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4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
16 Reviews

In The Dark 2

$39.99 USD
$39.99 USD
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A sci-fi puzzle adventure with 200 story-driven challenges, endless replayability through Free Play and Challenge modes, and a bonus shoot ’em up side game.

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)

Content Descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Crude Humor

A deadly virus is corrupting the Federation’s neural network, threatening to isolate the galaxy. As Captain Ikalo Pann, follow cryptic clues, solve intricate puzzles, and explore alien worlds to stop the spread and uncover a deep sci-fi mystery.

Play the demo here.

  • 200+ puzzles across 4x4 and 5x5 grids
  • Uncover a galaxy-spanning sci-fi mystery
  • Endless puzzle combos in Free Play and Challenge Modes
  • 20 unlockable visual themes
  • Bonus arcade-style shmup game
  • Premium Cartridge
  • Instruction Manual
  • Chromatic Charm featuring game-specific character
  • Genre: Adventure Puzzle
  • Platform: Chromatic
  • Developer: Gumpy Function & Pearacidic Games
  • Players: Single player
  • Play Time: 20+ Hours
  • Replayability: High
  • Supported Languages: English
  • Compatible With: Chromatic, Game Boy®, Game Boy Color®
In The Dark 2 Manual
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Product Image
In The Dark 2
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Unboxing Letters Chromatic Stars Doodle Fish Shield Doodle Fireball Doodle Decorative Frame

About the Developer

Bio

Name / Studio Name

Bryan Taylor / Pearacidic Games and Tom Lockwood / Gumpy Function

Location

Tampa, Florida, USA (Pearacidic Games) and Melbourne, Australia (Gumpy Function)

How It Started

Bryan: Like many others, the pandemic gave me a rare opportunity to dive into game development and really explore it. I learned a ton during that time.

Tom: When I became a stay-at-home dad in 2020, I finally had the time to turn a hobby into something more serious. That was the spark that pushed me toward game development as a long-term career.

Other Games / Projects

Bryan: In The Dark 1, a Little Nemo fan game, and Grimace’s Birthday.

Tom: Quite a few Game Boy projects! Highlights include Unearthed (1st place, GB Compo 21), Grimace’s Birthday, Feed IT Souls (2nd place, GB Compo 23), Super Dassalo Land, Dicee!, Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge 2, and My Dinner With André.

Fun Fact

Bryan: I’ve got ADD, which, strangely, helps me juggle lots of different tasks at once when coding or scripting. Also, my background as a chess teacher has definitely shaped the way I think about systems and design.

Tom: I love using LEGO to prototype puzzle ideas. Especially with Unearthed, I’d physically build puzzles on the table before I ever touched a keyboard.

The Idea

Why I Made This Game

Both of us loved the pick-up-and-play feel of In The Dark 1 – a simple, satisfying logic puzzle game that fit the Game Boy perfectly. But at the time, GB Studio had serious limitations. When those constraints were lifted in later versions of GB Studio, we saw the chance to revisit and reimagine the original idea from the ground up. The result is In The Dark 2 – a complete expansion of the concept with a bigger story, better visuals, and significantly more puzzles.

What Makes This Game Special

Bryan: The first In The Dark was my debut published title, so it’ll always be important to me – but In The Dark 2 is the fully realized version. It has the story, the polish, and the depth we always wanted to include.

You'll Love This If...

You're a fan of sci-fi, puzzle games, or philosophical themes. If you’re into logic-based challenges, rhythm shooters, or narrative-driven indie games, there’s something here for you.

Inspiration / Influences

Bryan: Definitely Alien, Star Trek, and other space westerns. The main character, Ikalo Pann, draws a lot from the strength and tenacity of Samus Aran (Metroid).

Favorite Feature

Bryan: The shmup mode is my personal favorite – it breaks up the brainy puzzle segments with a fun change of pace.

Tom: Without spoiling anything, there’s a moment late in the story that completely re-contextualizes one of the shmup missions. That twist is probably my favorite.

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4.5
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
Based on 16 reviews
16 reviews
  • Justin M.
    Verified Buyer
    13 seconds ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Great horror game

    This is a great little horror game

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  • Kirk D.
    Verified Buyer
    1 week ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Odd and interesting

    I love the Sci fi genre, so this game caught my interest. It gets criticized in reviews for being mostly puzzles but thats the main reason i like it. Do puzzles, move the story forward, play the shooter game as a pallate cleanser, repeat. Great scifi aynth music too.

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  • Klemen V.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Essentially a Lights Out game for your GameBoy

    Amazing pixel art throughout the game!! And loving the in-game chiptune (the first one in the song

    selection menu is 😙👌).

    Game gets repetitive tho — it is essentially a Lights Out game with a sci-fi story. I’d give it a 5/5 if it incorporated other puzzles (defuse a bomb, pipe mania, find a match…).

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  • Chris S.
    Verified Buyer
    2 weeks ago
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    Good puzzle game

    Good puzzle game with an interesting story for a puzzle game. Once you learn the patterns it becomes easier to complete but there are still some challenges in later levels.

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  • Joseph H.
    Verified Buyer
    3 weeks ago
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    Amazing music, fun puzzles..

    It's not an all timer puzzle game but it's a great pickup and time sink. Witty writing and story and awesome music.

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