Playdate is running a site-wide game sale, like a real adult console

The little console that can, Playdate, is holding its first sitewide game sale, just like its more established competitors. Manufacturer Panic is holding the sale to celebrate the anniversary of the online store, which is officially called the Playdate Catalog.

The discounts are remarkable. If you happen to own a Playdate, you’ll find a lot to like here. The sweet little synthesizer app Playmaker selling for $8 instead of $15, and an action RPG Under the castle on sale for $7, a 30 percent discount. Many titles go much lower than that. The weird unicycle/getting coffee simulation A balanced drink sells for only $2 and adventure-esque dungeon crawler Keyper it’s only one dollar.

One of Playdate’s key selling points is the abundance of indie games you can’t play anywhere else, which this sale showcases in spades. However, there is one big game missing from the sale. To Lucas Pope Mars after midnight it doesn’t come out until March 12th, although the sale runs until March 14th, so maybe we’ll get a first-day discount.

For the uninitiated, the Playdate is a retro-style portable console that resembles the original Nintendo Game Boy. It is bright yellow and features a unique control mechanism in the form of a hand crank. This crank is used in new ways, such as maintaining the balance of the unicycle in the aforementioned A balanced drink. It’s a gimmick, but a fun one.

In addition to the sale, new Playdate owners get 24 free games with a $200 console purchase. They are unlocked every week for 12 weeks. The console has technically been available for nearly two years, but there was an obscene waiting period while Panic worked to meet the initial pre-orders. This is no longer available, so orders ship within a few days.