The Fallen Crown - GameBoy Color
BRAND NEW DEMO AVAILABLE for 2025!!!
Here are the newest features for the 2025 demo:
- New playable class - The Vampire Hunter
- Improved combat - weapon combo timings have been adjusted, making combo attacks easier to pull off
- New spells/skills - The wizard class has new and improved spells and the Knight also has new combat animations
- Improved Performance - I fixed a few issues causing slowdown in certain sections of the ancient cave.
- Graphical Improvements - Some player class sprites have been given added color depth, new dialogue box backgrounds and some improved colors and animations.
- 'Secret' Room - It's easy to find once you reach the end, but there's a little something special for you to find once you defeat the Skeleton Guard
Check out the most recent comprehensive development updates on the Kickstarter page HERE. (Last updated 2/25/25)
(Updated to v0.52 - 2/25/25)
Want the latest news and behind the scenes previews? The official Twitter(X) profile can be viewed HERE.
New Features
• New and Improved Environments & Stages
• New Enemies and NPCs
• 3 Hit Weapon Combos & New Skills
• New Playable Classes
• Smarter enemies and combat tactics
• All new Inventory and Gear Menus
• Moving platforms, elevators and gates
Story and Gameplay
Cursed and fallen, you will unravel the mysteries of your past as you hunt for the truth behind the ancient monolith known only as 'The Tower'.
Play the way you want. Smash your way through obstacles and rush to the finish line, or be cautious and stealthy, taking your time to sneak up on enemies and scour every corner for secrets.
At its heart, The Fallen Crown is a Metroidvania. You will create many shortcuts in an interconnected world, while acquiring new skills and gear to reach new areas. You will wield daggers, staves, axes, throwing daggers or the classic sword and board, engaging in visceral combat. However, you will also have to be quick on your 'feet'. You'll find yourself jumping off of ledges, pouncing on enemy heads and shooting projectiles more in line with classic games like Super Mario or Megaman.
Key Features
• Jump, run, smash and shoot your way to victory.
• Upgrade your gear, stats and skills to stay alive(ish).
• Explore a unique and interconnected world, full of secret areas and colorful characters
• Use your trusty map to mark your progress and track down elusive artifacts.
• Change classes on the fly to meet every challenge.
• Master the art of combat to defeat powerful bosses and their tricky minions.
• Depending on your mastery of the genre, you can expect 20-30 minutes of gameplay.
Tips and Tricks
Tutorials and tips are pretty limited in this prototype, so here are a few things that may not be clearly communicated:
-Each class and weapon set will work a bit differently, but generally speaking, pressing Down + B will switch between your Main Hand and Offhand weapon and pressing Up + B will use that weapon's special attack or skill.
-Once you pick up your first set of gear, you can double tap a direction to dash/dodge roll.
-Some enemies can be jumped on to stun or damage, some cannot. I won't spoil which is which.
-Press Up on the D pad to interact with objects. In addition to doors and chests, you will find notes and certain desks/journals you will need to read in order to progress.
-The game now uses a flask based healing systems, similar to Dark Souls. Resting at a shrine will refill your flasks at the cost of reviving all enemies in a level. Press Down + Select to use a Healing Flask and Up + Select to use an Energy Flask.
-Each Class has its own unique Main Hand and Offhand weapons. In the current version, each Main Hand weapon has a usable combat skill. I hope to be able to implement upgrades to each weapon and its skills.
-Firing projectiles and successful shield blocks will consume energy. Conserve your energy for when you really need it. Just like real life.
Want More?
Visit atavistgames.com to check out the progress on the new version and other cool stuff! I'm a one man team, but I try to update the News and Dev Blog pages and much as possible. Thanks for your support!
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- V0.12 Update!May 03, 2023
- Pre Alpha v0.11 - Change LogMar 11, 2023
- Second Update! v1.2Jun 29, 2022
- First Official Update!(ver1.1)Jun 12, 2022
Comments
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Final thoughts in this game:Pretty good so far, but theres ALOT of sprite glitches, and things tend to get buggy when switching between menus and saving.
