What Is the Difference Between Death Row, Death Row 2, and Death Row 2 Game Boy on Madsox Games?

Madsox Games lists three separate Death Row products on itch.io: Death Row ($3), Death Row 2 ($6), and Death Row 2 Game Boy ($4.50). All three are described as "a small, dense, horror role play game set on death row." The practical difference is the game and the platform build — Death Row is the first game, Death Row 2 is the sequel, and Death Row 2 Game Boy is a Game Boy version of the sequel sold as its own listing. If you only want one, pick based on whether you want the original or the sequel, and whether you need a Game Boy build.

The three listings at a glance

The descriptions are identical across all three, so the listing text alone won't tell you which one to buy. The distinguishing information is in the titles and prices.

What actually separates them

Death Row vs. Death Row 2

These are two different games in the same series, not two editions of one game. Death Row is the first entry at $3; Death Row 2 is the sequel at $6. The page gives no detail on how the sequel differs in content, length, or mechanics — only that both are horror RPGs set on death row. If you're starting the series, Death Row is the cheaper entry point; if you want the later game, Death Row 2 is the one to get.

Death Row 2 vs. Death Row 2 Game Boy

Both are Death Row 2, but the Game Boy version is a separate listing at $4.50 — less than the $6 standard version. This is the same pattern Madsox uses across its catalog: other titles like Grave Rogue, Exit 8-bit, and Retro Handheld Simulator also appear as Game Boy listings. So "Game Boy" here signals a build targeting Game Boy hardware or a Game Boy-style format, sold independently rather than bundled with the main release.

Buying Death Row 2 does not appear to include the Game Boy version, and buying the Game Boy version does not appear to include the standard version — they are priced and listed separately. If you specifically want the Game Boy build, you need the $4.50 listing.

How to choose

• Want the first game in the series: Death Row, $3.
• Want the sequel on its standard release: Death Row 2, $6.
• Want the sequel as a Game Boy build: Death Row 2 Game Boy, $4.50.
• Want the full series: all three are separate purchases; there's no bundle shown on the page.

One caveat worth checking before buying: the page doesn't state what platform each build runs on or whether the Game Boy version is playable outside original hardware or an emulator. If that matters to you, confirm it on the individual product page rather than assuming from the title.

Where these fit in the wider catalog

Madsox Games describes itself as "a small British games studio," and the Death Row series sits alongside other Game Boy-tagged titles such as Grave Rogue ($4), Exit 8-bit, and Retro Handheld Simulator. The studio's listings consistently use the Game Boy tag as a format marker, so the Death Row naming follows the same convention rather than indicating a special edition.