20 MORE great Vic-20 homebrew games

A few years ago we did a round-up of 20 great Vic-20 Homebrew games. Well, in the last few years the humble Vic has seen a great number of new games. Many of these games will require memory expansions, if you are running on real hardware, but all should run fine on emulators such as VICE or Clock Signal.

Ten Ten​

This is a lovely, simple, but fiendishly difficult puzzle game! There are two mazes and you control a square in each maze. When you move the joystick, both of the squares in each maze will move in that direction unless their movement is blocked by a wall of the maze. Your aim is to get both squares on top of the white dot. Sounds easy? Well, there’s also a time limit…

Launch: 2009 (original), 2020 (latest version)
Author: Jeffrey Daniels
Genre: Puzzle / Maze
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download

Oflain​

Don’t you hate it when your Vic-20 goes offline, and you can’t check out your latest emails? Well, now you can pretend that’s the case by playing this port of the dinosaur jump game from Google Chrome.

Launch: 2020
Author: Xavigonza
Genre: Action / Endless Runner
Requirements: 8K Expansion

• Download

Overthrown​

You play the soon to be ex-president of a corrupt state. Your goal is simple, escape to your private island without getting killed! Unfortunately everybody seems intent to stop you from reaching retirement so expect heavy resistance in the form of road barriers, mines, insurgents, helicopters, airplanes and the navy. Points are scored for remaining cash and distance traveled.

Launch: 2020
Author: Erik Hooijmeijer
Genre: Action
Requirements: 8K Expansion

• Download

Cheesy Trials ​

You are Echo the Mouse, a cloned mouse tormented by a mad scientist to complete three experiments. Each experiment is made up of a number of rooms. You are dropped into a room with some cheese. Collect all the cheese and get to the exit before the time is up. But all is not as it seems. Your world will change with each piece of cheese collected. Each room is devilishly designed to test your intelligence, dexterity and luck.

Launch: 2020
Author: Andy Hewitson
Genre: Action / Puzzle
Requirements: 24k expansion

• Download
• Cassette (The Future was 8-bit)

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Trolley Problem​

Switches guide the trolley to pick up riders, and drop them off at the depot on time. Trolley Problem has 12 levels of increasing difficulty.

Launch: 2021
Author: Jason Justian
Genre: Action / Puzzle
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download
• Cassette (Etsy)

Archon​

Archon is a game very similar to chess, and was one of the very first games released by Electronic Arts. The game was originally launched for Atari 8-bits and then ported to various other platforms such as Apple II, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. The game never recieved a contemporary Vic port, so coder Aleksi Eeben decided to rectify this!

Launch: 2021
Author: Aleksi Eeben
Genre: Strategy
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download

Zeptopolis​

Take the reins as the City Manager of Zeptopolis, a modern city with no problems whatsoever. Except it has no infrastructure, so you have to build that. You have to balance the demands of the business community against the needs of your residents. You have to keep the city safe from fires, and look out for your residents’ education and health.

Launch: 2021
Author: Jason Justian
Genre: Strategy
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download
• Cassette
• Cartridge

Vegetables Deluxe​

Vegetables Deluxe is a variation on “match three” games such as Bejewelled or Candy Crush. Originally written by Mike Richmond for the C64 and ported to the Amiga and ZX Spectrum. The Vic port was done by Arlasoft.

Launch: 2021
Author: Arlasoft
Genre: Puzzle
Requirements: 8K expansion

• Download

Grand Theft Cygnus​

Stealing swans with a lasso sounds like great fun. The trouble is, the Queen owns all the swans and she know’s what you’re up to. As a result, she is somehow hiding behind one of the swans. Each time you lasso a swan, a number appears showing how far away Her Majesty is. How many swans can you nab before Lizzie shoots you?

The games was originally written for the BASIC Ascii 10-liner jam, but this version has been rewritten in assemble with custom graphics. Coder, Shiela Dixon says “Let’s be honest, what I’ve written is a minesweeper game, but I love a bizarre backstory and I hope that this one will make people laugh.”

Launch: 2022
Author: Shiela Dixon
Genre: Puzzle
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download
• Cassette (The Future Was 8-bit)

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Escape 2020​

“It is 2020. It has been 2020 forever. It will be 2020 forever more. You must escape 2020.” – If you fancy revisiting the hell-hole that was 2020, but in fun maze-game form, then this is the game for you!

Launch: 2021
Author: Andy Hewitson / Hewco
Genre: Maze
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download

Chuckie Egg​

A port of the classic 8-bit platformer. Guide Hen-House Harry through each screen, collecting 12 eggs to continue before the timer reaches zero. You may also collect the seeds to earn points.

Launch: 2021
Author: Derek / Reset64
Genre: Platform
Requirements: 35K Expansion

• Download

Get More Diamonds​

Diamond Dylan is at it again! He finally collected enough diamonds to buy his country cottage. Unfortunately, on arrival at the bank, he discovered housing prices had risen and he requires more diamonds to pay for his dream home. Help Diamond Dylan navigate each of the 8 levels to ‘get more diamonds’ so he can finally retire in peace and get away from the traffic, once and for all.

Launch: 2022
Author: Derek / Reset64
Genre: Platform
Requirements: 35K Expansion

• Download

20rdle​

Unless you’ve been living under a rock this year, then you’ve probably come across the word game, Wordle. The game is a kind of cross-between Mastermind and Hangman, and pretty much every retro platform has had a clone written for it. The Vic is no exception, and this version by Chysn contains a whopping 9,000 words (it does require a 24K memory expansion though)

Launch: 2022
Author: Chysn
Genre: Puzzle / Wordgame
Requirements: 24K expansion

• Download

Deep Scan ​

VIC-20 port of the classic Sega/Gremin arcade game from 1979. To play Deep Scan, you must hit the moving subs with your depth chargers, while avoiding the mines launched by the subs.

Launch: 2021
Author: Derek / Reset64
Genre: Shooter
Requirements: 35k Expansion

• Download

Rigel Attack​

Fixed screen shooter which appears to be a demake of the late Egdar Vidal’s Deluxe Galaga (aka Warblade.) Shoot the aliens, collect power ups, and occasionally avoid a meteor shower.

Launch: 2022
Author: AJ Layden
Genre: Shoot ’em up
Requirements: 8K Expansion

• Download

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Flood​

Pick the prizes scattered around the map before the flood drowns you. Each scenario contains some fortresses, each one keeps a prize inside. To get it, you have to get into the fortresses by breaking through the wall.

Launch: 2022
Author: xavigonza
Genre: Action
Requirements: 16K Expansion

• Download

Galaxian Sleena​

Galaxian Sleena is a vertical scrolling Shoot ’em up for the the unexpanded Vic. You have one life, so be careful!

Launch: 2022
Author: W E de Villiers
Genre: Shoot ’em up
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download

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H3LP B0DG3​

Pretty impressive platform game for the Vic-20. Imagine Manic Miner, but where you can shoot the enemies. Contains twenty colourful levels.

Launch: 2022
Author: Derek / Reset64
Genre: Platform
Requirements: Unexpanded

• Download

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Crash​

Another arcade conversion – this one is a pretty accurate conversion of Exidy’s Crash. You must go round the maze collecting pellets and avoid the other cars by moving into different lanes.

Launch: 2022
Author: LeChuck
Genre: Maze
Requirements: 8K Expansion

• Download

Super Monza Grand Prix​

Awesome racing game for the VIC. You can either race for position or against the clock.

Launch: 2022
Author: AJ Layden
Genre: Racing
Requirements: 16K Expansion

• Download

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Need more VIC-20 homebrew?​

Check out our Vic-20 Homebrew database.