Also, theres a treasure chest that seems to be inaccessible, which is annoying becuase I cant get anywhere else without a key, which I assume is in the chest.
which chest? There is one in the cave that you’ll have to come back for after getting the wall jump ability. The key you need is hidden in a journal. You have to press up when next to a desk in one of the later rooms. I need to put a hint in for that, I want the player to press ‘up’ on anything interesting or suspicious to encourage exploration. But it’s a little obtuse right now, sorry. I’m trying to minimize sprite glitching, but it’s tough on GBC, and the visual weirdness when changing scenes will be fixed for the final release.
So...I can't take the dagger. I'm pressing up, but it triggers the cutscene and then I cant interact with it. Which leaves me unable to progress.
Am I doing something wrong here, or are the controls just buggy?
I haven't heard of that one before. Have you gotten the 'treasure' from the chest, brought it back, then used it from your inventory so he let's you take it?
I did not, in fact. Problem solved.
Seperate issue, though:When I fall into spikes, it teleports me to the last platform to the left..even if I'm heading left.
that must be an old trigger script on that one. Thanks for catching that!
A few more minor visual glitches:
Using a map seemingly respawns enemies. They dont actually attack, but they look like they're there.
Save stone appears to have weird texture on it whenever I jump to the same height.
Beyond that, I ahvent noticed any bugs, btu I would REALLY like it if you could remap controls-its a bit confusing on keyboard.
New Bug discovered:Cant turn while wielding a shield as the soldier. I'm stuck in whatever direction i was facing unless i switch the shield out.
thanks for pointing those out, I’ll try and have that fixed in the future. I wouldn’t know how to add in a button remap in game. But ideally if I were to port this to steam I would be able to add that option within the executable.
Not sure how I've done this, but I've gotten myself softlocked. If you manage to talk to the bird at the start of the game far enough away, you'll start the fall sequence, but unable to fall. Since I'm locked in the animation, I cannot proceed! On the upside, not too difficult to reset!
That is an issue that I thought I had fixed. Do you know where you were standing when you started talking to the bird? I might have to shrink the trigger down by one tile.
Actually it's a different problem. I found that if you walk into the trigger, you can then walk away from the bird and talk to it from anywhere on the screen by pressing up.
good catch! I can’t believe I never thought to check that. Thanks!
I don’t know if anyone’s told you this or not, but gameboy games have absolutely no business being this beautiful. Dial the artwork and animation knobs down a bit. And maybe don’t polish the game mechanics and story telling so much either. This is supposed to be homebrew after all.
Good grief…
Amateur…
I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I hope you can look past all the artwork, animations and polish to the heart of the game underneath. Haha thanks!
Nice looking game. Tried on DMG and it could definitely use a "GB Color Only" screen haha. I've seen stuff be slow or freeze, but this was very glitched out graphics on DMG.
Will the final version be GBC only or will you optimize for DMG as well? I don't mind either way, in fact it is cool when the extra power of the color is used, but I also respect DMG compatibility.
yeah, it’s definitely a GBC only title. I’ll make sure to add a screen for that. Great idea and thanks for playing!
No problem, I'm also a backer so I'm seeing how it is coming!
Ideally it would be one of those screens that checks the hardware and only shows to DMG people, preventing them from proceeding.
Some have added mini games etc. that only appear on DMG as well, but just a screen with one of your characters looking disappointed and saying it is only for GBC would be all that's needed when played on DMG.
I've also seen ones add a warning that it just won't play as intended on DMG, but I'm not a fan of that as you should be playing it as intended.
Such a gorgeous looking game! Not got far with the demo yet, but it's brilliant!
Noticed pressing down+start with the map shows glitches black tiles for a split second before the map loads?
thanks! Some minor glitching like that will happen in a few scenes. Those will be fixed before final release, but it’s currently pretty low on my priority list. But I don’t think I knew about the map one, thanks for pointing that out!
Port for mobile devices?
possibly. I’m not sure what’s involved in that, but I would like to. I’ll definitely at least port it to switch and steam. :)
Technically you already can with a GBC emulator of your choice.
Yeah at least Android or computers should be fine for this already. I don't know if emulation on iOS requires any hackery, but in general I prefer using my own emulator than being forced a specific one via Steam.
With Switch you'd definitely need a special release to run on legit consoles.
This game is fun but unnecessarily hard
thanks! I definitely want the game to be challenging, but not overly difficult. If you don’t mind my asking, what did you find difficult? The combat, platforming or finding what to do next? I’ll definitely keep it in mind as I continue development. Thanks for playing!
