as a pretty lazy dev myself, i really don't acknowledge pico-8's limitations that much, but where I draw the line is the education edition "save @URL" command, which only supports up to 2040 chars (with no maps), which is just enough to fit into a qr code, but not enough to make a game, and did I already mention that IT DOESN'T SUPPORT MAPS!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?
Fun fact: the Celeste franchise started on pico-8! no, the 2018 game wasn’t the first in the series. You can actually play the original emulation in the hotel
I'll agree... Best 15 dollars spent, and it is so ADDICTIVE doing stuff!!! Not to mention the Voxel editor and creator that comes with it (at least I got it for free)... I love this. My wife hears that delightful jingle when it starts , rolls her eyes, and says ''Looks like we're not going anywhere after all..'' . Thanks for the video.
What! Lexaloffle made this? He* made Voxatron, one of my favorite games! I haven't heard of him* since the Voxatron days and I've heard of PICO-8 for years but I just never looked into it! But it makes perfect sense. The art esthetic is the same. I love Lexaloffle :)
I've always wanted a tool to do quick prototyping with but I'm not a fan of asset-oriented game engines like Unity or Unreal or even Godot so I'm kinda sold on Pico8 after watching this video. There's a promotion going on their website where you can get both Pico8 and their upcoming 3d console for a bundle price, I think I'll bite. Also I've never written anything in Lua but I'm starting to like it after watching some of your Pico8 videos.
Pico-8 is the most fun I had in the last few years. Palworld and Retro games are the exception. Gloomwood is the other exeption. I only play older games or re-releases with no added fanciness or DRM or whatever degrades games like Alan Wake 1
hey, I got a script created by ai to show what is pico 8! Title: Exploring PICO-8: A Script Introduction [INTRODUCTION] Host (H): Good day, everyone! Welcome back to our tech exploration series. Today, we have something special for you all. We'll be diving into the fascinating world of PICO-8. For those who might not be familiar, PICO-8 is a fantasy console for making, sharing, and playing tiny games and other computer programs. It's a unique platform that allows you to create within limitations, fostering creativity and innovation. So, let's get started! [SHOT: Host standing in front of a computer screen displaying PICO-8 interface] H: Alright, folks. As you can see, I've got the PICO-8 interface up on my screen. Let's break down its key components. [SCREEN DEMONSTRATION] H: At the top, we have the menu bar with various options like File, Edit, Game, and more. Just below it, you'll find the code editor. This is where all the magic happens. You write code here to create your games, art, and music. [SHOT: Host typing in code editor] H: Here, you write in the Lua programming language, which is known for its simplicity and versatility. The cool thing is that you're working within limitations - a 128x128 pixel display, 16 colors, and a tight 32KB of memory. These limitations might sound restrictive, but they actually encourage you to think creatively. [SHOT: Host switching to the sprite editor] H: Now, let's take a look at the sprite editor. This is where you create and edit your pixel art. You have a small canvas to work with, and remember, every pixel counts! [SHOT: Host drawing a simple sprite] H: See, I've just drawn a simple character sprite. It might not look like much, but it's a start. You can create characters, enemies, items, and even backgrounds using this editor. [SHOT: Host switching to the sound editor] H: And here we have the sound editor. Just like with the visuals, you're working with limited resources here. You can compose simple tunes and sound effects to give life to your games. [SHOT: Host creating a short musical tune] H: Look at that, a short musical piece. It's incredible how even within these constraints, you can create memorable audio experiences. [EXPLORING THE GAMES] H: Now, let's take a peek at some of the games that have been created using PICO-8. These games are often small in size but big on creativity. From platformers to puzzle games, the possibilities are vast. [SHOT: Host playing a PICO-8 game] H: I'm playing a simple yet addictive platformer someone created. It's amazing to see what people can achieve within these limitations. [COMMUNITY AND SHARING] H: One of the best things about PICO-8 is its active community. You can share your creations with others, play their games, and even remix existing ones. It's a collaborative environment that encourages learning and improvement. [CLOSING] H: And there you have it, an introduction to PICO-8! This fantasy console offers a unique way to express your creativity, all while embracing limitations that push your innovation to new heights. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or just starting out, PICO-8 has something exciting to offer. H: Thank you all for joining me today. I hope you found this exploration of PICO-8 intriguing. Until next time, keep on creating and experimenting. Goodbye! [FADE OUT]
Maybe I missed it in the video, but I am guessing the 8 in the name is for 8 bit? I like to have limitations, but I do feel the sweet spot is to have graphics that can at least match 16-bit consoles. It's pretty amazing what they manage to squeeze out of it though.
