Articles
Audio Tools
Code Editor Plugins
Compilers, Transpilers, Reimplementations, and Wrappers
- Colony Compiler: JS to Lua Compiler
- Communic8 Bridge Between JS and PICO-8
- Convert MOD to P8 Format
- FILA: Generalized PICO-8 Framework for ECS and Prototype-Oriented Programming
- Hxpico8: Lua Target for Haxe
- JSGS: JS Implementation of PICO-8
- Jspicl: Javascript to PICO-8 Lua Transpiler
- PAC: Project Structure for PICO-8 Games
- PICO-8 Emulator Implemented in Unity3D
- PICO-8 iOS Wrapper
- Picolove: PICO-8 Reimplementation in Love2D
- Picomoon: Compile Lua, JS or Moonscript to PICO-8 Carts
- Picotool: Tools and Python Libraries
- Port PICO-8 Game to Electron
- TypescriptToLua: TS to Lua Transpiler
- ZZLIB: Depacker for Zlib Format in PICO-8
Cart Manipulation, GPIO, and Analytics
Compression, Memory, and Binary Functions
Deployment and Code Merging
- Pico8FileMerger: Merge Multiple P8 Files into One Cart
- PICO-Build: Cli Build Tool
- PICO-Build: Project File Compiler
- PICO-Starter: Multi-File Build Tool
- PICO2TIC: PICO-8 API Wrapper for TIC-80
- PICOBuild: Build System for P8 Carts
- PicoDeploy: Deploy Carts as Standalone Applications
- PICOmake: Merge Multiple Lua Files into P8 Cart
Engine Templates
- Advanced Micro Platformer Starter Kit
- Animation, Collision and AI Template
- Boilerplate: Logic and Functionality Template
- Compos: Components for Object-Oriented PICO-8
- Doom Style 3D Demo
- Game Template
- Gryphon 3D Engine Library
- ImpulseEngine Port
- Mario Sample Game Using JSPICL
- Maze Engine
- Micro Platformer: Simple Platforming Engine in 100 Lines of Code
- Micro-8 Fantasy Console
- NangiDev Open Source Projects
- PICO-Engine: Simple Game Engine
- PicoDateo: Visual Novel Framework
- Pico Jr
- Pico Jr Dev Kit
- Pico Slides: Presentations in PICO-8
- PICO3D: 3D Renderer for PICO-8
- PICO83D: Simple 3D Game Engine
- Picoception: Game engine for PICO-8
- Platformer: Fully Featured Character Simulation for 2D Platformer
- Platformer Engine
- Platformer Engine Sample
- Platformer Starter Kit
- PSTVania: Metroidvania Template
- RPG Game Template
- SCUMM-8: Point & Click Engine
- Simple Game Template
- Tamagotchi Game Kit
- Turn-Based Battle Engine Demo
- Uridium Clone and Platformer Template
- Video Engine
Essential Resources
Fonts and Print Styles
- 5x6 Font
- Apple II Print Mimic
- Draw Outlined Fonts
- Enlarge Your Text
- Font Base
- PICO-8 Font as Truetype, OpenType and Glyph
- PICO-Inspired Fonts
- Print9: Custom Font Library
- Printc: Print with Color & Linebreak Chars
- Scaled Text Function
- Smart Proportional Text
- Sprite-Based Font
- Thicc Text Function
- Tiny Text & Mini Text
Function Libraries
- Bucket Hash Nearest Neighbor Library
- Built-in Lua Functions Library
- Code Library
- Functions Library
- Libraries and Compiler Script
- Lua Libraries
- PICO-8 Cookbook
- Pico-Kit: Opinionated Set of PICO-8 Helpers
- PICO-Snippets
- PICOBuild: Small Tool Library
- PicoCam: 3D Camera Library
- Pineapple's Snippets and Other Resources
- Widget Toolkit
Galleries
Map Functions and Level Editors
Mouse, Keyboard and Input
- Best Keys - Layered Keystroke Template
- ESDF Input Functions
- Gamepad Support In-Browser
- HTML Wrapper for Touch Controls
- Mouse and Keyboard Library
- Mouse Demo
- Mouse Over Text Demo
- Mouselock: HTML Template
- My Input: PICO-8 Keyboard
- OOP Mouse Snippet
- PicoBoard: Text & Number Entry
- PicoTOUCH: Mobile-Ready PICO-8 Carts
- Touch Controls & Standalone Detection in HTML
Palette Tools
Particles
Pathfinding and Math
- Angle Calculation
- Counting the Set Bits in a Number
- Dual-Pivot Quicksort
- Framerate-Independent Game Logic with Delta Time
- In-Place Row-Shift Function
- Jittery Diagonal Movement
- Managing Scores Greater than 32768
- Missile Seek Demo
- Normalized Vectors
- P8pathfinder: A-Star and Dijkstra Pathfinding in a Single Function
- Pathfinding Example
