Chantey
A rhythm RPG where music powers every spell. Story-driven, chill, and packed with original songs.
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Sail the seas as a stowaway on a Spanish merchant ship in a world where pirates and metal collide. Navigate an open world, collect mystical sea chanteys, and battle with rhythm-based combat in a unique genre blend.
- Mix of top-down adventure and rhythm combat
- Massive nonlinear open world
- Distinctive pixel art and pirate metal soundtrack
- Deep, immersive gameplay
- Premium Cartridge
- Instruction Manual
- Chromatic Charm featuring game-specific character
- Genre: Rhythm, RPG
- Platform: Chromatic
- Developer: Gortyn Code
- Players: Single player
- Play Time: 10 Hours
- Replayability: Medium
- Supported Languages: English
- Compatible With: Chromatic, Game Boy®, Game Boy Color®
- Target Age: Teen









About the Developer
Bio
Name / Studio Name
Gortyn Code
Location
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
How It Started
Making my own games has been a dream since childhood. I studied Computer Science to pursue that path, and ever since graduating, I’ve been developing personal projects in my spare time alongside my professional work.
Other Games / Projects
Since 2015, I’ve been creating and self-publishing a variety of games – mostly free-to-play and experimental interactive experiences built from scratch.
Fun Fact
I believe history and heritage are incredibly rich sources of inspiration – and they deserve deep respect. I often spend a huge amount of time doing meticulous research for each project to ensure authenticity, even for details players might never see or notice.
The Idea
Why I Made This Game
Chantey is an homage to everything I love and can’t stop talking about – retro games, pirate mythology, and pirate metal. It’s exactly the kind of game I would’ve loved both as a kid and as an adult.
What Makes This Game Special
It’s my first real step into commercial game development, and the fact that it runs on real Game Boy hardware makes it even more meaningful. My earliest game development dreams started while playing on my sister’s DMG-01 back in the '90s, so this really feels like things coming full circle.
You'll Love This If...
You enjoy open-world exploration, puzzle-solving inspired by classic adventure games, and rhythm-based gameplay. If you’re curious how those mechanics work on the Game Boy and you’re into story-driven games with quirky characters and rich lore, you’ll feel right at home in Chantey.
Inspiration / Influences
The game draws from classics like Pokémon, Zelda, and Guitar Hero, but also blends in modern and retro ideas.
Favorite Feature
The story stands out most. Without giving away too much – let’s just say it’s a wild, surprising adventure packed into just 4 megabytes of a Game Boy cartridge!

- John J.Verified Buyer3 hours agoRated 5 out of 5 starsFun Rhythm Game!
A fun story based rhythm game. Lots of humor. Highly recommended.
Was this helpful? - Ben K.Verified Buyer2 days agoRated 5 out of 5 starsWow
Might be the most fun I’ve had playing a gameboy ever. I never really knew what I was doing when I was a kid, and now that I’m following the storyline, just wow. Fun game.
Was this helpful? - Zach H.Verified Buyer1 week agoRated 5 out of 5 starsPerfect Guitarhero style masterpiece
Super fun to learn and then master once you get the controls down
Was this helpful? - Gina R.Verified Buyer1 week agoRated 5 out of 5 starsSuch a unique game especially for GB/GBC!
I'm a huge fan of beat games and I've never tried one for GB/GBC. You'd think it would be easy with having fewer buttons, but it's got a great challenge to it. It's probably one of my favorite games ModRetro has released. I definitely recommend this game to anyone!
Was this helpful? - MikeVerified Buyer2 weeks agoRated 5 out of 5 starsGreat Tunes
I’m really enjoying this games theme and story. The music is stellar and the writing has a ton of heart. I will admit it felts heavy on exploration and isn’t 100% clear on where to go to advance the story, but that’s part of the charm. Music battles are fun and surprisingly challenging given the limited button count.
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