The Verge (Andrew Webster, 7 Mar 2023). "a great little arcade game that makes clever use of the Playdate's built-in crank."
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/7/23627413/playdate-catalog-store-launch-date-best-gamesGames / Catalog / Carve Jr
OverviewCatalog
Carve Jr
Action / SportsCrank: yes (precision)$8
1 · official Catalog screenshot
2 · official Catalog screenshot
3 · official Catalog screenshot
4 · official Catalog screenshot1 · official Catalog screenshot2 · official Catalog screenshot3 · official Catalog screenshot4 · official Catalog screenshotOverview. Not yet reviewed. No score. Checked 12 Oct 2026. Built from official and press sources.
What it is
Carve Jr. is an arcade snowboarding game. You steer and spin your rider with the crank, jump and crouch with the D-pad, and chain grabs, grinds and spins into combos on the way down the mountain, while avoiding "those pesky trees, rocks, and narc skiers". The store promises an original soundtrack "that pushes the limits of the playdate" and "all the snark from commentator Carve Edgerton", and scores go to an online leaderboard. The crank needs "a fair amount of precision".
It's from Chuhai Labs, the team behind Season One's Whitewater Wipeout, directed by Giles Goddard. The store page calls it a prequel to the studio's Carve Snowboarding on Meta Quest. It was one of the Catalog launch games in March 2023 and costs $8. Panic lists it in "Crank Wonders".
Who made it
What others are saying
Kelleher Bros. (Lucas Kelleher, 1 Jul 2026). "Using the crank to steer actually feels much more intuitive to me here… Carve Jr. is an easy game to recommend."
https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2026/7/1/playdate-game-reviews-round-3Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed Carve Jr yet. This page is an overview built from official and press sources.
Sources
Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Official Catalog page (description, credits, size, dates, content/AI/accessibility notes). https://play.date/games/carve-jr/
- The Verge, Andrew Webster, 7 Mar 2023. https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/7/23627413/playdate-catalog-store-launch-date-best-games
- Kelleher Bros., "Playdate game reviews: Round 3", 1 Jul 2026. https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2026/7/1/playdate-game-reviews-round-3
OverviewNo score
Overview
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
On the card
Steer and spin with the crank, chain grabs and grinds down the mountain, and dodge trees, rocks and "narc skiers" to top the leaderboard.
From the sources
