Game: Loddlenaut
Genre: Simulation, Indie, Adventure
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: Moon Lagoon | Secret Mode
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $ 19.99 | UK € 15.99 | EU £ 19,99
Release Date: November 16th, 2023
Review code used with many thanks to Press Engine.
One person performing kind actions, a little at a time, can add up to a huge difference, this is the message I see in Loddlenaut, and it’s a welcome one. A beautiful and well-made game with a main story designed to take less than six hours, Loddlenaut delivers a wholesome and charming casual survival experience. Water we waiting for, let’s sea what it’s all about!
Loddlenauts Story
As our protagonist, you take on the task of cleaning litter from an ocean planet. There was a corporation here, and they left behind quite a mess! You’ll clean up trash on your own and use the materials gathered to build more equipment to clean up more trash.
Along the way, you’ll learn about the people who were here before you, plus discover the native sea creatures called loddles! Loddles are friendly and adorable and grow up into different types depending on what you feed them. There’s a whole variety to meet and care for if you choose. The game may take its name from them, but these alien buddies are actually an optional part of the gameplay.
What to Do
At its core, Loddlenauts is focused on foraging and exploring. The ‘survival’ aspect comes from a limited oxygen supply mechanic. This serves to guide the pacing. The consequences of running out of oxygen are simply dropping some of your things (you can pick them back up where you left them) and being transported back to your home base.
As you keep foraging close to home, you’ll be able to upgrade your oxygen capacity, plus build structures to refill your oxygen that can be placed wherever you want. There’s a limit to the quantity of these upgrades and structures, but I never felt frustrated.
Everything you accomplish manages to feel very satisfying in Loddlenauts. The way items get sucked up in bubbles, the way a landscape will emit a glitter effect when you’ve mopped up all of the goo there, even the way the little machines take your garbage and transform it into crafting material.
Unfortunately, there’s no in-game system to keep track of your loddle friends, what types you’ve found and what you fed them, so if you want to be organized about it, you’ll have to come up with your own ideas. In that way, the loddle part of the game feels underdeveloped. Creature experimenting can be frustrating if you don’t remember what you’ve done. However, there’s no in-game punishment for it besides finding another loddle to try again.
Controls
Loddlenaut works perfectly on Steam Deck, which I was pleased to discover! Most of the actions felt intuitive, and the on-screen indicators always reminded me, just in case. Other games have me in the habit of pressing the bumpers to switch between items in my inventory, so that was the biggest adjustment. But with no stamina to spend and no items being lost forever if I accidentally tossed them out, there was no cost to making mistakes.
The developers have made underwater navigation very easy, with no worries about drifting or falling. The tools don’t require very precise aiming and can’t do anything but clean things. Loddlenaut is just about mistake-proof! It could be a great introduction to games like Astroneer or Minecraft without having to suffer as much of a learning curve.
Short and Sweet
If anything, Loddlenaut is too simple. You notice the lack of a mini-map or quest markers, and there’s little to offer regarding achievements or side quests. There’s room in the genre for simplicity, though, and everything you need is well-crafted. The fact that the short story mode isn’t hidden at all, this isn’t pretending to be anything it’s not. This is a streamlined Slime Rancher with a dash of PowerWash Simulator. The option to upkeep the planet and play with loddles as long as you want after finishing the story feels like the sort of free-play mode I wish we had in Donut County.
Conclusion
Loddlenaut is a beautiful gem to add to your collection if you’re into exploration and foraging. With no gameplay clutter, you can get right to do what you want, and with a cozy post-game, you can keep going as long as you like. Combat-free, stress-free, and super cute, there’s no wonder this game is already getting awards in the wholesome indie market. It isn’t everything, but everything it is is admirable. Dive into it for yourself!
Final Verdict: I Like it a Lot. 