This ambitious homebrew project brings the legendaryHalf-Life 1experience to the original Sony PlayStation by XProger. This adaptation reimagines Gordon Freeman’s iconic journey through the Black Mesa Research Facility within the technical limits of the PS1 hardware.
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Some questions done in Twitter about this project:
Q: Considering the RAM situation I'm guessing you'd really have to segment it into more load zones?
Really cool anyway.
A: Actually I plan to remove most of the loading screens by using streaming, each location will require about 2 secs to load at full x2 CD speed, so if you're not a bunny hop speedrunner you won't see any gaps.
Q: Just wondering
do you plan to reduce the number of polygons displayed on screen, maybe by optimizing the models?
A: In opposite, the PS1 GPU specific requires increasing the number of polys. But the mesh will be more uniform and more accurate visibility checks will be added.
Q: Oh my god, is this like the actual engine or a compatible reimplementation?
A: Reimplementation.
Q: How many CDs?
A: PS1 natively supports ADPCM and 4-bit textures, If you really want to, it will fit into a 64 MB cartridge ;)
Q: Is there any chance that this would be .BSP compatible or are you converting BSPs into a different format?
my dream would be getting custom maps onto a PS1 system, a perfect combination of my two obsessions
A: I have a Blender importer of the original BSP and set of tools to help modify the level (geometry tile split, rooms assignment, portals placement, uv adjustment etc) and exporter to the custom format. The original BSP geometry is kind of... trash, so I should avoid use it.
One of the most interesting and popular projects for the PSX. A horror game whose progress is published almost every day.
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His game—still unnamed—blends life simulation elements with eerie undertones, drawing inspiration from both Animal Crossing and Silent Hill, resulting in a cozy yet unsettling experience. Elias shares his progress, challenges, and technical insights openly via Twitter, engaging a growing community of retro and indie game development enthusiasts.
Elias Said:
"I’m jealous of what N64 devs have: all the tools, tons of libraries, and a platform that is pretty powerful.
Doing PS1 stuff is like doing a Primitive Technology programming. And this is why my game development doesn’t progress that fast.
But I won’t give up."
For more news about the project follow him on Twitter.
Sonic The Hedgehog XA is a 2D platformer designed specifically for the original PSX, developed as an open-source technical experiment to evaluate how Sega-style, high-speed gameplay can be implemented on PS1 hardware. Rather than being a port or remake of an existing Sonic title, the project is a ground-up implementation that recreates the core mechanics, physics, and structure of classic Sonic games within the constraints of Sony’s 32-bit system.
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Sonic XA is a 2D platformer designed to capture the classic speed and precision of Sonic games while exploring the technical possibilities of the PlayStation. Players control Sonic (or unlockable characters like Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose) to navigate through levels filled with ramps, loops, and hazards, collecting rings and defeating enemies along the way. Each character has unique movement abilities and attacks, such as Sonic’s Spindash and Super Peel-Out, or Amy’s Piko Piko Hammer and double jump, allowing for varied exploration and combat strategies. Levels feature dynamic objects, moving platforms, and interactive enemies, emphasizing fast-paced action, precise platforming, and experimentation with character-specific mechanics.
"SAGE is a yearly, non-profit put together by Sonic Fan Games HQ and it's partners to support, promote and celebrate the community's creative efforts."
Some notes of the developer:
"The game blends classic 2D Sonic gameplay
with the unique possibilities of the PlayStation, offering a fresh take
on the series. Utilizing modern development tools like PSn00bSDK, it’s
an attempt to reimagine the Sonic experience on hardware that was never
intended for it, all while respecting the spirit of the original games.
IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PROTOTYPE
AND HIGHLY UNFINISHED. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU WILL BE PLAYING
BETA-QUALITY SOFTWARE, LACKING SIGNIFICANT CODE, OPTIMIZATIONS, AND
POLISH.
What is the meaning of "XA"?
