Ars Technica (Sam Machkovech, 18 Apr 2022). shoulder shrug on both counts: "matching audio was too easy in most of the puzzles", though "by the game's end, this turns into a compelling story".
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/04/all-24-of-playdates-included-games-reviewed/Games / Season One / Echoic Memory
OverviewSeason One
Echoic Memory
RhythmCrank: yesSeason One (included)
1 · official Catalog screenshot
2 · official Catalog screenshot
3 · official Catalog screenshot1 · official Catalog screenshot2 · official Catalog screenshot3 · official Catalog screenshotOverview. Not yet reviewed. No score. Checked 12 Oct 2026. Built from official and press sources.
What it is
Echoic Memory is "a musical puzzle game that utilizes the player's own sensory memory and a playful twist of the crank". Each puzzle plays you a snippet of sound, and you search a row of boomboxes for the one that matches. In later puzzles the boomboxes' audio is filtered, and you tune it with the crank to pick out the details. The story mode, about Echo-like home assistants coming to life, "explores the meaning of memories", and there's a second mode besides. Play needs the crank, holding B, and "careful listening", so sound is essential.
It was made by a small team (Samantha Kalman, Everest Pipkin, Carol Mertz and Rachelle Viola) "before and during the pandemic", and it unlocked in Week 5 of Season One alongside Flipper Lifter, free with the console. At 158.5 MB it's by far the largest Season One download.
Who made it
What others are saying
Gabriel Toschi (blog, undated). "The concept on Echoic Memory is really neat… it was fun for some levels, but it got repetitive really fast. The story seems interesting, though."
https://www.gabtoschi.com/blog/playdate-full-review/Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Echoic Memory yet. This page is an overview built from official and press sources.
Sources
Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Official Catalog page (description, credits, size, dates, content/AI/accessibility notes). https://play.date/games/echoic-memory/
- Season One page. https://play.date/games/season-one/
- Ars Technica, Sam Machkovech, 18 Apr 2022. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/04/all-24-of-playdates-included-games-reviewed/
- Gabriel Toschi (undated). https://www.gabtoschi.com/blog/playdate-full-review/
- Playdate Podcast transcript: research/gamepages/sources/echoic-memory/podcast.txt.
OverviewNo score
Overview
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
On the card
Listen, remember, match. A Simon-like sound puzzle where you tune boomboxes with the crank, wrapped in a story about memory and AI assistants.
