Aspiring Playdate developers rejoice! Developer Panic has announced that Pulp, the free browser-based game-making tool for Playdate is now in open beta.
Developers looking to make more advanced games for the Playdate will still be able to work with the software development kit provided by Panic, but as Neven Mrgan explained to Game Developer late last year, Pulp is an ideal tool for games that can be made by “just about everyone.”
Pulp’s got plenty of tools for game-makers interested in “room-based, story-centric” games, but also has in-depth features for developers who want to dive into the Playdate’s unique aesthetic and crank mechanics. It’s got a graphics editor with animation, a sound sequencer, a sound effects creator, and more.
It’s also got PulpScript, a simple logical language for those who like to directly fiddle with code. Games can be previewed in-browser and shared with friends for testing or even contributing to the file.
Mrgan and fellow creator Shaun Inman credited Bitsy as being the tool that inspired them to make Pulp.
It’s great not only that Panic have made such a useful tool free for developers, but also that it supports a kind of aesthetic and gameplay not encouraged by other platform holders. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more neat games coming out of this platform in 2022 and beyond.