Two buddies on the way home
Windswept follows Marbles the duck and Checkers the turtle, blown off course in a storm and trying to find their way back. It's a 2D pixel platformer built like the collectathon platformers of the 90s: lots of stages to work through, hidden things to pick up, and retries that are simply part of the process. The look is colorful and cute, but the platforming itself is demanding, so expect to repeat sections until the timing lands.
Each character carries their own set of abilities, and you swap the leader to switch which move set you're using. That swap is the core of the design — some stretches are built around what one of them does, and the game openly wants you to combine techniques from both to get past specialised challenges. The first stage teaches you every ability; after that the training wheels come off and you figure the rest out yourself.
What's waiting in the stages
There are over 40 stages, each with its own hidden collectibles, bonus challenges and quirky obstacles. Collecting is the long game here: the main route is only part of it, and the hidden challenges are there for when the standard path starts feeling easy. There's no single correct order or approach, so you can lean into exploration or push through the hard bits first.
Difficulty is a deliberate part of the package. Falling, retrying and relearning a section is normal, and the game assumes you have a bit of patience for it. If it all clicks quickly, the extra challenges are the thing keeping you busy.
Playing it with your group
Windswept supports local play, and it's also set up for Remote Play Together, which means one person who owns it can bring friends in remotely to share the session. Since the game is built around two characters with different abilities, passing the pad or coordinating who leads where fits naturally — one of you handles the platforming move set while the other lines up the next swap.
Before starting: settle in for a run where you'll fail often and repeat stretches, learn both characters' abilities properly rather than sticking to one, and treat the collectibles and bonus challenges as the long-term goal after you've got the basics down.