Pixl8 has reached version 1.6.5 and with the last 5 game addition we have reached the consistent number of 47 games featured. As the number start to be high I wanted to give the users a proper showcase of the games included to have an idea what to expect from each of them, so I updated the website to include a video preview for each of them, plus a link to the BBS to have more details.
I think Pahammond made the greatest number of demakes from original games. I don't think we can see any of them featured in Pixl8 due license problems but you can install them yourself. Do you like demakes or prefer original games?
well I've finally completed Celeste, but I couldn't do it without save states, I'm not so good to be able to finish it in one session. Are you using save states for pico8?
A little preview on the new featured games that will be added to Pixl8 from the next version (v1.6.5)
Hi r/pico8! This release of Pixl8 is a big one, big enough to actually make a post about.
I'm introducing two major features:
Remote multiplayer lets you play 2-player PICO-8 games with a friend, each on your own device. The most reliable way is over the same Wi-Fi, but it also works with an ad-hoc connection created by the app. There's also an experimental internet mode: I set up a rendezvous server that shows which of your friends are online, so you can send each other game invites, sometimes it will have to act as a relay if the two wifi can't connect directly. Not every wifi can support this remote plays, so if you are behind a corporate/university wifi probably will not work, that's why is experimental, I tested it but I can't cover by myself the hundreds of different cases that may exist, please be patient if does not work, enjoy the local multi-play, that one is gold.
Lastly, I did not include playing with mobile data, that would introduce another level of complexity that I would like to avoid now.
One thing to clarify upfront: hosting/inviting requires the in-app purchase. If you've already bought it, you're good, this is a bonus you get with this update. If you're invited to a game, you don't need to buy anything, just play.
If someone nearby is in the multiplayer lobby too, you'll see them in the list, you can even challenge a random player if you're feeling adventurous. Everything else is strictly between friends you add yourself (by playing with them or entering their friend code).
Only the host needs to own the game, Player 2 receives a copy from the host and keeps it. Very 3DS Download Play, but better, you can keep the game.
One fun way to kick off a game: when you're nearby, enter the lobby and shake both devices at the same time. For full details, check the how-to on the website.
There aren't many multiplayer PICO-8 games out there, I hope this inspires more devs to explore the genre. I've put together a page with some good ones: https://pixl8.dev/mp-games.html
(just links to the BBS, not hosting anything)
NFC cards are the second feature. I've heard people want more physical game, and this is a fun way to make physical games out of something that never was.
Here's a demo on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/macs.eurosky.social/post/3mpvjatjotk22
Grab some blank NFC cards, build your collection, and launch games instantly by tapping. Most modern smartphones have NFC, so you're covered. It's a pity that most handhelds don't have it.
Hey devs: you could 3D-print cards of your games to sell as exclusives for your fans. A nice way for your community to support you with something tangible.
Please let me know what you think!
Hi r/SBCGaming, I'm Macs, the developer behind the Android wrapper to play the original PICO-8. I read the comments about it here often and I'm really happy you're enjoying it. In the midst of the flood of posts about Retroid Nova (probably I will buy it), I'm here today to present my new project: Pixl8, just released on the Play Store.
What is Pixl8 in short?
Longer one:
Pixl8 is built on top of Z8lua, developed from the ground up to reach maximum compatibility with the latest API (0.2.7 at the moment). It's the fruit of months of hard work to get the finest details right and even today I still occasionally run into small issues that take hours to track down by running it side by side with the original PICO-8.
Why build this? The Android wrapper is admittedly still the best way to get the authentic PICO-8 experience, but its peculiar architecture hangs on a few assumptions that could disappear one day. It targets an old Android API, which already raises warnings during installation and will likely result in complete install refusal in future Android versions. Pixl8 doesn't have those problems, it's completely native.
What you won't find is Splore. You won't be able to browse Zep's library, not because it's impossible, but out of respect: an app I build shouldn't rely on infrastructure Zep pays for to run PICO-8. Instead, I've spent the past months reaching out to game developers to get permission to feature their games in the app. You'll find a curated list of great games already included, games I personally love. Anything else you can add by pointing the app at a folder with your own collection.
All of this is free, with no ads and no nag screens. The optional in-app purchase covers features not normally available in PICO-8: save states, a GDB-style debugger, and a script engine to record and replay game sessions. None of that is required to play, it's there if you want it and want to support the project.
Drama:
Now the delicate part. I've been a professional developer for about 25 years, and my work has taken a hit from the AI wave recently. It's not the first time a revolution has hit this field and historically, the only way to survive has been to get good at the new tools or get left behind. So yes, among the many tools I use to develop, I've incorporated AI assistance in some phases.
