Top 40 Atari 2600 Homebrew Developers

This report ranks the top solo and studio (branded) Atari 2600 homebrew developers. These indie devs have created the best 2600 games in Atari’s “homebrew era,” which began in approximately 1996.

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Introduction

This report is part of the Top 500 Atari Homebrews project. Please see that series in the Video Games section of Retro for the full explanation of what you’re seeing below.

The “medal” icons in the entries that follow attempt to approximate the art-criticism-based ranking—per Retro—of the Atari 2600 homebrews created by these developers.

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The Top 40 Atari 2600 Homebrew Developers

Top 40 Development Studios

📌 #01: Champ Games (🇺🇸)
👤: John Champeau, Nathan Strum

🥇 Zoo Keeper
🥇 Mappy
🥇 Super Cobra Arcade
🥇 Turbo Arcade
🥇 Elevator Agent
🥈 RobotWar 2684
🥈 Qyx
🥈 Scramble
🥈 Galagon
🥈 Lady Bug Arcade
🥈 Wizard of Wor Arcade

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📌 #02: VHZC Games (🇨🇱)
👤: Vladimir Zuñiga

🥇 Game of the Bear
🥇 Slide Boy in Maze Land
🥇 Robo Tito
🥇Ninjish Guy in Low-Res World
🥇 Oh No! More Peril
🥇 Oozy the Goo
🥈 I Ran
🥈 Game of the Bear: 2 Much to Bear
🥈 Peril
🥉 Knight Guy: Castle Days
🥉 Low Res Car
🥉 Cannonica
🏅 Keep Them Out
🏅 Low Res Racer

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📌 #03: SpiceWare (🇺🇸)
👤: Darrell Spice, Jr.

🥇 Draconian
🥇 Stay Frosty
🥇 Stay Frosty 2
🥈 Medieval Mayhem
🥉 Space Rocks

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📌 #04: Xype Games (🇩🇪)
👤: Piero Cavina, Andrew Davie, Dennis Debro, Manuel Rotschkar, Paul Slocum, Manuel Polik*

🥇 Marble Craze
🥈 Qb
🥈 Colony 7
🥈 Oystron
🥉 Seawolf
🏅 Climber 5
🏅 Gunfight
🏅 Star Fire
🏅 Crazy Balloon

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📌 #05: Maximus Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Steve Engelhardt

🥇 Warship
🥈 Cave In
🥈 Cave Raider
🥈 Diamond Drop
🥈 Inferno
🥉 Bombs Away
🥉 Space Chaos
🥉 Bomb Barrage
🏅 Monkey Drop
🏅 Road Blaster
🏅 Gate Racer

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📌 #06: Dionoid Game Studios (🇳🇱)
👤: Dion Olsthoorn

🥇 Tower of Rubble
🥈 Lode Runner
🥉 Amoeba Jump

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📌 #07: Game Select (🇧🇷)
👤: Ricardo Pim

🥇 Asteroids Attack
🥈 Hero 2
🥉 Space Pac-Man
🏅 Food Ninja
🏅 Spiders & Flies

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📌 #08: Kiki Games (🇧🇦)
👤: Mirsad Sarajlic

🥈 Caramojo
🥈 Stellar Drive 2
🥈 Flap Ninja
🥉 3-Point Dash
🥉 Stellar Drive
🥉 Meooow! 2
🥉 Ninja Block
🏅 Jutland Skies
🏅 The Final D
🏅 Boo Fruit

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📌 #09: Red Button Games (🇧🇷)
👤: Leonardo Santiago

🥇 K-Jo Chases the Cheese
🥈 Razor’s Edge
🥉 Unholy
🏅 Flippets

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📌 #10: Xbataxel Games (🇺🇸)

🥇 Castle of Devils
🥇 Geist

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📌 #11: Skyline Games (🇧🇷)
👤:  Leandro Câmara

🥇 Intruders
🥈 Zarkstars IV
🥈 Zarkstars V
🥉 Zarkstars III
🥉 Orbital War
🏅 Escape From Mars
🏅 Zarkstars II
🏅 ZeroPage Homebrew: The Game
🏅 Zarkstars I

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📌 #12: Audacity Games (🇺🇸)
👤: David Crane, Dan Kitchen, Garry Kitchen, John Van Ryzin

🥇 Circus Convoy
🥈 Alien Abduction!

