Developer Ben Jelter, Incube8 Games, and Spacebot Interactive are teaming up to produce The Machine, an indie game getting a physical release for Nintendo Game Boy.
The Machine is a 2D pixel art game set in an original, dystopian world. An important election is about to change everything for the inhabitants of The Machine — and the decisions that your character makes may just change their fate. If you want to try it out yourself, the physical version can be played on Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.
In the world of The Machine, citizens are assigned a role in their society based on a universal aptitude test. Players will be able to experience multiple storylines (and multiple endings) as they assume roles such as a police officer or factory worker. The player will need to explore, make choices, and potentially impact the denizens of their hierarchical society.
The Machine is currently being developed by Ben Jelter, a game designer and comics artist. Jelter's previous games include Unearthed, Primary Particle, and The Last Employee. Unearthed was recently released as a part of the Itch.io Game Boy Competition 2021.
In August, Jelter posted a video preview of The Machine on Twitter:
Not much else is known about the indie title, but more news may be coming as the game nears completion.
The Nintendo Game Boy has been surprisingly active for a retro console. Last year, POWA! was released by developers Aiguanachein. In January, Green Boy Games announced its indie title The Shapeshifter. And in March, Incube8 Games announced Infinity, a Game Boy Color project that had been up until then delayed by 20 years.
Incube8 Games specializes in the publishing of retro video game cartridges. Its Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles include Deadeus, The Year After, Pine Creek, and Genesis. Spacebot Interactive has also been working on other Nintendo Game Boy releases — including Dragonborne DX, which is also available on Steam.
A release date has not yet been set for The Machine. However, it's a good omen for fans of the Nintendo Game Boy, as this isn't likely to be the last new release for the system.