The Game Boy line’s development hasn’t died, it thrives on the output of passionate developers,
using tools such as GB Studio to create retro games decades after the consoles themselves
were discontinued. GB Studio is a drag and drop development tool, but with the right knowledge
and manipulation of the toolset a lot more is possible than what you’d expect.
If you’re interested in playing these games on original hardware, their roms can be loaded onto
a flash cart.
Haunting
You’re trapped in a mysterious haunted hotel and a monster is hunting you! But that monster is
your friend in this pass-and-play survival game.
Haunting is an ambitious demo that is a fantastic way of making the Game Boy a social
experience. Want to show someone outside the community what a modern Game Boy can be?
This is the game for that!
While the levels can feel a bit large for fewer players, it’s a lot of fun to play and a unique
experience you won’t find elsewhere on Game Boy.
Traumatarium
Delve in dungeons brave or vain adventurer in this procedurally generated dungeon crawler by
Eligos Games.
Traumatarium is from a line of games styled around single screen scenes. This is an example of
a very polished experience in all aspects.
Roguelikes on Game Boy aren’t very common, but for me Traumatarium always has me coming
back for one more satisfying run!
Dawn Will Come
Dawn Will Come as you try to survive the seemingly endless dark. While using the structure of
single screen scenes this game has you managing a party and supplies in an oppressive
environment.
The art and music is beautiful, and while I’m yet to make much headway the time I’ve had with
this game has been fun!
One day dawn will come, surely dawn will come.
Dango Dash
While Dango Dash may only be a demo its charm is obvious. A mix of platformer and zelda-like
adventuring, catchy music by the talented Scott Semanski, and cute sprite work. This is one to
keep an eye on for a hopeful full release.
It feels good to move around and explore the village, functioning as a central hub. The
well-written dialogue builds upon all these elements and makes the entire experience
heart-warming. It gives me the same feelings as playing Kirby, the same light-heartedness.
All Humans Must Die
An homage to old school arcades, chase high scores in All Humans Must Die. You’re an alien
shooting lasers down at the desperate people below, while avoiding the shots coming back up.
It’s simple fun, but addictive!
You can play this one on both GBC and DMG, but between the two I would definitely
recommend the Game Boy Color for the more vibrant sprite work.
A Vertical Slice
While in this article I’ve tried to show some of the creative games made with GB Studio, there
are many many more. It’s a community constantly creating new experiences, new games to play
on familiar hardware. Explore what there is to offer, no doubt there’ll be more interesting
experiences to find!
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