An interactive mini-comic for the Playdate

Illumination is a free simulation game created by independent dev Cadin Batrack. It is an interactive mini-comic that was made for the Playdate portable retro console. Also, it’s set in the same universe as The Botanist, another visual novel made by the same developer.

Just like OneBit Invaders (Playdate), which also happens to be a title for the Playdate, Illumination also uses a sci-fi theme set in space for its design and presentation. While the latter provides fast-paced action, the former focuses on the narrative that it is trying to convey to players.

Food crisis

The Botanist is an interactive visual novel that was created for the Playdate retro handheld console. This sci-fi adventure tells the story of the titular character on a quest to find other planets with rare plants that can help solve the food shortage crisis back home. Illumination was made by the same developer and is set in the same universe, picking up where the story left off.

This game is the next chapter of the episodic sci-fi adventure that started with The Botanist. Having discovered the plant kingdom during your journey from the first game, you will now take all the knowledge that you have gained to help you overcome the challenge you’re facing. In particular, you will need to fix a lighting failure that has occurred in your scientific outpost.

This game also serves to showcase the kind of experience that you can expect from the Panels development framework, which will be used in future releases in this mini-comic series. As mentioned earlier, releases will be episodic and in stages. Hence, things are still in active development, with stories and other possible new features to come in future updates. Check its official web page for any news and announcements.

A unique addition to the platform

Game development for the Playdate portable retro console is in full swing, and there are plenty of games to look forward to. Illumination is one of them, and it’s looking to be the most unique entry to the platform yet. It focuses on providing an interactive storytelling experience, and considering the hardware it’s working with, it is quite the feat and worth a look at the very least.