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In video games’ infancy, 3D technology was out of reach for many developers, leading teams to embrace the isometric camera — an angled view of the game world that makes 2D scenes appear 3D to players.
Title: OOLO
Genres: Isometric Metroidvania, Puzzle
Released: May 20, 2026
Developer: Riddle Master Productions
Available on: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, PlayStation 5
Price: TBA
Xbox Play Anywhere: ✔️
Xbox Game Pass: ❌
It’s that nostalgic-laced camera angle and inspiration from the 1990’s NES game Solstice that led to Riddle Master Productions’ iso-metroidvania puzzle adventure, OOLO.
Article continues below“I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. I didn’t want to do anything strange or experimental or flashy,” says Riddle Master Productions’ solo developer Ben Brooks in developer commentary, “I just wanted to take Solstice, something like Solstice, and kind of blow it up a little bit.”
OOLO sends players on a non-linear quest across a sprawling map with multiple puzzle rooms and collectibles that rely on the camera’s interesting angle and classic Metroidvania mechanics that require extensive exploration to challenge the player.
Before kicking off with the game, OOLO gives players the chance to choose one of three difficulties, including Casual, which lets players explore the world with unlimited lives and save progress.
Classic is out there for those who want to start with three lives and progression saves that refill the life count, but want the risk of an actual game over when all lives are spent, while Retro goes all-in on the difficulty by removing save points and replacing them with extra lives.
After selecting the preferred difficulty, players are given a little bit of lore for OOLO in the form of scrolling text. The titular protagonist — a charming voxel warlock clad in purple robes and a large hat — was sent on a quest to rekindle the World Flame in an effort to return light and warmth to a world gone cold. Failure would leave the world drenched in darkness, as the flame can never be relit once extinguished.
While OOLO does offer various difficulties, the game itself features no combat and relies exclusively on platforming and puzzles to create obstacles, requiring players to explore the world in an effort to find and collect six keys scattered around the Isle of Souls that will give Oolo access to the World Flame.
Unlike similar isometric adventures like Tunic, there are no weapons to find or boss battles to slog through. Collectible upgrades are littered throughout OOLO’s 400 scenic rooms, spanning from lush forests to creepy underground dungeons to strange mechanical environments, catacombs, and even swamps.
Each collectible upgrade changes the way players interact with the world of OOLO, encouraging players to backtrack through previously explored areas to access pathways to new rooms. Each room features unique challenges to overcome, like simple platforming, deadly spikes, and even creepy enemies like ghosts and skeletons. It only takes one touch from a would-be foe or trap to cut down your number of available lives, so it’s imperative to plan the traversal of each room carefully.
The more you explore OOLO, the more the puzzles evolve. Early platforming can be conquered by keeping an eye on where Oolo’s shadow is hovering, as that is a visual indicator of where the hero is going to land after a jump.
In some rooms, Oolo can interact with memory orbs that help provide useful information, sometimes by building out the world’s lore or by giving players hints about new locations and puzzle solutions.
Not every puzzle can be solved at first glance, however. “One of the key things about a Metroidvania design is you have to show people things that they can’t do, but know they’ll be able to do at some point in the future,” said Brooks.
Eventually, Oolo begins to collect helpful upgrades, like the ability to pick up and push blocks found in the world. If used timely enough, the block collecting bag can afford the player some protection from enemies and even a double jump, while the gauntlets can give Oolo the strength to push blocks around. There are several artifacts that can be collected to improve Oolo’s skills and help him overcome the obstacles on the Isle of Souls.
OOLO is expected to launch on May 20 as an Xbox Play Anywhere title on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox on PC with support for cloud saves.
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