PICO-1K Jam

• Welcome to the first PICO-8 "1K" Jam (#Pico1k) 👋🤓
• Make cool things in PICO-8 by using only 1024 characters* of code
• It can be a...
  🕹️ Game
  🎞️ Demo (Animated or Interactive)
  🛠️ A Tool or Utility
   ...whatever you can fit within 1k, basically!
• It's a relaxed, non-competitive jam, running for a whole month
  
• See the Rules below for details & check out the Resources for getting started

📑 Rules

1. Your entire entry must be <= 1024 characters* in PICO-8 
     - This count includes spaces, brackets & comments
     - TIP: Use the Char Count in PICO-8 for ref
                 
       NOTE: PICO-8 displays Token Count by default, left-click to cycle to Character Count
   
   
2. No pre-defined PICO-8 data allowed
     - No Sprites, Map or Sounds or external files - ALL content must be created using code submitted
     - Glyphs such as 웃 and ★ are fine (but "Byte Counters" participants beware - see below)
     - TIP: Copy+paste your code into a new PICO-8 window to test it still works as expected
   
   
3. Have fun & be nice! 😃
    - This is intended to be a fun & relaxed jam, but your mental and physical health should always come first
    - Be nice to each other (for more details, see Berlin Code of Conduct)

👨‍💻 *(Optional) "Byte Counter" Rule

• Your entry's code must be <= 1024 bytes in total  (...one for the "purists" 🤓)
   - NOTE: Double-byte characters, such as PICO-8 glyph symbols (❎,🅾️) & other special chars use >1 byte each
   - TIP: Use this byte counter to easily check

❓ FAQ

• Is there a prize for the winner?
  • Nope, this jam is non-ranked & non-competitive - it's just for fun (we're all winners!)
• Is there a theme?
  • Nope, you can make whatever you want.
• Can I generate Sprite/Map data in my code, then use SPR()/MAP(), etc. to draw?
  • Absolutely, 100%!
  • Essentially, if your code created the content - it's allowed
• How do I submit an entry?
  • Instructions are provided when you click to [Submit your Project]
  • Also, see Resources below for help Publishing your project.
• Can I submit more than one entry?
  • Yes, absolutely - you have a whole month to play with.
• Can we update our entry after submission?
  • Sure, nothing worse than finding bugs later on!
  • But please keep any entry updates to within the jam period
    
• Where can I ask more Q's / share my progress / create a team?
  • In the Community tab at the top of this page
  • On the official PICO-8 BBS/Forum, in the Jam category
  • On the PICO-8 Discord, in the "#game-jams" channel
  • On Twitter, using #Pico8 hashtag

📚 Resources

• Reference
  • Official PICO-8 Resources, including the PICO-8 User Manual
    - (Especially the section on P8SCII below - if you want to save chars! 😉)
• Examples
  • PICO-8 Tweet Games collection on Twitter
  • Browse PICO-8 #TweetCarts on Twitter
  • Browse #TweetTweetJam entries on Twitter
    
  • The original #TweetJam thread, started by AdamAtomic
    
• Tips
  • Optimizing Character-Count by 2DArray
  • PICO-8 size optimization stuff by kometbomb
  • Tweetcart Basics,  Studies & Demoscene basics by pixinop
• Tools
  • Tweetcart Sprite Graphics Tutorial by JadeLombax - cram sprites+anims using only code!
  • CHR Printer by JadeLombax - easy copy & paste from PICO-8 extended chars
    - TIP: Works best when run directly from PICO-8, quick load using: LOAD #CHRPRINTER
• Publishing
  • Watch How to Upload PICO-8 Games to Itch.io - created by Lazy Devs Academy

🖨️ P8SCII is your friend

• P8SCII Control Codes are a recent feature of PICO-8 and they are perfect for optimising chars.
• With a few chars in a PRINT("") - or it's shorthand ?""  - statement, you can:
  • Change colour and position of text
  • Change the size, height, width, border and background colour of text
  • Play Audio - from a single beep to an entire series of notes
  • Draw over previous characters with decoration characters
  • You can even do Custom fonts
• For example, they could be used to draw "sprites" made from chars codes
  (instead of pre-drawn sprite data, which is against the rules) 
• Also be sure to check out the PICO-8 Wiki for good explanation of P8SCII Control Codes.

🌍 "Show me what you got!"

Finally, don't forget to share your creations (or WIP), using the hashtag #Pico1k  🖼️🤳
   - TIP: You can record a GIF in PICO-8 by pressing F3 to start + F4 to stop/save