# kitao/pyxel

A retro game engine for Python

Repository: https://github.com/kitao/pyxel
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pyxel
Language: Rust
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: game, game-development, game-engine, gamedev, graphics, html, opengl, pico-8, pixel-art, python, pyxel, rust, tic-80, webgl, retro-game, wasm
Last push: 2026-08-12T07:32:03+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 93/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 97, release rhythm 85, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3006, "days_push": 21, "days_rel": 21, "gap_med": 2, "n_releases_24m": 98}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 17776, forks 933 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:20.404771+00:00)

## What it is
Pyxel is a retro game engine for Python with simple, console-inspired specifications such as 16 colors and 4 sound channels, implemented in Rust. It lets developers easily create pixel-art-style games that run on desktop platforms and in the browser via WebAssembly.

## Use cases
- make a retro pixel-art game in Python
- build a PICO-8 style game engine project
- create 2D platformer or jump games with limited palettes
- run Python games in the browser via WebAssembly
- teach game programming with simple constraints
- prototype retro console-style games with chiptune audio

## When to choose
- you want to write 2D retro games in Python with a simple API
- you need pixel-art constraints like 16 colors and 4 sound channels
- you want games to run both on desktop and in a web browser
- you are learning or teaching game development

## When to avoid
- you need 3D graphics or modern high-fidelity rendering
- you require unlimited colors, resolution, or audio channels
- you are building non-game graphical applications
- you need a commercial-grade engine with editors and asset pipelines like Unity or Godot

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: game-engine, graphics, audio-processing, gui
- domain: graphics, cross-platform
- platform: python, rust, cross-platform, wasm, windows, browser
- tags: retro-games, pixel-art, pico-8, tic-80, opengl, webgl, gamedev, game-development, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- kitao/pyxel (main) score 93

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:20.404771+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:02:27.557028+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/kitao/pyxel (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:20.404771+00:00, sha d7f03e1fff7c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.