"XA" refers to a widely used audio format on the PlayStation, which
this fangame adopts for encoding its background music. Including it in
the title pays homage to the target platform, adds a sense of
originality, and serves as a subtle nod to Sonic CD.
There's two new other builds of this project, for consoles of other regions that are not the US. U stands for USA, E stands for Europe, and J stands for Japan. Both U and J versions run at NTSC 60Hz, but E stands for PAL 50Hz. Notice that, if you play the PAL version of this game, you might feel Sonic a little slower and "float-y", since the game is FPS-locked."
Offscreen Character Rendering: Major improvement in sprite handling. Characters are now rendered offscreen to prevent rotation distortion and visual gaps, resulting in cleaner and smoother animations.
Red Book Audio: Background music now uses CD-quality audio (44.1 kHz), replacing the previous .XA tracks, improving sound clarity and looping.
Level-Specific Objects: Each level can now have unique objects with custom behaviors and palettes. Supports solid platforms, spawnable items, doors, switches, and puzzles.
Enemies: Fully implemented level-specific enemies, including spawning and de-spawning mechanics. Adds challenge and brings levels to life.
Bosses:Two playable bosses added, with independent memory, palettes, and glow-on-hit effects for visual feedback.
Memory Management: Improved allocation, with most level data now handled by the screen arena allocator, reducing static memory use.
Gameplay Enhancements: Added 1-ups from collected rings (up to 800), pause menu, and audio controls (stereo, reversed stereo, mono, and volume adjustments).
Polish and Bug Fixes: Removed debug mode from release build, fixed visual distortions, and refined general gameplay systems.
Playable Character: Amy Rose. Unlockable after completing all main levels. Features unique vertical movement: higher jumps, slower acceleration, and special abilities. A cheat code allows access without completing the game.
Gameplay & Technical Fixes: Player top sensors fixed to prevent clipping, improvedhitbox framework, Tails’s flight hitboxes corrected, and spin dash dust effect restored. Animals now render correctly in front of the player.
Disc & Audio Updates: Fall-back routines added for disc track loading issues, and disc track count now visible in OPTIONS.
For more detailed info about the different versions, check official links:
This project is a homebrew Snake game developed for the original PSX. It can be played on real PS1 hardware or emulators. The game was developed in just over a month and features a mix of 3D environments and 2D sprites, along with custom fonts, sound effects, and CD-quality music, showcasing the versatility of the PSX despite its technical limitations.
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Originally popularized on early mobile phones, Snake is a classic arcade-style game built around simple but increasingly challenging mechanics. Players control a constantly moving snake that grows longer each time it consumes food, while avoiding collisions with walls or its own body. As the snake grows, movement becomes more restrictive, demanding precise control and planning. The concept’s simplicity, combined with its escalating difficulty, has made Snake one of the most recognizable and enduring game designs in video game history.
Five Nights at Freddy’s follows a nighttime security guard working at the seemingly innocent Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, where animatronic characters roam after hours. Trapped in the office with limited power, you must survive five nights by monitoring cameras, managing doors, and staying one step ahead of the wandering animatronics who behave unpredictably and dangerously once the lights go out.
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The core gameplay revolves around survival rather than action: players must monitor multiple security cameras, track the movement of animatronics throughout the building, and react quickly to their behavior. Limited power is a constant threat, forcing careful management of doors, lights, and camera usage. As the nights progress, the animatronics become more aggressive and unpredictable, increasing tension and requiring sharper observation and decision-making. The experience is defined by its slow buildup of fear, strategic resource management, and the constant pressure of making the right choice at the right moment.
Some notes from the developer:
"I've made the port of the legendary video game FNaF 1 into the console !
I got this idea from someone that have (maybe) tried to do it many years ago.
The game has unique things that were not on the OG game, such as two
player mode, Custom night with far more options, easter eggs, and more!"
Version 1.3.0 delivers another round of maintenance-focused improvements alongside a few notable gameplay changes, prioritizing stability and correctness over additional features:
Added fan rotation in the office, completing a long-missing visual detail!
