About CRT Play

CRT Play is an independent, community-driven platform dedicated to open-source homebrew retro games. We believe the indie game development scene — from GB Studio adventures to PICO-8 experiments and NES homebrew — deserves a dedicated home where discovery, play, and creation come together.

100% Homebrew & Open Source

Only original indie games with permissive licenses. No commercial ROMs, no piracy.

Play Instantly in Browser

No downloads. No emulator setup. NES and PICO-8 games run directly in your browser.

Embed Anywhere

Share games on your own site with a simple iframe. Grow the homebrew ecosystem.

Developer-First

We spotlight indie creators and help them reach new audiences. Your work deserves to be seen.

CRT Immersion

Optional CRT filter, gamepad support, and a distraction-free play mode for the authentic retro feel.

100% Legal & Compliant

We verify licenses, respect copyright, and respond to DMCA notices within 24 hours.

Our Mission

To preserve and celebrate the art of homebrew game development by providing a free, accessible, and legally compliant platform where anyone can discover and play independent retro-style games directly in their browser. We aim to lower the barrier between indie developers and their audience — no app store fees, no complex setup, no gatekeepers.

Our Story

CRT Play was founded in 2025 by a small team of retro gaming enthusiasts and open-source advocates who saw a gap in the ecosystem. While platforms like itch.io and Steam are excellent for modern indie games, there was no dedicated space focused specifically on retro-style homebrew — games built with PICO-8, GB Studio, NES dev tools, and similar frameworks.

We built CRT Play to be that space: a platform that respects developers' rights, celebrates creative expression, and makes it trivially easy for anyone to play and share these games.

Our Values

Openness

We champion open-source tools and share knowledge freely. All games on CRT Play are built with open toolchains and distributed under permissive licenses.

Community

CRT Play is nothing without its players and creators. Every submission, every play session, every piece of feedback strengthens the homebrew ecosystem.

Accessibility

Free to play. Free to submit. Free to embed. No paywalls, no subscriptions, no hidden fees. Retro gaming should be for everyone.

Respect

We respect developers' rights and only feature games shared with explicit permission. Copyright compliance isn't optional — it's foundational.

Craft

We believe in the artistry of homebrew development. Every game on CRT Play represents hours of passion and creativity, and we treat each one with care.

The Team

CRT Play is operated by a small independent team based in San Francisco, California. We are developers, designers, and retro gaming enthusiasts who believe in the power of open-source creativity. If you'd like to reach us, visit our Contact page.

For Developers

We actively collaborate with homebrew developers to feature their work. If you've built a retro-style game and want to reach a wider audience, we'd love to hear from you. Submit your game via our Submit Game page, and our team will review it for inclusion.

Developers featured on CRT Play retain full ownership and distribution rights to their work. Our Developer Spotlight program highlights one creator each week with additional visibility across the platform.

29+

Games

Platforms

12+

Developers

License Types