The limitations of Pico-8 are carefully chosen to limit feature creep and foster creativity. You can squeeze out a lot. But it doesn't lend itself to make bloated projects
At first I thought this was a new system, until I was informed this is a software that can run on a computer. Regardless, I really like this ides, as it's a simple yet effective way of making and playing classic video games, both original and demakes of existing ones. It would be nice if there was a console that took advantage of this too, but this is already a good start and it's a wonder I didn't know about this until recently, despite the fact it has been available for quite some time.
@@LazyDevs I already saw that video and was pretty mixed about that handheld. Even the PocketChip didn't impressed me enough, as the buttons look too small and the design looked rather uncomfortable. I have large hands by the way, and I've had bad experiences with a number of Chinese emulation systems, especially handhelds. I have yet to see one that works properly as an emulation device on the go. Until I see one that's actually good in my eyes, I'll just keep using computers for the time being.
do you know the game towerfall ? it's a game on steam and i'm searching for a tutorial to make a towerfall like. i'm pretty advanced and i saw and made all your porklike tutorials. Great job !
FPGA's are about emulating hardware. Pico-8 isn't based off any particular hardware. So it's difficult to pull this off. But maybe some FPGA master can figure it out one day?
Before I buy myself a mini laptop to start developing my own games on it, does anyone know if pico 8 software can work on android devices? Not just to play games but to develop them as well.
Not as far as I know. I've seen some android ports of specific games. But there is no official way to do this, you'd need to research how that works. You can always export to HTML5 and load the website into a mobile browser. I haven't seen anybody develop Pico-8 games on Android.
Sorry for my bad written text *For Any One Who New To Game Dev* And Wanna To Start with Pico-8 *Don't* start , or atleast don't think it will be as easy as it seem , other tools like unity are very hard to use , but aren't as hard as pico-8 ; all the great games you seen are made by pro dev , really pro devopers to make something that standout and polished , you can make the same graphics with unity , but the great thing with pico-8 wil restricted to really make pixel art and 2D games , in unity i see myself not felling great while making 2D Pixel art games.
Does anyone know if there is any kind of Pico-8 interpreter for OpenDingux? It seems like this would be a great solution for games on the go. Would love to tie this into my Anbernic handheld somehow.
You can run Pico-8 natively on the RG351 devices. For the older devices there is an emulator called TAC08 but it’s incomplete and the development seems to have halted.
I have a weird question: is there a way you can export the bin files from the games into roms for the gba? I have a rom of create classic for the gba, and it is the exact same game as the pico 8 game from Celeste the full game. I can’t find any tutorials on how to convert the pico 8 roms to gba roms, so any help would be appreciated
There is a GBA port of Celeste Classic. It has been ported manually - somebody basically rewrote the game from scratch for the GBA. There is no way to port Pico-8 games to the GBA automatically.
I've been a long-time admirer of Pico-8, but I'm a complete newbie at programming. I still don't understand how you can tell what LUA code works in Pico-8 and what doesn't.
I don‘t know if I understand the question. If you coded a lot of LUA before then there may be a short transition period coming to Pico-8 since not everything works like it does in base LUA. But if you are a newbie anyway this shouldn‘t be an issue. You just learn the Pico-8 way from scratch.
As a player, not a dev, Is it possible to integrate pico-8 into other emulator OS's or frontends like Retropie or Launchbox? As like another console/emu/core?
Couch multiplayer: yes. Online multiplayer: no, unless... Well, it‘s not possible natively. There are no native online functions. But some people managed to make simple online multiplayer work by writing a special javascript wrapper in the website that contained the Pico-8 game. The code is available but I never tried it. So I can‘t tell how viable it is.
