Teeto Review: A Two-Person Indie Platformer That's Pure Good Vibes

Teeto is a 3D platformer from Eat Pant Games, a two-person studio in New Zealand. We talked to developers Mitch and Allie on the show the week before this episode. Like a lot of you, we got hooked through the demo. It wasn't a five-minute slice, either; it was a meaty chunk that kept getting updated with new levels and mechanics every time Ace went back to it. Indie studios are carrying the 3D platformer genre right now, and we wanted to see what Teeto could do with a full release.

Josh rolled credits in seven hours on the dot. Ryan was close to the end after playing a lot of it with his son. Ace went for 100% on every level he played.

Basically Kirby, without the eating

You play Teeto, a lab experiment who can absorb certain objects and become them, with your buddy Nori riding on your back (hello, Banjo-Kazooie). There are at least a dozen transformations. A flower gives you a vine whip to swing up to high ledges. Fire melts ice. Cardboard Teeto is paper-thin and adorable, and he slides through gaps. Ace's favorite moment was a level where you soak sand with the water form and then come back with the bucket form to build sand castles.

The puzzles never get complicated, but the transformations add the gameplay variety a platformer needs so it never feels routine. Astro Bot did this famously, and comparing a two-person indie game to Astro Bot is a compliment.

The humor

This is where Teeto really shines.

There's a vending machine blocking your path, and his name is Vin Diesel. There's a cave with three bears recording a podcast that might sound a little familiar. There's a talking berry, voiced by the developers' kid, who just wants it all to end. And the Knowledgeable Snowman is, according to Ryan, one of the greatest bosses he's ever played. We won't spoil him. Then there are the Michaels, collectible little guys in a different style every level. DJ Michael is Ryan's favorite.

It's goofy, dad-joke humor in the best way, and you can tell the developers made what made them laugh.

Levels and controls

The levels are a highlight. Each one has its own feel, a few switch perspectives entirely (2D sections, for example), and the collectibles are hidden cleverly enough that you're not always checking the same spots. Ryan loved stepping into a tree that turns into a giant cavern of a level.

The controls mostly feel good, with a couple of hiccups. Momentum is natural and there's no sprint button, so if you jump forward without enough speed, you hop straight up and fall to your death. The glider can be inconsistent too. Luckily, falling just respawns you right away, and there's an achievement for 20 splats.

What's holding it back

• It's easy. Enemies, the Shadow Corruption, die in one hit and barely fight back. They're almost an excuse to press the attack button (though the A Hat in Time-style homing dive is fun). A few bosses are tough with only three hearts, but Josh, a self-described masochist, wanted more challenge.
• Some bugs. We all hit the snow-cannon bug that animation-locks you. Ace hit enough movement bugs to break his platforming flow, including stalling midair on a long climb with no checkpoint.
• It doesn't break new ground. Ace's honest question: what makes it stand out over A Hat in Time or Mr. Sleepy Man?

Our answer: the vibe.

The VGP take

Ryan gave it an 8.3 and is ready to volunteer as a voice actor for the sequel. Josh gave it an 8.2: "not one of the greatest 3D platformers ever made, but for a genre that doesn't get many quality entries, Teeto does a really good job." Ace landed at 7.9. It lacks the tight precision he wants from the genre, but it has a ton of heart and is easily worth supporting.

At $17.99 for seven to eight and a half hours of joy and whimsy, it's an easy yes. It's a great one to play with your kids, too. This is a game made with passion by good people, and that's exactly the kind of thing we want to support.