What is the Caracal GB Archive
The Caracal GB Archive is a curated initiative focused on the technical preservation and distribution of Game Boy homebrew games on modern gaming platforms.
We work with independent developers to bring original Game Boy titles to contemporary consoles, ensuring that each game:
- Remains faithful to the original experience
- Is technically preserved over time
- Reaches a wider audience through official digital storefronts
The Archive is not a collection of demos or prototypes.
Each title is treated as a complete work and released as a standalone game.
Our ROLE
We act as a technical custodian.
We do not fund, redesign, or creatively direct games.
We focus on:
- Porting
- Platform compliance
- Distribution
- Long-term accessibility
Why the Archive exists
Many Game Boy homebrew games are created with care, skill, and passion, yet remain confined to niche platforms or physical editions.
Modern consoles offer:
- long-term availability
- global reach
- discoverability beyond the retro scene
The Caracal GB Archive exists to bridge that gap, without altering the identity of the original work.
Our goal is simple:
to ensure that meaningful Game Boy homebrew games are not lost, fragmented, or confined — but preserved and playable, today and in the future.
Curation & selection
The Archive is curated.
Not every submission is accepted.
We prioritize games that show:
- a complete and coherent design
- technical stability
- a clear authorial intent
The goal is not quantity, since our resouces are limited, but preservation through care.
Platforms
We distribute Game Boy homebrew titles on modern console platforms, including handheld and home console environments.
Platform availability may vary per title depending on technical and certification requirements
What we provide
Platform compliance and certification handling
Store submission and distribution
QA and platform testing
Support for ratings (PEGI / ESRB)
Coordination with existing physical publishers, if applicable
What we don’t do
We do not act as a creative publisher
We do not provide marketing services
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my game eligible if it’s already released?
Games can be submitted at any stage of development or release, including titles already available on itch.io or through physical editions.
Will my game be changed in any way?
The only required adjustment is the button interface, to match console platform guidelines. We provide guidance and templates for this step.
I have no experience with console development. Is that a problem?
No.
We handle the entire technical and platform-related process.
Do you work with physical publishers?
Yes.
How long does the process take?
Timing depends mostly on platform certification and approval processes.
On average:
- The full process takes up to two months
- Release scheduling may vary to ensure each game has its own space and visibility
How often do you release games?
The Archive follows a slow and deliberate rhythm.
We aim to release a limited number of titles per year, prioritizing care and visibility over volume.
How does revenue sharing work?
The developer always receives the majority of the income.
Submitting your game
If you believe your game belongs in the Caracal GB Archive, you can submit it for evaluation.
Submissions are reviewed carefully.
Acceptance is not guaranteed, but every submission is respected.
Required assets (after acceptance)
Once a project is approved, we will request:
- Working Game Boy ROM
- Game title
- Tagline
- Store description
- Screenshots
- Cover image (derived from in-game material)
- Game logo (if available)
- Developer logo
- Video trailer (30–45 seconds)
- Copyright notices (if any)
- Rating information (we provide assistance)
- Physical edition assets (if applicable)
ARCHIVE
Traumatarium
A randomly generated dungeon crawler in the style of Fighting Fantasy, featuring some of the most brutal 4 color dungeons!
A deadly famine broke out in an ancient kingdom. Wells dried up, livestock died, and the earth turned as deadly as the plague itself. Whispers spread stories about an ancient evil reawakening in the mountains looking down upon the kingdom. An ancient evil who knew only war and famine. But who shall be so brave, so insane, so vain, as to try and best the creatures that live beyond for glory and adulation?
Traumatarium is a randomly generated dungeon crawler for the classic handheld console. Fight your way through unlocking the great evil plaguing the lands by defeating the four denizens of the forbidden dungeons. Each trip down will be different. So pack your supplies, grab your favorite implement of destruction, and defeat the evils casting a shadow a plague of sorrow over the land before it’s too late.
Inspired by the Fighting Fantasy books of old, and pushing the graphical limitations of the classic handheld console, Traumatarium is a callback to the old days of catching street-lamps in the back of your parents car!
A nostalgic experience that can also be played in vertical mode with touch controls to better match the 90’s feeling! Play with classic green color mode, choose between multiple color palettes or play with full colored mode!
Take it Racing 2
Pseudo-racing game for a retro console. Win races, buy cars, level up!
Take It Racing 2 is a pseudo racing game built around stats. Buy better cars to race harder races to earn more money. Each race is split into sections, you must decide how to race to shave off precious time and win the upper hand. But keep an eye on your fuel and temperature gauges or you might be left eating dust!
Starting with the team leader Rob Trader, you begin your racing career in Class D. Wining races earns you money to buy new cars and enter harder races.
A nostalgic experience that can also be played in vertical mode with touch controls to better match the 90’s feeling! Play with classic green color mode, choose between multiple color palettes or play with full colored mode!
2021 : Moon Escape
A classic 90’s adventure that will keep you in suspense will make you smile at times and will thrill you in every moment!
Set in a galaxy devastated by an unprecedented war, you will play the role of Tars Nunien, a Paladin of the Marked Brotherhood, whose only mission is to return the Enemy War Plans to the capital planet Astra Nova in the hope of organizing the last desperate defense against the terrible Kisur Barbarians.
Follow Tars and his trusted AI companion Thuvia on their journey across the mystic and treacherous moon, discovering his deep mysteries and looking for a way to escape!
2021: Moon Escape is a classic experience based on exploration, combat and character progression where the game world is a constant threat to your survival and the success of your desperate but noble mission.
A nostalgic experience that can also be played in vertical mode with touch controls to match better the 90’s feeling! Play with classic green color mode, choose between multiple color palettes or play with full colored mode!
