Really good!

Hi! I’m glad you are enjoying the project. You seem to have gotten the hang of the basic principles. The key is to raise thermal power slowly to around 600 MWt. This is done by withdrawing the rods while keeping margin above 35 %. Keep an eye on cooling and don’t let temperature rise above 700 degrees without sufficient cooling. Also, keep monitoring the reactor period and don’t let it climb too high. Reactivity between 2-8 is optimal for building thermal power.

Steam should be rising as you build thermal power. When it reaches around 60 % you should start putting lid on your turbine. This is all about balance not to overload the turbine and start losing steam pressure and keeping eye on your reactivity and temperature not to overheat the reactor or keeping the core too unstable. 

The reactor is happy at around 600-800 MWt with output of around 200-350 MWe. I am planning to add a “valve screen” to control the steam pressure and cooling more in depth to prevent steam pressure rising without a pressure release system when the grid demand drops. 

Hope this helps! 

Haha, it’s not that hard to cause a problem ;)

I actually tried to do the opposite and see how much thermal and electric power I am able to generate. Got to around 2100 MWt and 1100 MWe before overheating due to insufficient cooling of the core! That’s 2-3x the ‘stable’ operating power the game runs at now.

I might add some scenarios for the game - ex. max run test, emergency recovery at critical state, …

Hope you enjoyed a trip down memory lane . . .

Hey DVDFever, thank you for the play-through. You did pretty good!

To explain some of the violations:

1. Maroren Belelan was from Aristan on day 1 - only Vostran and Dolnian citizens are allowed to enter on the first day though. Same happened with Anavina Kraloveca before the end day triggered. 
2. Alir Novelsky was denied, however his documents were valid. Day 1 doesn’t specify that the document cannot be expired. This rule starts only at day 2. I might fix this in the next update so that the documents on day 1 can’t generate expired.
3. Anavi Kraleleca, Dariren Kralar and Sarana Belanana should have been all banned as they weren’t from Vostra and Dolnia on day 1. 

Hope you’ll have another go at the game! But don’t forget to follow the rules ;)

Regarding graphics only the itch.io title cover was created by AI. The code was written by hand by me but some of the procedures were consulted with AI to keep the simulation ‘real’. 

Papers, Please is obviously the most famous reference. The difference is that this is not meant to be a remake or clone. It is a small interpretation of a border Checkpoint game, built within the limitations of an 8-bit machine. 

The game has its own fictional setting, countries, document rules and progression. The goal is more “what would a border checkpoint game feel like on real 8-bit hardware?” rather than recreating Papers, Please. 

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.

Inspect documents at the border

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.

Fictional countries and cities

The current version includes four fictional countries:

• VOSTRA – Rudyna, Kralovec, Varin
• DOLNIA – Dolin, Mostec, Vysna
• BELKOR – Belka, Korunen, Rudenica
• ARISTAN – Aristan, Seranan, Kandavik

These countries form the foundation for the document checking system. Later versions will expand the rules, document requirements and daily progression.

Development version

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

Not a demake, rather a fan tribute that acknowledges and tries to work within the limitations ;)

Torment: Act 1 – The Mortuary is now released

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:

• Classic text adventure gameplay
• Minimalist black-and-white visuals
• A reactive world with a suspicion system
• Puzzles built around identity, disguise, and observation
• Multiple ways to fail, learn, and try again

This is only the beginning. Act 2 will take you deeper.

Play it here: https://haabb001.itch.io/torment-act-1

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.

V1.0 was just released with graphics and improved feeeatures!

I have just published Tower 48 V1.0, the first full release of my skyscraper management simulation game for the ZX Spectrum 48K.

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.

Build and manage your tower

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.

Monthly management loop

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.

Market demand and rent adjustment

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.

Services, traffic and grade progression

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.

Controls

• Q / A – move cursor up / down
• O / P – move cursor left / right
• W / S – scroll floors up / down
• SPACE - move cursor to top menu bar
• ENTER/B - confirm selection in menus
• 0 - close menus or reports

Keyboard shortcuts:

• B – build room
• D – demolish room 
• I – selected room information
• N – skip to next month

HUD / Top bar shows your current tower status:

• P – Population  The number of people currently living in your tower.
• W – Workers  The number of workers needed or active in the tower.
• V – Visitors  The number of visitors attracted by shops, restaurants and services.
• SAT – Satisfaction  How happy people are with the tower. Low satisfaction may hurt your progress.
• REP – Reputation  The public reputation of your tower. Higher reputation can help attract more people.
• WAIT – Waiting / congestion  Shows how much pressure there is on elevators, services or tower flow.
• G – Grade  Your current tower grade or development level.
• JAN 1989 The current in-game month and year with a progress bar below.

Release version

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.

https://haabb001.itch.io/tower-48

thank you! Alpha v0.2 will be soon available