- Random Integer Functions
- Rotation Matrix Demo
- Smooth Cursor Movement
Physics and Collisions
Print Files, Images and Cheat Sheets
Sprite and Image Conversion Resources
- 1000 PICO-8 Tiles (Free for Commercial Use)
- Efficient Sprite Outline
- Free 8x8 Sprites
- Free Pixelart Tiles
- Pic2Pico: Convert PNG images to P8 Format
- PICO-8 RLE: Python Image Converter for PICO-8
- Rotating a Sprite
- Rotating Layered Sprites
- Sprite Builder
- Sprite Extractor for PICO-8 Cartridges
- Sprite Rotation Demo
- Spritesheet Exporter
- Spritesheet Generator: Save On-Screen Image to Sprite Memory
- Sprite Stacking Example
Text and String Functions
- 40K Word Dictionary
- Character Utility Functions: String Manipulation Tool
- Convert Anything to String
- CPrint: Centered Print Function
- Dialogue Text Box Library
- Latin Accent Printer
- Lowercase String Conversion Tool
- PICO-Book: E-Book Reader for PICO-8
- RPG Dialogue Scripting Demo
- RPG Typewrite Text
- Simple Text Box Example
- Split String
- Text Forge: Auto Formatting Text
- Text String Packing Demo
- Text-to-Sprite
- Textbox Framework
- Wave Text
Tutorials: Advanced
- Additional Sprite Memory
- Auto Tiling Tutorial
- Cutscenes and Coroutines
- Entity Component Systems From Scratch
- Implementing Newgrounds Medals
- Installing PICO-8 on GameShell
- Introduction to Metatables
- Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
- Layering Sprite Data
- Persistent High Score Table Demo
- Platformer Tutorial
- Raycasting Explanation
- Real-Time Lighting
- RPG Movement Systems
- Star Animation Tutorial
- Token Optimizations
- Z-Index Simple Tutorial
Tutorials: Beginner
Tutorials: Video
- Bite-Sized Game: Fruit Drop
- Controlling Game State with Variables
- Creating Audio
- Creative Game Dev for Beginners
- Delightful Game Development
- Developing an Open-World Adventure Game in PICO-8
- Explosion Tutorial
- Game Talkthrough: Curse of Greed Ultimate
- Jamming with PICO-8
- Let's Make Breakout
- Make Something Juicy in PICO-8
- Making a Simple Roguelike in PICO-8
- Making Bouncy Balls in PICO-8
- Managing Game States
- Music Tutorials
- PICO-8 Dev for Beginners
- PICO-8 Lessons Playlist
- Player Movement Demo
- Programming a Walking Simulator
- Overview / Tutorial
- Sprite Animation Tutorial
- Start Making Games in PICO-8
- Top-Down Adventure Game Tutorial
- Writing a Game Using PICO-8
Visual Effect Snippets and Visualizations
- Background Wave Effect
- Fizzlefade Transition Effect
- Graphical Artifact (GART) Effect
- Horizontal Screen Transition Effect
- Hyperspace Animation
- Iterative Flood Fill Demo
- Lorenz3D: Lorenz Attractor Visualizer
- Parallaxing Stars Snippet
- Pilot8: Water Reflection Effect
- Rossler Attractor3D: Rossler Attractor Visualizer
- Sin/Cos Visualization
- Split Screen Sampler
- Tape Loader Effect
- Tron Landscape Effect
Visual Effect Tools and Functions
- 3-Layer Parallax Code for Side Scrolling Games
- Anti-Aliased Lines & Circles
- Arc Drawing Function
- Dither Line Function
- Instant 3D
- Lighting Functions
- Line-Compatible Fill
- Local Fill Pattern
- P8scale: Enhanced Scaling with Transparency and Better Curves
- Parametric Curve Function
- Post-Processing for PICO-8
- Recursive Shadowcasting
- Screenshake and Fading
- Transparent Lines Using Poke()
- Webgl GLSL Shader: HTML Template
Workflow Tools and Analytics
- 8Pack: Inject Modular Lua Source into PICO-8 Project
- Benchmarking Tool
- CartCollector-8: Python Utility for Installing Latest P8 Carts
- Classes with Inheritance
- Class Definition with Inheritance
- Command Line Interface for PICO-8
- Debug Menu Boilerplate
- Die and Dump: Laravel Style
- GEM (Good Enough Minifier)
- Google Analytics with PICO-8
- Including Analytics in PICO-8 Carts
- Linux Installer
- Menu Component
- P8sort: Very Fast PICO-8 Sort
- Scene Manager
- Try-Catch-Finally Exception/Error Handling
- Variable Inspector Window