Pico-8 Projects

Pico-8 is a fantasy console that captures the essence of retro game development. Creators craft games within tight constraints reminiscent of classic hardware limitations. I love it's simplicity and design. It reminds me of when I was a kids making simple games in BASIC, but with a better programming language! With a built-in code editor, sprite and sound editors, Pico-8 simplifies the game-making process, fostering a delightful blend of nostalgia and accessibility.

Its limitations, such as a 128x128 resolution and a palette of 16 colors, challenge creators to innovate within defined boundaries. It has an amazing community that thrives on embracing the beauty found in constraints, resulting in many bite-sized, yet uniquely charming, games that are free to play, and you are free to alter.

Here are some Pico-8 games I've tinkered with on the side. Don't expect anything too polished—these are more like digital doodles than finished products. Feel free to play around with them in your browser.

Dino Duo's Dungeon Escapade

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Guide two dinosaurs through a dungeon. Switch between them, help them out, and maybe one day, I'll get around to finishing it. Press Z or X to switch control to the other dino.

Space Trucker — Planetary Lander

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You're in space, and you need resources. So, you send a little lander to a planet, and things get frantic. It's meant to be short, it's meant to be chaotic. Inspired by part of Star Control 2, this is intended to be a mini-game in a larger space game. Left and right keys to rotate the lander's direction. Try to pick up all the resources.

Space Trucker — Hyperspace

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When your spaceship is traveling between planets, you might encounter a basic vertical shoot 'em up. Other ships don't do much yet, but hey, it's in the works. Another mini-game for the space game. Use the arrow keys to dodge asteroids and space debris.

Space Trucker — Navigation

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This was supposed to be the main screen for the space game, but it's a bit messy and the controls are confusing. I'll probably rework it when I'm in the mood. The galaxy is randomly generated everytime you play. Even the star names are unique between games.

Kiki and the Crows

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Help Kiki dodge the crows while flying on her broom. After watching Kiki's Delivery Service with my son, we made this.

Eddie's Friends

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My youngest son wanted a game where lots of friends follow him around. That big figure? Yeah, that's supposed to be me.

Fly, Eddie, Fly!

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Another one with Eddie. He wanted to fly a dragon. Press X, and the dragon takes off. Release X and he falls back to the ground. Simple, but it made Eddie happy.