Play Boulder Dash (Europe) on gb Online

Boulder Dash on the Game Boy came out in 1990 from First Star Software, a portable version of a game that already had a following on home computers. It fit right in with the kind of thoughtful, methodical puzzle games that did well on Nintendo's handheld, offering a break from faster action titles.

You control Rockford, a little explorer who digs through dirt to collect a set number of gems on each screen before exiting through a revealed door. The main mechanics involve careful digging to avoid triggering rockfalls that can crush you, while also evading enemies like fireflies and butterflies that follow set patrol routes. The pace is deliberate; rushing usually ends badly, and later stages demand precise timing and planning several moves ahead. It feels tense and satisfying when a risky dig pays off and you barely slip past a tumbling boulder.