Kwyll is a game development tool that is currently in beta stage, and it currently supports the creation of ZX Spectrum 48K games, with its creator, Paul Gregory, seeking funds to extend Kwyll’s capabilities to also support game creation for the far more advanced modern Spectrum Next computer.
Kwyll creator Paul Gregory certainly has impeccable credentials when it comes to game ctetion tools for the ZX Spectrum, as back in the 1980s, he led the development of Incentive Software’s 3D Construction Kit for the ZX spectrum and other home computers.
In order to add Spectrum Next support to Kwyll, Paul Gregory has teamed up with Fusion Retro Books to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to fund development of Spectrum Next capabilities for Kwyll, kand should the crowdfunder be successful, Fusion Retro Books’ Spectrum Next magazine will run tutorials on how to create your own Spectrum Next games in Kwyll.
Features offered in Kwyll include: visual game logic; sprite and tile editors; room and object editors; an integrated simulator and debugging; native code export; and a sound editor.
Paul Gregory is keen to emphasize that: “this Kickstarter isn’t funding a prototype. It’s funding the next major milestone of software that’s already in active development.”
He also notes that: “Perhaps the strongest proof that Kwyll works is that people are already using it. Members of the community have produced playable games during the beta, helping shape the editor while building projects of their own.”
Tools to help making retro homebrew games easier seem to be popular at the moment, with others on which we’ve reported recently being Retro GameForge and MD Engine, which have been designed to create NES/SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games respectively.
The Kickstarter campaign to add Spectrum Next support to Kwyll launched earlier today (September 2,, 2026), with 30 days still left to run, and the current total pledged at the time of writing stands at £5,506 GBP from 71 backers, against a goal of £18,400 GBP.
