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Press release:
Montreal, Canada –September 9, 2021.
Retro publisher Incube8 Games, games producer Spacebot Interactive, and indie developer Hadrian Lin, are today very happy and excited to announce that physical (as in cartridges) pre-orders are now available for their short narrative experience “The Year After” (which is a full-blown Game Boy Color game title).

You are an invisible stranger. Time moves freely around you, as seasons pass and characters age. A family prepares for a particularly harsh winter, whose tidings will echo throughout their lives.

The Year After is a short narrative experience for the Game Boy Color. Observe characters as they traverse through their lives, checking in periodically as your presence becomes increasingly felt. You won’t remain a stranger for long… or perhaps you were never a stranger, to begin with.

The game is rated for a general audience, and will be available as a limited collectors edition.

Collector’s Edition Includes

Limited edition sealed box

Clear black game cartridge

Clear cartridge protector

Game manual

The Year After stickers sheet

Silkscreened PCB with artwork on the back side

Game soundtrack on CD and digital download

2x The Year After enamelled pin

Game poster

Exclusive paperback Dev Log

Numbered certificate of authenticity

Limited to 250 numbered copies

Features

2D Pixel Art style

Narrative focused gameplay

Developed using GB Studio

Supported Languages: English

Fully compatible with all Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance handhelds

About Retro Modding
Created in 2016, Retro Modding is a company based in Montreal, Canada. Its mission is to ensure the longevity of retro handheld systems. Specialized in the design and console components and modding parts, they collaborated with artists like Mr. Beast, Justin Roiland (Rick & Morty), Spacebot Interactive (Dragonborne, Deadeus), NGDEV team, Chipzel (Crypt of the NecroDancer), The Retro Future, Rage Elixir, Eboys, Metal Jesus Rocks and many others.

About Incube8 Games
Incube8 Games aims to facilitate the publishing of retro video game cartridges, with a focus on 8-bit handheld consoles. Strong with Retro Modding’s expertise and supply chain, they offer turnkey publishing solutions for physical releases.

About Spacebot Interactive
Based in the UK, Spacebot Interactive is an indie game developer and publisher, who has a passion for retro-style video games. They initially garnered interest with Dragonborne, an adventure RPG released in 2020, which has gone on to be one of the most successful indie Game Boy games in terms of sales.

About Hadrian Lin
I reach back in time and embrace the strict limitations of the 8-bit era to explore thematically rich, story-driven games.

In the age of digital, why does Christopher Nolan focus on practical special effects and shoot with film? Why does he fight to preserve celluloid? Maybe the same reason communities of people still draw low-res pixel art and make games for a console nearing 30 years old. It is something more than nostalgia. There is power in simplicity.

The ’90s came and went. We have moved on to 4k, 3d, and VR but there are still spaces of possibility we did not fully explore when the GameBoy was in its heyday. It’s worth going back in time to see if we can do more with less.