Welcome to Rucksack Games. This is were you'll find my work on 8bit games. I loved them as a kid growing up and finally now after 30yrs I've got back to and have the means to create retro style text/graphic adventures and other games. Primarily for my first love the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron formats. Although I'm also developing ZX Spectrum games now. I hope some of you enjoy them as much as I did making them.

The Darkness of Raven Wood

FOGGY'S QUEST To NARG and back again!

CIRCUITRY

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING PROFESSOR

White Light

Prince of Persia

RUBICON

ALL HALLOWS Rise of the Pu mpkin

Micro Adventure

SQIJ'D

???

???

_____Latest News_____

20/01/2020 - SQIJ'D a long dormant but completed project, which was commissioned by Monument Microgames has now been given an initial limited physical release! YES! A maze shooter and official sequel to the infamous SQIJ game from the early days of the ZX Spectrum. Initially only available on tape from Monument, I will be allowed to released it via this site at a later date. Keep an eye out for that.

​

22/10/2019 - Been a while for an update, but here we are. Several projects have been completed. Currently FOGGY'S QUEST II is in the works. Released today is MICRO ADVENTURE hopefully part 1 of a series of Type-In programs given a lick of paint and presented in the best light, while retaining their BBC Basic programming. MICRO ADVENTURE was published in Weird Computer Games by Usborne Books. The program was authored by Les Howarth in 1984. Also earlier this year I helped with graphics for a BBC Master conversion of Geoff Crammonds' STUNT CAR RACER, ported by Keiran Connell.

​

​

07/09/2018 - ALL HALLOWS - RISE OF THE PUMPKIN is here! Happy Halloween people! A small bouncy pumpkin platform adventure inspired a little by Cauldron II and the recent Pumpkin Poe AGD game. There's the usual 48k and music infused 128k versions as well as ULA Plus enhanced version. It should work with the ZX Spectrum Vega console too as there is only left and right controls.

​

​

20/05/2018 - Hurrah! RUBICON is finished! Its been slow going with all sorts of other distractions getting in the way, namely a little game called PRINCE OF PERSIA ha ha. Go check it out. A little ZX Spectrum maze runner, some nice music too on the 128k version.

​

​

30/03/2018 - Lots going on. Yesterday saw the release of PRINCE OF PERSIA on the BBC Master 128!!! I've been working on the graphics for some time and thanks to Kieran Connell's ninja coding skills its finally done. Very proud of the work on that. Probably the best 8 bit version of the game imo. ;-) It's free to download or play it in an online emulator (go to the page and follow the download link). Also I have not one but two new games in developement.... RUBICON a maze running game and the nearest to completion. Also planned for later in the year is ALL HALLOWS - RISE OF THE PUMPKIN which hopefully will be a nice Halloween treat or trick.... lol.

​

​

23/11/2017 - Bits and pieces happening this update. :-) Rucksack Games has an official domain name - www.rucksackgames.co.uk Also this month sees the release of WHITE LIGHT. A BBC Micro and BBC Master Shoot-Em-Up game. Very much inspired by BBC Micro Classic Fire Track and arcade classic Starforce. I didn't code this but I did do the graphics and design the level backdrops. The author Sarah Walker has done an epic job of making this game.

As for my own efforts I am nearing completion of a commissioned game, coded in AGD for Monument Microgames, but I can't say anymore than that for now.

​

​

30/9/2017 - I've got another game out on the ZX Spectrum! The Incredible Shrinking Professor! Available to download for the ZX Spectrum 48k & 128k. The 128k version has multiple soundtracks too. Hopefully someone might create a physical version of it, for the collectors out there. ;-)

​

​

25/8/2017 - After getting some feedback on CIRCUITRY, I've created a 1.1 version for some people using the Vega and who might want to have the Fire Button as Jump on their joysticks ;-) All in the Download section. Happy gaming.

​

​

18/08/2017 - It's been a while but I have more news..... FOGGY'S QUEST has a ZX Spectrum 48k compatible version. Also I have a new game to release too! CIRCUITRY for the ZX Spectrum 48k and 128k. The 128k version is going to be available soon as a Physical copy on tape! Published by Monument Microgames. www.monumentmicrogames.co.uk

​

​

13/02/2017 - Well I've not come across any major bugs so I've elected to release the ZX Spectrum 128k version of FOGGY'S QUEST. Head over to the Download page to get it (click on the TAPE cassette icon). If anyone comes across a major bug please drop me a line and let me know. I can be found on the AGD facebook page.

​

​

12/02/2017 - I've finished my first ZX Spectrum game. FOGGY'S QUEST is an Arcade Adventure game similar in the vein to Citadel on the BBC Micro. Help Foggy find the missing crystals and engine part for his Dimension hopping ship and escape from NARG. Its also getting a physical release via ahem (Bumfun Software) ;-) You can also download it from here for free on the Download page soon. Physical version is out now here.... https://bumfungaming.com/

​

​

19/01/2017 - A Final update to The Darkness of Raven Wood. Thanks to Lurkio again for fixing an issue that could affect Turbo MMC owners with BBC B machines. This should have fixed that issue. The newest download is available now.

​

​

14/01/2017 - Wanted to create a place to keep the final files and something I'd be able to display for Raven Wood. So I created a Double Cassette style case, complete with instructions and a map and a Digital hardcopy of the game and additional files on a dinky 128mb Flash drive. :-) Click here for more details... RAVEN WOOD DOUBLE CASE

​

​

13/01/2017 - JSBeeb (Java Script BBC Emulator) can now run The Darkness of Raven Wood. Unfortunately you can't save the game, but you can get a taster of it without downloading a standalone Emulator. You play it online. Head over to the Raven Wood page to play.

​

​

12/01/2017 - The Darkness of Raven Wood has been getting some amazing optimisation, bug fixing and compatibility upgrades from a talented guy on Stardot.org. Lurkio is the guy and he's transformed the performance of Raven Wood. It now fits in an SSD format (Single Sided Disk). So should work on any digital format and may be even physical disk. So MMC owners can enjoy it as much as Datacentre users. Now its compatible with BBC B 32k, Acorn Electron 32k and BBC Master computers and their Emulators too. As I say I can't thank him enough for his enthusiasm and talent. The file is now available in the Downloads section.

​

The Hobbit has had a little more design work done to it, but is far from complete and may take a back burner to later in the year as I have a new project to look at. A ZX Spectrum game I'm calling FOGGY. It's meant to be a platform adventure game similar to the likes of Citadel on the BBC/Electron. So it still has those elements of puzzle solving. I'm most excited by this hence why the Hobbit is being side lined for now. I will return to that afterwards.

​

​

​