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Fromage Frenzy: A Double Feature of Dairy Delights and Spooky Tales on Playdate
After a brief hiatus, I've returned to my Playdate, diving back into its vibrant ecosystem with a pair of games that share a cheesy theme but deliver wildly different experiences. Say hello to Cheese 'n Crackers and Say When!, two new Catalog titles that explore the world of fromage from opposite ends of the gaming spectrum.Cheese 'n Crackers is a serene, almost meditative charcuterie simulator. Your task is to assemble perfect bites on a sprawling board of meats, cheeses, spreads, and crackers for a rotating cast of eccentric customers.From the discerning Speed Daters to the particular tastes of Grandma's Bridge Club, each group has unique preferences and dietary quirks you must intuitively satisfy. What appears to be a simple matching game reveals hidden strategic depth, inspiring the community to create a legendary Cheese 'n Crackers Compatibility Spreadsheet for culinary optimization.The game's gentle time pressure—toppings can spoil if you linger—keeps the zen-like gameplay engaging without becoming overwhelming. For a complete tonal shift, Say When! offers a frantic, high-anxiety grating simulator.In a brilliant, cruel twist, your customers never actually say 'when. ' Instead, you must decipher their subtle physical tells—a twitch of a mustache, a slight eyebrow shift—to know the exact moment to stop grating cheese.The pace is relentless, with chaotic mini-games suddenly interrupting your grating to save choking diners. Let customer satisfaction bottom out, and you're fired.It's a perfectly designed loop of panic and reward that's incredibly addictive. Beyond the curated Catalog, I discovered Ware-wolf Campfire Stories, a free indie gem on itch.io that showcases the raw creativity of the Playdate community. This collaborative project from 15 developer teams packages 14 bite-sized spooky games into a single narrative frame: five kids telling scary stories around a campfire.Each tale launches a separate micro-game, ranging from ghostly encounters to skeleton skirmishes, with your success or failure impacting the overarching story. It's a fantastic sampler platter of the Playdate's diverse potential and a perfect way to discover new developers. The sheer variety and clever packaging make it an essential download, proving some of the console's most exciting experiences live beyond the official storefront.
#Playdate
#indie games
#Cheese 'n Crackers
#Say When!
#Ware-wolf Campfire Stories
#handheld gaming
#featured
