Squidlit

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Squidlit is a Platformer released in 2018 for PC and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2020. This game puts players in the role of Plip, a squidlit (think… cute land-roving octopus?) sent on a quest to investigate a nearby castle.

Probably the most noteworthy element of this game is its presentation, which uses 2D pixel art visuals with a pea soup green monochrome color palette that is clearly designed to be reminiscent of games on the original Game Boy. This, combined with a similarly primitive chiptune soundtrack, in theory do a decent job appealing to the nostalgia that this game is clearly aiming for, but unfortunately here they also act as a double-edged sword.

Scrolling in this game is not very smooth, and characters can blend in with some backgrounds, meaning that not only can this game be an eyesore to look at, but it’s hard to make out where things are onscreen. Pair that with the at-times ear piercing low-quality music, and it can make this game seem like it’s trying to taint any fond memories you might have of the original Game Boy. It’s a shame, because this world and these characters are adorable and sometimes even manage to be funny, but it is really difficult to get past this game’s poor presentation.

As for the gameplay itself, Squidlit is decent, but doesn’t really seem especially extraordinary in any way. Players can jump and perform a second double jump that squirts ink to take out enemies beneath them. There’s a little bit of brief Shmup gameplay, but otherwise, that’s it. There’s… really not much more to the game than this.

However, as the game can be completed in under an hour, I suppose there isn’t really time for the game to build up to anything more than this. To be fair, the game does only cost $1, but even so, it hardly seems worth it to get into this game when it is both so short and so uninspired in its gameplay.

Players with a fondness for retro-style games imitating the original Game Boy’s visuals may get a kick out of Squidlit, but I feel like the bland gameplay, short length, and presentation issues add up to a game that just isn’t worth bothering with, especially when the highly-similar Save Me Mr Tako offers many of these same qualities without as many of the problems. If you want a game just like this but better, go for that. Or if you’re not married to the Game Boy aesthetic, get this game’s sequel, Super Squidlit. Those are both better options than this game.

tl;dr – Squidlit is a retro-style Platformer with Game Boy-esque green monochrome visuals where players take the role of an adorable octopus creature. Even for players fond of the Game Boy look, this presentation is pretty terrible, the gameplay isn’t especially noteworthy, and the game can be completed in under an hour. Even at a price under $1, this game isn’t worth it, especially with multiple other highly-similar games available.

Grade: C-

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