A Playdate port of a classic flash game

Gimme Friction Baby (Tribute) is a free puzzle title created by an indie developer who goes by the name notpeter. This arcade game is meant as a tribute to the classic flash game of the same name and offers the same gameplay for a more authentic experience.

Just like Playroll for Playdate, Gimme Friction Baby (Tribute) is a game developed specifically for the Playdate portable retro console. Compared to the original game that it was based on, it features a similarly simple gameplay premise that is easy to learn, yet hard to fully master.

Pop them bubbles

Back when the Internet was just taking off, the websites you could visit were pretty plain and designed with text and simple images. When Flash became the standard, it allowed for the implementation of rich content, such as animations and even casual web-based games. Gimme Friction Baby was one of the latter that grew quite popular, and Gimme Friction Baby (Tribute) is a port of it for the Playdate.

This game has simple, yet surprisingly challenging gameplay. A cannon-like platform shoots out orbs and moves back and forth in a 180° arc. Each one needs to be hit three times to destroy them and score a point. Be wary of two things, though. They grow in size when they stop, more so in blank space, and they should never go past your dotted line below or it’s game over.

What’s more, you can take advantage of the Playdate’s crank mechanism to control the cannon that shoots out orbs for more precise aiming. You might encounter a slight learning curve in the beginning since the game doesn’t really provide you with any tutorial or guide to get you started. You’re basically left to your own devices to figure out how to play in a trial-and-error kind of way.

Aim carefully

Whether you’re new to the game or a returning fan eager to play it again, Gimme Friction Baby (Tribute) is an impressive port of a classic flash arcade game. It faithfully recreates the whole look, feel, and gameplay of the original down to the minute details. Be it your first playthrough or your 50th, you’re going to have a fun time. Highly recommended.