‘Ludde’, developed by Shellander Games, is definitely a case of not judging a book by its cover. Appearing quite simple and unpolished, this is one rough stone hiding some sparking gems inside.

Ludde is narrativeless, and you are immediately thrown into an open sandbox winter wonderland as what can be presumed as ‘Ludde’ the dog. With no guidance, you are sent on adventures around the map to discover its many secrets.

Throughout the map, you will come across innocent little NPC characters that will give you somewhat of a direction or idea as to what needs to be done as you discover the many mini-games and activities to partake in.

An opening cutscene would have been nice, at least to establish some insight into Ludde himself or an introduction to the land you are thrown into, but as it stands, there is a very clear disconnect between the player and the character.

What really shines in this game is the activities strewn around this world. There are so many and they are wonderfully diverse. From mini golf and snowman making to paragliding, arcade machines, and ice hockey, Ludde feels like he is the master of the extreme Winter Olympics.

I found nearly every activity as fun as the next, with some even having a bit of a learning curve to master and attain coin rewards. Ludde has quite a distance to cover too, so additional fast travel points will open up the map, and you can traverse the lands with equipment bought with coins at the many shops scattered around.

The controls are the typical ‘WASD’ to move and mouse to look format, with ‘F’ being used to interact with equipment such as snowmobiles or NPCs. While you can not rebind controls, which is a big no-no in modern games, it is, fortunately, controller compatible, which I found more efficient as the controls can be a bit clumsy and touchy at times.

The graphics are very simple with oblong polygons of bold colours creating some obscure and ‘so strange they are cute’-like characters. They aren’t particularly pretty or interesting, but they play the part of directing you where to go in a white world of snow.

In a way, the simplicity of it all really lets the gameplay shine. The music is quite whimsical though, with clean and clear Scandinavian roots that complement the general wintery aesthetic well.

One issue I have with Ludde is the fact it seems like it doesn’t exactly know who its audience is. While it is easy to say the game is fun for all ages, the graphics seem to be aimed at the very young, but the games range from mid to difficult at times to complete. The overall execution feels lost and confused.

Ludde exudes such a great vibe and atmosphere, despite its very basic premise. With looks being deceiving, this is one game that delivers more fun with its vast array of mini-games, challenges, and activities than you ever expected.

Although a little confused about who they want to target and being thrown in head first with no introduction or driving narrative, Shellander Games have a few things to learn, but the core gameplay just nails good old-fashioned fun.

Written by: Stacey