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Pode

The soundtrack to Pode is absolutely atmospheric, soothing and amazing. The design of the character of the rock and the star is also very cute and sweet.
Pode Game Cover
84%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
grinding, replayability
91% User Score Based on 238 reviews
Critic Score 76%Based on 13 reviews

Platforms

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Pode Game Cover

About

Pode is a single player and multiplayer casual action adventure game with fantasy, mystery and kids themes. It was developed by Henchman & Goon and was released on April 3, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

Pode is a co-op puzzle exploration game about a rock and a fallen star working together to solve ancient puzzles in a stunning environment inspired by Norwegian art and culture

Genres & Tags
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91%
Audience ScoreBased on 238 reviews
story22 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Charming and heartwarming cooperative puzzle game with adorable characters and a beautiful visual style inspired by folklore.
  • Engaging and varied puzzles that encourage teamwork, suitable for casual and new gamers, perfect for couples or friends playing together.
  • Relaxing atmosphere enhanced by soothing music and sound design, creating a memorable and emotional storytelling experience without dialogue.
  • Co-op mode has technical issues including lack of true multiplayer support, requiring two controllers and sometimes forcing remote play with connectivity problems.
  • Camera angles and perspective cause occasional platforming frustration, with some puzzles being obscure or poorly explained leading to confusion.
  • The game is relatively short with limited replayability and occasional bugs including characters getting stuck, which can disrupt the flow.
  • story
    46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in Pode is a heartfelt and emotionally resonant narrative told entirely through visuals without dialogue, centered on the bond between two charming characters, Glo and Bulder. Its simple yet touching storyline beautifully complements the puzzle gameplay and art, creating a warm, immersive experience that resonates deeply with players. Overall, the story effectively enhances the game's atmosphere and cooperative play, often moving players and adding meaningful depth to the adventure.

    • “The story is rich and touching, and it truly feels like a journey worth sharing.”
    • “Pode, developed and published by Henchman & Goon, is a serene and beautifully crafted puzzle adventure that relies on collaboration, visual storytelling, and atmosphere rather than dialogue or exposition.”
    • “The story follows two unlikely companions: Glo, a fallen star searching for a way back to the sky, and Bulder, a kind-hearted rock who offers to help.”
    • “No story.”
    • “There was a story to the game that guy was a liat.”
    • “Story-”
  • graphics
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their charming, simple yet stunning art style inspired by Norwegian folklore, featuring cute and expressive characters and vibrant, magical environments. The visuals are complemented beautifully by soothing music, creating a relaxing and enchanting atmosphere that enhances the heartfelt narrative and puzzles. Overall, the combination of delightful aesthetics, thoughtful level design, and emotional depth makes the graphics a standout aspect that deeply resonates with players.

    • “Its art style draws inspiration from Norwegian folklore, creating a magical world filled with glowing runes, vibrant flora, and intricate stonework.”
    • “Pode really shines with its presentation, featuring a wonderful art style with great lighting effects and stunning growth animation, as vegetation springs to life while characters infuse energy into the environment.”
    • “With its stunning art style, relaxing gameplay, and heartfelt narrative, it’s an experience that resonates deeply with players of all ages.”
    • “Liked most of the graphic design, maybe the organic stuff could be a bit less crude.”
    • “Oddly, your only graphical options are small, medium, and large, so I can’t even tell you what resolution the game is running at.”
    • “Graphics-”
  • music
    41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music, composed by Austin Wintory, is widely praised for its beautiful, soothing, and relaxing qualities that perfectly complement the game's charming visuals and meditative atmosphere. It enhances key moments with gentle swells and blends seamlessly into the overall experience, creating a memorable and tranquil ambiance throughout the adventure.

    • “The music swells softly at key moments, accentuating the joy of discovery or the quiet sadness of separation, while ambient sounds—trickling water, rustling leaves, echoing footsteps—envelop players in a contemplative stillness.”
    • “Seeing Austin Wintory (Banner Saga, Journey, etc.) in the end credits for the music made me realize why I loved the music the whole way through as well.”
    • “I must have sat at the title screen for over ten minutes just listening to the soothing music, and it only gets better once you start playing the game.”
    • “Menu system: no volume control in game (you have to use Windows volume mixer), and when the game is not focused, music is muted.”
    • “Music mixes right into it, blending into the background but you still know it's there.”
    • “Music and sound are touching, but lack distinctiveness and fail to stand out during gameplay.”
  • gameplay
    33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is praised for its creative, cooperative mechanics that are fun, accessible, and well-integrated with the story, offering puzzles that are engaging without being overly difficult or frustrating. However, some core and advanced mechanics are poorly explained or underutilized, occasionally requiring players to seek external guidance. Overall, the game delivers a relaxing, charming puzzle experience with smooth mechanics and thoughtful level design.

