INTO THE BREACH DEVELOPER SUBSET GAMES, VIOLA DAVIS & JULIUS TENNON’S JUVEE PRODUCTIONS, AND MORE COMING TOGETHER FOR  PLAYDATE SEASON TWO PREMIERING MAY 29

PORTLAND, APRIL 17, 2025 - Announced today during the latest Playdate Update showcase, Panic is excited to announce that Playdate Season Two - their curated, mysterious collection of brand-new Playdate games that will release weekly for players across six weeks - will begin on May 29 and pre-orders for the season are now open on Playdate Catalog for $39. Players can expect games from Subset Games (Into the Breach, FTL: Faster Than Light), Popseed Studio Inc. with JuVee Productions, and more. A new fancy Yellow Playdate Cover was also unveiled during the show and is available to order today for $34.

For those without a Playdate, there is still time to get one to experience the games of Season Two together with the Playdate community. Units are available to order at shop.play.date for $229, with refurbished units also now available for $179.

When Playdate was first revealed in 2019, one of the original dreams for the platform was to have all Playdate owners experience a season of mystery games tailored for the hardware at the exact same time. Due to a global pandemic, an unprecedented chip shortage, and the realities of shipping new between 2020 and 2022, that did not come to be. Playdate Season 2 hopes to deliver on that original idea. 

Playdate Season Two will be made up of 12 brand new games, two being released every week starting on May 29 and ending on July 3 - plus a must see surprise for all those who want something….a little different.

Today’s show spotlighted four of the games that will make up Season Two: 

• Fulcrum Defender - Developed by Subset Games  
  • From the makers of FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach comes a totally different kind of game… Find your optimal build and perfect your aiming skills to survive in this crank-powered, arcade action game! Easy to pick up and difficult to master, Fulcrum Defender will test your focus and skill
  • “I wanted to make a replayable experience that starts off slow and relaxing, but gradually ramps up until it becomes frantic chaos,” says Jay Ma of Subset Games in the latest Playdate Update. “Originally I did not plan on finishing this game, I was making it as a form of self-therapy. I have been struggling with Long COVID the past few years and I wanted to prove to myself that I could still make games in my current state. That’s why I feel honored to have this game accepted as part of the Playdate’s Season Two bundle ” 

• Taria & Como - Developed by Popseed Studio Inc and JuVee Productions  
  • Taria & Como is a physics-based puzzle platformer where movement is built around swinging instead of jumping. Play as Taria, a young girl with a prosthetic leg, as she rescues her little sister Como in the midst of a world that constantly underestimates her. Separated after a disaster, Taria wakes up in a hospital where she’s forced to use an “approved” prosthetic that limits her mobility. Undeterred, she takes control of her own fate, using ingenuity and sheer determination to escape and find her sister. 
  • “A physics platformer, powered by a crank, starring a disabled hero that can't jump? Those are incredible ingredients for an incredible Playdate game. It’s original, wonderful, and exactly what we dreamed of for Playdate.” - Cabel Sasser, Co-Founder, Panic 
  • "A few years ago, my friend’s son was diagnosed with Tourette’s, and I began to think about what sort of stories he’d grow up with. As a disabled person, I’ve seen the same tropes recycled–pity case, inspiration, disability as a superpower, magical cures. Disability is complex, and we’re more than the inspirational fodder for able-bodied people. Taria & Como is the story I wish I had growing up." - Kip Henderson, Creator of Taria & Como
  • “Artists tell stories across all mediums, and we’re excited to expand our portfolio into interactive gaming. We were drawn to Kip’s vision because it’s so specific and imaginative—it captures you with truth, warmth, and a touch of mischief. That’s the kind of storytelling we believe in. Taria & Como has a big soul, and we can’t wait for fans and the Playdate community to experience it.” - Viola Davis & Julius Tennon, JuVee Productions

• Shadowgate PD -  Developed by Pixel Ghost (Life’s Too Short) 
  • The classic point-and-click adventure Shadowgate, reimagined with all new music, art and functionality, taking the best of the previous versions and creating a unique remake for Playdate.  Thrust into the role of "The Seed of Prophecy," players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord. 

• Dig! Dig! Dino! -  Developed by Dom 2D (Flinthook) & Fáyer (Arco)  
  • Dig Dig Dino! is a game about digging... for dinosaurs bones and other treasure! Joining a crew of paleontologists at a new digsite, shovel your way down to many incredible discoveries. Piece together whole dino skeletons and analyze strange artifacts, uncovering lost secrets buried deep underground. Sell off coins and treasure to build an arsenal of digging tools, then upgrade them to go deeper and find even more bones and loot!

• Chance's Lucky Escape - Developed by Goloso Games (Spike II: The Great Emu War) and Julia Minamata (The Crimson Diamond)
• Long Puppy - Developed by Indiana-Jonas (Surmount)
• Otto’s Galactic Groove - Developed by Team Otto (Skwish)
• Catchadiablos  - Developed by Amano Games (Pullfrog Deluxe) 
• The Whiteout - Developed by Scenic Route Software (Post Hero, Generations) 
• Black Hole Havoc - Developed by Cosmic Bros (Jolly Chimp Champ) 
• Wheelsprung - Developed by Nino van Hooff (Gravity Express) and Julie Bjørnskov (Escape the Arcade)
• Tiny Turnip  - Developed by Luke Sanderson (Paper Pilot)
• ▀▄▀▄▀▄ - Developed by Dustin Mierau (Playmaker, Napster)
   

About Playdate

Playdate is a truly unique gaming handheld system that is a celebration of video games. It’s yellow. It fits in your pocket. It includes games from amazing creators, it has a beautiful black and white screen, and yes, it also has a crank. 

Created with great attention to detail and affection by app developer and video game publisher Panic, in collaboration with Teenage Engineering, Playdate hopes to capture the spirit of endless possibility and excitement that games have given us since the beginning. Playdate’s collection of games will delight players with their inventiveness and ingenuity. And in addition to introducing players to brand new games, Playdate also encourages people to create their own imaginative games and interactive software using a suite of easy development tools. In short, Playdate was made just for fun.

About Panic Inc.

Founded in 1999, Panic is an ancient startup in Portland, Oregon that loves to make nice things and bring people everyday joy. Originally — and still — a Mac app developer, Panic has also become a highly-focused video game publisher that helped release games like Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game into the world, with much more on the horizon including Big Walk, Herdling, despelote, and Time Flies. And in the ultimate spirit of creating products that bring joy, Panic has also created its very own handheld video game system: Playdate.