Soggy Froggy
On this, my fourth time trying to write my Soggy Froggy review, I will say: a lot of people on the Playdate Squad Discord loved this game, some even more than Gloom Gate. As for me, though… if this game wasn’t part of Season Three, I wouldn’t be writing about it, because I try to only cover games I can heartily recommend. This whole site is the work of one person, and when a game just isn’t “for me,” I just try hard to find a game that does match my personal tastes instead. Still, every game has something to offer and I’ll focus on that. Let’s see if this game is “for you.”
Soggy Froggy is a high score chaser in the same vein as Root Bear, which was also by the same developer. If you liked Root Bear and thought it was more than just a TikTok party trick with some wacky, new-Mickey-Mouse-cartoon-esque art, you’ll probably get the same joy out of Soggy Froggy. Whereas the runs in Root Bear were pretty short, a single game of Soggy Froggy will last as long as you don’t make a mistake. High scores are a marathon of endurance more than anything else.
First, you’ll see this incredibly stylized frog in a bath. A temperature meter at the top of the screen fills up quickly as it warms up, and you stir the bath with the crank to reduce the temp and move the needle the other direction. Crank quickly to stir quickly and reduce the temperature faster, but don’t go too cold or let it get too hot or it’s game over. Small frog icons appear on the metronome, and each one you pass gets you a point, with bonus points for hitting them spot-on. Occasionally, the frog icon will turn into a range that you keep the needle in for extra points. As you hit certain score thresholds, the frog goes from dry to humid or moist and onwards. One mistake and that’s it, off to the leaderboards if you’re good.
If that’s enough for you, you’ll have a fine time. For me, though, especially when compared side-by-side with the expansive Gloom Gate, this just isn’t enough. Within about two minutes, you’ll have seen everything there is to see, as the higher levels just have a faster moving temperature meter that will take more crank precision to satisfy, and some slightly different frog art.
There’s also a “Wisdom” mode that will deliver fortune cookie-style one liners, but that also didn’t keep me entertained for long. This is a mere appetizer for the rest of the season, but with only 8 games at the same price as the last 12-game season, I expect more out of each. I feel like I’m the only one in the world who doesn’t “get it.” I know there is room for all sorts of games on this tiny yellow machine, but I want more out of even quick play score chasers at this point in the Playdate’s lifecycle. Maybe this could work as a big, gimmicky arcade machine at a Round1 or Dave & Buster’s, with a giant crank and all your friends watching? But as part of the coveted and exclusive Season Three, where it’s just me and my white cat Luigi cranking away in the basement, I want a little more.
(Released October 8, 2026, as part of Season Three.)