Time Extension (Damien McFerran, 18 Feb 2024). "might be the best game for the pocket-sized handheld yet seen."
https://www.timeextension.com/reviews/playdate/under-the-castleGames / Catalog / Under The Castle
OverviewCatalog
Under The Castle
Action / RPGCrank: yes (precision)$10
1 · official Catalog screenshot
2 · official Catalog screenshot
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5 · official Catalog screenshot1 · official Catalog screenshot2 · official Catalog screenshot3 · official Catalog screenshot4 · official Catalog screenshot5 · official Catalog screenshotOverview. Not yet reviewed. No score. Checked 12 Oct 2026. Built from official and press sources.
What it is
Under the Castle is "a classic rogue game where you'll explore infinite dungeons vanquishing enemies, gathering Orbs of Light and rescuing enslaved villagers" on your way to the Evil Lord. You play a hero in a very large hat. Engadget describes three dungeon areas, the crypts, sewers and mines, each with a different goal. Weapons, potions and magic scrolls help, and so does the hat: crank and you disappear inside it to float over gaps. Normal Mode costs you your items when you die but keeps dungeon progress, while Hard Mode brings permadeath. It's turn-based and needs no precision.
It's by Dani Diez (art and main design), ZCorbs (programming) and VolcanoBytes (music). It came to the Catalog in December 2023 for $10 (also on itch.io), with updates into October 2024. Panic lists it among its "Monochrome Masterworks", and its staff note says "This game was beautifully made in every way!"
Who made it
What others are saying
RPGFan (2 Mar 2024). "Despite some unfortunate bugs… preserves what made Rogue's formula tick."
https://www.rpgfan.com/review/under-the-castle/Engadget, "The best Playdate games" (updated 12 May 2025). "it has one of my favorite crank mechanics yet: by cranking, you can disappear into the huge hat to hover over gaps."
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-playdate-games-190049201.htmlCallout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Under The Castle 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/under-the-castle/
- Time Extension review, Damien McFerran, 18 Feb 2024. https://www.timeextension.com/reviews/playdate/under-the-castle
- RPGFan review, 2 Mar 2024. https://www.rpgfan.com/review/under-the-castle/
- Engadget, "The best Playdate games" (updated 12 May 2025). https://www.engadget.com/gaming/best-playdate-games-190049201.html
OverviewNo score
Overview
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
On the card
Explore endless dungeons beneath the castle, defeat enemies, gather Orbs of Light and rescue villagers, using weapons, potions, scrolls and your own hat.
From the sources
