Kien, an action platformer made for the Game Boy Advance, finally reached players in 2024—about 22 years after development began. That interval inspired The Guardian to call it possibly the most-delayed video game in history, but the game was not in continuous development for all 22 years: its team worked on it for roughly two years before a planned release was shelved.
What is Kien?
Kien is a Game Boy Advance action platformer developed by the Italian studio AgeOfGames. Incube8 Games describes it as a fantasy adventure with RPG elements, 23 levels, and nonlinear progression that lets players choose routes through the world. The publisher lists the game as single-player and in English; those details are the publisher’s product description, not independent review findings. Incube8’s official product page gives the release date as June 14, 2024.
The Guardian’s reporter described choosing between a warrior and a priestess, facing repeated deaths early on, and encountering enemies that return after a time. Those are the reporter’s observations, rather than a claim that every player will have the same experience.
Why did it take about 22 years to come out?
The game was made, then shelved
The Guardian reports that a five-person team began work in 2002, with little or no professional game-making experience. After about two years, the team had completed the game, but a publisher decided not to release it after judging the commercial risk too high. Tom’s Hardware likewise reports that a releasable version was locked in 2004. The long wait was therefore chiefly a gap between the original project and its eventual commercial release, not 22 years of uninterrupted production.
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- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
Cartridge costs made the risk harder to take
Fabio Belsanti, the game’s designer, told The Guardian that the capital needed to print an initial run of cartridges was daunting given the perceived chances of success. The article reported an estimated cost of $15 per GBA cartridge in the context of that original release decision; it is a historical figure, not a current manufacturing price.
A later publisher brought it to market
Incube8 Games ultimately published Kien for GBA, listing June 14, 2024 as its release date. By then, most of the original team had moved on, The Guardian reported, while Belsanti remained closely associated with the project.
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- This renewed game will not come with the original case or manual; cartridge only. It has been cleaned, tested, and is in nice condition.
Is it really the most-delayed video game ever?
The Guardian’s 2024 headline described Kien as “possibly the most-delayed video game in history” and compared its 22-year path with the 15-year journey of Duke Nukem Forever. Treat that as an attributed media characterization, not an officially certified record. Comparisons can change depending on whether the clock starts at a public announcement or the beginning of development, and whether a game was actively being made or had been shelved. The available reporting does not establish a universally adjudicated ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What comes with the GBA cartridge?
Incube8’s physical edition listing includes a sealed box, a clear grey cartridge, a clear black cartridge protector, an instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet. The publisher page displayed a price of $39.99 USD when accessed in 2026; price, stock, and shipping availability can change. The listing is for Incube8’s product, and does not establish availability through other retailers.
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Incube8 also says Kien is available in physical and digital formats, but its product page is the verified listing for the physical GBA edition. Its lead game designer, Fabio Belsanti, calls it “a very challenging game” and “in some way a pre-souls-like game” on that page—his description, not a formal genre classification.
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