TIC-80 is a free and open source fantasy computer for making, playing and sharing tiny games.
There are built-in tools for development: code, sprites, maps, sound editors and the command line, which is enough to create a mini retro game. At the exit you will get a cartridge file, which can be stored and played on the website.
Also, the game can be packed into a player that works on all popular platforms and distribute as you wish. To make a retro styled game the whole process of creation takes place under some technical limitations: 240x136 pixels display, 16 color palette, 256 8x8 color sprites, 4 channel sound and etc.
Features
Multiple programming languages: Lua, Moonscript, Javascript, Ruby, Wren, Fennel, Squirrel, Janet, and Python.
Games can have mouse and keyboard as input
Games can have up to 4 controllers as input (with up to 8 buttons, each)
Built-in editors: for code, sprites, world maps, sound effects and music
An additional memory bank: load different assets from your cartridge while your game is executing.
This is a difficult app to categorize as it is not an emulator and it's sole purpose is the development and play of retro '80s style games on modern devices. It is a virtual game console.
Development ceased in early 2023 for several reasons.
1.) It is a finished and well tested app.
2.) Hosting costs became extreme as more people became aware of the app.
3.) Google humped the donkey by cutting off user access to the DATA folder and broke the app (as they did to an estimated eleven million game's).
The developers took the work in a different direction, online virtual web hosted version and got corporate funding. Unfortunately, Android was abandoned and games once free are now pay-to-play.
I scoured the web looking for games.
I spent weeks trying to undo the damage Google did.
Unfortunately, as with the original developers, I have concluded that nothing short of a complete remake will fix the problem.
That problem being, for TIC-80 to load games they must be bought and download, or, side-loaded.
If a person has Android 6-10 or a rooted device this is very simple. Unzip the archive of games and move them into the Android/Data/com.nesbox.tic/files
If a person has Android 11 up on a standard non-rooted device, this is very difficult and should be done in the same fashion of adding OBB cache.
While root is not needed to run the app, it makes using it far simpler.
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