Do you remember those relaxing summer nights, laying on the grass? Not a care in the world, just staring up towards the night sky, seeing the vast unknown… Suddenly, you’re struck with existential anxiety. It’s the realization that we’re just grains of sand on a tiny planet surrounded by literal infinity.

At this point, you can’t help but entertain a thought. You wonder what would happen if any single one of the endless amounts of stars were to crash into earth. Well, that’s something that Pode, a game developed by Henchman and Goon, explores! Thankfully, it isn’t a dire as you might think. There’s no mass explosion, but rather a touching tale of friendship between a boulder and that fallen star.

Developer: Henchman and Goon

Publisher: Henchman and Goon

Digital Only // $24.99US // 10+ Hours Played // Review Copy Provided

I would like to begin this review by stating that visually, Pode is absolutely beautiful. The art style left me in complete awe. However, that’s not to say that it’s perfect. I did notice that with the bushes specifically, the textures looked flat. They were not as vibrant as their surroundings. Other than this slight hiccup, the graphical fidelity of this title is well-done.

But does this graphical fidelity risk other portions of the game? For example, there have been many games in the past that have opted for visually stunning sights. This is all well and fine, but not when it’s at the cost of stability. Stuttering becomes a normalcy. Chaos and rage ensues. This is not the case with Pode. I didn’t find any signs of lag whatsoever and even the character animations were buttery smooth.

Keeping on the topic of strengths, I would like to talk about one particularly interesting aspect of Pode. Upon starting a new game, the first screen asked if I’d like to play with 2 players. That’s right, there is an option for couch co-op! For my review, I chose to tackle it alone.

With every minute that passed, I came to realize that Pode was created with the idea of “two” in mind. The structure of the puzzles and constantly switching characters to solve the area is what convinced me. Even though I didn’t try it, I could 100% recommend this to a couple that’s looking for something to do together. It’s very relaxing and who knows, the communication required might even be beneficial to your relationship.

While I’m on the topic of puzzles, I feel that it’s now that awkward (but necessary) time. I have to point out the major flaw in this otherwise lovely game. Let me start by saying I do consider a majority of the puzzles to be quite clever. However, there are those that are painfully obtuse.

For instance, in one area you’re tasked with blooming the correct sequence of flowers with the star. You’ll then take control of the rock, activating a button with your aura and creating an upward draft. Depending on the flowers you’ve blossomed, a musical note will play. It’s your job to find the correct one.

I’ll be transparent – it was at this point that I felt defeated. But, refusing to give up, I decided to prolong the release of this review. There had to be something I missed. I thought, perhaps some sort of environmental clue? But there wasn’t.

With every failed try, it felt like the solution was further from my grasp. It was this tediousness that eventually led to the towel being thrown. Now, I’m fully aware that maybe I’m just a bit dense. I asked some friends who’ve said that exact thing on my mind. Whatever the case, it felt as though these obtuse puzzles were thrown into the mix to hopefully extend the time you’ll take to beat it fully.

I hope that my spiel about some of the puzzles didn’t deter you away from experiencing this game. Despite my negativity, I truly believe that Pode is an experience that you need to have. The aesthetic is wonderful and the music here is just simply beautiful. My compliments go out to the composer of this title because it was one of the highlights to this solid package. I especially enjoyed the overall sound design choices that Henchman and Goon made, finding that they added that little extra something.

In conclusion, even though I got stuck, I still recommend this title. As pointed out earlier, it was built with co-op in mind and is the ideal game to play with a younger sibling or significant other. I will say that you might encounter a little bug that will prevent you from exiting a room, but it’s easily solved by restarting the game. The good news is that Pode auto-saves so doing this doesn’t result in too much loss progress. In fact, I only had to replay through a puzzle that because I had already solved was a breeze to run through.

Well, that’s all for my review for that doesn’t mean your visit has to end here because we have other great content. Ever wonder if The Lost Child is worth your time? If so, you’re in luck! Our very own Mike broke it down like only he can.

If that’s not your cup of tea though, our leader Rob reviewed a pinball-hybrid in Yoku’s Express that might tickle your fancy. As always, we have a Youtube channel now and we’re also on Reddit. For those interested in supporting further, we have a Patreon too!

Thank you for reading!