So if we have missed the kickstarter, we just need to wait for this to be finished and order from the publisher direct? No other way to support/pay?
for support, you can select donate when you download here(not necessary but appreciated). You’ll be able to purchase the physical edition with rom from Broke Studio when it releases, February is the current estimate. You’ll then be able to buy the final rom here on itch and I plan/hope to also have it available on steam and switch soon after that.
I like it, but i got softlocked on the room with the three targets on conveyors. After knocking down the targets for a bit, I flipped the switch a second time, and when that happened, the camera went to the right, and the game refused to let me leave after that. (edit: oh, but pressing start to bring up the pause menu fixed it)
Another bug (or is it intentional?) I found was, once a gold coin would cause me damage, rather than let me pick it up. the game looks great though
Thanks! This demo is about a year old and a little buggy. I’m almost done with the new demo with a lot of new stuff. I’m hoping to have it up in a few weeks.
Cool :)
I found this game searching for how to do disappearing platforms, now I'm hooked. I wish I saw this while the Kickstarter was running, would love a physical copy when you all are done!
thanks! Broke studio will have them for sale when the time comes, should be by the end of the year. For disappearing platforms, I would recommend using the platformer plus plugin by Hauntology. :)
this is what i make
that looks pretty good! Just keep up the practice. I’ve been working on this game for over 3 years and it looks COMPLETELY different than when I started. It’s all about being persistent and always learning something new. Pixel Pete on YouTube has good tutorials and will review pixel art from viewers sometimes. Keep it up!
I would kms to learn this pixelart
Amazing work here! I am looking forward to your official release.
Hmm. Maybe im stupid, but I cant use the key!
nvm, im stupid. Gr8 game by the way.
thanks! And glad you got that figured out.
a game so graphically advanced, it shouldn't work on the GBC.
One of the most anticipated GBC games.
thanks! Can’t wait to get this thing finished.
Looking forward to this game! Any news at the end of the year?
I probably won’t do a big kickstarter update before the end of the year, but I’ve been adding in new areas NPCs and enemies. You can catch up on small updates on Twitter. Just posted this new art today:
Looks amazing! One of the most interesting GBC games coming up out here in these times!
thanks! I’ve got big plans for this game, I’m glad everyone seems to dig it so far.
Please tell me this project isn't dead. :( I'm anticipating this game the most right now.
of course not! I post something new on twitter once or twice a week. I’m a solo dev so I don’t have time to hit all the platforms with updates. I will definitely update the demo here, but that’s probably still a few weeks out. https://twitter.com/atavistgames
Oh good T-T Your game is amazing!
Even looking better than Repugnant Bounty.
I hope you put work into "stereo-fying" the tracks though.
Thanks! The music is the one thing that I don’t do, but I’ll try and make that happen.
I chip a little myself, lmk if the guy needs help.
wonder if this guys ever played dead cells i
i )
I have! It’s a fun game, but rogue lites are hit or miss for me. I prefer a hand crafted world than replaying procedurally generated levels over and over again. But I can definitely see the comparison there at the start of the game :)
It was a joke because the start of the game looks exactly like ramparts
Hello! Is there anywhere we can report bugs?
I don’t have any official channels yet, but you can submit any bugs you find to larson@atavistgames.com Thanks!
hm, currently no collision detection in the boss fight at the top right, so cant continue :-/
same
I thought I replied to that first one, sorry. It’s a bug, I meant to block that room off. I haven’t finished the AI and collision on him yet. I’m doing a little enemy rework right now actually.
thanks for telling us. great looking game btw. i wonder if you're familiar with dead knight by backterria
I am, actually. This game was originally titled ‘dead of knight’ but after searching to see if the name was taken I discovered Dead Knight and figured that was too similar in name and style. There is also a game called ‘dead of night’, so I changed the name to The Fallen Crown. It does looks pretty fun!
Hi, Guys I just saw the gameplay on Riggs channel, This is the best-looking GBC game I ever saw. Great work, I love the character, it has a lot of potential, I hope this will be the start of a big and important Saga.
I hope so! I’ve got a whole sagas worth of content planned. I’ll pump out retro games as long as people are interested haha
This looks incredible. I know that dev can be a tough thing to tell sometimes, but how far along do you think you are on this? I'm truly impressed by how much you can squeeze out of the hardware, especially as a single person team!
thanks! Depends on if we hit any stretch goals, that would mean more content, but roughly 60% or so. The target release date is about this time next year.
