Left turn

Yes, it’s still happening. Panic’s little square of sunshine, Playdate – a handheld console featuring a reflective 1bit LCD screen, a remotely-delivered season of games developed by some of the indie scene’s leading lights, and a pop-out crank – was announced on the cover of Edge well over a year ago. The reaction was instant, and much bigger than expected. The Portland-based software-turned- hardware creator was hoping to open preorders in autumn, with a full launch to follow later that year. But we all know what came next. So, we ask Cabel Sasser through a half-grimace: how’s your 2020 been?

“Uh, you know… it was tough!” he responds, laughing darkly. “Like, we definitely didn’t expect anything like what we got. The factory was closed for months, and so that just ground everything to a halt.” Panic’s up and running again, he tells us, producing its first 20,000 units via its chosen factory in Malaysia – but things that were once taken for granted have now become real obstacles. “To get our manufacturing specialist over there locked down in Malaysia, and so he had to get a special letter from the police signed so he can pass the checkpoints to get to the factory,” Sasser says. “He’s been going crazy not travelling, so this is a good opportunity for him to travel, but it’s also just really difficult to try to get something made in these conditions. And of course, Playdate is not worth risking anyone’s life for – despite being very cool, it’s not cool. So, yeah, it’s been tricky, but I feel like we all kind of collectively see the light at the end of the tunnel.”