Castle Helios (Playdate) by Jongjungbu

Playdate Community Awards 2022 WinnerOutstanding Technical Achievement in a Pulp Game
Playdate Community Awards 2022 Nominee Artistic Visual Achievement Award in a Pulp Game
Playdate Community Awards 2022 NomineeOutstanding Pulp Game of the Year

Castle Helios is an exploration and puzzle adventure game with a bit of combat. Set as a prequel to The Wizard’s Apprentice, you play as  Emperor Solus before he became Emperor. Recently having lost his powers while fighting the current ruler of Castle Helios, the evil King Etanakh, Solus must find the 6 Magic Keys that will allow him to escape the Castle alive.

Use magic spells to help you traverse the Castle’s rooms, kill or evade monsters, defeat bosses, and solve puzzles. But first, you must find the magic items that grant you these abilities.
Magic Feather: Levitate and walk through the air! Reach high places or simply fly above monsters.
Fireball: Launch a ball of fire that can burn things! That means killing enemies too!
Ice Block: Create a block of ice as a stepping stone to get to higher places and other ingenious uses.
Tornado: Create a whirlwind that can carry enemies away and power wind-related mechanisms.
Fight several monsters guarding the Castle, and they may drop crystals–a special currency in Castle Helios that can be used to purchase optional upgrades. There are also a few hidden rooms throughout the Castle whose secrets may help you succeed. (These rooms will not appear on the map until you have found them.)
How to play?

There are two ways you can play Castle Helios.