Overview of the GB Jam and My Approach

I recently joined GBJAM 12, a game jam dedicated to creating Game Boy-inspired games. This jam is a quick 10-day sprint, spanning two weekends. This year, GBJAM 12’s secondary theme was “spooky”. Although I’d only recently discovered GBJAM, I felt it was the perfect chance to try out an idea I’d had for a while but never explored.

The unique restrictions of GBJAM definitely shaped the development of Unloved Blessing. Everything in the game had to be compatible with the Game Boy’s iconic 160x144 resolution (or scaled while keeping the same ratio), limited to a strict four-color palette, and playable using only the Game Boy’s original controls (D-pad, A, B, Select, and Start). All assets had to be created during the jam, with a strict “no AI” rule for art generation, which presented both challenges and opportunities for creativity.

Development Process:

As someone who doesn’t specialize in art, the art requirements were a challenge for me, but I was determined to tackle it myself. Creating the visuals took the majority of my time, as I iterated on the characters and aesthetic until they captured the game’s eerie-yet-cute vibe. I chose GBStudio as my game engine because I’d wanted to use it for some time but hadn’t yet had the opportunity. The jam’s timing worked out perfectly, allowing me to finally dive into GBStudio.

Working in GBStudio, I encountered limitations beyond just the jam’s constraints. I also had to work within the technical boundaries of the Game Boy itself. This included managing image sizes, sound capabilities, and even the number of active scripts and objects. For sound effects, I used a tool called Hammer, a GameBoy app, but balancing between GBStudio and Hammer for effective sound design was time-consuming. Thankfully, I was able to collaborate with Akari-chan, who composed the music, which gave the game the eerie yet nostalgic feel I was aiming for.

Concept and Story Development

The game concept came together over the first two days. I wanted to create a stealth game—something rare for Game Boy titles—centered around a dark, dramatic story. The story of Unloved Blessing follows Oswald and his beloved Theodora, who are kidnapped by a cult aiming to invoke their deity through forbidden rituals. Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, I imagined a tale where an ancient text, like the Necronomicon, is discovered by a dangerous cult leader in the Middle Ages, leading to sinister events. Drama is central to the story, but I also tried to limit the in-game text so players could experience the mechanics naturally.

Challenges and Adjustments

As development continued, I had to make tough choices about scope. Originally, I had envisioned longer levels and even experimented with procedural generation, but the Game Boy’s constraints and GBStudio’s limitations made it necessary to simplify. Ultimately, I settled on a few concise levels with core stealth mechanics, which allowed me to focus on the gameplay and atmosphere.

Feedback and Next Steps

GBStudio also proved beneficial in the end, as it allowed me to easily publish the game in multiple formats, including a browser version and a ROM that can be played on actual Game Boy hardware or the Analogue Pocket. Player feedback has been encouraging; even though Unloved Blessing is a short game, players have been engaged with the story and wanted more. Hearing this was very motivating! Although I might not continue developing Unloved Blessing in GBStudio, I hope to someday expand this world and story on other platforms.

Thank you for playing and for all the feedback!