@@LazyDevs Yeah after reading their itchio page I definitely underestimated how much work it took them to cram their game into PICO-8. Learning more about the limitations of PICO-8 made me realize how impressive it is that 2 guys managed to make a Doom fangame with it. But it has still inspired me to start making games with PICO-8, just gotta start small haha. Thanks for that great intro video!
........SO.......NEED TO LICENSE THIS AND SELL CONSOLES.....NOT TO MAKE MONEY....BUT......TO HELP IT EXPAND...... =IT'S THE ONLY WAY FOR THIS TO ACTUALLY NOT BE FORGOTTEN THROUGH SOME TIME
It's not free: ACTUALLY, now it kinda is. There's a free browser educational version available now. It runs entirely on the browser so no need to even download it.
@@LazyDevs Yes, keep in mind it's browser only, but I'm sure they'll give you a way to back up your projects. And from what I can tell it does pretty much everything regular pico-8 does, but on your browser.
Best 15 dollars you'll spend. It'll headfake you into game development, appreciation for limited canvas style coding, sizecoding, and the community is as vibrant and diverse as the color pallette (*VERY vibrant). Absolute no-brainer purchase. Less is more.
![8 Reasons We Love PICO-8 [2021]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C5TJgIJACtg/mqdefault.jpg)
![8 Reasons We Love PICO-8 [2021]](/img/tr.png)
Update: There is now a FREE browser version of Pico-8 available here:
www.pico-8-edu.com/
as a pretty lazy dev myself, i really don't acknowledge pico-8's limitations that much, but where I draw the line is the education edition "save @URL" command, which only supports up to 2040 chars (with no maps), which is just enough to fit into a qr code, but not enough to make a game, and did I already mention that IT DOESN'T SUPPORT MAPS!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?
Fun fact: the Celeste franchise started on pico-8! no, the 2018 game wasn’t the first in the series. You can actually play the original emulation in the hotel
I got hooked to that version at the hotel and I beat it!
technically it's different from the original in that dashing without holding a direction doesn't change your subpixel value, but the original does
Franchise? It is just a game.
@@drbuni It’s actually 3 games + a mod for Celeste Classic
@@drbuni Pico-8 (Celeste, Celeste 2), Celeste and Celeste 64
I was surprised to find out that PICO-8 effectively comes with a music tracker. Incredible!
The hobby game dev's toolkit. What a fantastic creation.
nice video!
i was searching the celeste's easter egg but found this instead.
i'm glad i did
Welcome to the Nerd Zone my friend!
Excellent, appealing bird's-eye view for newbies!
Probably the closest thing to an "ad" for PICO-8 that I've ever seen. :)
I'm glad it was presented this way. I never heard of this until today. Good intro video.
Great video. I though Pico8 was just a category of free pixel games. Didn't know it was effectively a game engine.
Loving this channel. Been invaluable since I started my own little Pico-8 journey.
Just finding out about pico-8, thanks for this concise and informative introduction. Subscribed!
Welcome aboard!
I thought pico 8 was just a fiction console made up by celeste
I'm so happy there are new videos, keep em coming :D
'l'
'l'
L'
''
''
That intro timing. Good job.
"What is PICO-8?"
*Doodledy doop! *
"PICO-8 is what we call..."
@David Harmon You'll have to ask Krystian
I'll agree... Best 15 dollars spent, and it is so ADDICTIVE doing stuff!!! Not to mention the Voxel editor and creator that comes with it (at least I got it for free)... I love this. My wife hears that delightful jingle when it starts , rolls her eyes, and says ''Looks like we're not going anywhere after all..'' . Thanks for the video.
u guys need to play POOM its a DOOM remake/demake.
I was wondering what POOM was I saw it on Newgrounds I'll check it out soon.
Fell down this rabbit hole just a couple days ago. Incredible stuff
Welcome to the rabbit hole!
You showed many amazing looking PICO-8 games. I'm gonna hunt for them.
0:16 - ???
0:28 - PICODriller
0:45 - _PICO-8 Game?_
?:?? - Pico De Pon, Cake Factory, Under Construction (by Eevee)
3:59 - ???
4:01 - ???
4:04 - _Cake Factory?_
4:08 - ???
