Clickbait title: Has Bennett Foddy Done It Again??? (yes)

I played this game knowing absolutely nothing about it beforehand. I saw that Bennett Foddy had made a game for the Playdate and decided I wouldn't read anything about it before playing it myself. Happily, having played it I can now say it's easily the most compelling game of Playdate's Season One (at least so far).

There's a special place in my heart for games where you die in one hit, games where you're challenged to explore a large but mostly static environment over the course of many attempts, and games where progression doesn't come through upgrading your character but through deeper understanding of the game's systems. This pushes all of those buttons super hard so it was no surprise when I immediately fell in love with it.

No, there are no checkpoints. There are no upgrades either, and enemy placements are lightly randomized between play sessions. There's also no tutorial. If you're willing to fumble around and learn from your mistakes, the game will teach you how to play it. Checkpoints and upgrades aren't at all necessary for a game this sharply designed. Zipper is beautiful to look at, wonderful to touch, and it has a razor sharp edge for a game this compact. I highly recommend it for any fans of Bennett Foddy's work.