🎮 Parent & Child · Pico-8 · Ages 8+

My First
Pico-8 Game

Build 6 retro games with your child using Pico-8 no experience needed. Each workshop walks you through real Lua code step by step, making actual cartridge games.

👶 Ages 8+ ✓ Completely Free 🎮 Pico-8 👨‍👧 Parent & Child ✓ No Experience Needed

🍎 Start with Episode 1 →

6 Retro Games to Build Together

Start at Episode 1 and work through or jump to any episode that sounds fun. Each one teaches new skills using Pico-8's built-in Lua editor.

Ep 1

🏓

⭐ Start Here · Best for Beginners

Paddle & Ball! Pong Clone

Build the classic Pong game with two paddles, a bouncing ball and score tracking. The perfect first project to learn Pico-8's game loop and input system.

Ages 8+ 8 Steps · ~1 hr Start Building →

0/8 steps

Ep 2

🐍

Grid · Movement · Growth · Game Over

Snake on a Grid!

Guide a growing snake to eat food without hitting the walls or yourself. Learn grid-based movement, table management and collision detection.

Ages 8+ 9 Steps · ~1 hr Start Building →

0/9 steps

Ep 3

🏰

Rooms · Enemies · Health · Combat

Dungeon Explorer

Explore rooms filled with monsters, collect health pickups and fight your way through a top-down dungeon. Introduces multi-room layouts and combat mechanics.

Ages 8+ 10 Steps · ~1.5 hrs Start Building →

0/10 steps

Ep 4

🚀

Bullets · Waves · Powerups · Score

Galactic Blaster!

Pilot a ship through waves of enemies, fire bullets and grab power-ups. Learn about spawn systems, hit detection and increasing difficulty.

Ages 8+ 9 Steps · ~1.5 hrs Start Building →

0/9 steps

Ep 5

🧩

Grid Swap · Combos · Timer · Animations

Gem Crusher! Match-3

Swap gems to create matches of three or more, build combo chains and race against the clock. Introduces grid algorithms and animation sequences.

Ages 9+ 10 Steps · ~2 hrs Start Building →

0/10 steps

Ep 6

🎮

Physics · Flags · Multi-Level · Sprites

Side-Scrolling Platformer

Build a full platformer with gravity, jumping, enemies, collectibles and a finish flag. The ultimate Pico-8 project combining everything you've learned.

Ages 9+ 11 Steps · ~2 hrs Start Building →

0/11 steps

Questions from Parents

Do I need any coding experience?

None at all. Pico-8 uses simple Lua code that reads almost like English. Each workshop is written for a grown-up and child reading together, with every step explained clearly.

What age is it suitable for?

Episode 1 works well from age 8 with a parent. Later episodes involve more code and logic and suit ages 9-10+ better. Confident readers can do more independently from around age 10.

Do I need to download anything?

Pico-8 is a small download from lexaloffle.com. The free trial lets you do everything in these workshops. The full version costs around £11 and gives you unlimited saving and exporting.

What is Pico-8?

Pico-8 is a "fantasy console" a tiny game engine that looks like retro computers from the 80s. It has a built-in editor, sprite editor, sound editor and runs games at 128x128 pixels with 16 colours. It's perfect for learning.

Do I need to do episodes in order?

No each episode stands alone. But if it's your first time with Pico-8, Episode 1 (Pong) is the gentlest start and teaches the core concepts you'll use in every other game.

Is it really free?

Yes all 6 episodes, forever. No ads, no paywall, no sign-up required. Pico-8 has a free trial version that works perfectly for these workshops.

My First
Pico-8 Game

6 Retro Games to Build Together

Ready to build your first Pico-8 game?

Ready for the Next Series?

Questions from Parents

🧩 First Steps Order

Build Your First PICO-8 Game

My FirstPico-8 Game

6 Retro Games to Build Together

Ready to build your first Pico-8 game?

Ready for the Next Series?

Questions from Parents

🧩 First Steps Order

Build Your First PICO-8 Game

My First
Pico-8 Game