Castle Pals Game

Castle Pals drops you into a spooky fortress with two kids in tow, and you swap between them on the fly to get through each room. Kylee fights her way past goblins with punches and kicks; Owen skips the fighting entirely, using his propeller hat to hover over spikes and hazards characters would have to tank. Every room is really a small puzzle about which of the two skills gets you to the exit.

There are 40 levels total, each built around a specific combination of climbing, jumping and combat that favors one character over the , so most rooms mean quickly switching back and forth rather than picking a favorite and sticking with them. Clearing a level fast enough earns a gold medal, which gives returning players a reason to replay old rooms for a better time once they've learned the layout.

Controls

Arrow keys to move (up/down/left/right), Z to attack.

Tips

• Switch to Owen for rooms full of spikes or gaps — flying over a hazard is safer than trying to time a jump past it.
• Use Kylee's punches to clear goblins blocking a corridor rather than trying to dodge past them.
• If you're going for a gold medal time, scout the room with your first character before committing to a route.

It's a good fit for a short session — a few rooms at a time rather than one long sitting, since each level is self-contained.