! Dig! Dino! (Dom2D & Fáyer). However, it also includes an extra bit of content called Blippo+.
If you’re familiar with FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach, you’d know Subset Games and their work. Fulcrum Defender is described as “easy to pick up and difficult to master” in this crank-powered arcade action game.
Dig! Dig! Dino! is a game about digging. No, not that one. You’re digging, as the title suggests, for dinosaur bones. It’s got a very classic NES-style gameplay while you try to piece together entire dinosaurs from their fossils and find hidden secrets along the way.
Blippo+ was teased all the way back in 2022, when the Playdate was new, as a TV-style static screen took over your Playdate. Each week, when the new games are downloaded to your Playdate, on Thursdays at 10 AM Pacific, you’ll also get an alien broadcast to continue what Season One started. You should also pay attention to the PC Gaming Show on June 8 at 12PM Pacific to learn more about Blippo+ and Playdate Season Two.
If you don’t have this tiny wonder yet, the Playdate is available on the official Playdate website (by Panic Inc.) for $229, or refurbished units for $179. When you purchase, you automatically get everything from Season One as well. That’d start you off with 24 games right out of the box. Playdate Season Two, as mentioned, is $39 and is already underway with twelve additional games.
If you’re a fan of portable gaming that harkens back to the 1990s, you should check out my review of Pokémon TCG Pocket.
