Save your pennies on an expensive Teenage Engineering gadget and get ODDADA for Steam. It’s endlessly creative, won’t burn a hole in your pocket, and releases an air of serenity wherever it is played. Even better, you don’t need to understand music or any skills in sampling. ODDADA is designed to be simple and accessible, so you can dive in without any hesitation.
There aren’t any instructions or objectives other than to make music using miniature toys. Reviewed via the Steam Deck, the journey begins when a toy train appears on the scene and some blocks are dropped for you to effectively build a mini-town on a dynamic landscape.
Without any guides and randomised settings, ODDADA is a pure experimental toy box, much like other titles such as The Ramp, The Block, and SUMMERHOUSE, where creativity is not just encouraged, but it’s the only rule. You have the freedom to create, experiment, and express yourself. Whether you release a track that goes viral is too early to say.
Once an arrangement has been created, pressing the red button on the front of the train will record the track; then, it’s on to the next location to repeat. New instruments and scenarios will unlock depending on how far you progress, meaning that no play remains the same. Whether you’re a musician or not, eventually, you will be more strategic with compositions. Thankfully, you can play each track you’ve made one at a time or all at once to add the next.
After you complete your carriages in ODDADA, the train moves on to ‘bank’ the song you’ve just made. Naturally, the gameplay of creating a unique track using toys is an accomplishment in itself, yet the finishing touches do add the finishing touch.
First, you can name the track and select a colour way for your audio cassette – yes, you heard it, hipsters: an audio cassette. Those old enough to remember them and have a vast collection ‘back in the day’ thoughtfully bow their head to both Sven Ahlgrimm and Mathilde Hoffman. Once a tape is selected, the next step is to add some excellent graphics, then – THEN – you’ll be able to play back the tape and store it with other tracks in a storage box (which will fill up, guaranteed).
ODDADA is intricate, meticulous, and oh-so-elegant in its user interface, gameplay, and how this little sandbox makes you feel elated. The elegance of ODDADA’s design will leave you impressed, and its replay value through unlocking new items and experimenting with instruments will keep you engaged. However, without any mission-based objectives or narratives, those who need guidance may find themselves lost. Creative types with the desire to express their artistic flair but thought chords were a garment will find ODDADA a delight.
