The Plucky Squire, developed by All Possible Futures and published by the renowned Devolver Digital, was first announced in 2022 to a solid reception by critics and fans alike. It was fun, charming, and visually appealing, captivating the hearts of many. Initially scheduled for 2023, the game is now planned to launch later this year, and we’re lucky enough to get an early look.

In this preview, we got to play the first 4 chapters of the game, which span about 3 hours of content. Despite the short playtime, it was enough to sell us on this title, which promises to be another indie hit when it launches.

Once upon a time…

The Plucky Squire tells the story of Jot as he sets out on an adventure with his friends to rid their world of the evil wizard Humgrump. Interestingly enough, all of them are characters in a storybook. Not just any storybook, but the storybook of Sam, the “owner” of the book. Think Andy from Toy Story! Anyway, the story has already been laid out, and Humgrump is destined to lose against Jot. To change the outcome, Humgrum kicks out Jot from the book using sorcery, leaving the story wide open for the evil wizard to take over.

The Plucky Squire starts with Jot working through the book’s pages, top-down, 2D-style. Within the book, the game reminds you of recent indie darlings like Tunic and Death’s Door. Visually, the game looks vibrant and enchanting, with bright colors and adorable creatures and characters fitting for a children’s storybook.

Exploration is mostly linear, moving from area to area, as symbolized by flipping through the pages of a book. Enemies are strewn about, and Jot is quite the capable squire with his sword. Controls are simple, with only one button to attack, one to roll/dodge, another to jump, and others for miscellaneous actions. As such, combat is straightforward, simply requiring players to attack and roll out of harm’s way as needed. Jot can learn some combat abilities, which we’ll get to later.

Where The Plucky Squire excels is with its creative puzzles and switching between game modes. Similar to It Takes Two, The Plucky Squire offers players certain sequences with wildly different gameplay implementations. In one instance, we’re faced with a Punch-Out-styled game, throwing punches and hooks until we beat our foe. The other was a turn-based combat sequence as we set out to acquire a new weapon. It’s creative and fun, and it breaks the monotony of simply following a path to your next objective.

Puzzles also abound, and the game offers another creative way of going about things. Because of its storybook theme, one puzzle offers a play on words, where you can change out a word in a sentence to open up the path before you. In one area, the words written show “The Gate is closed,” and Jot will have to find the “Open” word in the vicinity and swap things out to open the gate. This is a simple example, but later puzzles will require more thought and resourcefulness from the player.

A new world

Early on in the game, all of this happens within the confines of the book, but as Humgrump casts his spell, Jot finds himself in a whole new world, in 3D this time around! This is the moment that makes players realize just how fun and creative The Plucky Squire is, as we bounce in and out of the book to find ways to move on to the next section.

Outside of the book, Jot can utilize the same techniques he has inside the book, but the real selling point is that players can find ways to solve puzzles inside the book from elements outside, and vice versa. In one level I played, I was faced with the aforementioned word puzzle, where a word I needed was out of reach. After moving some blocks out of the way, I stepped outside the book, traveled to the other edge, and took the word I needed.

Taking it a step further, puzzle solutions may be found in previous book pages, requiring players to look back and actively seek out the next piece to solve the challenge at hand. It’s in these interactions that The Plucky Squire shines, requiring the same amount of creativity from the players as it dishes out, providing a fun exchange that results in a smile and a pat on the back.

Going back to combat, Jot can purchase some new skills through a merchant he will come across at various points in the game. One skill I got saw Jot throw his sword and act like a ranged attack. If it sticks itself to a tree, Jot can recall it as needed, setting up the possibility of a 2nd attack. Another skill was a spinning AOE attack, and both of these maneuvers can be upgraded further through the same merchant.

Combat during this 4-chapter preview didn’t pose too much of a problem, nor was it deep enough to merit advanced tactics because most enemies can be taken out with simple combos. It’s too early to tell how much more there is to unlock, but we’re definitely optimistic about what lies ahead.

Deck Ready

I’m sure you’re wondering whether the game plays well on the Steam Deck. The short answer is yes, The Plucky Squire is certainly playable on the Steam Deck! While not yet officially tagged as a “Deck Verified” game, the game runs well enough on the handheld, and we’re almost certain it’ll be verified by the time of its release.

To hit a steady 60 FPS, I used the following settings:

• 60 FPS frame limit
• TDP set to 10 or 11
• Scaling Filter FSR
• FSR sharpness 2

It does make for a great Steam Deck game, especially on the OLED model, as the bright and colorful visuals pop out from the screen. Playing it on the go is a nice option, but The Plucky Squire is hard to put down, so be warned!

It’s clear to see that the developers have crafted something special with The Plucky Squire. The game has a childlike feel to its presentation and creativity, and I mean that in the best way possible. There’s a magic to it that makes for a pleasant experience, and even with this limited preview, it already feels like a winner.

As we eagerly await its release, The Plucky Squire has immediately shot up to my list of most anticipated titles of the year, and I can safely say that other critics who have played the game will feel the same way. The game is fresh, fun, and a breath of fresh air from the usual array of big-budget AAA titles, and it is certainly one to look out for.

The Plucky Squire is launching on September 17, 2024, for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC.