Buddy: The Video Game’ Brings the Horror Film to Game Boy Color-Compatible Cartridge
- Horror Movies Uncut
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‘Buddy: The Video Game’ Brings Casper Kelly’s Horror Film to Game Boy Color-Compatible Cartridge
The colorful and increasingly unsettling world of Buddy is expanding beyond theaters. ModRetro has announced Buddy: The Video Game, a survival horror adaptation of Casper Kelly’s upcoming film that is targeting a Q4 2026 release for the ModRetro Chromatic.
Developed by playinstinct and published by ModRetro, the game will also be fully compatible with the Game Boy Color, giving the new horror property a deliberately retro home on physical cartridge.
The announcement comes ahead of the theatrical release of Buddy, which Roadside Attractions and Saban Films will open exclusively in theaters August 28.
Both the movie and game are built around It’s Buddy!, a seemingly wholesome children’s television program starring Buddy, a bright orange unicorn who spends his days singing, dancing and teaching life lessons alongside a group of children. The cheerful environment begins to change when one of those children refuses to participate in Buddy’s games.
Buddy: The Video Game translates that premise into a combination of survival horror, visual novel storytelling and mini-games, with several modes offering different approaches to the material.
Story Mode allows players to experience a version of the film’s storyline while making decisions about whether to cooperate with Buddy or resist him. Survival Mode removes the narrative structure and instead focuses on running, hiding and scavenging as Buddy pursues the player through locations based on the movie.
Buddy Mode reverses the perspective by placing players in control of the orange unicorn as he pursues children who refuse to follow the rules of his show.
The game also includes a dedicated Mini Game Mode built around activities associated with the fictional children’s program. Players will be able to participate in activities involving dancing, painting, riding and other challenges while competing for high scores and achievements.
The retro presentation connects the game with ModRetro’s broader focus on creating new software and hardware experiences around classic gaming formats. Its Chromatic handheld is designed around Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges, allowing Buddy: The Video Game to function as both a new Chromatic release and a compatible Game Boy Color title.
The game arrives as part of the larger rollout for Kelly’s film. Buddy is directed by Kelly from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jamie King and stars Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Patton Oswalt and Michael Shannon, with Topher Grace and Keegan-Michael Key.
Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz and Tracy Rosenblum produce the BoulderLight Pictures and Low Spark Films production, made in association with Sipur Studios and Substance.
Kevin Flanigan, Dexter Braff, Roberto Linck, Nathan McAuley, Emilio Schenker, Gideon Tadmor, Adam J. Wilde, Geoff Yaw, Ryan J. Kelly, Casper Kelly and Jamie King serve as executive producers.
Buddy: The Video Game is targeting a Q4 2026 release for ModRetro Chromatic and Game Boy Color. Buddy opens exclusively in theaters August 28 through Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
ModRetro Games
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