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Playdate was created by Panic. Since 1999, Panic makes Mac software, and publishes video games like Firewatch, Untitled Goose Game, and Nour: Play With Your Food. Learn more about it from the first episode of the Playdate Podcast! View Playdate Credits.
- Catalog
Our curated collection of amazing Playdate things. Scroll...
- News
Catalog One-year Anniversary Report May 2, 2024 April 18,...
- Playdate Season One
24 unique games. Playdate comes with a season of twenty-four...
- Pre-order
It’s yellow. It fits in your pocket. There’s a crank. It...
- Account
Account - Playdate
- Help
How to use basic Playdate features. Games Your guide to...
- Sign In
Sign In - Playdate
- Playdate Cover
cover aqua $29. Made of durable synthetic leather...
- Mirror
Mirror Now your computer is a giant Playdate. macOS;...
- Sign Up
Sign Up - Playdate
- Catalog
Panic makes top-quality apps for developers, publishes games for people who like fun, and, now, we make the Playdate handheld gaming system.
- Hardware
- Games
- Reception
The device is small, square, and yellow and features a black-and-white 1-bit display, a 4-way directional pad, two game buttons, and a mechanical crank, which can be tucked away when not in use. It was designed in collaboration with Teenage Engineering, a Swedish consumer electronics company. Playdate uses a Sharp Memory LCD screen visually similar...
Distribution
Playdate comes with Season One: a collection of 24 games. Every week, two new games of Season One appear on the user's console. The price of Season One is included in the price of the console.The order of released games was unknown until the week they were released, and were revealed to players when they automatically downloaded. It's unclear if there will be a Season Two. On 7 March 2023, the Catalog on-device and on-web store was added. Playdate owners can purchase and download games direct...
Developers
Games for the Playdate have been produced by Panic as well as indie game developers such as Keita Takahashi, Zach Gage, Bennett Foddy, Shaun Inman, and Chuck Jordan. Panic stated that they were interested in games created by underrepresented developers and that there were games from women, queer, trans and non-binarydevelopers in Playdate's first season. Games are created using an openly available proprietary software development kit (SDK) that includes a simulator and debugger. The SDK is co...
Pre-release
On May 22, 2019, Panic announced Playdate. Initial impressions were centered around how unusual the device was, from the crank, its 1-bit screen, and its odd method of delivering games to players. About the crank, TechCrunchnoted, "It's not necessary for every game, though, so don't worry if it seems too weird." A year before the Playdate announcement, Panic co-founder Cabel Sasser sent an email to an indie video game event, also named Playdate, suggesting that the organizers consider tweakin...
Release
Playdate was initially set for release in early 2020, but preorders were delayed until July 29, 2021. Panic sold through its initial order of 20,000 units set to ship in 2021 within the first 20 minutes of its preorder.Playdates started shipping to customers on April 18, 2022. Playdate was generally well-received upon its release, with criticism notably around the lack of a backlit screen and long shipping times. The Verge praised its initial library of games, stating "What's on offer in the...
Apr 18, 2022 · Review: Panic Playdate. The creative yet challenging games in this pocket-friendly handheld will help you pass the time—if you can get your hands on one. Photograph: Panic. Rating:
- Panic
- Gaming
Apr 18, 2022 · Panic’s Playdate is a strange offshoot of the Game Boy, a little yellow handheld with a crank and a library of games from creators like Zach Gage and Keita Takahashi.
May 23, 2023 · If you like weird consoles, tiny handhelds, or indie developer playgrounds, the Playdate is for you. Here’s our coverage of Panic’s simple portable console.
