Team Behind FTL: Faster Than Light and Into the Breach Develops Game for Playdate

Subset Games, the team behind such games as FTL: Faster than Light and Into the Breach, is working on a new title called Fulcrum Defender, which is coming exclusively for the Playdate console with a crank.

Panic, the game publisher of Bafta-winning Thank Goodness You’re Here! and a company behind the handheld game system Playdate, has announced the upcoming title from Subset Games for its black and white portable console during the Playdate Update livestream on April 17, 2025.

Fulcrum Defender is a single-screen defense game where you use the crank to protect yourself from incoming attacks, inspired by games like Vampire Survivors.

At its core, the game features shapes that advance toward the center of the screen, while players must aim and fire a turret to keep those shapes at bay. If too many shapes reach the center, it is a game over.

There will be three difficulty levels, 32 upgrades, 19 different enemy threats, 8 Weapons, and 16 Weapon mods in Fulcrum Defender.

As of the time of writing, a turn-based strategy video game, Into the Breach, developed and published by Subset Games, featured a Very Positive rating on Steam with 16,897 reviews, and other studio’s game, the roguelike title FTL: Faster Than Light, featured an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam with 59,029 reviews.

Playdate Season 2 begins on May 29, with two games releasing every week over six weeks, besides Fulcrum Defender, it will include platformer Taria & Como, adventure game Shadowgate PD, and Dig Dig Dino! digging game.