Deadeus Is A Psychological Horror Title Made For the Game Boy

For some older games, the strict hardware limitations worked to their advantage. Metal Gear could only render one bullet at a time on screen, and the first stealth game was born. DOOM and Hovertank used 2D sprites to create 3D environments. And if memory serves, the original Resident Evil used fixed cameras because the environments were just JPEGs. All this to say that restrictions require workarounds, and the workarounds can create the greatest innovations. 

For Deadeus, a game that is made for a Game Boy, this artificial hardware limitation used an old style to create something new. Not too many horror games are available on the Game Boy or NES, but itch.io developer -IZMA- has somehow pulled it off. So faithful is Deadeus to the 90’s style of game development that it comes in the form of a ROM file, and can only be run on a Game Boy emulator. 

The story of Deadeus follows a child who has a prophetic nightmare. In his dream he learns that within three days, everyone in his village will die. Now he must investigate the dream in order to see if he can save his village, if saving them is in fact possible. “The game has 11 endings and no direct path leaving it up to the player to decide which is the best course of action.”

Deadeus is available on itch.io, which you can find here, and if you need an emulator, I would recommend Visual Boy Advance. The game is free, but there is also a special edition for $5. This version comes with concept art, desktop wallpapers, and a map to help you navigate the world. It also includes “some sneaky peeks at what is to come in the future of Deadeus.”