Claymates (1993). Play online

Summary

Claymates feels like a love‑letter to 90s platforming, but everything’s made of stretchable clay. I’m instantly hooked by a kid‑sized hero, Clayton, who’s turned into a squishy ball and must rescue his dad with a serum that lets him morph into one of five goofy animals.

The game crams a cat, a duck, a mouse, a guppy and a chipmunk into each level, letting you swap forms on the fly to glide over pits, dive through water or scurry up walls. The transformations are triggered by hidden serum samples, so timing and route‑choice become a puzzle under a ticking clock.

Visually, it’s a showcase of Visual Concepts’ partnership with Interplay and A‑OK Animation, the studio behind Gumby and the Pillsbury Doughboy. The developers bragged they chased “the speed of Sonic, the maps of Mario, and colors never seen before,” and even slipped a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to Sega’s "Blast Processing" with a "Blaze Processing" slogan on the box. The whole soundtrack squeaks from only 18KB thanks to Interplay’s ARDI sound system.

A Genesis port was whispered about but never saw light, and in July 2021 the title resurfaced on Nintendo Classic’s online library, giving a new generation a chance to play with that unmistakable clay look.

Storyline

Claymates follows Clayton, a young boy whose scientist dad, Professor Putty, creates a serum that can turn people into animals when mixed with clay. When the evil witch doctor Jobo learns of the formula, he demands it, but the professor refuses. In retaliation, Jobo transforms Clayton into a ball of clay, kidnaps his father, and steals the serum.

Determined to rescue his dad and recover the serum, Clayton sets out on a quest despite his new malleable form. His journey takes him across a surprisingly diverse world: starting in his backyard, then across the Pacific, through Japan, across Africa, and finally into outer space.

Along the way he must battle Jobo’s minions, solve platforming puzzles, and use his clay abilities to morph into different animal shapes. The fate of the serum—and the world—rests on his ability to outwit the shaman and restore his father.