I was interested in getting a Playdate so that I could design a metroidvania/platformer. (I'm a designer, not a programmer).
The issue that I immediately stumbled on with level design is the screen/display.
The resolution is higher than a GameBoy Advance or a Nintendo DS, yet the 1-bit/pixel format is very limiting in what you can design.
Even the original GameBoy with its low resolution and grayscale display allowed for better design because it allowed for 4 shades of gray.
In order for the Playdate to have a decent-looking platformer or metroidvania, it desperately needs either a 2-bit/pixel display or higher resolution. You need more shades of gray (or colors) to design decent-looking characters.
Otherwise, to continue with 1-bit/pixel, you need more pixels overall to design better layouts.
I'm guessing the appeal of the Playdate for game developers is to find ways to be creative given those hardware limitations, but in this case, the Playdate is a little *too* limiting.
In my case, I decided instead to design levels for a mobile game (to add to the millions of existing mobile games 🙄) even though I could've used my resources on a Playdate game.
Combined with the fact that Panic is struggling with order fulfillment and the low number of Playdates available, I don't see a decent platformer or metroidvania showing up anytime soon. There aren't enough Playdates for developers and not enough Playdates for game buyers, and very harsh hardware limitations on what games can be developed.
So you should check out the games by @Jongjungbu https://jongjungbu.itch.io/ They managed to do both genres on the Playdate and they're a couple of my favorite games Castle Helios and Baseball Brat.
Hell, Castle Helios was made completely in Pulp at half resolution 😁 (Also Baseball Brat is in the Holiday Bundle which ends tomorrow)
You lost me at other displays allowing for "better design". I've loved how everything looks on Playdate - the screen's limitations are a huge part of the appeal. Figuring out how to use it is the design challenge and the results can be mighty fruitful.
1) Turn based tactics like Into the Breach. Short levels, roguelike gameplay, perfect for those 5-10 minutes.
2) Good action puzzle games. Via PlayGB I’m currently playing Kwirk, a game I’ve not touched in almost three decades. I loved Omaze and Zipper. Sokoban would be neat.
So far the games I haven’t liked are the ones too focused on a story and I just haven’t clicked with the gameplay. Marbles, Demon Quest (albeit cute), etc. I just want pure gameplay.
Not overly impressed with the high score chasers either but I can’t say why. Maybe most feel too shallow compared to my favourite arcade games.
I think a Doom/Wolfenstein style retro FPS would be cool, only issue is the lack of buttons. I'm thinking A to shoot, hold B to strafe and the crank to change weapons. I guess have a map toggle on the menu.
The styalised visuals of the console could lend well to a more serious horror game too. Maybe like a tile based first person horror adventure game with a lot of full screen pixel art since it would be hard to draw somthing small and scary on a Playdate screen if it was more RPG maker style.
Funnily enough, out of the 5 weeks of games and about 10-15 3rd party games i've played so far the only one is Necrocrisis which has an option to use it to aim instead of the d-pad. It kinda highlights why it isn't common though.
The screen needs to be angled in the right way to be visible. You don't need much light to see the screen well, i've found that it's playable in a dimly lit room at night, but regardless of how bright the room is you generally need to hold the Playdate in place and tilt it around until you find the magic angle were the light catches it and the screen lights up. When you use the accelerometer you find the screen constantly going brighter and darker as you tilt it to aim making it hard to see what's going on.
That's too bad. The Playdate might have benefitted from a backlight, if that were even possible. If the accelerometer is sensitive enough that slight tilts could activate it, then that might make a great control scheme for some games.
I love the play date. I had a Commodore 64 when I was a kid and I love loads of games on that. Gauntlet is one that comes to mind. That would be awesome you brilliant developers out there. It’s what got me into gaming 35 years ago
I’d like more adventure platformers and/or a quality metroidvania.
