itch.io

Hi everyone!

I'm Mark, one half of Ki10 Games, a small two-person indie studio based in the UK.

We've been working on a game called Save File 0, and since we've just revealed it for Halloween, I thought I'd start a development thread here to share how it's coming along.

What's Save File 0?

It's a first-person survival horror game for the original Game Boy Color.

You play as a QA tester working the night shift at a software company. While investigating a strange save-file bug, you discover a second save that you never created.

Loading it takes you back to the same building, except things aren't quite right anymore.

One of the main mechanics is switching between two versions of the same environment to explore, solve puzzles and progress through the game. There's also something wandering the corridors that you can't permanently kill, so sometimes hiding is your best option.

Getting it running on the Game Boy Color

Probably the biggest challenge so far has been getting first-person exploration working smoothly on hardware from 1998.

We're building the game using GBDK, and we've managed to hit 30 FPS in our tested scenes. I've also been playing it on my original Game Boy Color using a flashcart, which has been one of the most satisfying parts of development so far!

We've recently had our first physical box prototype printed too, as we're hoping to eventually give the game a proper cartridge release.

Where we're at now

We've got the core exploration working, along with the save-switching mechanic, enemies and some of the horror elements.

We're currently working towards a polished playable demo. There's no public download just yet, but we've released our first gameplay trailer.

🎥 Halloween teaser:

🎮 Game page: https://ki10games.itch.io/save-file-0

📝 First itch.io devlog: https://ki10games.itch.io/save-file-0/devlog/1728575/save-file-0-is-announced

I'll use this thread to share progress as we build the demo, including technical challenges, gameplay changes and hopefully a few more behind-the-scenes looks at getting the game running on the actual hardware.

I'd love to hear what people think, especially anyone who's worked on Game Boy homebrew projects before!

Cheers,

Mark

Hi everyone!

I'm Mark, one half of Ki10 Games, a small independent game studio based in the UK.

I've spent the last 10 years working professionally in games QA, including at studios such as Supermassive Games, Creative Assembly and Unity.

Alongside that, we've been making and releasing our own games at Ki10. One thing I've definitely learned is how easy it can be to miss issues when you've spent months working on the same game!

We've recently started offering affordable manual QA services for other indie developers, particularly solo developers and small teams who might not have the budget for a dedicated QA tester.

Our prices:

• £25 — Quick Check: 1 hour of testing and reporting
• £65 — Indie Playtest: 3 hours of testing and reporting
• £120 — Release Readiness: 6 hours of testing and reporting

I can help with gameplay bugs, progression issues, controls, UI, save/load problems and general usability feedback.

You'll receive written bug reports with clear reproduction steps and supporting evidence where useful. I mainly test Windows PC and Android, with Steam Deck testing available depending on the build.

I'm happy to look at prototypes, demos, upcoming releases or existing games that need another pair of eyes.

QA services: https://ki10games.com/qa-services

Professional portfolio: https://markmcmanus.net

If you're working on something and think I could help, feel free to email me at business@ki10games.com or reply here.

Cheers!

Mark — Ki10 Games