I started Elden Ring this week; I also played Paradise Marsh and this week’s demo. This week is a dope precision platformer starring a duck and its turtle friend, this week is Windswept.

Windswept is a 2D precision platformer from WeatherFell and published by Top Hat Studios, Inc.

You’re a duck and you have a turtle friend. You are both lost and need to find a way home.

Windswept is an homage to 90s platformers. Jumping is the most important aspect of the. Jumping feels good, and there are lots of platforms and obstacles to jump on and avoid. Obstacles, or various woodland creatures, can and will harm the duo. In Windswept, when either hero gets hurt, they get knocked out until found again somewhere around the map. Game Over will come around when both players take two hits from the bad guys.

Gameplay really just consists of jumping, either it be onto platforms or bad guy heads, and utilizing each unique skill set of duck and turtle. Duck can flap their wings to gain that extra distance while in the air while also being able to throw turtle to deal with enemies at a distance. Turtle on the other hand can have duck piggyback on them and launch them into the air. It all works really well because most of the demo secrets force the player to think out of the box with those simple skill sets.

Each level has a bunch of collectibles and secrets to find. Secrets rooms give you a goal to complete (collect everything or beat up the baddies) and rewards are given upon completion. They are fun because it breaks up the platforming. There are even those barrels that shoot you in a direction, like from Donkey Kong Country.

Windswept is a damn fine-looking video game. Everything is super cute. The environments within the demo are fantastic and it is a shame that you have to blow right through them. The enemies are also cute, but deadly.

I cannot give enough praise to the Windswept demo. It feels like the game is on the correct path. The gameplay is simple and effective, the art design is beautiful and the difficulty is just right. Mastering the platforming is just something that comes with time and when the end of the demo popped up, I wanted more.

It is a shame that I cannot play more of the demo. It is honestly really, REALLY good.