The strangest game of the year is a channel-surfing simulator

It’s not quite October yet, and there are still plenty of video games set to be released before the end of the year. Even still, I’m pretty convinced that Blippo Plus will go down as the strangest release of 2025.

Calling it a game might be a bit of a misnomer; it’s more of an alien television simulator. The idea is that, for reasons that aren’t immediately clear, you’re able to tune into a TV network from another world, the titular Blippo Plus. You don’t really “play” the game, but rather flip around the channels — there are FMV shows with human actors, covering everything from dramas to cooking — to better understand the alien culture. (It’s also a full-color follow-up to one of the weirder additions to the Playdate’s second season.)

Over time, you might notice some connections between the seemingly disparate channels, with a strange phenomenon that also connects you, the viewer, to the story. There isn’t much interaction besides changing the channel, but at various points, you’ll have to adjust the picture so you can actually see things clearly, as well as check your messages to download “data packets” that update the channels and further the story. In the first packet, for instance, the aliens become aware they’re being watched and adjust the programming accordingly. That includes launching a new channel aimed at explaining their culture, from food to fashion to language.