The video game industry, specific to programming, has never been more approachable. Historically, you would need an education in video game programming, as well as the experiences of working with a bigger development studio. Now, none of that is truly needed to develop a basic video game. At 2025’s Play.NYC, one such company is assisting in making some of those dreams more of a reality. That company is known as Turbo.

What is Turbo?

Turbo is a software start-up based in New York City, that focuses on the development of an accessible game engine. This open-source game engine can be utilized to develop low-resolution and sprite-based 2D games “as fast as possible”. These are the words of Turbo themselves on their site.

Per the company’s site, there are plans to add 3D game capabilities, along with other graphics. For now, though, 2D only – but the sky is apparently the limit with regards to what can be done in this engine.

Turbo is based within the Rust programming language, mainly due to:

“…it’s speed, providing programmers with significant control over memory management and offering safety guarantees that help eliminate common bugs.”

The company plans to support other programming languages in the future.

Turbo, in the sentiment of transparency, does have AI features available. Specifically, the engine has a ChatGPT bot feature that is familiar with the Rust language and can assist developers with the language who may not be familiar with the ins and outs of Rust. However, per the company’s FAQ page, this AI feature is completely optional.

I’m not a programmer by any means. I’m a gamer. And I had the chance to test out a few games at Play.NYC that were programmed in Turbo, which we’re going to dive into now!

Wumble

• Developer: i_got_boredddd
• Release Date: Version 0.1.0 Available Now!
• Platform(s): itch.io (web-based)

Word games. There are a LOT of them out there. The unique piece of these types of games, however, is their complexity. They can be as simple or as dense as can be. Enter the game that I tested out at Play.NYC: Wumble.

Wumble, at a surface level, looks like a simple word game. But it actually is more than that! It’s a deckbuilding game! You start off with a “deck” of words at your disposal. What’s the goal? Make the most creative lines of text that you can with the words you have. The more grammatically “correct” the sentence is, the higher the multiplier, as each word is linked to metadata. You have five chances to surpass a set score for each day. If you have extra time left (based on how many turns you used to develop your sentence), you can use this excess time to add a new word to your deck. Or, if you have a LOT of time, you can improve the interactions with your sentences and boost your score.

I know – it’s kind of hard to explain. You do have step into the game to really get a sense of what you’re supposed to do. That being said, it felt like a neat little word game that can be played if you have a few minutes to kill. Maybe you’re waiting for a friend you have plans with? BAM – pull up Wumble on your phone! Because you can also play Wumble on mobile devices.

Wumble is currently in its early stages of development, so expect some bugs. But it is, in fact, a live game at this time!

Chrono Courier

• Developer: Claire Rosario (Makeea)
• Release Date: Version 0.1.0 Available Now!
• Platform(s): itch.io (web-based)

The postman. Reliable. Steadfast. Working every day – regardless of what Mother Nature intended. In the words of the United States Postal Service:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

But what if you route…brings your back to the times of Ancient Cavemen? Or into the far-flung future? Well, you can experience what that might be like in Chrono Courier.

In Chrono Courier, you’re a humble postal carrier – who’s route also involves time travelling. You start in the preset day and collect a handful of deliveries. One needs to be delivered in the current time. Another to the past. And one last one to the future. Simple! But here’s the rub! To access those times, you need to snag a ride through a wormhole/portal – which constantly move. And…you have a limited amount of time to make those deliveries! Better get running!

I had the opportunity to test out Chrono Courier, as well as have a pleasant conversation with the game’s developer, Claire. The game, while simple in nature, will test your navigational skills…as well as your speed…and your memory. There’s NOTHING worse than finding a caveman who needs his mail delivered…and all you have is a package designated for delivery to the future! My hope is to see Chrono Courier flushed out in the future as it grows alongside the development and updating of the Turbo engine itself!

Concluding Our Play.NYC Coverage

This was the first time in which Gamer Social Club was able to provide coverage of the fantastic work and passion going on at Play.NYC. It was an honor and a privilege to not only bring you some exciting glimpses of new and in development, but to highlight the behind-the-scenes look at the dedication of these developers making their dreams come true.

Be sure to check out our prior pieces on the 2025 Play.NYC, as well as all the other news coming out of the video gaming sphere at Gamer Social Club!