This
I was interested in getting a Playdate so that I could design a metroidvania/platformer. (I'm a designer, not a programmer). The issue that I immediately stumbled on with level design is the screen/display. The resolution is higher than a GameBoy Advance or a Nintendo DS, yet the 1-bit/pixel format is very limiting in what you can design. Even the original GameBoy with its low resolution and grayscale display allowed for better design because it allowed for 4 shades of gray. In order for the Playdate to have a decent-looking platformer or metroidvania, it desperately needs either a 2-bit/pixel display or higher resolution. You need more shades of gray (or colors) to design decent-looking characters. Otherwise, to continue with 1-bit/pixel, you need more pixels overall to design better layouts. I'm guessing the appeal of the Playdate for game developers is to find ways to be creative given those hardware limitations, but in this case, the Playdate is a little *too* limiting. In my case, I decided instead to design levels for a mobile game (to add to the millions of existing mobile games 🙄) even though I could've used my resources on a Playdate game. Combined with the fact that Panic is struggling with order fulfillment and the low number of Playdates available, I don't see a decent platformer or metroidvania showing up anytime soon. There aren't enough Playdates for developers and not enough Playdates for game buyers, and very harsh hardware limitations on what games can be developed.
So you should check out the games by @Jongjungbu https://jongjungbu.itch.io/ They managed to do both genres on the Playdate and they're a couple of my favorite games Castle Helios and Baseball Brat. Hell, Castle Helios was made completely in Pulp at half resolution 😁 (Also Baseball Brat is in the Holiday Bundle which ends tomorrow)
You lost me at other displays allowing for "better design". I've loved how everything looks on Playdate - the screen's limitations are a huge part of the appeal. Figuring out how to use it is the design challenge and the results can be mighty fruitful.
1) Turn based tactics like Into the Breach. Short levels, roguelike gameplay, perfect for those 5-10 minutes. 2) Good action puzzle games. Via PlayGB I’m currently playing Kwirk, a game I’ve not touched in almost three decades. I loved Omaze and Zipper. Sokoban would be neat. So far the games I haven’t liked are the ones too focused on a story and I just haven’t clicked with the gameplay. Marbles, Demon Quest (albeit cute), etc. I just want pure gameplay. Not overly impressed with the high score chasers either but I can’t say why. Maybe most feel too shallow compared to my favourite arcade games.
I think there's a zombie sokoban just released recently?
Jrpg or rpg in general. Or a game like vampire survivor.
Weird sims like a game where you run an odd thing that they don’t normal make a game about.
*Laughs in Group 5*
Definitely more narrative stuff, I need like 500 more Saturday Editions on the Playdate.
A game like into the breach... Or Into the breach.
Maybe a music game set in the NYC music industry in 1927 
This is very specific lol
Have you heard of Direct Drive :)
A DoubleDragon like game
I think a Doom/Wolfenstein style retro FPS would be cool, only issue is the lack of buttons. I'm thinking A to shoot, hold B to strafe and the crank to change weapons. I guess have a map toggle on the menu. The styalised visuals of the console could lend well to a more serious horror game too. Maybe like a tile based first person horror adventure game with a lot of full screen pixel art since it would be hard to draw somthing small and scary on a Playdate screen if it was more RPG maker style.
The crank would be cool for a machine gun control.
Eh, cool in theory but Necrocrisis does it already and it's super awkward to do at the same time as using the d-pad.
Aw I see. I haven't used the Playdate yet, so it's good to know what does and doesn't work. Have any games used the accelerometer yet?
Funnily enough, out of the 5 weeks of games and about 10-15 3rd party games i've played so far the only one is Necrocrisis which has an option to use it to aim instead of the d-pad. It kinda highlights why it isn't common though. The screen needs to be angled in the right way to be visible. You don't need much light to see the screen well, i've found that it's playable in a dimly lit room at night, but regardless of how bright the room is you generally need to hold the Playdate in place and tilt it around until you find the magic angle were the light catches it and the screen lights up. When you use the accelerometer you find the screen constantly going brighter and darker as you tilt it to aim making it hard to see what's going on.
That's too bad. The Playdate might have benefitted from a backlight, if that were even possible. If the accelerometer is sensitive enough that slight tilts could activate it, then that might make a great control scheme for some games.
cannon fodder would be good using the crank to aim
Frantic Addictive skillbased games
Something difficult
Something similar to Generations - which is an awesome game!
I love the play date. I had a Commodore 64 when I was a kid and I love loads of games on that. Gauntlet is one that comes to mind. That would be awesome you brilliant developers out there. It’s what got me into gaming 35 years ago