He hid a marriage proposal in a Game Boy game. It took his girlfriend 4 years to find it.

June 30, 2026 - 14:23

A man who hid a marriage proposal inside a vintage Game Boy cartridge spent four years waiting for his girlfriend to discover it. The proposal, tucked away in a copy of "Dr. Mario," was finally found after years of gentle hints and outright encouragement.

The man, a game developer, modified the ROM of the classic puzzle game so that a marriage proposal would appear on screen under specific conditions. He then left the Game Boy and the cartridge in plain sight around their home, hoping his girlfriend would pick it up and play. He would often say things like, "I leave the Game Boy out, I urge her to play it, and she never picks it up."

The proposal was set to trigger after the player completed a certain number of levels. For four years, the cartridge sat untouched. The girlfriend, who had no interest in retro gaming, never once booted up the game. It was only when a friend came over and asked to play that the secret was finally revealed. The friend saw the message and called the girlfriend over. The message read, "Marry me?"

The couple is now engaged. The man said he had almost given up hope and had considered leaving more obvious clues. The story serves as a reminder that even the most carefully crafted plans can be foiled by simple indifference, but sometimes patience pays off in the end.