Cassette Boy is a game that seems to follow in the footsteps of up-and-coming puzzle games like Fes and Tunic, two games I mention because they clearly use space to hide even more tantalizing secret space. Of the two, it is much closer to Fez in that it is a 2D world that can be rotated to give new 3D perspectives. Where Fez is a platformer that switches between different, still 2D planes, Cassette Boy lets you switch between a frontal view and a more isometric view, and in its world, nothing that can't be seen doesn't exist.
It means different things. Cassette boy is puzzle An RPG that emulates the look and feel of the original Game Boy game, and RPGs tend to have their own dangers. Perhaps your path is blocked by some vile creature or thorns that are impossible to pass through. Just turn it at a new angle and poof! They left. Turn a little more and they will respawn again. Now it’s clear why the developer called it the “Schrödinger system.”
There's also some fairly simplistic but fairly robust sword fighting like you'd see in any 2D Zeldas. I'm interested in how this in particular might play out throughout the game, but I'm also curious if the puzzles go a little further than just making enemies or NPCs disappear to keep you going, since that's basically what the game's trailers show.
Still, it's a neat concept that I'm so curious about that I wanted to check it out. And I won't have to wait long for this! Because it's currently slated for release in just over a month, on January 14, 2026. Apart from the existential dread that comes with the constant passage of time, this is a very good thing! You can wishlist it on Steam. Here.