    • “The characters are cute, the puzzles are engaging but never obtuse or overly vague, the mechanics are shown to you pretty well and didn't take much effort to figure out their intended uses or limits and it had no crashes, bugs or performance issues.”
    • “Early challenges introduce basic mechanics, teaching players the strengths and limitations of each character.”
    • “Mechanics are solid and fun to use, and the puzzles (almost) never too difficult/frustrating.”
    • “The main letdown is that not all mechanics are very well explained, which caused me and my friend to have to look elsewhere to get answers – only to find out we did not get a core mechanic explained.”
    • “Infuriatingly unintuitive game mechanics, even for seasoned players of puzzle games.”
    • “I had to look up how to progress because the "combined aura" mechanic required to grow the plant in the main lobby area was never explained and not hinted at in any way.”
  • emotional
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game delivers a deeply emotional and heartwarming experience through its silent yet expressive storytelling, capturing themes of friendship, renewal, and connection. Its wholesome, cute atmosphere paired with touching visuals and music creates a heartfelt journey that resonates with players both solo and in co-op. Overall, it’s praised for its subtle emotional depth and comforting, wholesome vibe.

    • “The story is emotional and heartfelt even though no words are shared.”
    • “Their silent but expressive interactions convey a sense of warmth and connection, making their bond the emotional core of the game.”
    • “This emotional subtlety makes Pode stand out among puzzle games that often rely on overt narratives or high-stakes goals.”
  • atmosphere
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers a serene and enchanting atmosphere, enhanced by a stunning visual style and a whimsical, expressive soundtrack by Austin Wintory. Its relaxing, magical ambiance is built through collaboration, visual storytelling, and gentle sound design, creating a cute and wholesome experience that resonates throughout the adventure.

    • “Pode, developed and published by Henchman & Goon, is a serene and beautifully crafted puzzle adventure that relies on collaboration, visual storytelling, and atmosphere rather than dialogue or exposition.”
    • “On top of that, the visual style is stunning and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, creating a relaxing and magical atmosphere throughout the entire adventure.”
    • “The score is whimsical and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the sense of wonder and discovery that defines the game.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious and somewhat frustrating, especially in co-op mode, due to issues like awkward movement, clipping, and respawn mechanics. While it has potential, these factors make the grinding experience less enjoyable.

    • “I like the idea of this game; however, it is really tedious to play in co-op, in my opinion.”
    • “I think it could really rival the bigger games in the genre if it weren't for the tedious movement, constant clipping into objects, somewhat weird controller layouts, and strange respawns.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features smooth optimization with no crashes, bugs, or performance issues, ensuring a seamless experience. Mechanics are clearly explained and intuitive, complementing engaging puzzles without causing frustration.

    • “The characters are cute, the puzzles are engaging but never obtuse or overly vague, the mechanics are shown to you pretty well and didn't take much effort to figure out their intended uses or limits and it had no crashes, bugs or performance issues.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers limited replayability due to its linear structure and progression tied closely to puzzle completion, leaving minimal opportunity for improvisation or varied playthroughs.

    • “The game’s structure is linear, with progression tied directly to puzzle completion, which leaves little room for improvisation or replayability.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users appreciate the game's charming character designs and express positive anticipation for further development, indicating a strong foundation in character presentation.

  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor is charming and lighthearted, highlighted by the adorable protagonists' small hands, feet, and amusing movements that quickly endear players.

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76%Critics’ scoreBased on 13 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
6h Average play time
5-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Pode finally gets Xbox release

March 15 on nichegamer.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Pode is a casual action adventure game with fantasy, mystery and kids themes.

Pode is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 6 hours playing Pode.

Pode was released on April 3, 2020.

Pode was developed by Henchman & Goon.

Pode has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Pode is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include Degrees of Separation, Arise: A Simple Story, The Gardens Between, LEGO Voyagers, RiME and others.