I'm firmly against the flood of AI slop out there, but AI itself is a tool and in the hands of experienced people, it can help them move faster and solve problems that would have been impossible to tackle alone. You may have noticed some emulation projects making incredible leaps recently… in some cases, that's exactly what's happening.
I wanted to be upfront about this, the mods told me it's a sensitive subject and transparency matters. I'm a solo developer shipping this essentially for free, and using professional judgment about my tools is how I made it possible to deliver this quality level at all.
I hope you enjoy Pixl8 as much as I enjoyed making it. It's made with love for this platform and I'm particularly fond of the Wear OS integration. Probably completely useless for most of people.. but what best reason to do it anyway? Playing PICO-8 on a watch is just neat.
(Head to Pixl8.dev for how-tos, FAQ, and bug reports.)
Hi, I made an Android app called Pixl8 to play PICO-8 games on your smartwatch, and today I'm announcing the Wear OS integration.
If you don't know PICO-8, it's an 8-bit fantasy console created by Zep of Lexaloffle, with thousands of games written by the community. You can also program your own games in Lua and with Pixl8, run them on your smartwatch.
Pixl8 comes with a curated list of games whose devs kindly agreed to have them bundled with it. There are no paid games on the platform, the in-app purchase is to support development and unlocks some extra features like save states.
I'm here to ask if anyone is willing to test it a bit and give me feedback before I decide to release it to production.
Anyone can join the testing program here:
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/be.codedreams.pixl8
Hi r/pico8, I'm back for an update on Pixl8. I promise I won't do this every time, but this one was a notable upgrade.
As you can see from the video, this version also includes a Wear OS release, so you can play PICO-8 on smartwatches running that OS.
Does it make sense? Not for all kinds of games, for sure, but many play quite well not having complex controls. Anyway, I did it because I love seeing PICO-8 run on any kind of device.
Anyone willing to test it and give some feedback?
Hope you enjoy the video, I'm a beginner with Blender, but I wanted a nice showcase for the occasion!
Sorry for the wait, the app is available now! Please accept the invite:
https://play.google.com/apps/testing/be.codedreams.pixl8
Hi r/pico8! I'm Macs, some of you may know me from the Android wrapper app that lets you play the original PICO-8 on Android.
Today I'm want to introduce my new app, Pixl8, now open for public testing, if you want to join please accept this Invite
then the playstore link should be available to you: Link
Pixl8 is a from-scratch re-implementation of the PICO-8 engine compatible with the latest version ( 0.2.7 ), and not based on any existing emulator. It uses a modified version of z8lua by Sam Hocevar for the Lua interpreter.
The story behind it is that I love putting PICO-8 games where they don't belong. I started this project to run PICO-8 carts on a modded Game & Watch, where the original obviously couldn't fit. That was a real challenge, less than 1 MB of RAM available, but I got there. About 85% of carts run fine; the rest either run out of memory or slow down, especially the clever ones that squeeze every last trick out of the PICO-8 limits (you know who you are ).
Once the engine was mature enough, it felt natural to bring it to Android, where memory and CPU are no longer a constraint and everything can run at its best.
The app isn't empty, I spent the last few days reaching out to cart authors to ask permission to feature their games, and almost everyone said yes. I'm genuinely grateful; PICO-8 developers are wonderful people. If a game you love isn't there, it's either because I couldn't find the right contact / I'm waiting for an answer or it's simply not on my radar yet. I hope to add more with each release. Every featured cart is credited with a direct link to its BBS page.
Multi-cart games are supported too. For non-featured ones, you'll need to download the required carts yourself and drop them in a subfolder named `.multicarts`. Keep the original filenames and you're all set. If a cart is missing at runtime, the app will pause and ask for it by name. "Please insert cart...". I grew up with those messages, and I hope you'll enjoy the nostalgia.
I'd suggest using Pixl8 alongside the Android wrapper: use the wrapper to browse and download games from the BBS, point both apps at the same folder, and you're good to go.
Development tools I built while chasing PICO-8 compatibility are available as an optional in-app purchase that will help me continue its development:
- Save states
- GDB-style debugger ( see short video )
- Input recording & replay engine (works even with games that use randomisation )
Honestly? You don't need any of that to enjoy PICO-8 games and if save states are all you want, PicPic offers them for free I believe. Only buy if you want to support the project and get these extras.
Last, for bugs and issues: pixl8.dev will take you to the GitHub issue tracker.
That's it — hope you enjoy it!
EDIT:
Play Store is finishing rollout, link will be live shortly.