This jam is now over. It ran from 2024-09-01 18:00:00 to 2024-09-30 18:00:00. View 45 entries

Welcome to the 4th annual PICO-1K Jam (#Pico1k๐Ÿ‘‹๐Ÿค“

  • Make cool things in PICO-8 (or Picotron) by using only 1K (1024) Compressed Bytes of code
  • It can be a...
    ๐Ÿ•น๏ธ Game
    ๐ŸŽž๏ธ Demo (Animated or Interactive)
    ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Tool or Utility
     ...whatever you can fit within 1KB, 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

๐Ÿ“‘ Rules

  1. Your entire entry must be <= 1024 Compressed Bytes in PICO-8 (or Picotron)
      - PICO-8 has various code counters available (e.g. Chars/Tokens), but Compressed Bytes is the only official jam limit
      - TIP: Use the Compressed Bytes count for ref (added in PICO-8 v0.2.5)
                a) Left-click to cycle to Compressed Capacity
                b) Then CTRL+Click to show Compressed Bytes count
                  
      - Alternatively (e.g. for older PICO-8 builds), use the INFO() command to check Compressed byte size

  2. No pre-defined PICO-8/Picotron data allowed
      - No using of built-in Gfx, Map or Sound data (or external files) - ALL content must be created using code submitted
      - Glyphs such as ์›ƒ โ˜… โŽ๐Ÿ…พ๏ธ are fine, but note that these other special chars use >1 byte each
      - TIP: Copy+paste your code into a new PICO-8/Picotron instance to test it still works as expected

  3. Have fun & be nice! ๐Ÿ˜ƒ
     - 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)

โ“ 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
  • I don't own PICO-8, can I still participate?
  • Can I submit an entry created in Picotron?
    • Yes, this is the first year where it is possible to create & submit a Picotron entry.
    • Currently, the simplest way to keep tabs on your Picotron Compressed bytes it to use Shrinko8:
      (Mode = "Picotron", Target = "Tiny .ROM file", and "Safe Minification")
    • You can even use Shrinko8 as a quick check of your current Compressed byte usage (see bottom-right).
    • Alternatively, you can paste your Picotron code into PICO-8 and "export -t", then rename output as *.p64.rom
    • (I'll continue to update this section if better approaches to Picotron compressed byte monitoring become available)
  • 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 feature updates to within the jam period
  • Can I use 1024 Character Count limit instead?
    • Sure - 1k in chars will always equate to less than 1k in compressed bytes.
  • Where can I ask more Q's / share my progress / create a team?

๐Ÿ“š Resources

๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ P8SCII shorthand

  • P8SCII Control Codes are a feature of PICO-8 and they can be helpful for optimising code.
  • With a few chars in a PRINT("") - or it's shorthand ?""  - statement, you can:
  • For example, they could be used to draw "sprites" made from chars codes
    • (...instead of pre-drawn sprite data, which is against the rules ๐Ÿšซ
  • Also be sure to check out the PICO-8 Wiki for good explanation of P8SCII Control Codes.
  • Some of the above also work for Picotron - see below for more platform-specific tips...

๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Picotron Tips

  • You can have all your init code at the start of the file,
    then put all your main "game loop" code within function _draw()
    (even putting your "update" code in here as well!)
  • Use note(pitch) each frame for cheap sfx
  • Ignore the "info" command (use Shrinko8 to keep track of compressed bytes, as shown in FAQ above)
  • Some of the P8SCII Control Codes also work for Picotron:

๐ŸŒ "Show me what you got!"

Finally, don't forget to share your creations (or WIP), using the hashtag #Pico1k  ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ๐Ÿคณ
   - TIP: You can record a GIF in PICO-8/Picotron by pressing CTRL+8 to start and CTRL+9 to stop/save

Looking forward to seeing what you create.  Have fun! ๐Ÿ˜€

Submissions(42)

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your body betrays your conspiracy
Action
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A Picotron demake of GORILLA.BAS made in < 1K of code (for #Pico1k Jam)
Simulation
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A Tiny Metroidvania
Adventure
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I dug this cartridge up at the landfill.
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Shooter with a voxel landscape background. A game in 1024 Compressed Bytes of code for PICO-1K Jam 2024 #Pico1k
Shooter
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Blend of Pipe Dream and Tetris in 1018 bytes of Pico-8
Puzzle
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Fast paced high-score based platformer
Platformer
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Top view racing game. A game in 1021 Compressed Bytes of code for PICO-1K Jam 2024 #Pico1k
Racing
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MiniRogue
Adventure
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A rocket simulator in less than 1KB
Simulation
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Type the source code for this game
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Puzzle
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Etch A Sketch for Pico1k Jam 2024.
Simulation
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A super tiny adventure game in 1k of compressed code
Role Playing
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Action
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Pac-Man in 1020 bytes
Action
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A 1k game with Pico8 creator, Zep (Lexaloffle)
Action
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A Battle Painters clone in Pico-8 using 1018 compressed bytes.
Puzzle
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A basic verlet integration ragdoll
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Developed for the PICO-8 1k jam in 2024
Simulation
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A Minesweeper clone created in less than 1KB of code for the PICO-1K jam.
Puzzle
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"Chart New Waters, Discover Adventure!"
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ใ‚ใ™ใซใฏใ‚ใ™ใฎใ‹ใœใŒใตใ
Visual Novel
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Draw a 3D tube.
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Demake of bit Generations: Dialhex for #pico1k 2024
Puzzle
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Pico8 1k Jam
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Run away from the parachuting enemies!
Action
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A minigame in 1k compressed pico8 code
Action
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PICO-8 golden ratio sunflower spiral graphical demo
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A game like Pool
Strategy
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a maybe fun game
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New computer-assisted flashcard protocol
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pico1kjam entry: defeat the drone to win
Shooter
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A demake of David Crane and Bob Whitehead's 1982 Venetian Blinds demo, for #Pico1k Jam 2024.
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Mine asteroids on space station and earn a fortune
Shooter
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a small Pico-8 demo
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Move from wall to wall and collect coins. A game in 1013 Compressed Bytes of code for PICO-1K Jam 2024 #Pico1k
Puzzle
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A #pico-8 homage to the groundbreaking 1993 PC Intro "Mars" by Tim Clarke. Produced for the 2024 #pico1k jam.
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Submission for the Sept 2024 pico8 game jam
Puzzle
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Remember the good old days... when everyday was an adventure.
Simulation
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