4:23 - Dark Tomb
5:55 - Porklike
0:16 - Zelpi
0:45 - Gifts on Venus
3:59 - Skulldude
4:01 - Mai-Chan's Sweet Buns
4:08 - UFO Swamp Odyssey
Wow this is awesome! Definitely useful for making prototypes.
It really is!
New user of Pico-8 here. Amazing videos Chris!
Welcome aboard!
Please explain how the game code is disguised in the PNG. If you look closely, you see noise, that is where the storage must be.
pico-8.fandom.com/wiki/P8PNGFileFormat
What! Lexaloffle made this? He* made Voxatron, one of my favorite games!
I haven't heard of him* since the Voxatron days and I've heard of PICO-8 for years but I just never looked into it!
But it makes perfect sense. The art esthetic is the same. I love Lexaloffle :)
No it's a man named Zep, not a group of people
@@customsongmaker ok. Cool! I didn't do my research. Thanks for clearing that up.
Damn, that's incredible!
I've always wanted a tool to do quick prototyping with but I'm not a fan of asset-oriented game engines like Unity or Unreal or even Godot so I'm kinda sold on Pico8 after watching this video. There's a promotion going on their website where you can get both Pico8 and their upcoming 3d console for a bundle price, I think I'll bite.
Also I've never written anything in Lua but I'm starting to like it after watching some of your Pico8 videos.
I am a GodotEngine developper but i love this little condensed soft PICO8, it s so funny !
Pico-8 is the most fun I had in the last few years. Palworld and Retro games are the exception. Gloomwood is the other exeption. I only play older games or re-releases with no added fanciness or DRM or whatever degrades games like Alan Wake 1
Pretty sure Zep is a Kiwi!
He is. I dun goofed up.
hey, I got a script created by ai to show what is pico 8!
Title: Exploring PICO-8: A Script Introduction
[INTRODUCTION]
Host (H): Good day, everyone! Welcome back to our tech exploration series. Today, we have something special for you all. We'll be diving into the fascinating world of PICO-8. For those who might not be familiar, PICO-8 is a fantasy console for making, sharing, and playing tiny games and other computer programs. It's a unique platform that allows you to create within limitations, fostering creativity and innovation. So, let's get started!
[SHOT: Host standing in front of a computer screen displaying PICO-8 interface]
H: Alright, folks. As you can see, I've got the PICO-8 interface up on my screen. Let's break down its key components.
[SCREEN DEMONSTRATION]
H: At the top, we have the menu bar with various options like File, Edit, Game, and more. Just below it, you'll find the code editor. This is where all the magic happens. You write code here to create your games, art, and music.
[SHOT: Host typing in code editor]
H: Here, you write in the Lua programming language, which is known for its simplicity and versatility. The cool thing is that you're working within limitations - a 128x128 pixel display, 16 colors, and a tight 32KB of memory. These limitations might sound restrictive, but they actually encourage you to think creatively.
[SHOT: Host switching to the sprite editor]
H: Now, let's take a look at the sprite editor. This is where you create and edit your pixel art. You have a small canvas to work with, and remember, every pixel counts!
[SHOT: Host drawing a simple sprite]
H: See, I've just drawn a simple character sprite. It might not look like much, but it's a start. You can create characters, enemies, items, and even backgrounds using this editor.
[SHOT: Host switching to the sound editor]
H: And here we have the sound editor. Just like with the visuals, you're working with limited resources here. You can compose simple tunes and sound effects to give life to your games.
[SHOT: Host creating a short musical tune]
H: Look at that, a short musical piece. It's incredible how even within these constraints, you can create memorable audio experiences.
[EXPLORING THE GAMES]
H: Now, let's take a peek at some of the games that have been created using PICO-8. These games are often small in size but big on creativity. From platformers to puzzle games, the possibilities are vast.
[SHOT: Host playing a PICO-8 game]
H: I'm playing a simple yet addictive platformer someone created. It's amazing to see what people can achieve within these limitations.
[COMMUNITY AND SHARING]
H: One of the best things about PICO-8 is its active community. You can share your creations with others, play their games, and even remix existing ones. It's a collaborative environment that encourages learning and improvement.
