From the moment you boot up Spindle, from developer Wobble Ghost and publisher Deck13, you’re greeted with charming pixel‑art visuals, a bright—but slightly sombre—palette, and a quirky premise: the protagonist, Dengel, wakes up one day as Death, complete with a talking pig sidekick determined to help you adjust to your new role. The world inhabited is that of the not‑quite‑living and the never‑quite‑dead, as a mysterious curse has rendered people unable to die, and now the forces of decay and unrest are running wild. This set‑up alone is quite gripping and brings a sense of urgency to the story. 
Spindle delivers a nostalgic experience that will resonate with anyone who grew up playing the NES or SNES consoles. The top‑down view, scythe weapon, exploration of interconnected maps, puzzle rooms, and mini‑bosses perfectly capture the feel of older Legend of Zelda titles, even regarding its simple roll mechanic that will let players dodge and navigate the environment more quickly.
With the scythe, players can not only combat enemies but also attack objects in the environment to collect health replenishing items à la Zelda. The initial enemy types are rather simple in attack and design, being various critters prone to rushing head-on to attack, but bosses are quite a different story and will take some pattern recognition to conquer.
Controls are snappy and responsive on Nintendo Switch. Even with several enemies surrounding Dengel, there is no slowdown or stutter for combat-oriented sections. This can also be said for more platform heavy areas in the game, as it features some sections that will require strict timing with navigating moving objects like logs, or using the roll button to quickly traverse across treacherous terrain by performing a leap from dangling ropes.
One of Spindle’s strongest assets is its tone and storytelling. While it looks cute, the game can be quite mature with its themes. You really are stepping into the role of Death (albeit a friendly‑looking one), and the narrative explores ideas of mortality, the value of life, and what happens when the natural order of existence breaks down. It balances humour (thanks to the pig companion and his commentary on the proceedings) with genuine emotional beats that are very well done.
The pixel art is gorgeous, and the story, unique abilities, and creative puzzles do a fantastic job of keeping the experience engrossing and even more charming. The world features distinct environments, each with its own musical score that ranges from dreary to surprisingly upbeat for a game that delves into death and feelings of loss when those close to us pass on.
Spindle truly is a great callback to the Legend of Zelda formula, but with that said, it isn’t without flaws. This is a very well‑done game, but it doesn’t stretch far into innovation—if you’ve played a Zelda clone before, you basically know what to expect from this one. Another criticism: navigation and pacing sometimes feel uneven. Spindle never gets to the point of being overly frustrating with the map system, but several areas can provide confusion when it comes to where to go next. Perhaps this was intentional to keep in line with the retro vibes the game is so obviously going for, back when waypoints and constant quest updates were not the norm.
