Swimpossible!

About Swimpossible!

Swimpossible! is a quirky indie platformer by Arcane Cabinet where you control Craig, a reverse mermaid with legs below and arms above water. Released in 2026, it plays out as a 2D side-scroller with a story about fitting in, told through illustrated panels. The twist? You move each limb separately, making swimming feel like a coordination puzzle. Set in a surreal underwater world, it’s equal parts physics challenge and narrative experiment. The game runs on PC and Linux, and while the art is charming, the difficulty spikes hard. If you’ve ever struggled to swim in a pool while thinking about your stroke, this might hit close to home.

Gameplay

Each level tasks you with navigating currents and obstacles by adjusting Craig’s limbs individually. Left arm pushes you left, right leg kicks you right, you’re constantly juggling inputs to avoid collisions. The early levels teach basic movement, but later stages add vortexes, narrow tunnels, and timing-based hazards. Controls are keyboard/mouse only, which makes precise limb adjustments tedious but possible. A typical session feels like a mix of platforming and physics simulation, with deaths coming from miscalculating a turn or overcorrecting. There’s no checkpoint system, so you’ll replay sections often. The story segments between levels are short and introspective, contrasting with the game’s relentless challenge.

What Players Think

PlayPile community ratings average 8.3/10, with 72% completing the game. Average playtime is 4.5 hours, though 35% of players log over 10 hours due to repeated retries. Moods are split: 50% call it “refreshingly weird,” while 28% find it “frustratingly obtuse.” A top review praises the “unconventional movement,” while a negative one gripes, “Why can’t I just press a button to swim?” Achievement completion sits at 82% for the 50 total, with the hardest tied to surviving a level without touching obstacles. Critics highlight the art style and theme but note inconsistent difficulty pacing.

PlayPile's Take

Swimpossible! is a niche pick for fans of punishing platformers and experimental mechanics. At $24.99, it’s affordable for a risk-reward play, but the learning curve might turn off casual players. The limb-control system is both its genius and flaw, mastering it unlocks satisfaction, but it can also feel like a chore. If you enjoy games that make you rethink movement, give it a shot. Otherwise, skip the struggle and stick to floaties.

Storyline

Play as Craig - a *cheeky* reverse mermaid and explore a small story of othering told through 2D art panels.