Launched as a demo on Steam on February 20, 2026, Croak tasks players with controlling a Frog Prince on a quest to save his cursed kingdom.
The full game launch date has not been announced yet.
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However, this isn’t your typical fairy tale; the game distinguishes itself with a high-octane movement system centered around the protagonist’s most flexible asset: his tongue.
At the heart of Croak is a deceptively simple dual-action control scheme that promises easy pickup but difficult mastery. Players can tap to grab and climb or hold to launch off platforms. The standout feature, however, is the ability to hold the button for infinite bouncing, allowing players to careen through levels like a living pinball. This “tongue grappling” mechanic serves as both the primary mode of traversal and a weapon, enabling players to swing, dash, and smash through dynamically changing environments.
Visually, the game is turning heads. Croak features traditional frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation, boasting an art team with experience on titles like Cuphead and Rick and Morty. The result is a vibrant, cartoonish world filled with exaggerated expressions and fluid motion.
The demo includes epic boss fights described as “wacky” and “exaggerated,” requiring precise timing and quick reflexes to dodge attacks and counter-strike. The demo is free to play on Steam now while the full game is in development.
My Demo Experience
The game’s start screen features an incredibly cute art style that I really love.
It uses a fresh and vibrant hand-drawn cartoon aesthetic, with high color saturation and soft transitions. The castle standing atop the clouds in the background creates a truly dreamy, fairy-tale atmosphere.
In the demo’s settings menu, I only found English and French options for now, but the Steam page shows the game supports 16 languages, covering a wide range.
The demo currently has 7 levels. The first level is a tutorial that helps players get familiar with the controls.
![Tutorial level in Croak where a mouse character instructs the player via a speech bubble: "Super Bonk - Plus tu maintiens [mouse icon] plus loin tu es propulsé" (The longer you hold, the further you are launched), demonstrating the grappling mechanic.](https://gameay.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/33.jpg)
This is the tutorial level. The little mouse above hints that pressing the J key activates the launch mode, but it was a bit difficult for me. I tried many times before finally succeeding.
I played with a keyboard (I’m not used to controllers), so pressing the J key controls the frog’s tongue to stick to walls, and I had to use the rebound force to get through.
Next, you need to use in-game props to clear levels. There are spikes on the walls that you can’t touch, so you have to push grass blocks and use them to jump to the other side.
This part is relatively simple, but later levels also require pushing these blocks. You need to jump on them quickly while they’re moving and reach a safe area before they fall and disappear. For players new to this type of game, it’s quite challenging.
Besides pushing props, you can also use the mushroom trees in the game to increase your jump height. But the game design doesn’t want you to pass easily, there’s a spike wall above the mushroom, and you must adjust your jump angle to avoid the spikes while still landing in a safe area.
There are many similar designs in the levels I played. Some were really difficult for me and required multiple attempts to get through.
Another interesting feature in the game, as shown in the image above, is the ability to press the C key to summon a “Fly Companion.” Since the level maps are quite deep and players can’t see everything at once, you can control this companion to scout the terrain ahead and plan your route through the level.
Okay, I admit my clear data looks pretty bad (LOL), but this was my first time playing and I was still getting familiar with the controls.
Later I tried two more levels, and both my time and death count decreased significantly. I have to say, the level design is really clever and the challenge level is quite high.
Final Thoughts:
The visuals are stunning — I’m a huge fan of this art style.
The gameplay is incredibly engaging. The level design is clever and challenging, really putting your skills to the test.
Unfortunately, I only cleared four levels in the demo and didn’t get to face the boss. The levels were a bit too tough for me (LOL), but I’ll come back to finish the challenge when I have more time.
Note: This article is based on the Croak demo. All details are subject to change in the official release.
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