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LUCAS POPE’S MARS AFTER MIDNIGHT RELEASES MARCH 12 AND 16 UPCOMING PLAYDATE GAMES SHOWCASED DURING LATEST PLAYDATE UPDATE
Latest showcase focuses on next month's 'Mars After Midnight' and 16 more on top of that.
game_press
February 28, 2024
6 Min Read
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Panic :
PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 28, 2024 - Fresh off the news that they are caught up on Playdate pre-orders, Panic today announced during the latest Playdate Update showcase that Lucas Pope’s (Return of the Obra Dinn, Papers, Please) Playdate game Mars After Midnight will release on March 12. In addition, today’s presentation also showcased a lineup of 16 creative and inventive upcoming Playdate games coming to the platform in 2024 and beyond, made by talented tight-knit teams.
Mars After Midnight out March 12
Request Review Access For Mars After Midnight
We expect a review build of Mars After Midnight to be ready to share close to launch
Next month also marks the one year anniversary of Panic launching Catalog, their own Playdate on-device and web based game store with Crank-to-Buy technology. To celebrate the occasion, and to welcome new Playdate owners, Panic announced that Catalog will host its first ever game sale from March 7 to March 14.
Playdate is available to order at shop.play.date for $199.
Games featured in today’s showcase include:
(Find some of these titles available to wishlist on Catalog or Itchio)
⛳Faraway Fairway
Release Window: March 2024
Developed by Hedgehog Dreams
An arcade golf game that is procedurally generated and you'll never play the same game twice.
🚣♀️ RowBot Rally
Developed by Rae
A top-down boat-racing game for Playdate with a beefy story mode, hand- animated cutscenes, leaderboards, and fun boat-racing action.
🚲 Midnight Raider
By Lumicreative
A fluid, side-scrolling action adventure game with beat 'em up combat, gorgeous pixel-art, and animated cutscenes.
📰 The Scrolling Enigma
Developed by Lugludum
Unroll the newspaper and use the crank to discover 7 game dev enigmas. Solve riddles, decipher cryptic messages, and piece together the fragments of an elusive truth about the developer’s gamedev journey.
From left to Right: Faraway Fairway, Rowbot Ralley, Midnight Raider, and The Scrolling Enigma,
📻 Echoes of the Emergent
Developed by RNG Party Games
In this Playdate-exclusive kinetic visual novel from the creators of Bloom, embark on a personal journey through a shattered post-apocalyptic world, where your pursuit for answers unveils the remnants of both a forgotten past and uncertain prospects for the future.
🚀 For Home
Developed by RNG Party Games
In For Home, embark on an intimate RPG adventure through space and time designed exclusively for Playdate. As Satsuki, traverse star systems, gather resources on planets, and fight Sentinels in turn-based action combat.
🎮Escape the Arcade
Developed by Julie Bjørnskov & Anders Bjørnskov
An interactive and light hearted comic adventure packed with mind-bending puzzles to help you crack your way out of an arcade. Embark on this nostalgic and absurd journey, immersing yourself in cool illustrations and cryptic riddles.
🗼 Diora
Developed by Zachary Snyder
An isometric 3D game where you explore 3D dioramas
From left to Right: Echoes of the Emmergent, For Home, Escape the Arcade, Diora
🍄 Sporestory
Developed by PossiblyAxolotl
Sporestory is a humorous, weird RPG for Playdate. Explore the world as you meet unusual characters and try to put a stop to the monsters, who recently showed up without warning to scavenge the world for its resources.
🏰 Shadowgate PD
Developed by Pixel Ghost
The original and legendary point-and-click adventure game,Shadowgate, ported to Playdate!
☄️ Comet
Developed by Team Comet
A light-hearted puzzle adventure where you play as the exuberant Stella who confronts her fear of the dark to search for her brother. Solve puzzles, collect trinkets, query islanders, and uncover the secrets of an island fascinated by the Comet.
❄️ The Whiteout
Developed by Scenic Route Software
In the Spring of 2025, it started snowing. It never stopped. The Whiteout is an upcoming adventure game for Playdate from the developer of Post Hero, Generations, and Shift.
From left to Right: Sporestory, Shadowgate PD, Comet, and The Whiteout
⚔️ Solar Descent
Developed by qhoang
A top-down action adventure game with real time combat and mysteries to uncover. Made in Pulp.
👁️ Eyeland 2
Developed by Ron lent
A sequel to the Playdate favorite lo-fi adventure
🐦⬛ What the Crow?!
Developed by Lumicreative
A short story about a little crow who is a little bit angry and a bit bitter. Why is he so angry and causing trouble? Find out in this side-scrolling platform game.
🚀 Voidblazers
Developed by Tijn & Jazzie
A story-driven shoot 'em up game for Playdate. Join the crew of Icarus as they travel across the galaxy, battle various fleets, and encounter new friends and enemies on their daring mission.
Left to right: Solar Descent, Eyeland, What the Crow?!, and Voidblazers
About Playdate
Playdate is a truly unique gaming handheld system that is a celebration of video games. It’s yellow. It fits in your pocket. It includes games from amazing creators, it has a beautiful black and white screen, and yes, it also has a crank.
Playdate is a truly unique gaming handheld system that is a celebration of video games. It’s yellow. It fits in your pocket. It includes games from amazing creators, it has a beautiful black and white screen, and yes, it also has a crank.
Created with great attention to detail and affection by app developer and video game publisher Panic, in collaboration with Teenage Engineering, Playdate hopes to capture the spirit of endless possibility and excitement that games have given us since the beginning. Playdate’s collection of games will delight players with their inventiveness and ingenuity. And in addition to introducing players to brand new games, Playdate also encourages people to create their own imaginative games and interactive software using a suite of easy development tools. In short, Playdate was made just for fun.
For hardware information, pictures, and more details on Playdate visit the Press Kit here: play.date/mediakit
Find Playdate on Twitter at @playdate and on their website at play.date
For special interview requests or any other requests, get in touch with [email protected]
About Panic Inc.
Founded in 1999, Panic is an ancient startup in Portland, Oregon that loves to make nice things and bring people everyday joy. Originally — and still — a Mac app developer, Panic has also become a highly-focused video game publisher that helped release Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game into the world. They now set their sights on even more games such as Nour: Play With Your Food, despelote, Thank Goodness You’re Here, Arco and Time Flies! And in the ultimate spirit of creating products that bring joy, Panic has also created its very own handheld video game system: Playdate.
Visit their website: https://panic.com/
Find Panic on Twitter
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