nesbox/TIC-80
TIC-80 is a fantasy computer for making, playing and sharing tiny games. observed · 2026-08-28
Health v2 · maintenance only
64/100
- Activity 91
- Release rhythm 8
- Longevity 100
How is this computed?
round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-03. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.
- gap_med: n/a
- age_days: 3529
- days_rel: n/a
- days_push: 58
- n_releases_24m: 0
Adoption not part of the score
6103 stars · 629 forks observed · 2026-08-28
What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded
TIC-80 is a free, open-source fantasy computer for making, playing, and sharing tiny retro games. It bundles code, sprite, map, and sound editors with a command line, imposing deliberate technical constraints (240x136 display, 16-color palette, 4-channel sound) and packaging games into distributable cartridge files.
Use cases
- make a tiny retro game
- learn game development with built-in editors
- create pixel art sprites and chiptune music
- share small games as cartridge files
- program games in Lua or other scripting languages
- build games under retro hardware constraints
- play community-made 8-bit games
When to choose
- You want an all-in-one environment for making small retro-styled games
- You enjoy creative constraints like PICO-8 but want a free, open-source option
- You want to script games in Lua, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Fennel, and more
- You want cartridges that run across desktop, mobile, and web
When to avoid
- You need modern high-resolution graphics or full engine features
- You are building a commercial-scale game with large assets
- You need a general-purpose game engine without artificial limitations
Facets
application · maturity active
game-engine gui interpreter editor audio-processing graphics gaming-tools education cross-platform windows cross-platform browser c fantasy-console retro-gaming game-jam lua pixel-art chiptune tiny-games cartridge game-development retro linux macos android ios desktop
2 sources
- readme: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80 · fetched 2026-08-28 · aea5719f75e8
- homepage: https://tic80.com · fetched 2026-08-29 · ec83a72d6d6b
Member repositories
| Repository | Role | Health v2 |
|---|---|---|
| nesbox/TIC-80 | main | 64 |
For agents
Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem