I have just published Vostra Checkpoint V0.1, the first public development version of my border inspection game for the ZX Spectrum 48K.
Vostra Checkpoint is a small document-checking game set in 1982, after the Republic of Vostra opens its border again following years of sanctions. You have been assigned to a border checkpoint, where people from Dolnia, Belkor and Aristan arrive with passports, permits and stories.
Your job is simple: inspect the documents, look for discrepancies, and decide who may enter Vostra.
Every visitor brings a set of documents to your desk. You need to check names, countries, cities, passport numbers, permits and other details. Some people have everything in order. Others may be missing documents, carrying invalid papers, or trying to get through with mistakes you are expected to catch.
The current version includes four fictional countries:
These countries form the foundation for the document checking system. Later versions will expand the rules, document requirements and daily progression.
Vostra Checkpoint V0.1 is still an early development release.
The basic inspection loop is now playable: people arrive, documents can be opened, checked and compared, and the player can approve or deny entry. The current version is mainly focused on the core feel of the checkpoint, readability, pacing and the basic document interaction.
Future versions may include more detailed rules, stronger daily progression, missing document dialogue, forged documents, bribe events, wanted persons and a proper manual with lore and instructions.
This is still a compact 48K game, so some systems are intentionally simple, but the foundation of the border inspection loop is now in place.
Feedback is very welcome - especially about readability, controls, pacing and whether the game feels engaging after several in-game days.
Play Vostra Checkpoint here:
https://haabb001.itch.io/vostra-checkpoint
I’m happy to share that Torment: Act 1 – The Mortuary is now available on itch.io.
Created and published during my time on sick leave, this small project became a way to stay creative while recovering. It is a short, atmospheric text adventure inspired by classic philosophical fantasy RPGs, with themes of death, memory, identity, and regret.
You wake on a cold stone slab. Your body is stitched, scarred, and wrong. Something is watching you.
In The Mortuary, you explore silent halls where the dead walk and the living pretend not to be. Observe carefully, gather strange tools, uncover fragments of memory, and learn how to survive in a place where suspicion can be just as dangerous as death.
Features include:
This is only the beginning. Act 2 will take you deeper.
DISCLAIMEER: Torment - Act 1 is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials referenced are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. © Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Tower 48 is inspired by classic tycoon and management games, but designed as a small 8-bit management sim for the Specy. Build your tower floor by floor, add different room types, manage cash, population, workers, visitors, satisfaction, reputation and traffic, and try to keep the whole building running month after month.
In Tower 48, you start with an empty building and decide how to grow it. You can build:
apartments offices shops restaurants elevators security rooms maintenance rooms utility rooms lobbies
Each room type affects the tower in a different way. Apartments bring population, offices bring workers, shops and restaurants attract visitors, and services help keep the tower stable as it grows. A good tower is not just about building as much as possible. You need to balance access, demand, income, services and satisfaction.
Every month, the tower updates its state. The game calculates income, costs, population, workers, visitors, traffic, elevator pressure, service pressure, satisfaction, reputation and progress toward the next grade.
Random monthly events can also affect your tower. Some are positive, some are negative, and some are linked to the condition of the building.
You can play in real time with automatic month progression, or manually move to the next month when you are ready.
Housing, office, retail and dining demand now react to the current state of the tower. If you build too far beyond demand, rent adjustment reduces income from oversupplied room types. This means you cannot simply spam the same profitable room forever — the market matters.
As your tower grows, you need to manage service pressure. Security responds to total traffic. Maintenance responds to built rooms. Utilities respond to active rooms.
Traffic is now an important progression metric: TRAFFIC = population + workers + visitors
To reach higher grades, the tower needs both reputation and enough total activity. Shops and restaurants are now more meaningful because visitors contribute to the overall growth of the building.
Keyboard shortcuts:
HUD / Top bar shows your current tower status:
Tower 48 V1.0 is the first version I consider complete enough for proper play.
It includes the final improvements, balance updates, visual polish, save/load stability work, market feedback, rent adjustment, traffic-based grade progression and a more stable early game.
This is still a compact 48K management game, so some systems are intentionally abstract, but the full management loop is now in place.
Feedback is very welcome - especially about balance, readability, pacing, save/load behaviour and whether the game keeps you wanting to play “just one more month”.
Play Tower 48 here: https://haabb001.itch.io/tower-48
I have just published first Alpha V0.1 of a retro skyscraper management simulation game for the ZX Spectrum, inspired by classic tycoon and management games.
Build your tower floor by floor. Add apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, elevators and services. Watch your cash, population, workers, visitors, satisfaction and reputation.
The game is playable, but still early in development. Some systems are simplified, some values may be unbalanced, and future versions may change the economy, interface, building options and progression.
Feedback is very welcome — especially about balance, readability, pacing and whether the game feels fun after several in-game months.
