The rise of cosy gaming has managed to infect all genres at this point, including my beloved 3D platformers. Whereas once these were games of skill and precision, now we have some platformers that exist almost entirely to be friction free and relaxed experiences. Games like Little Gator Game and A Short Hike showed the world that peril just isn’t needed in a colourful platforming world, and succeeded because of it. Gecko Gods has that same intention, and might be my new favourite in this warm hug of a subgenre.
After watching a cutscene where your adorable little gecko character ends up on a mysterious island, you’re thrown into the thick of it. There’s nobody waiting to explain your goals, and no tutorial area. Instead you just take control of a tiny lizard, and start wandering around a little piece of paradise. You can run, jump and dash, but really what makes life as a gecko special is that you can climb up walls. Not special walls with vines on them, and not just if you have enough stamina. No matter what you can just climb indefinitely on any surface, because that’s what cute reptiles like you do.
It’s so satisfying seeing a ruin on the top of a cliff, and just climbing over to see what secrets it holds. Maybe it’ll have a hidden chamber you have to open with a lever, which means following a long winding wire across rocky surfaces until you find it. Pretty quickly you’ll end up in a room full of statues and texts that give you objectives you can track on your map, so you can start your quest to awaken the titular Gecko Gods. If you’d rather just wander around eating butterflies though nobody is going to stop you.
Each location you explore has a little list of optional doodads you can find there, split into bugs and relics. Relics are generally found in either hard to reach places or behind puzzles, where you’ll have to do things like find a pattern on a wall and press some switches on the floor to draw it so that the idol is revealed. My favourite collectibles though are the insects, which inhabit different areas and require you to rush up and dash into them for a cheeky gobble. It’s seriously satisfying, and fits the reptilian theme perfectly.
After running around and solving light puzzles for a bit, you’ll unlock a new secret room on this first island. Waiting for you there is an adorable little sailboat, which has somehow been crafted so a very small gecko can pilot it. This is where Gecko Gods really opens up, and you’re set loose on the whole world. You are free to explore islands in any order you choose, and are more than welcome to ignore any objectives there and just go graze on some juicy beetles.
The ocean waves open up some new activities alongside the standard exploration, with ancient rings that glow until you sail through them. I’m pretty sure you don’t have to race through these at speed to unlock the secrets they hold (or at least I didn’t ever run out of time) but they’re a nice way to ensure you have reason to stay captaining your vessel for a little longer – which always made me happy.
I almost forgot to mention that there are actually some threats in the world of Gecko Gods, in the form of nasty crab-like monsters. This would be a concern if not for the fact you can entirely ignore them by running past at twice their speed or by just climbing on a wall they can’t reach. If you’re feeling feisty you can smash them too, but don’t go thinking this violence is needed.
I adored my time skittering around the world of Gecko Gods, and it was the little things that made me grin the most. Ruins are littered with pots that are just so satisfying to break (much more so than the crabs) and in doing so you’ll get some currency. For about an hour I had no idea what this did, but then I stumbled across a mirror which let me spend it to change my colour and pattern. I loved getting to customise and create the coolest lizard around, and you even unlock more options by playing more of the game.
There’s simply nothing I can think of that interferes with my fun when playing Gecko Gods, and that’s a real rarity. It features a lovely world to explore, great movement, and a whole host of delightful bits and bobs to check off your list. If you’re looking for a challenge then this isn’t the game for you, but otherwise embrace your inner reptile and prepare to get cold blooded on the ocean blue.
