Best Playdate Games of 2025

It’s gotten a lot of praise from Playdate owners, and it’s easy to understand why. The art is beautiful, the story feels personal, and the soundtrack is the perfect thing to lull you into a state of peace and tranquility. but Thrive Which is also weird, because he doesn’t feel completely Like a game with a dense narrative presentation, but it also doesn’t quite feel like a visual novel.

Thrive It is operated mostly through text messages, and corresponds to real time. You play from the perspective of Midori, who has decided not to go to college (unbeknownst to her parents) and instead opens a flower shop. As she talks with her family, girlfriend, friends, and other characters, she reads with her and chooses her responses. There’s also a simple gardening element – where you can buy seeds, plant, water and harvest them to earn some money – and an arcade-style mini-game.

Thrive It’s the kind of thing you check several times a day until you get to the end, which can take several weeks. There’s not much to the gameplay, but there’s something very satisfying about the way you use the crank to switch floors, moving from Midori’s apartment room to the rooftop where her garden is. It probably won’t be for everyone, but it’s worth a try if you like social media.