Bilkins’ Folly Preview – A Jolly (Rogers) Adventure

Bilkins’ Folly was on my radar earlier this summer when Armor Games Studios, the publisher, and Webbysoft, the developer, announced that it would launch for PlayStation and Switch. I watched the console announcement trailer and knew I needed to check this game out – old-school adventure gameplay, a fun and whimsical pixel art style, and pirates, of course. It’s been months since that announcement, but I’ve finally played a few hours of Bilkins’ Folly, and that small taste indicates a jolly adventure is on the way when the game releases next month on October 2.

My time with Bilkins’ Folly starts hours into the game’s story, so I’ll keep details vague. Percy the makeshift pirate and Drayton his canine companion are my main characters. Drayton is not just a great pet; he also assists me in finding treasures hidden underground.

Drayton would bark at something in the dirt, and I’d use a shovel to dig it up. Sometimes, Percy said that he had never seen anything like that before. I like Drayton’s role as Percy’s companion, as having someone else on the lookout for buried treasure is nice. Drayton also explores the environment – an island called Remy’s Loot during this preview – as much as me, barking with excitement at things as we walk by. Drayton feels more like a character than a game mechanic. 

More I play, more I understand what Drayton’s wheel of commands can do. He can bring items and carry them for you, push heavy objects, and “sit,” which I can see being used strategically for puzzles. These commands are unlocked on an experience page for Drayton, which includes some I didn’t unlock like “Howlin’ Dog,” which teaches Drayton to howl at the moon. 

On Remy’s Loot, I speak to boss Mila, which highlights Webbysoft’s take on voiceover as Bilkins’ Folly characters talk in an almost Simlish-like way from EA’s The Sims series. The cute addition adds dynamism and a little levity to the text-heavy adventure. I like it. Mila is seated on an improvised throne while a dozen pirates populate the village. The majority are drunk and hold a rum bottle in their hands, while vomiting. Other people are lying on their backs in the sand and leaning up against nearby buildings. 

Bron has been exiled after ruining the island’s supply of alcohol. Mila, who is my friend, grants me permission to contact Bron. However, before I can do that, I must repair the distillery which he damaged by completing a Tetris style puzzle in order to fill in a gap. Then, using a map, I travel to the island where Bron has been exiled. The map has a starting “X” and precise directions to Bron: down 13, right 6, down 6, left 5, down 10, and left 8. I’m confused by this map at first; I try to walk its path but considering it’s over water, Percy falls in a few times and I see it’s not the correct way to go about this. Then I find a ruler that helps me to map my path. I like using this ruler on the map as it’s clear using Percy’s arsenal of tools is required to solve puzzles. 

Elsewhere during my time with Bilkins’ Folly, I use maps to find treasure but not before completing a few other unique mysteries. This hands-on demo has a lot of interesting puzzles. I am hoping that the complete release will have even more. They speak to the handcrafted nature of everything in Bilkins’ Folly. It’s a love letter to the adventure games of old – I’d be remiss not to mention the Monkey Island series considering Bilkins’ Folly is also about pirates – but features the resources, tools, and variety of something more modern. 

Webbysoft has, so far, crafted a fun pirate world, great pixel art, some interesting characters (not to mention a great dog), and engaging mechanics that make Bilkins’ Folly more than point-and-click. I’m excited to learn more about Percy’s story as I love a good pirate narrative, but mechanically speaking, Bilkins’ Folly has me hopeful the full release is an adventure worth charting.

Bilkins Folly is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 Switch and PC October 2.