The best Android game masterpiece just became free for millions of gamers

One year after disappearing from mobile storefronts, Devolver Digital’s Poinpy has made a surprise return to iOS and Android. Better yet, the former Netflix exclusive is entirely free. If you slept on it when it first launched, don’t miss your chance to right that wrong and enjoy one of the best mobile games of the 2020s.

Poinpy, a mobile platformer created by Downwell director Ojiro Fumoto,has a bit of a strange history that highlights the pitfalls of mobile gaming. It originally launched on June 10, 2022, as part of Netflix’s then-young video game push. It was the headliner in a wave of original indie projects that would launch over the next few years, including Lucky Luna and Laya’s Horizon. Inverting the vertical platforming of Downwell, Poinpy launched to a wave of praise from critics and set a high bar for Netflix Games.

A lot has changed since then. Netflix has since shifted its creative direction, recently experimenting with phone-controlled cloud games like Unhinged and FIFA World Cup. Poinpy got lost somewhere in those shifts. Last year, the game was removed from mobile storefronts, leaving it entirely unplayable. That’s unfortunately a common occurrence for mobile video games, creating a preservation crisis on the platform.

Thankfully, Poinpy hasn’t been lost to time. Devolver Digital returned the game to mobile today as a free download. And since it's no longer tied to Netflix, you don't need a subscription to play. It’s a great time to revisit it four years after its initial release. Poinpy remains a colorful treasure in a sea of microtransaction-filled gacha games.

The goal of Poinpy is to make a lot of juice. You control a green character who has to fulfill drink orders for a giant cat that chases you as you ascends a well full of platforms. The controls are intuitive: simply drag and release to send the little guy hurtling upwards, and tap in midair to perform a ground pound. While jumping up, you’ll get orders that require you to collect certain fruits. You’ll do that while avoiding the occasional enemy and raising your Gourmet Level to unlock new areas.

Image: Moppin/Devolver Digital, Netflix

Returning to it for the first time in years, I’m delighted (and unsurprised) to find that Poinpy still holds up remarkably well. The swipe-to-jump controls are both precise and satisfying to pull off. The platforming hook really picks up once you gain more jump orbs, allowing you to chain together jumps to collect more fruit in one go and pound them into giant juices. With quick runs and great progression hooks, it’s still the ultimate “one more run” game that only demands minutes of your time in a session.

What I’m appreciating even more this time around, though, is its fantastic art direction and sound design. Visually, it’s as aesthetically pleasing as games come, with its bright colors and cute illustrations. The audio design really makes the entire thing sing, with a wind-up crank sound giving you some great feedback every time you drag your finger to jump. In a world where I simply dread any moment I have to spend looking at my screen, Poinpy is proof that a phone game can still be an agent of joy.

You can download Poinpy on iOS and Android now. The full game is free with no in-game ads, microtransactions, or paywalls. Considering how excellent Poinpy is, it’s the textbook definition of a steal. If you’re feeling generous, though, it includes a tip screen where you can pass the developers a few bucks. That sounds like a fair deal.