Sometimes, there’s a video game that feels like it was tailor-made just for you. Admittedly, unless you're an independent game developer yourself, such a game is unlikely to exist, but I guess everyone can relate to that feeling. When a game resonates with you on all levels—art, music, and gameplay fitting your taste—you can’t help but smile while playing it. That’s exactly how I felt when playing All Possible Futures' debut title The Plucky Squire.

In this game, you play as the famed brave little squire, "Jot," tasked with defending the endlessly creative realm of “Mojo” against the evil wizard “Humpgrump.” Not only that, but Jot is also a writer, using a quill to record his adventures, which he turns into beloved storybooks. He's both a world-saving hero and a beloved author—what more could you ask for?

Upon first seeing The Plucky Squire, the first thing you’ll notice is its art style. The game is set inside a children's storybook, with each page representing a game area. As you progress, the pages turn, taking you to the next area or revealing more of the story, with each "level" forming an independent chapter.

This setup is quite charming, but a good idea is only half the success. The Plucky Squire brings this concept to life with stunning pixel art, making it feel as if you could find this illustrated book on a library shelf. Everything is vibrant and colorful, and the animation is exquisite. Honestly, I think it’s one of the most beautiful games I’ve ever seen—just look at the visuals, I’m not exaggerating.

I played a three-hour demo this time. The demo starts with helping a wizard friend named "Moonbeard," who wears sunglasses and looks a lot like Merlin from Disney's The Sword in the Stone. He needs some beeswax to make vinyl records because, well, he loves DJing. Though this is quite an ordinary origin story, every hero’s journey has to start somewhere.

At first, The Plucky Squire plays like a classic 2D Zelda: Jot wields a sword, can roll to dodge, and aside from that, he has only his wits and a cute bard-like hat with a quill feather to help him overcome obstacles. Though you’ll face plenty of little goblins and bugs along the way, the game is just as delightful to play as it is to look at.

But Jot's adventure doesn't stop there. The Plucky Squire has some Mario-like platforming segments, and to get the beeswax Moonbeard needs, you must box a honey badger in a match that feels straight out of Punch-Out on the NES. Of course, Jot knocks out the badger with a KO—because that’s what heroes do.

All in all, Jot is living a fulfilling and joyful life, but Humpgrump suddenly returns to stir up trouble. This is where things get even more interesting. You see, Humpgrump has realized that the world he inhabits is just a storybook, and everyone is merely a character in it.

The ending of the story is already predestined—every time Humpgrump faces Jot, he loses, and he doesn’t want to accept his fate. He’s eager to rewrite the plot. Unfortunately for Jot, Humpgrump is a wizard, meaning he can use magic. He casts a spell to kick Jot out of the book and into the real world.

In the blink of an eye, I was no longer in a 2D world, but instead, I found myself in a 3D environment. The gorgeous pixel art was replaced by equally beautiful 3D models, making it feel like I had stepped into a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening on the Switch. I had to find my way back into Jot’s storybook, which involved platforming around the desk in the room of Sam, the child who owns The Plucky Squire book, while avoiding his pet bugs.

The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword

Jot may not be as strong in the real world as he was in the book, but he soon gets some help from a friendly bookworm named Page. With Page’s assistance, Jot can jump into any portal on paper and transform back into his 2D self, bringing things from the real world into the book, and vice versa. This mechanic feels very reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Additionally, Jot acquires the "Turn Gauntlets," allowing him to flip pages on the desk at will. Armed with these two abilities, he returns to the storybook.

When Jot returns to the book, The Plucky Squire truly begins to shine.

Humpgrump has used his magic to disrupt the story, but that won’t stop Jot. He’s a writer, after all, which means he can manipulate the words on the pages and rewrite the story. Is the forest too dense to find what you need? Just change "forest" to "ruins" and problem solved. Is a giant bug blocking your path? Change "big" to "small," and it's no longer an issue.

The most charming and unique aspect of The Plucky Squire lies in how these mechanics blend together to create lively and engaging scenarios. For example, at one point, I needed to change a page to daytime to avoid frogs that come out to sing at night. I jumped out of the book, flipped to the previous page, raised the word "daytime," then jumped back into the book and replaced the word "night" with "daytime," bathing the area in sunlight and making the frogs move aside. Of course, this created new problems, but since I could jump in and out of pages at will and use Jot’s writing skills, I always found a way to get to the next page.

An Unputdownable Book

Remember the honey badger boxing match I mentioned earlier? That was just a one-time mini-game, and there are many such delightful detours. At one point, I needed a bow, so I jumped into a card on Sam’s desk—a card that was "definitely not Magic: The Gathering"—and dueled an elven archer inside. She was convinced I was working with Humpgrump, but I managed to persuade her otherwise. The coolest part? The encounter felt like a turn-based RPG battle.

Later, I found myself in another scenario that involved shooting flying insects with a bow, which played out like a light-gun shooter. All these mini-games are fun, unique, and never overstay their welcome.

Of course, the core gameplay is just as strong. Whether you're platforming across Sam’s desk or fighting goblins in the storybook, it’s all a blast. Oh, and you can use currency found in-game to teach Jot new abilities, like throwing his sword or performing a spin slash, or to unlock concept art. Don’t ask why—just because you can.

You’ll also encounter a cast of charming side characters, from the quirky and wise Moonbeard to Jot’s many friends, like the powerful apprentice witch Violet (who could use a bit more self-confidence) and the aggressive cave troll Titit (who, well, just wants to have fun). There’s also Mini Moonbeard, a miniature version of Moonbeard who provides puzzle hints—he’s easily the MVP!

If I had to summarize my experience with The Plucky Squire in two words, they would be "captivating" and "unique." You can see traces of many other games, but in the part I played, they all blended together perfectly. The game is cohesive, nothing feels out of place, and the pacing is spot on—it never feels like you're stuck in a "prison" because a part drags on too long.

This is a game I fell in love with at first sight, and when the demo ended, I felt a bit of emptiness. Unique games like this are rare, and the sense of wonder I felt while playing it will stay with me. I hope this magic continues throughout the entire game.

As any good writer will tell you, a great story takes time to mature, and I’m more than willing to patiently wait for All Possible Futures to finish the tale without any regrets. In the meantime, I’ll revisit the chapters I’ve already read, look for clues I missed, try out different gameplay builds, fully immerse myself in its atmosphere, and wait for the moment to turn the next page.