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📌 #13: Jab Games (🇮🇹)
👤: Alberto Colombo

🥈 Lupin 3
🥈 Tray 4
🥈 Elevator
🥈 Caesar
🥉 upDown
🏅 Scissor Rock Paper
🏅 Domino
🏅 Balloon

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📌 #14: Bluswimmer LLC (🇺🇸)

🥇 Tumble Temple
🥈 Cannonhead Clash
🥉 Birds & Beans
🥉 Stack
🏅 Balloon Trip

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📌 #15: Aegis Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Chris Read

🥈 Jex
🥈 Adventures of the 50-Foot-Tall Stalk of Celery
🥉 Kirby
🥉 Stacker
🥉 GoSub 2
🥉 Squared Away
🥉 MidSpace
🥉 Larry the Lemon
🏅 Library of Doom
🏅 Potato Chips En Masse
🏅 Jack & the Beanstalk
🏅 2600tris
🏅 Castle of Doom
🏅 Fruit Fly Fun
🏅 Punch Chess

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📌 #16: Gemintronic Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Jason Santuci, Jason Schelhorn, Ricky Henry

🥇 Up Up Plus
🥈 Cyber Willy
🥈 Stranglehand
🥉 Catacombs of Chaos *
🥉 Game Panic III *
🥉 RVG Blast
🏅 Sharkstorm
🏅 Nite Bear
🏅 Balloon Girl
🏅 Shoot More Blocks
🏅 Game Panic *

*Published by John Hancock, who also aided on game design for the Game Panic titles.

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📌 #17: Grocer Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Kevin Kelley

🥇 Lineman!
🥈 Bag Boy
🥉 Pinfinger
🥉 Litterbug
🏅 Crossdock

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📌 #18: Cybearg Games (🇩🇪)

🥇 Flipside
🥈 Heartbreak
🥉 Fix-It Felix Sr.
🏅 Joyride
🏅 Ping

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📌 #19: Bitnamic Software (🇧🇷)
👤: Fernando Rodrigues Salvio

🥇 Alien Holocaust II
🥇 Alien Holocaust

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📌 #20: Zoltán Games (🇭🇺)
👤: Fehér János Zoltán

🥇 Abyss of Chernobyl
🥈 Apollyon
🥉 Choplifter
🥉 Plague
🏅 Fear of the Dark

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📌 #21: MuddyVision Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Lewis Hill

🥇 Dare Devil
🥈 Tyre Trax

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📌 #22: Phantom Logic Studios (🇺🇸)
👤: Mathew Halpern, Zachary Scolaro

🥇 Mattress Monkeys
🥈 Fly Hunter

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📌 #23: Ébivision (🇫🇷)
👤: Eric Bacher, Igor Barzilai

🥇 Allia Quest
🥈 Power Off!
🥉 Pesco
🏅 Alfred Challenge

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📌 #24: Ivancil Games (🇦🇷)
👤: Iván Zurlis

🥇 Mortal Kombat
🥈 Portal

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📌 #25: Best Games (🇺🇸)
👤: B.J. Best

🥇 Space Cactus Canyon
🥈 Tombstones
🥉 Disc Donk

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📌 #26: Mathan Games (🇺🇸)

🥇 Punch-Out
🥈 Xanthiom

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📌 #27: Tactical Neuronics (🇺🇸)
👤: John Reder

🥈 UFO
🥈 Handy Pick Hank
🥉 KC’s Crazy Nightmare
🥉 Strip Off 2
🏅 Keep Away
🏅 Shield Shifter

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📌 #28: Fort Apocalypse Games (🇺🇸)

🥉 Insane Painter
🥉 Waterskier
🥉 Delta Force Sniper
🥉 Titan Diamonds

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📌 #29: Magovinna Games (🇳🇴)
👤: Ketil Ronne

