Developing a game between naps – working with limitations

Three weeks of parental leave. Very little sleep. But a strong urge to tap back into game development.

This wasn’t the ideal time to start a creative side project. But the ideal time never comes, right? So I opened GB Studio, an open-source tool for building Game Boy games, and started to sketch out a small idea.

It became Piranesian, a narrative Game Boy adventure inspired by Susanna Clarke’s novel Piranesi.

You can play it here: https://tizummo.itch.io/piranesian (works best on mobile browser)

Working with limitations, on screen and off

We often think of limitations as blockers. But they actually force creativity.

The Game Boy is full of limitations: 160x144 pixels. Four colors. 8-bit mono sound. 32KB of memory. No flashy visuals, no advanced mechanics. Just the basics. But that’s where creativity unfolds. How can I still express my thoughts? What do I really want the player to feel? What matters enough to stay?

Limitations also shape my current daily life.

With two little kids at home and no real “creative hours,” I had to work in fragments. A puzzle scribbled on my phone in the dark. A dialogue line typed one-handed while holding my newborn son.

What the game is about

In Piranesian, you explore a quiet world.

A House made of endless halls, wise statues, and rising tides. But instead of thousands of rooms like in the book, I created just nine. That’s what I could realistically build in GB Studio. No complex room generation, no big systems.

To give the game structure, I turned to Plato’s virtues: Justice, Courage, Temperance, Wisdom. They shaped the mechanics and gave the story its meaning.

Extended brain power

Luckily, I had help. I set up a ChatGPT project to always have a space to brainstorm puzzles and test ideas. Instead of waiting for friends or family to have time to listen to my thoughts, I could think through mechanics together with AI while standing in line at Lidl.

When it comes to art and sound, I don't have those skills. But the community on platforms like itch.io is amazing. Talented creators share asset packs, sometimes for free, sometimes for a few euros.

AI also helped here. Not by generating final artwork, which didn't work for me at all. But by giving me pixel art references I could shape and refine in Affinity Designer.

Retro is thriving

There’s something special about the GB Studio scene. Writers, musicians, and developers building tiny masterpieces in just four colors. Some of these games even get released on real cartridges. Manuals, stickers, the whole thing. Like in the 90s.

And the best part? There are so many great and affordable devices that emulate these systems beautifully. I use the TrimUI Brick and constantly have to hold myself back from buying more devices.

Final thoughts

Piranesian was shaped by constraints in every detail, from its structure to its style. Some technical. Some deeply personal.

Working with limitations wasn’t a hurdle. It was the motivation. It gave me a reason to focus, to finish, and to create something.

Thanks to everyone who inspired, encouraged, or shared their assets. And to my two kids, who unknowingly gave me both the limits and the spark.

Feel free to reach out if you’re curious about the process.

#piranesian #gamedevelopment #retrogaming