Penrose (Playdate)
A downloadable game
In the town of Penrose, nothing is as it seems.
Face eldritch giants, encounter sentient malls, explore hidden catacombs, and piece together who you were, are, and want to be.
Penrose is a Game Boy/flash era-style horror game about memory, identity, and finding your way out. Now available for Playdate, with the option to play on PC, Mac, Linux, or web browser.
Credits
Game by Liza Olson. Music by Lyric Dimmig. Title card font: Nerima Number by Akihiro.
Install Instructions
Playdate:
Register your Playdate at https://play.date/devices/
Go to https://play.date/account/sideload/
Drag the downloaded Penrose ZIP file onto the page to sideload.
PC/Mac/Linux:
Go to https://play.date/dev/ and download the Playdate SDK. Follow included setup instructions.
Drag the downloaded Penrose ZIP file onto the Playdate Simulator.
Web Browser (When All Else Fails):
Go to https://play.date/signup/ and create a free account. Once your account is created, go to https://play.date/pulp/ and click "IMPORT" on the left side of the page.
Click "CONTINUE" on the pop-up that appears, and select the downloaded Penrose JSON file. Click "PLAY" on the left side of the page.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Hello Playdate Podcast Feature!Oct 12, 2022
- Thank You!Oct 02, 2022
- Penrose Is Out Now!Oct 01, 2022
- Where Penrose Came FromSep 20, 2022
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Bought this from the catalogue and just finished it this minute - a wonderful, evocative experience. The use of fractured tiles in the environment is inspired, creates such a great dream/memory atmospher
Oh, this just made my day! Thank you so much for the kind words, and thanks for playing my game! 😊
I was going to ping you on Twitter but I don't think you're on there anymore (fair). Engadget covered Penrose!
https://www.engadget.com/in-the-playdate-game-penrose-your-past-has-come-back-to...
I know, I was absolutely gobsmacked!! Thanks for thinking of me, it’s great to hear from you!
This looks fascinating—I’m wondering if you’ve considered submitting it to Playdate Catalog? 🙂
Oh wow, neven! Thanks for reaching out! I've just submitted this to Playdate Catalog. Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Hey! Penrose looks really interesting, however I struggle to complete the catacombs. Circling through the skull-shaped labyrinth drives me mad. Is there an algorithm to complete it?
Hey! There isn't an algorithm, but I've got some hints that should help! Collect the eyes in every room you enter to know when you've entered a new room. If you choose the wrong path, you'll return to the start. Once you choose the right sequence of four numbers, you'll escape. Also, alpha and omega might be the same...
Love this game! Super unique and cool. Great visuals too. One of my favorites on playdate.
Ah, so glad to hear that! Thanks so much for playing!
I downloaded a bunch of PlayDate side-load titles and this was one that caught my eye. Just played through Penrose thrice to make sure I got everything. Your game made me feel happy and inspired, and I'm glad I came across it.
I'm curious: in a certain Metaworker publication of yours, you wrote about making a game...is Penrose that game?
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for playing!
And yeah, that's a good find! That Metaworker piece is flash fiction, kind of an offshoot of the novel I'm working on now, but that game was based on Penrose, and a lot of the piece was based around experiences I was having at the time. Again: good find!
i just wanted to tell you that I really love your game. Haven’t played anything like it and it was fun to try to find the different endings. Very haunting and thought provoking. Thank you for making it!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for letting me know! This just made my day.
Thank you so much for playing and spreading the word like this! It really means a lot.
Wow, Penrose is fascinating. Can you let us know how many discrete endings there are, so I can try to find them all and get a full understanding of the game you've made?
Thank you so much! There's one "true" (intended) ending, but there are either 5 or 6 alternate endings, depending on how you classify the final area of the game. Thanks for playing!
Great, weird and interesting game.
Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed it.
Why isn't this on the 'most recent' page? Nearly forgot it was out!
I've been trying to figure that out myself! Also, thanks for checking it out!