Since the Playdate's lauch back in 2022, every Playdate owner has been given 24 games that optionally unlock at a rate of 2 per week and are free of charge. These games are part of a collection called Season 1 and are, for the most part, well liked by the community and add a lot of value to the Playdate.
A few weeks ago a new collection of games started to be released: Season 2. Season 2 is half the size of Season 1 at a size of 12 games (and one strange video thing) and also isn't free at a price of $39. However. 12 games for $39 is still potentially a steal if said games are good.
So, on this page I want to go through every Season 2 game and write two or three spoiler-free paragraphs about what I think of each game and hopefully determine by the end whether Season 2 is worth it.
Also be sure to keep checking back (or follow my socials!) since this page will be updated as I contine to review Season 2 games!
Dig Dig Dino is, as the name implies, a puzzle game about digging up dinosaur bones. To do this you must clear dirt and rocks on a grid using a variety of tools. In addition to dinosaur bones you'll also find artefacts, gems and more! You'll have to be careful though since the game only provides you with a limited amount of energy to dig with!
Eventually you'll be able to upgrade your tools and energy in order to dig deeper and for longer, which is an extremely satisfying process! You can also unlock a dog that locates dinosaur bones for you, how cool is that!?
This game strongly reminds me of Season 1's Pick Pack Pup since both of these puzzle games feature quirky furry characters, both have you working on a grid, both have a quirky sense of humor and of course both have an alliterative title (also both games have socially progressive subtext, which is much appreciated!).
The thing that sticks out most to me about Dig Dig Dino is how relaxed it is; the game never demands that you make a move quickly, and in fact doesn't even have win-loose conditions, the worst that can happen is that that you can accidentally destroy something that you wanted to collect with a bomb or you can run out of energy before unearthing something. While it might seem that this would make the game uninteresting, I think that the gameplay loop of finding new items and upgrading your tools is interesting enough on its own. I even liked this game enough to 100% it, though I'm not sure that I'd want to 100% the game again due to the afformentioned lack of challenge. But if you're looking for a Playdate game to play while you're doing something else or just want to relax then it doesn't get much better than this.