Strummer
1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)
2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)
3 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)
4 · official Catalog screenshot
5 · official Catalog screenshot1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)3 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-3-still.webp)4 · official Catalog screenshot5 · official Catalog screenshotWhat it is
Strummer is "a guitar simulator that turns your Playdate into a fully functional musical instrument". You fret a chord with the D-pad and turn the crank to strum. Chords can be stored across multiple banks and edited, so you can play existing songs or write your own. There are three ways to choose chords: presets, root note plus chord type, or fret numbers per string. A harp mode, "inspired by electronic autoharps", plays arpeggios with optional chord accompaniment. All the tones are synthesised on the Playdate. The accelerometer is optional, and the precision needed depends on what you play. The app is 216 KB.
It's by Steven Namson, maker of Close Approach. It came to the Catalog in March 2025 for $5, with updates into November 2025, and the store links demo videos. It was a finalist for Best App or Knickknack at the 2025 Playdate Community Awards.
Who made it
What others are saying
Coverage is thin: we found no independent review. The store's demo videos are the best way to hear it.
Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Strummer 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/strummer/
- 2025 Playdate Community Awards results (Playdate Squad). https://playdate-wiki.com/wiki/The_2025_Playdate_Community_Awards
- Store page only (see automatic source line).
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
Turn your Playdate into a working instrument. Fret chords with the D-pad, strum with the crank, store chord banks, or switch to an autoharp-style harp mode.