Reworked office logic to fix an issue where the left door could open while viewing the right side.
Fixed multiple bugs related to light flickering and complete power loss states.
Removed the high score system due to memory limitations on PSX hardware.
Save system for nights was ultimately discarded, as it proved unreliable and too demanding in terms of development and resources (is recommended to use can Custom Night instead).
Adjusted the loading process of several sprites for better visual results.
Added the option to mute phone calls during gameplay.
Corrected and finalized the placement of all office sprites for proper alignment.
Introduced light flickering effects to enhance atmosphere.
Rebalanced and adjusted AI difficulty values.
Updated and refined jumpscare animations.
Addressed CD audio limitations by creating mixed ambient tracks, allowing multiple sound elements to be heard simultaneously despite hardware constraints.
Performed additional code cleanup to improve stability and maintainability.
This update focuses on reworking several gameplay aspects and introducing a major new feature:
Added a hit zone to Freddy’s nose.
Implemented fade-in and fade-out effects for the Help Wanted poster and during the transition to 6 AM.
Added a new 5 AM to 6 AM transition animation.
Office visuals improved for a cleaner and more polished look.
Source code cleaned and multiple bugs fixed, including animatronic icons overlapping the interface.
Added a shortcut to move the camera faster within the office.
New Score System: The update introduces a scoring system based on: Remaining power level, Power management efficiency, AI difficulty levels, camera usage and number of times an animatronic is blocked.
Fromage is a sandbox game engine for the PSX inspired by the classic 2009 release of Minecraft, developed between 2017 and 2019.
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Fromage is an open-world sandbox game focused on exploration, creativity, and player-driven interaction. Players can freely traverse procedurally generated worlds, place and remove blocks, and shape the environment to build structures or experiment with terrain. Gameplay emphasizes discovery and freedom, allowing players to create their own goals through building, exploration, and interaction with the world. The experience is deliberately minimalistic, encouraging experimentation and imagination while showcasing how a fully 3D, block-based game can function within the technical limits of the PlayStation hardware.
Some notes of the developers:
Q: How can I run Fromage?
A: You're going to need either real hardware or a compatible
PS1 emulator. My own testing results are provided via the compatibility
list below.
Q: What is the difference between the "CD image" and "PS-EXE" builds?
A: The former contains sound and music, but only works as a
full CD image. The PS-EXE build is a self-contained EXE you can load via
serial cable or a similar solution, but does not have any audio.
Q: What was Fromage written in?
A: C, mostly! We rolled our own set of tools and libraries called "candyk" to cover everything we needed.
Q: Is further development planned?
A: Not sure. It was a fun project, and any future development
would likely be in the direction of making this proof of concept its
own, original PS1 game.
Known issues
Multiple community reports have highlighted persistent technical issues related to world saving, loading, and building the game across different platforms. A commonly reported problem occurs when saving and reloading a world after restarting the emulator, where chunks fail to load correctly and blocks become corrupted or replaced. While the issue is less noticeable on flat maps, it becomes particularly disruptive on more complex terrain, resulting in missing geometry, incorrect textures, plain-colored surfaces, and visible z-fighting. Testing indicates that this behavior does not occur in version 0.93, suggesting a regression in later builds, potentially linked to invalid memory reads.
Beyond gameplay-related issues, building the project from source has also proven challenging. With the original CandyK tools no longer accessible due to inactive servers, users are now required to compile the toolchain manually from source. This process exposes missing or undocumented dependencies, particularly on Linux-based systems, and raises additional complications around generating valid disc images. The required PlayStation license file does not conform to standard formats, forcing users to experiment with manual padding and alternative ISO-building tools.
Despite some success in producing bootable disc images, results vary depending on the platform. Emulators such as DuckStation appear to run these builds reliably, whereas real PlayStation hardware, often experiences freezes when entering generated worlds. These findings suggest unresolved hardware-level compatibility or memory management issues, leaving the current versions significantly more stable under emulation than on original PlayStation systems.
