The Fall of Elena Temple
I’m juuuuust smart enough for The Fall of Elena Temple. That’s a big part of the appeal of a game like this: simple and clear mechanics, a unique hook, levels that are just the right length, controls that feel good, charming writing, and the knowledge that you can maybe do that last level right this time if you just think a little bit harder and maybe plan for once. Took a few tries but I thought hard enough!
Originally a Playdate exclusive (realizing as I write this just how many Playdate games are “exclusive”), The Fall of Elena Temple is the first of its kind: a Playdate game to make the leap from our favorite little yellow handheld onto the big screen. It launched on Switch and Xbox One/S/X on April 30, 2024, and it’s coming to Steam and PlayStation 5 in June. The lovely Romanian developers GrimTalin gave me a Switch code because I picked up the original game way back… during the Playdate Advent Calendar sale, I think? (Writing about THAT fun sale later.) And now here I am, finally getting to it, so now I get to compare the two!
First things first, the obvious benefit of playing it on the Switch is that I can play it in the dark. I love the Playdate, and I would pay an extra $50 for it to be backlit. Maybe a Worm Light sort of add-on? I have a clip-on booklight, but it’s not quite… there. Second benefit is the extra buttons. Since it was designed for Playdate originally, there are only so many actions you need to be able to do, but having a dedicated jump button instead of pushing up on the D-pad just feels good. Also, there are unlockable pixel art backgrounds as you progress through the game, which is played in a sort of picture-in-picture style on a “GrimBoy.” You can zoom in and out as you please, and it keeps the 1-bit pixel art graphics from looking real weird on your giant HDTV.
Downsides: the Switch is wayyyy heavier/bulkier than the Playdate, and the nature of the game just feels right on a small handheld vs. a 50-inch TV (when docked, or playing the Xbox version). Also: no crank. Rewinding time with a crank? FUN.
(Many paragraphs later.) Oh, but what kind of game is this? The Fall of Elena Temple is a puzzle-platformer based around the concept “Fall. Crank. Undo.” Each single-screen level has a bunch of gold coins to collect before you head for the exit, and you need to grab them all. This is achieved by falling down holes, grabbing coins, then rewinding time to where you fell from. You have a limited number of falls that you can do in a row, and you’ll have to be careful not to make a wrong step. One too many falls from the wrong ledge means you’re starting that level over. The levels are just long enough to teach you a lesson. It’s much more “puzzle game” than “platform game,” and you don’t really need twitch reflexes to do well.
There are new gimmicks introduced in each level, like snakes, ladders, spikes, one-way passageways, keys, or hearts that absorb one instance of damage. I like how, as you get to the later levels, you’ll really have to start chipping away at the map with each restart. Like you’ll figure out how to get all the coins on the right side of the screen, but then realize you needed to grab the ones on the left side first. Or you need to run all the way across a crumbling platform then return to it from the far edge so your fall rewind will put you on the other side of the gap. It’s fun feeling your brain being rewired as you advance through the 20 regular levels and 3 bonus stages.
Basically, this game does all the things I want a Playdate game to do. Short levels that are easy to pick up and play. Tight controls. A cool concept. Fun little audio-log-esque storytelling moments. And it’s only $3, which… how many full-sized games on any console are $3? Fingers crossed that the Playdate-to-home-console pipeline is smoothed a bit after this initial try, and porting from Playdate becomes easier in the future! Would be nice to see my favorite games and developers get more exposure and money so they can keep doing cool things.