That's awesome, I've backed it and will look forward to the finished product. Truly looks fantastic this far!
thanks so much! I really appreciate the support. Keep an eye on the games Twitter account, I’ll be posting updates and previews for upcoming stretch goals. I just posted some concept art for the refinery area yesterday. :)
that gets revealed as you play through the game, I don’t want to spoil anything. He starts nameless with no memories, but he plays an important role in the current events and lore of the world.
also, thanks!
You should add the metroidvania tag! This slipped under my radar
You’re a genius!
i´ve played a few minutes, but im very very interested. have you thought in a physic edition with the cardridge?
oh yes! I can’t announce anything officially yet, but if you subscribe on my site(www.atavistgames.com) or follow me on Twitter(@atavistgames) I’ll announce it in the next couple of weeks. And thanks for your interest!
An exquisite job! It is incredible that what my eyes see runs on a Gameboy Color! Congratulations! I'll be looking forward to playing it on my Twitch channel whenever you like.
is that rat guy invincbel ?
oh crap! I should have kept that room blocked off. I don’t have his collision and hp added in yet. That’s what I get for doing minimal play testing. Thanks for the heads up haha
Lol I thought it was the first boss and I got stuck trynna fight him for 1 hour
oh geez my bad. I need play testers haha
i mean i would llove to play test games like this i grew up playing retro looking games
also there is a few glitches i found if you really want to know
well, not even the "invisible arena" walls are solid.left wall is only half height so you can jump over it.
right wall has no colision at all.
sadly the room next to it is empty though :-(
I forgot to block off that room on that particular build. That whole section is incomplete and I haven’t had a chance to upload a fix yet. Sorry! It may still be a few weeks until I can do that, there are a few other things I need to fix as well.
This is incredibly put together. Ive been working on my gb studio game for about a year and this just made me rethink everything I’ve made so far. This is the kind of work that makes all of us better. I can’t believe this is a game boy game!
Played a bit! Looks good, feels good, sounds good. I love that it's made with GB Studio. Looking forward to seeing more!
This looks incredible so far! Looking forward to seeing where you take this :D
amazingly great crafted, i wish i had this skills, graphically impresive and great stuff, i found the little treasure room at the start wih all the items, really amazing trick!
haha thanks! I snuck that in there so I could test certain things, I forgot to take it out for the public build but I didn't think anyone would find it. very thorough!
also when you enter you can see some graphical errors, also entering the pause menu shows them
Cool thanks for the heads up. I’m hoping to have that fixed by this time next week.
This a fantastic game with a huge amount of professional details, well done :)
thank you very much! I can’t wait until I can get some more updates going.
Alpha Beta Gamer sent me 👍
From one GB Studio user to another, this is *chef's kiss*! 💪😎
thanks so much! That video was a surprise and has been a huge boost.
the amount of details is insane, you must always be at the limit of the maximum tile display, right?
thanks! I’m maxed out on bg tiles, sprite tiles and palettes in just about every scene haha
Saw the Gameplay from Alpha Beta Gamer and I feel in love with the pixel art. I look forward to the release
Thanks so much! I’ll be trying to post as many updates and dev logs as much as I can.
Nice work, I seem to be stuck, how do I pull the lever to open the gate?
you’ve got to pull the dagger from the corpse in the second room then hit the lever with an attack.
pressing ‘up’ will interact with objects when you’re next to/in front of them or let you talk to NPCs.
Thanks, I missed the fact you have to “trade”.
no prob! It’s good to hear stuff like this. I’m trying to find the right balance of not directly spelling things out for the player, without being too obtuse. Thanks!
Great game! I had fun with it!!
I love the graphics and mechanics. The light effect by the torchs are awesome!
The controls are a bit rude but I supose this is intentional, acording legacy games.
Added to my collection! I will stay tuned!
Thanks! The controls were mostly a limitation of the older version of GB Studio. I just uploaded a new and improved version today if you get a chance to check that out. I'll be posting a dev log about soon.
Of course! I will check it!
When can someone expect a physical release? I would like to subscribe to be notified 🙏
Thanks! I’m at least a year from a physical release. You can subscribe on the website or follow me on Twitter for updates on stuff like that. I’ll have a new version up here in a day or two.