[CLOSING]
H: And there you have it, an introduction to PICO-8! This fantasy console offers a unique way to express your creativity, all while embracing limitations that push your innovation to new heights. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or just starting out, PICO-8 has something exciting to offer.
H: Thank you all for joining me today. I hope you found this exploration of PICO-8 intriguing. Until next time, keep on creating and experimenting. Goodbye!
[FADE OUT]
Pico-8 doesn't have a menu that says "File, Edit, Game, and more"
Maybe I missed it in the video, but I am guessing the 8 in the name is for 8 bit? I like to have limitations, but I do feel the sweet spot is to have graphics that can at least match 16-bit consoles. It's pretty amazing what they manage to squeeze out of it though.
The limitations of Pico-8 are carefully chosen to limit feature creep and foster creativity. You can squeeze out a lot. But it doesn't lend itself to make bloated projects
Good vid explaining the console as a whole!
You're starting from beginning , nice :)
Would it be a good idea to start with pico8 before making full games with regular lua?
I played a pico 8 game
It's a dune theme game
Basically you make a empire using spice and defeat other empires
Oh yeah UnDune 2. So good!
At first I thought this was a new system, until I was informed this is a software that can run on a computer. Regardless, I really like this ides, as it's a simple yet effective way of making and playing classic video games, both original and demakes of existing ones. It would be nice if there was a console that took advantage of this too, but this is already a good start and it's a wonder I didn't know about this until recently, despite the fact it has been available for quite some time.
There are devices you can play Pico-8 games on:
ua-cam.com/video/FyEKgD9d770/v-deo.html
@@LazyDevs I already saw that video and was pretty mixed about that handheld. Even the PocketChip didn't impressed me enough, as the buttons look too small and the design looked rather uncomfortable. I have large hands by the way, and I've had bad experiences with a number of Chinese emulation systems, especially handhelds. I have yet to see one that works properly as an emulation device on the go. Until I see one that's actually good in my eyes, I'll just keep using computers for the time being.
this sounds great for me, I am not very tech savy but I hope this will help me learn some coding skills.
You can do it!
do you know the game towerfall ?
it's a game on steam and i'm searching for a tutorial to make a towerfall like. i'm pretty advanced and i saw and made all your porklike tutorials. Great job !
Spent 80% of my allowance on this and Voxeltron!! So worth it!!!!!!
Also that tweetcarts thing is so cool! I love the ones that use just math equations :)
Can you make sellable games with this?
Yes. There is nothing stopping you from selling a Pico-8 game. I've seen some people do it.
ZEP made a console that will dominate the world! :)
Wondering if this could be run on something like the MisTer Fpga (Terrassic DE-10 based)
FPGA's are about emulating hardware. Pico-8 isn't based off any particular hardware. So it's difficult to pull this off. But maybe some FPGA master can figure it out one day?
Given that it can do 486 emulation, I'm sure there is a way to do this.
Before I buy myself a mini laptop to start developing my own games on it, does anyone know if pico 8 software can work on android devices? Not just to play games but to develop them as well.
Not as far as I know. I've seen some android ports of specific games. But there is no official way to do this, you'd need to research how that works. You can always export to HTML5 and load the website into a mobile browser.
I haven't seen anybody develop Pico-8 games on Android.
Pico-8 is in the bundle for racial justice and equality right now on itch.io go check it out
Amazing!! - thanks for this!
Sorry for my bad written text
*For Any One Who New To Game Dev*
And Wanna To Start with Pico-8
*Don't* start , or atleast don't think it will be as easy as it seem , other tools like unity are very hard to use , but aren't as hard as pico-8 ; all the great games you seen are made by pro dev , really pro devopers to make something that standout and polished , you can make the same graphics with unity , but the great thing with pico-8 wil restricted to really make pixel art and 2D games , in unity i see myself not felling great while making 2D Pixel art games.
Does anyone know if there is any kind of Pico-8 interpreter for OpenDingux? It seems like this would be a great solution for games on the go. Would love to tie this into my Anbernic handheld somehow.
You can run Pico-8 natively on the RG351 devices. For the older devices there is an emulator called TAC08 but it’s incomplete and the development seems to have halted.