🥇 Aliens, Plasma Guns & Chewing Gum
🥈 Coarse Blade

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📌 #30: Rabbit Games (🇺🇸)

🥉 Jump! Jump!
🏅 Window
🏅 Housekeeping
🏅 WALL-E
🏅 Runner

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📌 #31: Donsoft Entertainment (🇧🇷)
👤: Don Jorge

🥉 Ninjoso
🥉 Tirotengo
🥉 Z1B

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📌 #32: Era Games / Nomad GameDev (🇧🇷)
👤: Ronister Marcelo, Natanael Vasconcelos

🥉 Ronister in Space
🥉 Beast
🏅 Cave Rescue

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📌 #33: More Work Games (🇧🇷)*
👤:  Leandro Câmara, Flávio Nunez

🥉 A New Marauder
🥉 Rally Racer

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📌 #34: Baroque Gaming (🇺🇸)
👤: Billy Eno

🥈 Warring Worms Compo
🥉 Warring Worms: The Worm Returns

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📌 #35: FLB Games (🇺🇸)

🥇 Project Z

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📌 #36: Maus Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Matthew J. Risch

🏅 Solar Nexus
🏅 Zeta

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📌 #37: Gray Games (🇺🇸)
👤: Charles F. Gray, Greg Zumwalt

🏅 The A.I. Project
🏅 Acid Trip

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📌 #38: Lost Classics (🇺🇸)
👤: Chris Trimiew, Martina Marquez Trimiew

🏅 Landfill
🏅 Road Warriors
🏅 Alien Adventures
🏅 Polybius

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📌 #39: Olioni Games (🇧🇷)
👤: John Peter Olioni

🏅 Plane Racer
🏅 Escape Moon

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📌 #40: Denebola Interactive (🇨🇿)

🏅 Winter Fortress
🏅 Haunted Bakery

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Honorable Mentions

📌 #41: GFVH Games (🇮🇹)

🏅 Full Bottle
🏅 King Solomon’s Mines

📌 #42: Iron Badger Media (🇺🇸)
👤: Bill Osmulski

🏅 Maciver
🏅 Balloon Protest

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*More Work Games is currently on hiatus. Nunez did non-employee contractual work on Rally Racer but was not involved with A New Marauder.

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Top 40 Solo Developers

📌 #01: Thomas Jentzsch

🥇 Bot & Tom
🥇 Boulder Dash*
🥈 Vroom!
🥈 Robot City
🥈 Thrust
🥉 Star Castle
🥉 PacLines
🥉 Pas de Deux
🥉 Jammed
🏅 THREE·S

*With Andrew Davie.

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📌 #02: Edward A. Smith (^)

🥇 1-vs-1 Basketball
🥇 Strike Zone Bowling
🥈 Dark Keep
🥉 Pro Tennis
🥉 Pro Golf
🥉 Beer Pong
🏅 Alien Attack
🏅 Kung Fu Combat 2

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📌 #03: Chris Walton

🥇 Juno First
🥈 Boom!
🥉 Hunchy II
🏅 Chetiry
🏅 Zeviouz
🏅 Jetman

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📌 #04: Simone Serra

🥇 Omicron
🥈 Lead
🥉 Jitter
🥉 Palomino
🥉 Pitch n’ Catch
🥉 Doris
🥉 Tint
🏅 Flow
🏅 Four

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📌 #05: William Pilgrim

🥇 Danny
🥇 No Touchy
🥈 Hunt the Wumpus
🥈 Kuru Kuru Tsuchinoko
🥈 Mine Dig
🥈 Wet Paint

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📌 #06: Jared Gray West

🥇 Spies in the Night
🥈 Spies in the Night 2
🥉 Quantum Tunnel
🏅 Atomic Disco

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📌 #07: Mick Crocker

🥇 Tober’s Nightmare
🥈 Deepstone Catacomb

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📌 #08: Marco Johannes

🥇 Pitkat
🥈 Kovi Kovi

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📌 #09: Karl Garrison

🥇 Penult
🥈 Space Game
🏅 Words

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📌 #10: Jarod Kitchen

🥇 Santa’s Scabs
🥈 Circus Galacticus
🥉 Charge!

