Breadbox is a realistic retro computer simulator. Experience the amazing machines from the 70's and 80's in a visual environment. Interact with hardware and old media as if it were real. Add an emulator and test your programming skills with Basic or 8-bit machine language.
All Reviews:
Positive (12) - 100% of the 12 user reviews for this game are positive.
Release Date:
Nov 27, 2021
Developer:
Publisher:

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Early Access Game

Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops.

Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“Breadbox as a project is overwhelming, as it aims for accurate simulation of 'all' retro computers. We have learned that a proper way to build big projects is to do it iteratively. The Early Access model plays an important role, in helping to get valuable feedback and guiding the project to the best possible direction in this early stage. The project scope and resources need to be dynamically adjusted to match the public interest. We believe the Early Access will be a great help in this matter.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“When the basic features are decided and implemented and the product is working reliably. Roughly estimated, The Early Access will continue until the end of 2024.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“The final version will be a more mature, reliable, performant, and visually stunning version, but basically with the same content as the Early Access version. We will listen closely to the feedback during Early Access, and it may lead to some design changes to the final version.
However, this 'final version' will not be the final version of Breadbox. When the project has moved on from Early Access, we continue to implement more content, e.g. more computer models into it.
This is when the Breadbox will start to thrive!

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“The Early Access version has been constantly evolving. Based on the feedback, the quality of the product is good, but you should still check that your computer's performance is sufficient before making a purchase decision. The number of users is still moderate, so there is still too little information available about what users think about this. For now, development continues in Early Access. At least in-game tutorials are planned. The development of other additional features will continue in moderation, depending on resources. The state of implemented features is listed in the game description, aka "About this game" section.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price will not change when we leave early access. After early access, as more content and features are implemented, the price will likely increase.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“The Breadbox Steam Community forum is the channel for discussing Breadbox. Whether you want to make a bug report or just discuss some features or get help, just browse or post in the proper community subforum. We will be closely following and interacting in the forum.
It's most convenient for everyone that the discussions and issues are open to everyone. But you can also reach our product support by email: support@bitfall.fi.”
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About This Game

Breadbox is a realistic retro computer simulator. Experience the amazing machines from the 70's and 80's in a visual environment. Interact with hardware and old media as if it were real. Add an emulator and test your programming skills with Basic or 8-bit machine language. Add content to your virtual libraries to play games or easily access your manuals.

Breadbox is not a game, it's more of a sandbox simulator. It brings a new immersive dimension for retro-computer emulation, you can experience how the interactions with the hardware and old media formats work.

Note! No digital copies of original software or manuals for the computers are included. It's totally up to you to add media content and learn how these computers work.

If you love retro computers and simulators, this is what you've been waiting for!

Challenge yourself


Find digital copies of original manuals and other documents from the archives of the internet and add the files to your Breadbox library for easy access. Learn how these computers work, learn to code, create new games and other programs. If programming on old computers is not your thing, you can also run games and other programs on computers. Find digital formats of dusty old media, like .tap, .d64, and .crt, and collect them into your simulator library. In the simulator, files can be used in the same way as real-world floppy disks, tapes, or cartridges. You can load and run the programs just like in a real retro computer.

key Features:

  • Close simulation of real-world retro computers and peripherals.
  • Immersive and beautiful visual experience.
  • Animated close-up views and mechanical parts.
  • Animated handling of cassette tape, floppy disk, and other objects.
  • Digital library browser
  • Fluent emulator setup and integration.
  • Extensive support for various keyboard layouts. (For more information, see the manual)
  • Support for a wide variety of game controllers. (For more information, see the manual)
  • Limited selection of computers: Commodore 64, VIC-20, PET 2001-8

Some planned features


These features, along with many others, are planned for future versions. It is impossible to say whether all the features mentioned here will be realized, as it depends on the resources available and the support the project receives.

  • Alternative game modes
    The current game mode is like computer operator mode. Computer peripherals are already set up for you, and you can interact with the computer, peripherals, and items using point and click method. And if you've installed the computer emulation software, you can play games and do programming with the simulated computers. But the simulator could do much more. We plan to include other game modes such as hardware installation mode.

  • Stunning visual beauty
    Screenshots and videos show exactly where we are now and what you get. It's nice and beautiful already. But we are not there yet, there is still some work to do until we are happy.

  • Monitor controllers
    Ability to control the monitor brightness, contrast, and other settings.

  • Larger selection of different computers
    Currently, there are three computer models: Commodore 64, VIC-20, and PET 2001-8. If the project is successful and more support is received, we can add more computer models. What is your favorite vintage computer?

  • Computer model spec modification
    Ability to adjust some model-specific settings. Currently, the computer model specs are fixed. Meaning, that you can't tweak an individual computer model settings, except for the PET monitor phosphor color.

  • Tutorials
    More tutorials and instructions to get new users started with different computers. Currently, there are already a few tutorials and an online manual for new users to get started. But there are still more tutorials coming for some areas.

Work in progress - Early Access


Your contribution matters a LOT! Simply said, this is funded by you. if you buy this product, it is the ultimate way to promote the development of Breadbox. There is so much work to do, new features, and new models to implement. We have tons of ideas waiting to be implemented, but your feedback is also appreciated. We want to know what doesn't work, so we can fix it. And what new features would you want to see next, to prioritize our work?

Make sure, you understand what Work in progress / Early Access means.

The software is not ready and many features are missing. And you might have a hardware/software combination that hasn't been tested for compatibility with the game yet. If you encounter any problems with the game, we appreciate it if you first check the manual, FAQ, and Breadbox Steam community forums to see if there are any solutions to the problem. If the issue is not logged or needs to be updated, you can help us by posting or updating the issue in the community forum or by contacting product support. And please provide detailed information about the problem and technical information about your computer settings. All feedback and issue reports will be handled, but please have some patience. The current development team is only one person and may not be able to respond to all issues immediately, hence we will update the product FAQ when common issues arise.

Note! if you are more interested in just playing old games or you are looking for a professional tool for retro-programming, etc, you may consider other options, like emulators, programming tools, or emulator front-ends.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10
    • Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 3GB / AMD RX 470 4GB (Shader Model 5.0)
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection
    • Storage: 2 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: Currently the minimum CPU and CPU requirements are set a bit high. It should work with little bit lower specs, but product hasn't been fully tested with less performant hardware. The game is not compatible with Linux/Proton or Steam Deck.
    Recommended:
    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Windows 10 or 11
    • Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
    • Memory: 8 MB RAM
    • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1060 3GB / AMD RX 470 4GB
    • DirectX: Version 11
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection

What Curators Say

3 Curators have reviewed this product. Click here to see them.

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