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4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
27 Reviews

First Contact Protocol

$39.99 USD
$39.99 USD
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An adventure-puzzle game with branching choices, cinematic cutscenes, and a crew fighting to survive aboard a damaged starship.

A deep-space collision. A spreading contamination. A crew with conflicting goals. As you explore the ship and try to repair it, every choice you make matters. Some decisions combine in unexpected ways, leading to different outcomes.

  • Non-linear story shaped by your actions
  • A detailed ship with critical systems and hidden areas
  • Illustrated 8-bit cutscenes by a comic book artist
  • Crew members with their own roles, motives, and personal stakes
  • Premium Cartridge
  • Instruction Manual
  • Chromatic Charm featuring game-specific character
  • Genre: Adventure, Puzzle
  • Platform: Chromatic
  • Developer: Ben Jelter
  • Players: Single player
  • Play Time: 2+ Hours
  • Replayability: Medium
  • Supported Languages: English
  • Compatible With: Chromatic, Game Boy®, Game Boy Color®
  • Target Age: Teen – Ages 13+
First Contact Protocol Manual
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First Contact Protocol

About the Developer

Bio

Name / Studio Name

Ben Jelter

Location

Vermont, USA

How It Started

I’ve been trying to make games for most of my adult life, but programming always felt like a major barrier. Things changed when I discovered GB Studio – it gave me the freedom to create games without needing deep programming knowledge, and that opened the door to more serious development.

Other Games / Projects

The Machine, Unearthed, Metamorphosis Collection, and a few smaller titles.

Fun Fact

I usually start by sketching out a lot of the game on paper. Eventually I realized games are just too complex to track that way – so now I do all my notes and planning in digital tools with infinite canvases. It helps keep everything organized without running out of space!

The Idea

Why I Made This Game

I wanted to tell a grounded sci-fi story on a more intimate scale – something smaller, more character-focused.

What Makes This Game Special

It’s the first game I’ve made using GB Studio 4, and the improvements to the engine were exciting to work with. Compared to my earlier projects, I was able to do a lot more visually, and it was fun pushing those boundaries.

You'll Love This If...

You're a fan of sci-fi, a puzzle lover, or a player who enjoys games with strong character motivations and interpersonal dynamics.

Inspiration / Influences

There are definitely parts that echo Metal Gear, especially in the stealth and movement design. The visual style is loosely inspired by the original Alien – grimy, grounded sci-fi with atmosphere.

Favorite Feature

Without giving too much away, the game includes some creative and surprising ways to get from point A to point B. Those mechanics keep things unexpected and playful.

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4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
Based on 27 reviews
27 reviews
  • Peter D.
    Verified Buyer
    17 seconds ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Amazing puzzle horror game!

    The setup of this game is a classic: In a dark future a small spaceship with six people on board encounters an alien presence. The group is very dysfunctional and maybe the alien is not their only threat but one of them has sinister intentions.

    But this game turns it completely on its head by giving you control of the alien lifeform instead: a small, seemingly harmless blob of slime, part of a much larger organism.

    You move around on and eventually inside the ship, trying your best not to be seen by the crew. If you do, you will be trapped and need to escape. Navigation itself often involves puzzles to open up new paths, distract humans or advance your own goals.

    The crew is fully fleshed out and by the end of the game you will know a ton about each member. Many do not get along at all. It also helps that you not only see a lot of their interaction but also read personal notes to get to know them. The dark future is also very detailed and you get to know a lot about the world, the culture and the various people in it.

    The real star is the titular First Contact Protocol, an AI designed for alien contact that cheerfully explains stuff to and helps the alien protagonist. This is super helpful to remember information and puzzle clues. Whenever you don't know what to do next, you can ask the AI for a hint. I do like how the game respects your time and gives you the option for help. You can turn it off, if you want to do it all on your own.

    Your goal over the course of the…

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  • Daniel R.
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    A fun and unique title

    I really enjoyed this game from both the adventure aspect and the puzzles, of which some of them took me a while to figure out but unlike a lot of "retro" games this one was not frustratingly difficult and kept me engaged the whole way through and the storyline is also great and I did not expect it to be so in depth

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  • Pierre A.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Awesome game

    Keeps you busy. Lots of decision making. High recommended

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  • Eric J.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Excellent Game

    This really is a well done game with an excellent story line. I can’t recommend it enough.

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  • Brian B.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Very fun and addicting

    It’s a great game and great storyline. You choose the outcome of situations.

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