-i'm a simple guy. i see celeste? i give the video a like-
This could be the new Adobe Flash
In many ways it already kinda is
Hi I just want to ask you about the name of the game in the minute 3:57
It's called "Just One Boss". Pico-8 classic!
I have a weird question: is there a way you can export the bin files from the games into roms for the gba? I have a rom of create classic for the gba, and it is the exact same game as the pico 8 game from Celeste the full game. I can’t find any tutorials on how to convert the pico 8 roms to gba roms, so any help would be appreciated
There is a GBA port of Celeste Classic. It has been ported manually - somebody basically rewrote the game from scratch for the GBA. There is no way to port Pico-8 games to the GBA automatically.
I've been a long-time admirer of Pico-8, but I'm a complete newbie at programming.
I still don't understand how you can tell what LUA code works in Pico-8 and what doesn't.
I don‘t know if I understand the question. If you coded a lot of LUA before then there may be a short transition period coming to Pico-8 since not everything works like it does in base LUA. But if you are a newbie anyway this shouldn‘t be an issue. You just learn the Pico-8 way from scratch.
As a player, not a dev, Is it possible to integrate pico-8 into other emulator OS's or frontends like Retropie or Launchbox? As like another console/emu/core?
I've seen it integrated into EmulationStation. So it depends on the frontend.
and currently i would suggest to splurge 5 bucks more and get voxatron too.
What are those first games, especially the first one?
That's Zelpi. It comes bundled with Pico-8.
this sees like my fantasy make video game super easy website iv been searching for, if i can pick up lua then i'm definitely buying
You can try it out for free now!
Pls make videos on tic80 too brother thanks :]
Is multiplayer possible in pico-8?
Couch multiplayer: yes. Online multiplayer: no, unless... Well, it‘s not possible natively. There are no native online functions. But some people managed to make simple online multiplayer work by writing a special javascript wrapper in the website that contained the Pico-8 game. The code is available but I never tried it. So I can‘t tell how viable it is.
Just learnt about PICO-8 from POOM, a doom fangame. Now I wanna learn Lua and learn PICO-8 so I can make my own POOM-like fps'
Heheh - just a fair warning: that's not REALLY what Pico-8 was made for so maybe lower your expectations starting out. Otherwise, enjoy!
@@LazyDevs Yeah after reading their itchio page I definitely underestimated how much work it took them to cram their game into PICO-8. Learning more about the limitations of PICO-8 made me realize how impressive it is that 2 guys managed to make a Doom fangame with it.
But it has still inspired me to start making games with PICO-8, just gotta start small haha. Thanks for that great intro video!
3:33 but you need some money we all agree with it
Yup! There is also new browser-based version. That one is for free! Check it out:
www.pico-8-edu.com/
Looks cool! :D
Celeste on Pico-8 is the best version of the game!
Except maybe from the Pico-8-only official Celeste sequel: Celeste Classic 2 (!!)
So much fun
Thanks
He looks like one of the guys off silicon valley
It is definitely the best 15$ I've ever spent
Great video
........SO.......NEED TO LICENSE THIS AND SELL CONSOLES.....NOT TO MAKE MONEY....BUT......TO HELP IT EXPAND......
=IT'S THE ONLY WAY FOR THIS TO ACTUALLY NOT BE FORGOTTEN THROUGH SOME TIME
It's not free:
ACTUALLY, now it kinda is. There's a free browser educational version available now. It runs entirely on the browser so no need to even download it.
So happy about this!
@@LazyDevs Yes, keep in mind it's browser only, but I'm sure they'll give you a way to back up your projects. And from what I can tell it does pretty much everything regular pico-8 does, but on your browser.
WAIT
IT'S IN LUA
Yes?
@@LazyDevs oh wait I remembered I have to pay for the console
😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😯😯😯😯😯😯😯😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯!!!!!!!
Best 15 dollars you'll spend. It'll headfake you into game development, appreciation for limited canvas style coding, sizecoding, and the community is as vibrant and diverse as the color pallette (*VERY vibrant). Absolute no-brainer purchase. Less is more.
It was all amazing until i found out this thing costs money
Like, are you kidding?
Things cost money.