Why this homebrew adventure feels like a lost classic finally recovered
Some games don’t try to reinvent history.
They try to continue it… carefully, respectfully, and with just enough modern awareness to keep it alive.
Cronela’s Mansion is one of those games and is one of several standout projects covered in our look at the 7 Homebrew Games to Catch in 2026, a year shaping up to be pivotal for retro adventure design.
Rather than chasing modern horror trends or retro novelty, Cronela’s Mansion positions itself clearly and confidently as a direct spiritual successor to Maniac Mansion… not a parody, not a deconstruction, but a sincere continuation of the classic point-and-click adventure lineage.
And that choice defines everything it does.
Quick Answer:
Cronela’s Mansion is an upcoming homebrew point-and-click adventure inspired by Maniac Mansion, currently in development for NES, SNES, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Switch, and PC. With completed NES, GBC, and GBA versions, it’s one of the most promising retro adventure games to watch heading into 2026.
A Mansion Built on Curiosity, Not Combat
At its core, Cronela’s Mansion is a puzzle-driven point-and-click adventure. Progress comes from observation, experimentation, and conversation, not reflexes or fighting.
The tone walks a careful line:
- eerie, but not oppressive
- mysterious, but not grim
- playful without becoming silly
This balance feels deliberate. Like the LucasArts adventures of the late ’80s and early ’90s, Cronela’s Mansion understands that unease and humor can coexist, often strengthening each other rather than competing.
The result is a game that invites you to explore, poke around, take notes, and slowly piece together what’s going on… ideally with someone else watching, commenting, and thinking along with you.
Designed for Thinking Together
One of the most striking things about Cronela’s Mansion is how much it feels built for shared discovery.
This is the kind of game that encourages:
- talking through puzzles out loud
- noticing odd details together
- remembering clues instead of brute-forcing solutions
Even solo, it carries the DNA of couch-side problem solving. This is the same exact feeling many players remember from playing Maniac Mansion or early PC adventures with friends or family nearby.
That’s not accidental. It’s part of the game’s emotional design.
A Multi-Platform Project That Respects Its Hardware
Cronela’s Mansion is unusual even by homebrew standards in how widely it spans platforms.
As of now NES, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance versions are complete, while SNES, Switch, and PC versions are still in development. At this point, additional polish or bug fixes may still occur across versions since there hasn’t been a mass release yet.
It would have been far easier to have created simple ports after completing the NES version, but no. Each version is being treated as a native experience, shaped by the strengths and limitations of its hardware. This is astonishing. Each version will play to its system’s strengths. So much care and thought have been put into resolution and presentation style. How you interface with the game has even been tweaked depending on the console. And, the fact that each version may include completely different puzzles makes it rewarding to revisit the game on multiple platforms.
This approach turns hardware constraints into creative choices and gives collectors and enthusiasts a genuine reason to care about which version they play.
Modern Touches Without Breaking the Spell
While deeply rooted in classic design, Cronela’s Mansion isn’t frozen in time.
Quality-of-life updates, such as an in-game note system that tracks NPC hints and discoveries, help smooth out frustrations that once defined the genre, without undermining its identity.
It’s a thoughtful evolution:
- no hand-holding
- no puzzle simplification
- just enough structure to keep curiosity moving forward
The game trusts players to think, but it respects their time.
Still in Progress, Still Worth Watching
It’s important to be clear: Cronela’s Mansion has not yet seen its full public release. And if you'd like to see more homebrews that were recently released, or soon to be, check out RetroNomicon Quarterly Issue 1 (or order your free print copy).
The portions of Cronela's Mansion that are complete already though demonstrate a rare level of confidence and cohesion. This isn’t a proof-of-concept struggling to find its footing. It’s a nearly finished work fine-tuning its edges.
That makes it one of the most interesting homebrew projects to watch heading into 2026, especially for players who miss puzzle-first design, adventure games with personality, and experiences that unfold slowly.
Why Cronela’s Mansion Matters
Cronela’s Mansion matters because it reminds us of something easy to forget:
Adventure games were about puzzles AND about presence.
About lingering in strange places.
About noticing details.
About letting a mystery breathe.
In a retro scene often dominated by action and difficulty, Cronela’s Mansion quietly argues for another path. One built on memory, curiosity, and shared thought.
It doesn’t shout for attention.
It opens the door and waits for you to step inside.
Download free demo versions from Itch.io here.