The Playdate’s launch was a unique opportunity for small game developers
The team at indie games studio RNG Party has always loved handheld gaming, particularly Nintendo’s quirky portable devices. So when they noticed a new handheld making waves on Twitter, one that looked a lot like a tiny yellow Game Boy, they knew they had to be a part of it. “With pretty much every major console maker now gone from this space, unless you count the Nintendo Switch, this kind of thing might only ever be possible for us once,” explains RNG’s Ben Busche. “And we didn’t want to miss out.”
That device was the Playdate, a handheld from longtime Mac software developer Panic, which is defined both by its miniature stature and the crank sticking out of its side. It finally released earlier this year, and those who purchased one received access to a “season” of games; two new titles would be automatically downloaded every week for 12 weeks, and Panic managed to get notable developers like Keita Takahashi and Bennett Foddy on board. New Playdate owners are pretty set when it comes to new games, at least for a few months.
But there’s another way for developers to support the Playdate — and for some, being a part of that initial rush of excitement was a key strategy for a viable launch. Outside of the season structure, the device also supports sideloading games, so developers can still make and release titles for it even if they aren’t included in the season. Right now, Itch.io is the best place to find these experiences; the “Playdate” tag features dozens of games and apps, ranging from small experiments to full-blown narrative adventures.
“Releasing as soon as we could helped us guarantee eyes on the game, which we knew would be more difficult for us to do as more time passed,” explains Busche. “We are a small team
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