The Next Penelope
Set in a futuristic Odyssey, The Next Penelope is a fast paced action racing game with loud colors, an original story and a challenging risk-reward system. Weapons can be mixed and used at any time, but all these abilities cost vital energy, so the player is very powerful and close to death at the same time! As Penelope is looking for Ulysses through the galaxy, the player is free to explore the planets in any order. Each world features unique situations, races, even bosses, and new permanent abilities to enhance the Penelope's spaceship.
SCREENSHOTS
TRAILERS
STORES best right now: Fanatical −91%
Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 24 Sept 2026.
PRICE HISTORY
Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.
Nintendo eShop low: $2.59 (10 Sep 2026) , Fanatical low: $1.03 (9 Mar 2026) , Humble Store low: $1.29 (17 Aug 2026) , Steam low: $1.29 (28 Aug 2026)
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“At the end of the day, The Next Penelope isn't a racing game. It is an adventure game that happens to use racing as one of its core mechanics.”
“The Next Penelope is a blast to play on PC, and will probably be a massive hit at parties when it arrives on Wii U later this year. It's a shame more old-school racers aren't around, but with games like this and 90s Arcade Racer, the scene is seeing a revival that brings a huge smile to my face.”
“A blend of gameplay inspirations and styles, melded into one solid experience, the voyage of The Next Penelope is kept to one straight short path, but has notable value in revisits and repeat play. A shockingly robust, if also rather brief, multiplayer mode, and a gorgeous visual style round off a package that evokes the classic gameplay of F-Zero and Micro Machines, yet somehow makes the experience its own. Those looking for a lengthy narrative may be disappointed, but the Time Trial features and quick burst gameplay will keep many coming back for more.”
“The Next Penelope is a short but very fun racer. While it may be the eye-catching visuals that initially draw you in, it’s the tough, clever, addictive racing gameplay that you’ll want to stay for. Another winner for the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch.”
“The Next Penelope provides a great mixture of Shmup and Racing gameplay which contains its fair share of challenges. It can often become overly challenging at times and this - coupled with a lack of control mapping - means a great game falls just shy of being essential.”
“As a whole The Next Penelope looks like a racer but plays out in a way that blends in elements of adventure and relies on strategy in a variety of ways. If you’re struggling in a particular level the issue will usually revolve around over-use of your powers and running too low on energy so judicious use of both should always be on your mind. While it may not be an experience for everyone if you’ve been looking for something different to throw several hours of unexpected challenges at you The Next Penelope delivers.”
“The Next Penelope may be quite a short experience but it's one that will challenge your skills and dazzle you at the same time.”
“The Next Penelope brings back the classic overhead racing formula in a fun, exciting, and surprisingly varied way but its limited single player content makes it a somewhat less than stellar Odyssey.”
“The Next Penelope: Race to Odysseus is an unexpected surprise, a racing game that features a plot and one that involves classical mythology is certainly unusual but its wide variety of content and challenging level, as well as simple and intuitive gameplay, make this game stand out. Pity that it lacks an online multiplayer component.”
“In a way, The Next Penelope is a truly impressive task, one that could be well worth of the labors of Hercules: it's the dream of a single and very talented designer turned into a peculiar mix of driving, adventure and shooter (with a kick-ass art direction). However, in another way this one-man project could also be considered as a missed opportunity: the single ingredients were probably better than the sum of their parts, and the final recipe feels a bit too short and half-baked.”
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