Sound Mind is interesting because everything about it is the opposite of how I usually play games on my Playdate. First, and most obviously: it’s two-player only, hot seat style. You need to play with the sound up high so you can listen for what the other person is doing and guess what part of the room they’re in. You’ll need to either explain the rules to someone or be willing to sit patiently as they go through the tutorial, and it’s not a short tutorial either. You could play many games of Root Bear just in the time it takes to explain the mechanics. The only game I’ve ever played like it in my life is Spy Vs. Spy on the NES, and screen-peeking was part of the mechanics for that one as opposed to just screen-listening. It is… everything I don’t look for in a Playdate game. And that might be exactly the reason you love it.
One thing that can’t be denied about this game: the vibes are immaculate, and it does exactly what it sets out to do. First, you’ll need a patient friend that understands how the Playdate works. There’s cranking, and buttons you need to hold down, and a tiny black-and-white screen, and basically, you’ll need a specific kind of person to recruit for this. If you are a board game person that’s good at explaining complex rules to someone, and they’re a board game person that’s good at learning those rules, that could be a perfect match. There will still be an unfair advantage for the person that’s played it before and can recognize the sounds coming out of the tiny speaker, but not so much that it’s un-fun.
On to the actual game: both players take turns sneaking around a big room and trying to find the hidden money, then they deposit that money, one piece at a time, into their own piggy bank on one side of the room. You can set traps, push around the other player when it’s not their turn, and hide in the walls. Certain parts of the environment will make specific noises when you pass them unless you’re sneaking, and there’s only one bag of money to be found that both players will need to draw from. First to ten doubloons or the highest score at the end of a set number of turns is the winner.
There’s a huge amount of strategy here, especially since each turn is a limited amount of time: do you hide the money in a trunk as your turn is coming to an end, or hold it with you? Do you trip a trap to make the other person think you’re hiding on the opposite side of the room from where you actually are, or is it all a ruse? That sack left on the floor, is it the loot bag or a trap that explodes when you pick it up? Since everything is on a time limit, you’ll need to balance setting traps, finding/depositing the money, and making your opponent think you’re doing one thing while you’re actually somewhere completely different. You even use the crank to open certain containers, and if you crank too quickly, they’ll be able to tell which one you’re opening by the sound. But then again, there’s not that much time on your turn, so maybe speed is more important.
For the right and very specific kind of people, this game could be such a great time. There are so many ways to trick your opponent, and there’s even an expert mode with secret goals that award secret doubloons that your opponent can’t even see on the scoreboard. Despite it being a relatively small room, it’s packed with opportunities, and two people that become experts at the ebb and flow of the game will continue getting better and better at pulling the wool over their opponents’ eyes. It’s just… not what I’m looking for with a Playdate game. And that’s okay! That’s what these seasons are for, to really show you a bit of what games can be, no matter what the format. There’s definitely a duo out there where this will be their new favorite game. And I’m so happy for them. Me, though: onto the next one!
(Released October 22, 2026, as part of Season Three.)