Ophelia Payne

Gecko Gods is a 2D adventure platformer created by Louis Waloschek and published by Super Rare Games. It’s a cozy game where you play as a tiny blue gecko who skitters across islands, climbs walls and ceilings and eats bugs.  He also smashes clay pots and sails a boat. Solves puzzles and uses his head to smash gongs to wake up the old gecko gods.

When you start out, you are greeted with a clear, cozy gaming experience, but unless I’m mistaken, I wasn’t given much of a tutorial. I had completed a significant portion of the first section before I realized I could smash the clay pots or eat the bugs I saw.

There are no timers, so you don’t feel rushed through any sections. You can take your time looking around the ruins, looking through every section and corner, spotting symbols and figuring out clues to unlock the path forward.

Puzzles are paced well throughout the game. They take familiar forms where you might rotate pieces, or the classic push objects or pull cables. There are a few that involve light and mirrors as well. While none of the puzzles re-invent the genre, I enjoyed how they made my brain think at times, and there were enough to keep me interested as I played through the game. The puzzles were spread out around the world and not confined to certain sections or rooms, giving the game a more open world feeling. 

Now, while I love a game that is open world, there is something to be said about having at least a little guidance. A mini map, arrows or waypoints might be helpful. It took me far too long to learn how to use my notebook, too.

Once I figured out how to smash the clay pots and eat bugs, I realized that there were numerous collectibles in the game.  Relics, a variety of insects and gold. The gold can be used to unlock cosmetics. 

It’s easy to love the visuals of Gecko Gods. Cozy, simple cel shading with clean shapes. It all fits the tone of the game. It ran well on my PS5, and I didn’t encounter any obvious game bugs. It’s also easy to love watching your little gecko scurry around. It can climb anything, including walls and ceilings. There isn’t much that gets in the way of the movement. Can’t make a jump, just find a way to climb over, under or around it.

The sound design is also very well done, while in caves, you can hear echoes of wild animals, and the crashing water on the shore transported me to the seaside.  The music is unobtrusive and chill. It fits perfectly. 

The game has a lot of heart, and I enjoyed it for the most part. Where I lost a little love for the game was that it started to feel repetitive. After a while, the puzzles all started to feel the same. That’s nothing to hate on the game for, I just kept wanting more, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re looking for a game with a more laid-back and chill experience, especially for younger players, this game hits a lot of targets. Priced less than $20USD, for a game that took me around 6 hours to complete, it’s a great game at that price point.

Until next time…be good to yourself and be good to each other.

**Special Thanks to Press Engine and Super Rare Games for the review code**