# nesbox/TIC-80

TIC-80 is a fantasy computer for making, playing and sharing tiny games.

Repository: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tic-80
Homepage: https://tic80.com
Language: C
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: tic80, retro, gamedev, gameengine, tiny, 8bit, tic-80, fantasy-console, fantasy-computer
Last push: 2026-07-06T18:44:44+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 64/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 91, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3529, "days_push": 58, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6103, forks 629 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:35.077394+00:00)

## What it is
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
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: game-engine, gui, interpreter, editor, audio-processing, graphics
- domain: gaming-tools, education, cross-platform
- platform: windows, cross-platform, browser, c
- tags: fantasy-console, retro-gaming, game-jam, lua, pixel-art, chiptune, tiny-games, cartridge, game-development, retro, linux, macos, android, ios, desktop

## Member repositories
- nesbox/TIC-80 (main) score 64

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:35.077394+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 2026-08-29T17:48:15.235413+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/nesbox/TIC-80 (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:35.077394+00:00, sha aea5719f75e8)
  - homepage: https://tic80.com (fetched 2026-08-29T08:44:43.864931+00:00, sha ec83a72d6d6b)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.