is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
It’s not quite October yet, and there are still plenty of video games set to be released before the end of the year. Even still, I’m pretty convinced that Blippo Plus will go down as the strangest release of 2025.
Calling it a game might be a bit of a misnomer; it’s more of an alien television simulator. The idea is that, for reasons that aren’t immediately clear, you’re able to tune into a TV network from another world, the titular Blippo Plus. You don’t really “play” the game, but rather flip around the channels — there are FMV shows with human actors, covering everything from dramas to cooking — to better understand the alien culture. (It’s also a full-color follow-up to one of the weirder additions to the Playdate’s second season.)
Over time, you might notice some connections between the seemingly disparate channels, with a strange phenomenon that also connects you, the viewer, to the story. There isn’t much interaction besides changing the channel, but at various points, you’ll have to adjust the picture so you can actually see things clearly, as well as check your messages to download “data packets” that update the channels and further the story. In the first packet, for instance, the aliens become aware they’re being watched and adjust the programming accordingly. That includes launching a new channel aimed at explaining their culture, from food to fashion to language.
It’s all very strange, and it’s made even stranger by the low-budget, retrofuturistic tone. Most of the channels are pretty weird, like a psychic weather network or a channel focused on sensual computer gear. There’s a teen chat show called Boredome and even a channel that’s just “video cola,” which is exactly what it sounds like: close-up shots of bubbling soda. These aren’t full-length TV shows; each lasts just a few minutes, but they’re played on a loop so that you can catch everything. I don’t want to say too much more here because the fun really comes from discovering things. But I will say that there’s something satisfyingly nostalgic about flipping through channels — a practice that has largely been killed by streaming.
The most remarkable thing about Blippo Plus is that, as oddball as it is, it does eventually start to make some sense. At first, it seems completely random, from the unappetizing alien meals to the low-budget Star Trek costume and makeup design. But once you start paying closer attention, the connections become a lot clearer, and it’s pretty satisfying to piece things together and watch a much larger story unfold. If only it came with a remote control.
Blippo Plus is available now on the Switch and Steam.
