The Game Studies journal has recently published an article titled “Purpose-Built for Happiness: Panic’s Playdate as a Cozy Platform,” written by Jaroslav Švelch.

This article analyzes the novel, crank-controlled handheld Playdate console as a case of a cozy platform. It draws from (a) the promotional materials published by Playdate’s producer Panic, (b) the 40 initial games for the device and (c) notes about the user experience produced by the walkthrough method. Using qualitative analysis, it identifies features of cozy game aesthetics in Playdate’s design, its promotion, its games and its distribution platform. It argues that Playdate embodies the ambiguities and contradictions of cozy aesthetics by offering, on the one hand, consumerist escapism and nostalgia, and on the other hand, space for social critique and “resistance through care.” While Playdate uses an app store (called the Catalog) akin to Steam, it subverts the logic of platform capitalism by trying to create a curated, boutique distribution platform that offers an inviting environment for hobbyists and semi-professional creators. The article concludes that Playdate is a valuable social experiment, showing that a platform can be cozy, with all the contradictions it entails.