This article originally ran in Back Alley Games Issue 12, February 2025

Arctic Eggs (The Water Museum, 2024) was my game of the year for 2024. It’s a physics game where you’re a “poultry prepper” in a small arctic colony and one that I love and recommend every chance I get. 

In other words, it’s a game where you fry eggs.

Arctic Eggs started as a jam game. Of course, the jam version is rougher. The game is a bit harder since the pan is shallower, the controls are stiffer and the meals haven’t been fine-tuned, but the overall experience is similar. I think it’s a good way to see if you’d like this game.

I personally found the combination of atmosphere, variety and gameplay made it very easy for me to get into a flow.

The main thing I love about the game is how satisfying it is to flip eggs (and other things). After a bit of playing, I got to a point where I felt in control of the pan and, for the most part, was able to flip items when and how I wanted. It was especially satisfying to save a meal I was sure I had screwed up.

I love the aesthetics of Arctic Eggs. The visuals have a soft haze and the character models undulate, giving them a dreamlike quality. The smooth chill music also matches the dreamy vibe.

The level design and little character interactions are nice too. Dialogue is short, plentiful, and ranges from mundane to silly to philosophical. Characters muse about things like the colony’s future, the nature of art, and their curtains.

I was surprised to see on the game’s Steam page that the developers describe it as being like Getting Over It (Bennett Foddy, 2017). As someone who hates rage games, I probably wouldn’t have bought Arctic Eggs if I’d seen that description. I don’t think it’s true though. 

Meals are short enough that you can’t lose much progress if you fail. You also only need 27 out of 34 meals to access the final boss and beat the game, so you have some leeway to skip harder meals.

That being said, there’s a surprising amount of variety in such a short game with such simple controls. There are four zones: an outdoor area, a nightclub, a prison and a fish market; each introducing a few new items that change how you cook meals. There are also some one-off challenges that change things up in different ways, like inverting the pan controls.

Overall, it’s a unique game with a strong voice while also being tight and well-executed. It’s a game with good flow. You can finish the game in 2 hours, which left me wanting more, but it also means it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

This article was submitted by a member of the Back Alley Games community and was edited for publication by our staff. Opinions and thoughts expressed within are not those of Back Alley Games.