10 Mins In: Pulpergeist (Playdate)

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Pulpergeist by Crandaddy
Platforms: Playdate
Buy on Catalog or on Itch. See also Playdate wiki.

10 Mins In is supposed to be a low-key series of reviews, where I post some thoughts after playing a new game and getting over my initial impressions and confusions. It might not be fair or objective, but 1. that’s the internet, right? and 2. I wanted to really have a space to highlight some of the wonderful and WTF titles I stumble across. Indie, indie! Let’s go!

Pulpergeist is a game that’s been waiting for me on my Playdate for a while. It’s developed in a web-based environment called Pulp. I’m gradually getting to be a big Pulp fan for game development, partly for its simplicity and the challenges of working in it, partly for its retro aesthetic that just has a feel, you know?

Pulp games tend to be (but not always) more of a grid-based exploration affair, and Pulpergeist is no exception. After 1 minute, never mind 10, you’ll have a grip on what’s going on – the story is a traditional, yet well-told tale of a detective looking into a mysterious case, and unpicking the strange back story waiting to be uncovered. If you’re a fan of ghost stories and Film Noir then you’ll be right at home here.

The puzzles admittedly didn’t hold me up for too long. (Spoiler: I’m writing this after more than 10 minutes in, and finished the main thread, plus extra chapter, in one sitting.) But I really enjoyed the playthrough which is a decent length for the tiny price of the game.

And to top it off, one of my favourite things here is the little bonuses. Pictures in a gallery unlock as you progress through the game, including ones for different endings (which I’ve yet to go back and discover). It’s nice to have a few extra secrets lying in wait, just to add some icing to the cake.

So overall, a neat little package – fun to play with a good atmosphere to it. Assuming you’re ok with themes of death*, it’s easily worth a pick-up.

* As per the catalog page: “This game contains no profanity or depictions of violence. However, some subject matter pertinent to the story may be suitable for more mature audiences.”

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