Tim Stamper, the co-founder of Ultimate Play the Game and Rare, has reappeared on social media with a direct tease that he intends to open a personal "vault" of documents and relics chronicling his four-decade career.
Stamper—whose work spans from early ZX Spectrum hits to landmark Rare releases on SNES and Nintendo 64—posted on X and Instagram in late October 2026, prompting widespread attention from fans and preservation-minded observers.
Stamper’s initial post, shared on 27 October 2026, included an image of keys with his trademark googly-eye motif and a concise message that suggested a long period of silence may be ending.
In a follow-up update on 29 October 2026, he indicated more directly that he felt it was time to abandon his longstanding reputation for secrecy and to share "documents and relics" he has gathered, built, stored, or buried over the past forty years.
Journalistic rephrasing of Stamper’s statement: he said he is prepared to let go of his reputation for secrecy and to make parts of his personal archive—design notes, artifacts and other materials accumulated during his career—available to the public.
Tim and his brother Chris established Ultimate Play the Game in the early 1980s and authored ZX Spectrum staples such as Jetpac (1983), Atic Atac (1983) and Sabre Wulf (1984).
They went on to found Rare in 1985.
Rare rose to prominence in the 1990s with titles including Donkey Kong Country (1994) on SNES, Killer Instinct (1994) in arcades and later console ports, GoldenEye 007 (1997) on Nintendo 64, Diddy Kong Racing (1997), Banjo-Kazooie (1998), and Perfect Dark (2000).
The resurfacing has been greeted enthusiastically by long-time Rare fans and preservationists who hope any archival release will shed light on development histories from the ZX Spectrum era through Rare’s N64 output.
Commenters have suggested potential avenues for wider distribution—such as Nintendo Direct showcases or releases on Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo eShop—although Stamper has not announced a platform or schedule for any materials.
For now, the confirmed facts are Stamper’s social posts from 27 and 29 October 2026 and his stated intention to begin sharing material from his archives.
More concrete details will depend on further posts or formal announcements from Stamper himself or affiliated parties.
Stamper—whose work spans from early ZX Spectrum hits to landmark Rare releases on SNES and Nintendo 64—posted on X and Instagram in late October 2026, prompting widespread attention from fans and preservation-minded observers.
Stamper’s initial post, shared on 27 October 2026, included an image of keys with his trademark googly-eye motif and a concise message that suggested a long period of silence may be ending.
In a follow-up update on 29 October 2026, he indicated more directly that he felt it was time to abandon his longstanding reputation for secrecy and to share "documents and relics" he has gathered, built, stored, or buried over the past forty years.
Journalistic rephrasing of Stamper’s statement: he said he is prepared to let go of his reputation for secrecy and to make parts of his personal archive—design notes, artifacts and other materials accumulated during his career—available to the public.
Tim and his brother Chris established Ultimate Play the Game in the early 1980s and authored ZX Spectrum staples such as Jetpac (1983), Atic Atac (1983) and Sabre Wulf (1984).
They went on to found Rare in 1985.
Rare rose to prominence in the 1990s with titles including Donkey Kong Country (1994) on SNES, Killer Instinct (1994) in arcades and later console ports, GoldenEye 007 (1997) on Nintendo 64, Diddy Kong Racing (1997), Banjo-Kazooie (1998), and Perfect Dark (2000).
The resurfacing has been greeted enthusiastically by long-time Rare fans and preservationists who hope any archival release will shed light on development histories from the ZX Spectrum era through Rare’s N64 output.
Commenters have suggested potential avenues for wider distribution—such as Nintendo Direct showcases or releases on Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo eShop—although Stamper has not announced a platform or schedule for any materials.
For now, the confirmed facts are Stamper’s social posts from 27 and 29 October 2026 and his stated intention to begin sharing material from his archives.
More concrete details will depend on further posts or formal announcements from Stamper himself or affiliated parties.
