Plus, an update on the Stereo Dock from last weekend in case you missed it
October 31, 2024
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Panic :
PORTLAND, OCTOBER 31, 2024 - Preparing to pass out king size candy bars, the tight knit team at Panic announced today during the latest Playdate Update showcase that Playdate Season 2 - a new collection of surprise games developed specifically for the handheld that will be released weekly onto Playdates across the globe - is in development and is set to release in 2025.
When Playdate was first revealed in 2019, one of the original dreams for the platform was to have all Playdate owners experience a season of mystery games tailored for the hardware at the exact same time. Due to a global pandemic, an unprecedented chip shortage, and the realities of shipping new between 2020 and 2022, that did not come to be. Playdate Season 2 hopes to deliver on that original idea.
"Since the beginning, the number one question from Playdate owners has been: ‘When will there be another Season?’” says Greg Maletic, Playdate Project Lead. “Season One was a hit—players loved games like Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure and Zipper. They also loved the excitement of receiving two surprise games a week: that time-release aspect encouraged players to dive deeply into each title before the next arrived. But one thing we couldn’t do with Season One was synchronize play for everyone. With Season Two, we finally can!”
Playdate owners who want to experience Season 2 as it rolls out will need to have a Playdate and purchase the Season via Catalog, Panic’s store for Playdate games and software, next year when it releases. Details on price, the exact number of games, and the developers behind the games of Season 2 will come in 2025. Playdate is available to order at shop.play.date for $199, currently on back order, but orders will once again begin shipping in early December. Playdate Season One is and will still be included with every Playdate sold.
In addition to today's show, it’s also the start of the second Playdate Catalog sale! 160+ games, some showcased in today's show, are available for a low, low price until November 14 at 10AM PT.
Upcoming games and game updates featured in today’s showcase include: (Find some of these titles available to wishlist on Catalog or Itchio) [The games listed below are not part of Season 2]
🦉 Owlet’s Embrace
Developed by Lukas Wolski
Coming Late 2025
Owlet's Embrace is an action exploration platformer, blending fast paced grappling hook maneuvers with combat and emotional discovery.
An owlet afraid of flight sets off to explore a vibrant mysterious world and rediscover itself. On this heartwarming adventure, you'll confront the owlet's deepest fears as only the greatest challenges can lead to the most profound growth.
☄️ Comet
Developed by Team Comet
Coming Soon
A light-hearted puzzle adventure where you play as the exuberant Stella who confronts her fear of the dark to search for her brother.
After a world-changing event occurs before your eyes, your brother disappears in the middle of the night. You embark on a journey to follow his trail and find some answers. Crank up the light on your lamp as you foray into the dark and travel across an island stirred by stardust magic. Solve puzzles, collect trinkets, query islanders, and uncover the secrets of an island fascinated by the Comet.
🪑 Office Chair Curling
Developed by osuika
Coming Soon
Throw office chairs and aim for a target!
🐤 BWIRDS
Developed by Threethreethree Games
Out November 26, 2024
A whimsical word game! Writers are lost for words and need your help spelling new ones. Use your grabber contraption to nab bwirds out of the sky to form words and reap the rewards as long as you keep your writers happy.
👹Devils on the Moon Pinball
Developed by Amano Games
Coming 2025
Themed on the astrologically Occult, Devils on the Moon is a Single board VG-Pinball Heavily inspired by all the great Pinball games of the past and some modern ones as well!
🧙♂️ Under the Castle - Content Update
Developed by Dani Diez, ZCorbs, VolcanoBytes
Out Now
Playdate favorite rogue game, Under the Castle, has received a new content update including an Infinite Mode, new items, new music, and quality of life improvements
🐻 Root Bear - Content Update
Developed by Team Root
Out later this year
Another playdate favorite, Root Bear, is receiving a major update later this year that will include online leaderboards, two brand-new play modes, and a full engine rewrite so you’ll be pouring at the top of your game.
🚣 Rowbot Rally - Release Date Announce
Developed by Rae
Out December 17
A top-down boat-racing game for Playdate with a beefy story mode, hand-animated cutscenes, leaderboards, and fun boat-racing action.
In other news, last Friday Panic provided an update on the development of the Playdate Stereo Dock, head on over to the project’s product page at play.date/stereo-dock for the full details.
Playdate is available to order at shop.play.date for $199, currently on back order, but orders will once again begin shipping in early December.
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.
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 games like Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game into the world, with much more on the horizon including Big Walk, Herdling, despelote, 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 social media: https://social.panic.com/
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