Frogspin first impressions: Happy, hectic hopping 

Games that hop across genres are always fun to explore, and Frogspin has a unique blend that’ll keep roguelike lovers entertained. It’s a chaotic mix of slot machines, precision platforming, and roguelike elements, all tied up in a neat, kaleidoscopic bow. 

While precision platformers might not be everyone’s cup of frogspawn, Frogspin has plenty to offer. Here, you’ll find The Escapist’s first impressions of the Frogspin demo, looking at everything from the art style to the gameplay. 

The Escapist recaps

• Frogspin is a platforming roguelike that falls into the gambling niche, including everything from slot machine mechanics to precision platforming elements.
• Developed and published by Venturous, Frogspin is available in demo format. Despite being a demo, it’s a generous experience, with two modes to experiment with and 25 levels to tear through.
• The core gameplay in Frogspin involves hopping through bite-sized, blocky levels, each with its own hazards and challenges. To keep things intriguing, players get to spin a slot machine regularly, adding new modifiers to upcoming levels.
• Frogspin isn’t an easy game by any means – games within the precision platformer niche rarely are – but it’s rewarding to play through, with a cute aesthetic and moreish gameplay loop. 
• Fans of precision platformers and gambling roguelikes will find lots to love in this demo, pointing to an exciting future for the full iteration of the game. 

A unique blend of genres

Frogspin’s gameplay is a jumble of precision, physics-based platforming, and slots-based roguelike goodness. It’s a neat blend of niches that’ll keep precision platformer lovers engaged while also offering plenty for roguelike fans as well.

In Frogspin, you play as – surprisingly – a wind-up frog, tasked with hopping and scooting your way across colorful, blocky levels. You’ll need to spin a slot machine throughout your Roulette mode runs periodically, with each spin presenting you with a new modifier or challenge to keep things engaging.

The slot machine in Frogspin can change everything from the weather effects to the way gravity works, meaning each run feels unique. Just when you think you’ve gotten the hang of a modifier, you’ll need to spin again and figure out a new one.

The demo offers up a Short Roulette run variant to experiment with, but don’t be put off by the name – it’s generous, with 25 levels to spin through. Unless you’re a seasoned platformer fan, chances are you won’t be able to hop through all 25 in one go without failing at least once. 

Based on the in-game menu, the full version will include Medium and Long Roulette modes alongside the Short Roulette mode, adding even more levels into the mix. 

Despite having simple controls, Frogspin did throw up a nice amount of difficulty, requiring the tiny clockwork amphibian to make both small hops and elegant leaps to cross over hazards and claim crucial items. The levels got decently trickier throughout each run, but they never felt unfair or bitterly difficult. 

Colorful, vibrant chaos

Alongside the standard Roulette mode available in the Frogspin demo, there’s a trial mode called Training, which lets you explore the levels and play through them as a standard platformer.

It’s a great way to get to grips with the play style and figure out the interactive elements on the platforming segments. If you’re picking up the demo for the first time, it’s worth playing through the Training mode for a few levels to get the hang of elements like cars, pipes, and bells.

The Roulette mode is where the most fun can be found in Frogspin, though. Some of the modifiers that can be picked up via the slot machine are utterly ridiculous, changing fundamental elements like visibility and movement, making for a delightfully maddening experience.

Alongside the modifiers in the Roulette mode, there are limited lives on offer, unlike the endless lives in the Training mode. It adds an extra level of challenge to the game.

In terms of aesthetics, Frogspin is a vibrant delight. The art style feels deliberately simplistic; it’s charming and cartoonish, with plenty of cute visuals. When the frog runs into a bubble, for example, they’ll puff up and float to the next platform like a little balloon.

There were no visual quirks or glitches to note with Frogspin’s demo. It ran well and looked delightful – the only issue worth highlighting is that some of the titles were hard to read, due to there being white font on a light background, like the “level” tab on the platforming segments. 

Other than this, Frogspin felt meticulously crafted and fun to play through, offering up a unique blend of genres and play styles. Despite only being a demo, there was plenty to play through here, with two modes to experiment with and a nice level of difficulty. It’s a charming and colorful addition to the gambling roguelike world. 

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References

1. Frogspin on Steam (Steam)