Playdate Announces Season Two Featuring 12 New Titles

The handheld gaming console Playdate has officially revealed its second season of games, featuring 12 new titles that will be released weekly (two per week) starting May 29th for $39.

A highlight is Fulcrum Defender, a crank-powered arcade action game from Subset Games, the developers of FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach. In this title, players use the Playdate’s crank to aim a turret at 19 types of approaching enemies, with 32 upgrades, 8 weapons, and 16 weapon mods to survive escalating chaos. Developer Jay Ma created it as a therapeutic project while dealing with Long COVID, initially not intending to release it. According to Ma, the game "starts off slow and relaxing, but gradually ramps up until it becomes frantic chaos."

Other revealed games include:

The showcase detailed three other titles coming in Season Two:

• Dig! Dig! Dino! by Dom 2D and Fáyer, where players dig for dinosaur bones and treasures, upgrading tools to uncover secrets.

• Taria & Como, a physics-based puzzle platformer from Popseed Studio and JuVee Productions, focusing on swinging mechanics.

• Shadowgate PD, a reimagined point-and-click adventure from Pixel Ghost, updating the classic with new art and music.

The remaining 8 games in Season Two have been named but not yet detailed. These include:

• Chance's Lucky Escape - Developed by Goloso Games (Spike II: The Great Emu War) and Julia Minamata - The Crimson Diamond

• Otto's Galactic Groove - Developed by Team Otto (Skwish)

• Catchadiablos - Developed by Amano Games (Pullfrog Deluxe)

• The Whiteout - Developed by Scenic Route Software (Post Hero, Generations)

• Black Hole Havoc - Developed by Cosmic Bros (Jolly Chimp Champ)

• Wheelsprung - Developed by Nino van Hooff (Gravity Express) and Julie Bjørnskov (Escape the Arcade)

• Tiny Turnip - Developed by Luke Sanderson (Paper Pilot)

• Long Puppy - Developed by Indiana-Jonas (Surmount)

Playdate also teased a "must-see surprise" that will be "something a little different" from their usual offerings.

For those who don't yet own a Playdate console, they're available directly from creator Panic Inc.'s store for $229 USD, with refurbished units priced at $179. A new cover in the console's signature yellow is also available for $34, though potential buyers should note these prices don't include shipping or taxes, which can be substantial for international customers.

Panic also discloses that they have paid the Playdate game developer over a million dollars since 2023.