If you’re new to Evercade, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it’s built around physical cartridges — proper, hold-in-your-hand game carts with cases, artwork, and even original manuals. But with dozens of carts in the library, split across different types and colours, it can feel a little overwhelming at first. Here’s everything you need to know.
Three Types Of Cartridge
The Evercade library is divided into three distinct categories, each with its own colour-coded case so you can tell them apart at a glance.
Console Games (Red Cases) — This is the biggest and most varied part of the library. Red-cased carts contain games originally released on home consoles and handheld systems. Think classic Atari, Namco, Interplay, Codemasters, Tomb Raider, Rare, and many more. This is where you’ll find collections from publishers like Sunsoft, Gremlin, Namco, and Activision, alongside indie originals and modern homebrew titles.
Arcade Games (Purple Cases) — Purple carts are dedicated to arcade conversions — games originally designed to eat your pocket money in a cabinet. Publishers like Toaplan, Taito, Neo Geo, Data East, Technos, and Irem all have arcade carts in the library. If you love authentic arcade action, these are essential.
Home Computer Games (Blue Cases) — Blue carts celebrate the golden age of home computing. The C64 Collections, Team17, Delphine Software, Llamasoft, Bitmap Brothers, and Thalamus all live here. If you grew up loading games from tape on a Commodore 64 or Amiga, this section will feel very familiar.
How The Numbering Works
Every cartridge has a number printed on the spine of its case — this indicates its position in the overall collection order. The three categories each have their own numbered sequence, so you’ll see Console 1, Console 2, Console 3… and separately Arcade 1, Arcade 2… and Home Computer 1, Home Computer 2, and so on.
It’s a satisfying system for collectors — line them up on a shelf and the numbered spines make it immediately obvious if you’re missing something.
Which Hardware Plays Which Carts?
All current Evercade hardware plays all Evercade cartridges — red, purple, and blue. Whether you’re playing on the compact Super Pocket handheld, the full-sized EXP-R handheld, the TV-connected VS-R home console, or the Alpha bartop arcade cabinet, you can slot in any cart from the library and get playing.
The upcoming Nexus handheld, launching October 2026, will also play the full cartridge library — so your collection is always future-proof.
Not sure which hardware is right for you? Our hardware comparison page breaks it all down.
Built-In Games
Several Evercade devices also come with games built in, separate from the cartridge library. The various Super Pocket editions, the EXP-R, and the Alpha all include pre-loaded titles — so you can start playing straight out of the box before you’ve even bought a single cart.
Legacy Cartridges
Not every cartridge is still in production. Some carts have had their licences expire, meaning no new stock will be manufactured. These are known as Legacy Cartridges — and the only way to get them now is second-hand.
If you’re hunting for something specific and can’t find it in stores, it’s worth checking the Legacy Cartridges page to see if it’s been discontinued — and to find eBay links for tracking one down.
The Library Keeps Growing
New cartridges are announced and released on a regular basis, across all three categories. The library already spans hundreds of games — retro classics, beloved arcade titles, home computer gems, indie originals, and even some major modern licences like Tomb Raider, Rare, and Banjo-Kazooie.
You can browse every game in the library using the Evercade Games Database, which lets you search and filter by publisher, platform, and cartridge. And for a complete look at every cart released, head to the Carts & Manuals page.
Original Game Manuals
One of the nicest touches on the Carts & Manuals page is the inclusion of original game manual scans. Each cartridge listing links through to the games on that cart, and where possible you’ll find scans of the original manuals — the real ones, as they shipped back in the day.
Some of the most popular include the Tomb Raider manual, the Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain manual, the Duke Nukem 3D manual, and the Worms Armageddon manual. There’s also the Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars manual, the Another World manual, and classics like the California Games manual and the R.C. Pro-Am manual.
It’s a brilliant resource — especially if you want to understand the lore, controls, or story behind a game before you play it. You can browse all available scans on the Evercade manual scans page.
Ready to dive into the full library? Start with the Carts & Manuals page for a complete rundown of every cartridge ever released — or if you want a curated recommendation, check out our best Evercade cartridges guide.