Ars Technica (Sam Machkovech, 18 Apr 2022). thumbs-up on both counts. Foddy "has delivered perhaps the most visually arresting ode to famed director Akira Kurosawa I've ever seen in a 2D video game."
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/04/all-24-of-playdates-included-games-reviewed/Games / Season One / Zipper
OverviewSeason One
Zipper
Strategy / PuzzleCrank: optionalSeason One (included)
1 · official Catalog screenshot1 · official Catalog screenshotOverview. Not yet reviewed. No score. Checked 12 Oct 2026. Built from official and press sources.
What it is
Zipper is a turn-based tactics puzzle that the store page says "recalls 8-bit isometric classics on the ZX Spectrum and MSX". You're "a ridiculously swift swordsman" taking revenge on a castle full of enemies. You can dash any distance in a straight line and cut down everyone you pass, but every move costs health, and after each move the surviving enemies get the same number of steps to come for you. Winding the crank previews where foes will end up before you commit. Ars calls it "the most visually arresting ode" to Akira Kurosawa it has seen in a 2D game. It has an online leaderboard.
It's by Bennett Foddy (QWOP, Getting Over It), and it unlocked in Week 4 of Season One alongside HYPER METEOR, free with the console. Crank use is optional, and the content note mentions "a mild amount of pixelated violence and bloodshed".
Who made it
What others are saying
Gabriel Toschi (blog, undated). "I tried a lot to understand how the enemies worked and what would be the best strategy, but… was too frustrating to my taste."
https://www.gabtoschi.com/blog/playdate-full-review/Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Zipper 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/zipper/
- 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/
- Bennett Foddy. https://www.foddy.net
- Playdate Podcast transcript: research/gamepages/sources/zipper/podcast.txt.
OverviewNo score
Overview
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
On the card
A ridiculously swift swordsman storms a castle. Every dash lets the enemies move too, so preview their response with the crank before you commit.
From the sources
