In 2019, Google launched an ambitious cloud gaming service called Google Stadia. The idea behind Google Stadia is that it allows people to play video games at high settings regardless of their hardware, and without the need to download. On paper, Stadia sounds like a great, forward-thinking idea, but the service had numerous issues out of the gate, with Internet data caps and slow speeds making the service completely inaccessible to millions of people.
With its audience size already compromised, Stadia also had some technical difficulties at launch and failed to make a case for why people should invest in it over traditional consoles. Google positioned its Stadia Pro membership as one reason, giving people multiple free games every month and outpacing the likes of Games with Gold and PlayStation Plus, but this service also had limited appeal, especially when it came to online multiplayer games.
The Stadia multiplayer games without cross-play were more or less dead on arrival, as they had virtually no community to support them. This was the sad reality for many Stadia games, and another big reason why the service failed to take off. All of these issues have compounded and Google has decided to move away from Stadia, still supporting it as a service for multiplatform games, but uninterested in developing its own, first-party exclusives.
While Stadia itself may have been a bit ahead of its time, and issues like Internet data caps would still exist, it’s safe to say that the service would’ve been much better off had it had some killer apps at launch. High quality games are what drive people to platforms and while Stadia didn’t have a full-blown killer app, it did have a few exclusive games that will hopefully get a second lease on life on other platforms now that Google has largely abandoned its plans for Stadia.
For those unfamiliar with Get Packed, it’s like a Stadia-exclusive twist on the co-op puzzler Moving Out, but with far more hilarious physics at work. Like Moving Out, Get Packed is a game about moving items out of buildings into a moving truck, but this take on the concept is a lot more over the top and silly. Get Packed earned relatively positive reviews at the time of its release, and stands as one of the highest-rated Stadia exclusive games to date. It’s the kind of game that could really thrive on a more traditional console, where it may be a bit more convenient for people to get a couch co-op game going.
One of the reasons why Stadia flopped was due to a lack of killer apps or must-play exclusives at launch. But even though Stadia didn’t have a groundbreaking exclusive to launch with, it still had a pretty good one. Gylt is a stealth-based survival-horror game from developer Tequila Works, and while Gylt reviews pointed out quite a few flaws with the game, it still delivered a haunting game world and a unique art style.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page is another Stadia exclusive game that earned mostly positive reviews at the time of its release. It’s a puzzle platformer game where players are exploring the inside of a girl’s diary, using the words written in it to progress through the game world and solve puzzles. The good news is that Lost Words: Beyond the Page is confirmed to be a timed Stadia exclusive, so it’s one of the few games listed here that will indeed have another chance on other platforms. No release date has been set for Lost Words‘ debut on other systems, but it’s expected to arrive by the end of the year.
One of the more unique Stadia exclusive games is Submerged: Hidden Depths, which just launched for Stadia last month. Submerged: Hidden Depths is about a girl named Miku who explores a flooded city in a boat in search of items that she can used to help her dying brother. Critics praised Submerged: Hidden Depths for its laid-back atmosphere and unique gameplay mechanics, with many hailing it as a worthy follow-up to 2015’s Submerged. The original Submerged game released on multiple platforms, so chances are good that Submerged: Hidden Depths will eventually make its way elsewhere as well.
The original Super Bomberman R is available on numerous platforms already, but Super Bomberman R Online is a Stadia exclusive and may very well be the best way to experience the game. Essentially a Bomberman take on the battle royale genre, Super Bomberman R Online is also notable for its unique streaming features, though with Stadia’s userbase dwindling by the day, it’s hard to see how the game will last much longer. The potential is here for Super Bomberman R Online to make a big battle royale splash on other platforms, so hopefully it gets the chance to do so sooner rather than later.
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