RowBot Rally (Demo)
The Playdate’s crank is a unique control interface. You can kind of treat it like an analog stick that you only rotate, but at the same time… not really? For example, Direct Drive with a PS4 controller would not feel the same, not by a long shot. So it’s really neat when a game comes along that uses the crank to make it feel like a real-life action that people do with their actual hands, arms, and bodies. In this case, the last game of Rae Days, the crank simulates the feeling of rowing through the water with an oar. It’s all about timing.
In RowBot Rally, you’re a little bunny rowing in a boat race with your robot buddy. He will paddle at a consistent speed on one side of the boat, and anyone who’s been in a rowboat knows that if you just paddle on one side of the boat, you’ll go in a circle. So your job as the bunny is to paddle on the other side of the boat by rotating the crank. If you row faster than your robo-buddy, you’ll turn one way. Row slower, turn the other way. Row the same speed? You head straight. It’s a boat racing game with a top-down view, a bit like the old Grand Theft Auto games (or my favorite, Chinatown Wars), and the demo contains one fun level. It’s not hard to win once you get the timing down, but the feel of this paddling-with-the-crank racing game compared to, say, R.C. Pro-Am is totally different.
Also, let’s take a minute to talk about how Rae’s art is some of the best on the Playdate. She makes these story cutscenes with so much personality and charm, and a free demo of this game was such a smart idea. It’s been in development for… a long time (started in April 2023!), and this bite-sized demo is a big reason it has been featured at PAX and in official Playdate social media videos, and it’s got a big featured spot in the “upcoming games” section on the Playdate website. As soon as the control method clicks for a new player, they can really see the potential of this tiny yellow machine with the unique gimmick. I’d put this up there with Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure as one of the first things you should show to your friends to get them to buy their own Playdate. “Look, this is what I mean about the crank! And look how cute the art is!”
Playdate: The Official Website (not to be confused with this one you’re reading now) says that we’re getting the full game “late 2024.” Huge if true! Thanks for this free demo to tide us over while we wait, Rae! But we’re ready for the rest now. :)
Get the free demo on Catalog (and learn how to sideload it here), and wishlist it while you wait for the full release. The demo released on February 28, 2024, and the full game should be out by the end of 2024.