Maciej Korsan

Programistok Game Boy game

a real ROM for the original Game Boy, playable in the browser

  • game
Pixel art in Game Boy greens: a character in a cap standing in a square with the Programistok logo, surrounded by trees, paths, signposts and other characters

For Programistok 2026 I made a Game Boy game. We released it a bit as if it were 1995, but anyone can play: it runs in the browser on the conference website, nothing to install. Programistok is an IT conference in Białystok that I co-organise; the 2026 edition took place on 25–26 September at Białystok University of Technology.

Black-and-white title screen: the Programistok curly-brace logo, PROGRAMISTOK '26 and “Naciśnij Start” (press Start)
Title screen.

The game

You walk around a pixel town and meet the conference’s speakers, sponsors and partners. Characters tell you about their talks – the topics come straight from the agenda. The menu tracks how many machines, partners and sponsors you’ve found so far. You can save and pick up where you left off with “Kontynuuj” (Continue). In the browser you play with the arrow keys, Z to talk, X to close windows and Enter as Start. The game is in Polish.

Game scene: a small character in a cap walking past a city skyline with church towers
Opening scene.
Top-down view of the town: trees, paths, signposts, a building labelled MUZYKA and characters to talk to
The town you explore.

A real Game Boy

This isn’t a Game Boy-style game – it’s an ordinary ROM for the original Game Boy (256 KB, four shades of grey). On the website it runs in an in-browser emulator.

Before the conference Adam Piotrowski teased on LinkedIn that I was preparing a surprise for attendees, tagged #retro and #gameboy. Polskie Radio Białystok later listed “an interactive browser game” among the items on the programme.

Sources

programistok.org/gra