Today is Earth Day, and that’s why my free game pick for the day is Tadpole Tales. I played this last year with a fair amount of amusement at the concept.
The art style is juicy and vibrant like a Miyazaki film or perhaps some other manga animation. It’s an arcade-style game. This doesn’t mean it’s confined to an arcade cabinet somewhere, it’s a Steam title that’s easy to start and has a few basic controls and mechanics.
Gameplay in Tadpole Tales
Plot your way as a tadpole through a polluted river. When you heal corrupted wildlife with a splash of water, they move back underwater so you can navigate your way through. Some creatures are bigger than others and more challenging.
Tadpole Tales is quite challenging in general though. These are occasionally known as shmup games. The developers, who are a small team under the Pinnacle Games brand publishing, have dubbed the game a “Clean-em Up.” Don’t you love that?
Earth Day
I’m really happy about what is out there for Earth Day content this year. Be sure to check out some other line-ups at the Indie Game Collective. A Short Hike and this game could be combined to create a beautiful conceptual future. Quite honestly, I’m feeling quite attuned to the planet with this line-up!
You don’t have to be an avid outdoor athlete to enjoy nature games, but it does here. We all need to be reminded that there are more of us here who use the same resources and breathe the same air, so I’m totally on board for any eco themes like this one.
Go for walk at the park today, look out the window, or meditate in an RPG sacred grove. Do what you need to connect with the planet today because it’s not just a fleeting thought, it’s where all of us reside.
I hope you enjoyed this experimental post, I’d like to do more of this. Thanks for reading and watching Mr. Dave Pizza.
