Spindown

Crank to aim. Fire a volley. Count every block down to zero.

SPINDOWN is a block-breaking volley game for Playdate. Every block shows a number: hit it that many times and it breaks. Aim with the crank, fire your whole stock of balls in one volley, and watch them ricochet through the board. Each turn the blocks step one column closer. Let one reach your side and the run is over.

The thing everyone hates about this genre is waiting for the balls to come back. On Playdate you don't wait: turn the crank while the balls fly to fast-forward (up to 8x), or hold Ⓑ to call them all home.

Three ways to play

• Endless. Play until a block reaches you. Each broken block scores its starting number x 10. Beat your best.
• Daily. One board a day, the same for everyone who plays that day. Keep your best for today.
• Puzzle. Hand-made boards with no new blocks and a few shots. Break every numbered block. The aim line shows the first bounce and where the ball goes next, so you can plan the shot instead of guessing.

Blocks

• Numbered blocks, square or triangular (the slope sends balls off at an angle)
• Bombs hit every block around them when they break, and chain into other bombs
• Lasers hit a whole row or column each time a ball passes through
• Scatter sends the ball off in a random direction
• Armor never breaks
• +1 adds a ball to your next volley

Features

• Crank aiming: the barrel points where the crank points. Fire with Ⓐ or with right on the d-pad, so one hand cranks while the other thumb fires. Up and down fine-tune the aim, and with the crank docked they aim on their own and holding right fast-forwards. Hold left (or Ⓑ) to call the balls home.
• Crank fast-forward and hold-Ⓑ recall. No more waiting.
• An aim line with the first bounce and where the ball heads after it
• Crisp 1-bit dithered art, synthesized sound, light screen shake and pixel shards
• Your run is saved when you leave and picked up when you come back
• Dark mode in the system menu

Controls

Crank	Aim. While balls fly: fast-forward
Ⓐ or right	Fire
Hold Ⓑ or left	Call every ball home
Up / down	Fine aim, 1° a press
Crank docked	Up / down aim; hold right to fast-forward
Menu	Restart, Main menu, Dark mode

Content

Abstract shapes and numbers only. No violence, no text chat, no online features, no data collected. Suitable for all ages.

Accessibility

• Inputs: crank, d-pad, Ⓐ and Ⓑ. The crank is optional: with it docked, up and down aim, right fires and holding right fast-forwards. With the crank out, firing with right keeps both hands steady: one cranks, the other thumb fires.
• Holding: calling the balls home is a short hold of Ⓑ or left (a quarter second). It's optional, since balls always come home on their own.
• Timing: turn-based, with no time pressure and no quick reactions needed.
• Audio: not needed. Every sound has something on screen to go with it.
• Flashing: blocks flash when hit, lasers flash, warnings blink and the screen shakes a little. With Reduce Flashing on (Playdate Settings → Accessibility), none of that happens.
• Upside Down mode (left-handed play) is supported.