The Ratcheteer (Playdate)
I recognised Shaun Inman’s name on this but it took me ages to place him - he’s been showing up in my iPhone music player since I bought the The Last Rocket’s soundtrack over a decade ago! The Ratcheteer has similar vibes of chunky, GBC-era pixel art, tight retro level design, and earworm music, this time from collaborator 8bitmatt. I’ve been thinking about friction in games a lot lately, and the way The Ratcheteer makes you switch gadgets constantly to efficiently navigate its stages gives it bags of character. There’s a wonderful sense of place and a sweet little storyline tying it all together to make a little snow globe of adventure. The archetypal Playdate game - I can’t imagine this being anywhere else.
















