Playdate Is a Portable Console Like No Other… with a Crank?

Panic — best known for their popular game Firewatch and the forthcoming Untitled Goose Game — have come up with not more innovative software, but an entire game system instead. This beautifully-designed console, entitled Playdate, appears on first glance to be a rather wide homage to the Game Boy, with a directional pad, two buttons, and a black-and-white screen.

Looking again, however, you’ll notice a crank that pops out from the side as an alternative input device. This input method is used exclusively to control the flow of time in what will be its first game when it debuts in early 2020, Crankin’s Time Travel adventure from Keita Takahashi.

The other not-so-obvious feature of this system is that it includes a “season” of 12 games, delivered via WiFi once a week for 12 weeks. Games will be a surprise, so you’ll need a little faith in their ability to deliver. Given Panic’s 20+ year history of making software, though, this seems like a small challenge compared to making a portable game system!

Playdate is due out next year, with a price tag of$149. Until then, you can sign up here to get notified. There’s also a check mark to be sent info about developing Playdate games, which could be very interesting to Hackster readers!