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📌 #11: Dave Christianson

🥇 Steps
🥈 Legendary Spear
🥉 Refhraktor

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📌 #12: Chris Spry

🥇 Robot Zed
🥈 Zippy the Porcupine
🥉 Princess Rescue

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📌 #13: Krzysztof Kluczek

🥇 RoboMechanik
🥈 ZKeep
🥉 Stripes of Terror

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📌 #14: David Weavil

🥇 Dungeon II: Solstice
🥈 Dungeon
🥉 Bifröst
🥉 Pirate

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📌 #15: Philip Blackman

🥇 Chaotic Grill
🥈 Paint the City
🥈 DigiBeatz

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📌 #16: David Marli

🥇 Frazzled
🥇 Mr. Yo-Yo

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📌 #17: Andrew Pauley

🥇 Raptor
🥈 Doggone It

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📌 #18: Bob Montgomery

🥈 Squish ’Em
🥈 Elevators Amiss
🥈 Reindeer Rescue
🏅 Minotaur

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📌 #19: Brian Wayne Shea

🥇 Stardust
🥈 Sand Castles
🥉 Bitquest II
🏅 PotHoles

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📌 #20: Simon Quernhorst

🥇 AVCStec Challenge
🥈 Raster Fahndung
🥉 I Project
🥉 Kite
🏅 Slot Machine

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📌 #21: John Payson

🥇 Strat-O-Gems
🥈 Toyshop Trouble

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📌 #22: Carlos Centeno

🥈 The End
🥈 Stratovox
🥉 Lucky Chase
🏅 Tomahawk 777

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📌 #23: Duane Alan Hahn

🥈 Gyvolver
🥈 Seaweed Assault

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📌 #24: Glenn Main

🥈 Huey’s Party
🥈 Numbers Game
🥉 Chalk & Duster

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📌 #25: Ric Pryor

🥇 Galactopus
🥈 Ms. Galactopus
🥉 WATA Invaders!
🥉 Shattered Earth
🏅 Cosmic Combat

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📌 #26: Ed Riley {in memoriam}

🥇 Orb
🥈 Doom Patrol
🥉 Alien Pinball
🏅 The Goons
🏅 The Deep
🏅 Cow
🏅 Shark Jaws

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📌 #27: Jonas Carlsson

🥇 Walls of Nibiru
🥈 Railslider
🥉 Button

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📌 #28: Michael Haas

🥇 Donkey Kong Arcade
🥈 Flappy

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📌 #29: Ben Larson

🥇 Panky the Panda
🏅 Square Raid

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📌 #30: Anthony Quinlan

🥈 Bass Fishing Tournament
🥈 Street Rod
🏅 Atari OS
🏅 City Defense

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📌 #31: Mike Littau

🥇 Electro Ball
🥈 Berry Fun!

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📌 #32: Fred Quimby {creator of Batari Basic}

🥉 Gingerbread Man
🥉 Rocket Command

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📌 #33: Jonathan Bont

🥈 Catch a Coin
🥉 Trashmania Remix
🏅 Cave Ropes

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📌 #34: Fabrizio Zavagli

🥈 Bounce!
🥉 Space Treat

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📌 #35: Andrew Jeffreys

🥉 Brik
🥉 Jump

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📌 #36: Rick Skrbina

🥉 Muncher
🥉 Assembly Line
🏅 Dominant Amber
🏅 Vong

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📌 #37: Ross Adkin

🥈 Escape From Kukuku Temple
🥉 Jay Walker
🏅 Shifty Lifty
🏅 Mardi Gras

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📌 #38: Shawn Setnicky

🥈 Acid Fish
🥉 Skull Island

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📌 #39: Edward Griffiths

🥉 Melborne Tatty
🏅 Because It’s There

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📌 #40: Michael Brown

🥉 Panic! Rooms

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