PICO-8 engine hub

Learn PICO-8, one game at a time

A tiny fantasy console with its own code language. Small games, big ideas.

Ages 7 and up Free, no account 13 workshops
Lumo

Lumo says: Start with a build canvas in the browser, then rebuild the same cart in PICO-8.

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Start here with PICO-8

One short build to get going. Then pick a game below.

Nothing to install
1 workshop
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
PICO-8 Pong Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Pong in the page, with nothing to install.
Pip

Pip says: Every game here is small enough to finish in one sitting. Pick one and play.

Build a game right in the page

Build each game step by step inside this page and watch it run, with nothing to install. Open it in PICO-8 when you are ready.

Nothing to install
5 workshops
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
PICO-8 Dungeon Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Dungeon in the page, with nothing to install.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 10+
PICO-8 Match-3 Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Match-3 in the page, with nothing to install.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 10+
PICO-8 Platformer Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Platformer in the page, with nothing to install.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
PICO-8 Shooter Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Shooter in the page, with nothing to install.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
PICO-8 Snake Build Canvas
Build PICO-8 Snake in the page, with nothing to install.

More PICO-8 workshops

More guided builds and one-off projects. Titles, levels and ages all come from the workshop data.

Needs the free PICO-8 app
6 workshops
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
Build a Dungeon Crawler in Pico-8
Build a dungeon crawler in Pico-8! A free parent & child workshop. Explore rooms, fight enemies, manage health with real Lua code. Ages 8+.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 10+
Build a Match-3 Game in Pico-8
Build a Match-3 puzzle game in Pico-8! A free parent & child workshop. Swap gems, create combos, race the clock with real Lua code. Ages 9+.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 10+
Build a Platformer in Pico-8
Build a platformer in Pico-8! A free parent & child workshop. Gravity, jumping, enemies, coins and a finish flag with real Lua code. Ages 9+.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
Build a Pong Clone in Pico-8
Build your first Pico-8 game! A free parent & child workshop. Create paddles, a bouncing ball and score tracking with real Lua code. Ages 8+.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
Build a Space Shooter in Pico-8
Build a space shooter in Pico-8! A free parent & child workshop. Pilot a ship, fire bullets, defeat enemies with real Lua code. Ages 8+.
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
Build a Snake Game in Pico-8
Build a Snake game in Pico-8! A free parent & child workshop. Learn grid movement, growth mechanics and collision detection with real Lua code. Ages 8+.

Studios, cheat sheets and templates

Browser studios, quick-reference sheets and starter files for when you want to go further.

Nothing to install
1 workshop
PICO-8 · Beginner · Ages 7-9
PICO-8 Studio: Build a Cart in Your Browser, Then Play It for Real
A free browser studio for the PICO-8 workshop series. Pick a game (Pong, Snake, Platformer, Shooter, Dungeon, Match 3), tune it, play it live at 128x128, then export a real .p8 cartridge you can open in PICO-8 or a free compatible player. No install to start. Ages 8+.

Everything else, plus every other engine, lives in the full workshop hub. PICO-8 is a paid download. The canvases run in the browser with nothing installed.