As one of the most enduring titles in video game history, Boulder Dash continues to inspire and entertain players across generations. Originally created in 1984 by Peter Liepa and Chris Gray, the game fused action and puzzle elements in a way that was ahead of its time. Now, with Boulder Dash 40th Anniversary launching on July 24, BBG Entertainment is bringing the beloved classic back with enhanced visuals, a faithful recreation of the original game engine, over 180 new levels, and even music by legendary composer Chris Huelsbeck, known for classics like Turrican and The Great Giana Sisters. We spoke with BBG CEO Stephan Berendsen and Chris Huelsbeck to learn more about the history, legacy, and modern rebirth of this iconic game.
Let’s start at the beginning—Stephan, what’s the origin story behind the very first Boulder Dash?
Stephan: The story of Boulder Dash began with Chris Gray, a young Canadian who, at the age of 14, started to work on a game called ‘PIT-FALL’, inspired by the 1982 arcade game The Pit, which incidentally had great similarities to the classic Dig Dug that was released at the same time. Chris wrote ‘PIT-FALL’ in BASIC, so it was quite slow. He showed the game to the owner of the Toronto area ‘Electronic Playworld’ shops, which also sold Atari games at the time. They saw potential in the game, but knew that it would have to be technically improved if they wanted to publish it under their own label ‘In-Home Software.’ Meanwhile, Peter Liepa, an experienced developer, approached them to discuss creating a game. They asked him if he could translate ‘PIT-FALL’ into machine language. He began the conversion but soon abandoned it to restart from scratch. Peter Liepa took over the complete development from this point on. They agreed that Chris Gray would be mentioned in the title screen and receive a share of the sales.
Chris, as someone who worked on so many iconic soundtracks, what are your personal memories of the music from Boulder Dash and other games from that era?
Chris: Music is very important in my life, as you can imagine. I associate certain events with certain pieces of music, both my own and those of others. And the music from Boulder Dash also has a special meaning for me, because it is one of my favourite games from the 80s.
What do you think has made Boulder Dash stand the test of time? Why do people still love it today?
Stephan: In my opinion, it is the unusual combination of platform game and puzzle game that still makes Boulder Dash so appealing today. You have to skillfully steer Rockford through the levels and at the same time use your brain to solve the puzzles. Boulder Dash never gets boring – the game concept is timeless.
Chris, when you returned to work on this anniversary edition, how did you approach updating the music for such a classic while keeping its identity intact?
Chris: I had the idea to build an updated track based on the original iconic music by Peter Liepa and discussed this approach with Stephan and Hans from BBG. I started by recreating the original piece and then added my own melody, sounds and to make the arrangement much longer. I also incorporated some appropriate sounds from the 80s to create a contemporary piece with a retro feel. There are two versions of it: one as the theme music and a more subtle mix as in-game music.
It sounds like the audio design was as much a labor of love as the gameplay. Stephan, what were some of the biggest challenges in modernizing Boulder Dash for a new audience without losing its original charm?
Stephan: It is a real challenge. Die-hard Boulder Dash fans are extremely picky when it comes to remakes of the old originals. Not only does everything have to look exactly the same, but everything also has to play exactly the same – the speed, the scrolling, the physics. Therefore we would never dare to change any of these elements.
Speaking of updates, were there specific instruments or motifs you used to evoke that old-school Atari or C64 sound?
Chris: I used some chip music elements and sampled drum sounds from one of the earliest Casio keyboards to complement the new arrangement.
You also worked with members of the fan community for this version. How did that collaboration shape the final product?
Stephan: There is a very large Boulder Dash community worldwide with whom we are in constant communication. Many of them were very interested in not only providing feedback, but also contributing levels and offering intensive support, such as Pawel and Arno.
Chris, you’ve been composing since the early days of game audio. How has the process changed over time?
Chris: It used to be much more technical in the early days with sound chip programming, but the actual process of composing hasn’t changed over the decades. I sit down at the keyboard, often with a plain piano sound and try different melodies and chords and hope something good is developing. What has definitely changed are the tools, which are much more comfortable to use, and the fact that there are usually no hardware limitations anymore, which makes things a lot easier.
With nine worlds and over 180 new levels in this version, how did you strike the balance between nostalgia and new ideas?
Stephan: It was clear to us that we are committed to upholding the key values and pillars of the game. And because the focus is on playability and functionality, this must not be disturbed by unnecessary graphic effects, gimmicks, or risky changes to the concept. We implemented plenty of new ideas into the new levels. Growing walls, enemy generator, and slime are the new elements that I like most. And of course, our new level editor which allows users to create, play, and share their own levels. We decided against a lot more new features that we could have included as well. All of these new ideas would have significantly changed the character of the game – because they were too focused on violence instead of brains.
Lastly, how did you make sure this new edition would appeal to both veterans and players discovering Boulder Dash for the first time?
Stephan: We always want to take Boulder Dash further and create a game for both the old Boulder Dash fans and the new young generation. But you have to be very careful, because true Boulder Dash fans are very particular. Therefore, we involved the best Boulder Dash players worldwide in the development process and also took feedback from all age groups into account. For example, we showed an early version at Gamescom 2024 in Cologne, where not only parents but also their children spent a lot of time at our computers. We pursued two goals: Firstly, we wanted to bring the first three parts – Boulder Dash I, II, and III – to life as faithfully as possible on current machines. Secondly, we wanted to spice up the classic gameplay with contemporary visuals and suitable new ideas such as growing walls, slime, an enemy generator, eggs, and other things.
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