Playdate: The Unofficial Website (Nick Simberg, Jul 2026). "if it did that and nothing else, it'd already be a monumental achievement. However, it does so much more."
https://www.playdateunofficial.com/the-games/crankboy
1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)
2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)
3 · official Catalog screenshot
4 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)1 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-1-still.webp)2 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-2-still.webp)3 · official Catalog screenshot4 · official Catalog GIF (1-bit still: screen-4-still.webp)Overview. Not yet reviewed. No score. Checked 12 Oct 2026. Built from official and press sources.
What it is
CrankBoy is a Game Boy emulator for the Playdate: "A full-speed GB emulator, plus 4 specially included titles." You add your own games to a shared folder or through the CrankBoy Manager desktop app, and you can download homebrew, ROM hacks and cover art from inside the app. Some games get custom Playdate support, such as widescreen, crank input or in-game maps. Other features include multiple save slots, 44.1 kHz audio, dither options, soft-patching and overclocking. Game Boy Color isn't officially supported, though Simberg found most GBC games he tried still ran in dithered black and white. The bundled titles include Pixel Ghost's Life's Too Short GB and Dashosaur DX.
It's by the CrankBoy Dev Team. Simberg says it was first released free on GitHub. The Catalog version, with the four bundled games, costs $10 and was first published in May 2026. It won Best App or Knickknack at the 2025 Playdate Community Awards. A parental lock can block downloading extra homebrew.
Who made it
What others are saying
Callout (?): No review yet. We haven't reviewed CrankBoy yet. This page is an overview built from official and press sources.
Sources
Checked 12 Oct 2026.
- Official Catalog page (description, credits, size, dates, content/AI/accessibility notes). https://play.date/games/crankboy/
- 2025 Playdate Community Awards results (Playdate Squad). https://playdate-wiki.com/wiki/The_2025_Playdate_Community_Awards
- Playdate: The Unofficial Website, Nick Simberg. https://www.playdateunofficial.com/the-games/crankboy
- CrankBoy website (linked from store page).
OverviewNo score
Overview
Not yet reviewed.
No score. This page is built from official and press sources.
On the card
Play Game Boy games on your Playdate at full speed, with crank support, widescreen tweaks and save slots. Four games come included.
From the sources
