This Tiny Zelda-Like Wants You to Save the Princess, Probably

Will Blanton's Paisley Princess is a ridiculously smart little adventure, played across a teeny-tiny 5x5 grid. It's a Zelda-like affair: top down, with colorful graphics and an itty-bitty inventory, and you need to adventure across the land—through forests and caves—to find this princess.

I mean, the king and queen are a little ambivalent about the whole thing, or maybe it's just their tone.

But the whole affair feels like a pared-down, irreverent take on Link's early adventures (he never went to the Poopoo or Peepee forests, alas), but with this compelling, grid-based design. You have to actually plot your movements accordingly, moving one space at a time, watching for enemies (bats and sneks at first!) and making just the right moves to get through. It's puzzle-like in this way, and surprisingly effective.

The pleasant, boop-y music and very pretty, chunky pixel art round out a very robust little package.

You can play Paisley Princess for free on its itch.io page.