thearcades [Lexaloffle Blog Feed]

Pico Panic, now with a tutorial and sprites!

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:30:14 UTC

picopanic

by thearcades

[Click to Play]

Pico Panic was inspired by boundary-pushing games like Dani Bunten's M.U.L.E. The game is meant to be inscrutable from the outside but full of strategy and fun for anyone in on the secret.

Staying under the 64k limit was a massive challenge. I had to rewrite the source code with a functional approach to make all the logic work without going over. Also, A lot of fancy graphics had to be tossed overboard because this game can max out at tracking 40 pieces on the board simultaneously.

Game has its own tutorial, but the controls are as follows:

Cursor mode:
UDLR - move your player cursor
X - enter placement mode
O - switch to the next cursor mode (Cycles between cursor - place defender, cursor - place attacker, and capture mode)

Placement mode:
LR- rotate piece
UD - switch which color piece you're playing (if you have a prisoner)
X - confirm placement
O - Return to cursor mode

Capture mode:
UDLR - move cursor
X - capture highlighted piece (if possible)
O - Go back to cursor mode.

Feedback welcome - I'm eventually planning a campy, 2-minute explainer filmed in the style of an 80s/90s video game guide VHS, but that'll have to wait until I publish to itch. The script looks like this:

[VHS Static Fade-In, Synth Music Swells]

Hey there, gamers! Are YOU ready to step up to the CHALLENGE of these Pico Pyramids? Think you’ve got what it takes to become a PYRAMID MASTER like us here at Arcades? Well, buckle up, pixel warriors! Welcome to Pico Panic!

[Fast zoom-in to Max Arcade, pixelated sunglasses on]

I’m your buddy, Max Arcade, and I’m here to transform you pyramid putzes into PYRAMID LEGENDS!

PICO PANIC is a thrilling showdown for 2 to 4 players, battling it out on the cosmic starfield! Your mission? Score mega points by skillfully deploying ATTACKERS and DEFENDERS.

But here’s the kicker: defend your defenders and cleverly redirect enemy lasers, or your pyramids will crumble like yesterday’s chips! Keep those wits sharp—each round lasts a lightning-fast 3 MINUTES!

Now grab your Pico-8 controller, future legend! Let’s get familiar:

CURSOR MODE:

Use your D-Pad (Up, Down, Left, Right) to zip that cursor around the field.
PRIMARY BUTTON: Enter Placement Mode.
SECONDARY BUTTON: Switch between defenders, attackers, and capture mode.

PLACEMENT MODE:

LEFT/RIGHT: Rotate your pyramid.
UP/DOWN: Switch the pyramid from your stash.
PRIMARY BUTTON: Lock your piece in place.
SECONDARY BUTTON: Cancel back to cursor mode.

CAPTURE MODE:
UDLR - move cursor
Primary button: capture piece under cursor
Secondary button: go to cursor mode

Yeah, it's a lot to get under your fingers at first, but that's why it's pico PANIC! your friends are gonna be panicking - but not you, future PYRAMID MASTER!

You have TWO epic pyramid types:

DEFENDERS: Place these bad boys anywhere on the starfield.
ATTACKERS: These must aim their lasers at a defender—yours OR an opponent’s.

[Screen flashes with a buzzer sound]

Hear THAT? It means you’re breaking the rules—try again, hotshot!

Every player MUST keep at least ONE LIVE DEFENDER active. If ALL your defenders get hit by TWO or more lasers, they’re TOAST, and you’ll have to drop a new one. (Don’t sweat it—the game has your back and'll force you to do this!)

Defenders stay ALIVE with 0 or 1 lasers hitting them. BUT WATCH OUT! Two lasers hitting a defender mean it’s LIGHTS OUT for that pyramid!

But wait, here’s the twist: if MORE THAN TWO lasers target a defender, it gets OVERCHARGED! When that happens, slam your cursor into CAPTURE MODE to snag enemy pyramids and add them to your stash!

HOW DO YOU GET CAPTURES?

Talk it out! Pico Panic is all about wheeling, dealing, forming alliances, and BACKSTABBING your pals. Remember, it’s just three minutes—what happens in Pico Panic stays in Pico Panic…

[Extreme pixel close-up, dramatic synth chord]

RIGHT?

[VHS static fade-out, epic retro music outro]

NOW go forth, gamers, and DOMINATE the PYRAMIDS!

Hope you have fun!

Screen reader support?

Fri, 30 May 2025 13:47:21 UTC

I’m a low-vision developer who recently fell head-over-heels for Pico-8 and Picotron—honestly, the low-res aesthetic is a game-changer for central vision loss. With fewer pixels and tight constraints, these platforms are some of the most playable and buildable game dev environments I’ve come across.

That said, I’ve been running into some accessibility bumps—especially with the IDE tooltips. The red-on-brick-red color scheme is tough to parse, and jumping my gaze from one side of the screen to the other really adds up in eye strain over long sessions.

Here’s my wishlist:
• Screen reader support: If tooltips and field labels had ARIA tags or other hooks for screen readers, I could fly through tools without as much visual fatigue.
• Retro screen reader mode: Even better? Imagine a built-in reader that sounds like an old-school ’80s computer voice. Bleeps, bloops, the whole vibe. Functional and fun.

I know accessibility work takes time, but even a small tweak—like upping the contrast on tooltips—would go a long way. I’d love to hear if others have worked around this or if it’s on the roadmap.

Thanks for making such a magical little machine.

Pico Panic, ready for playtesting!

Fri, 30 May 2025 03:15:32 UTC

picopanic

by thearcades

[Click to Play]

Ten days of hyperfocus later, I have a working playtest ready!

The "how to play" section needs a lot of love, but the game is functional. The logic is based on the Andy Looney game Icehouse (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjow6EJflw4&t=192s), which is a real time board game played with 3-4 players.

Pico Panic!

Thu, 29 May 2025 05:09:24 UTC

picopanic

by thearcades

[Click to Play]

A new WiP for a 4 player RTS game. It's also my first pico project. yay!

Pyramid Panic – A Game of Tactical Geometry 🚀

Hey PICO‑8 pals! I’m brewing a snappy 3–4‑player skirmish where every pyramid you fling can flip the table. Try it, break it, tell me what hurts!

Quick Pitch

Redirect lasers? Nah—redirect pyramids! Stack attacks, juggle defenses, and overload your rivals before the buzzer.

Controls

Each player drives one cursor with three modes (cycle with ⬅️ / ➡️):

Mode	What it does
Attack	Plant an 8‑pixel pyramid aimed at any defender. Hitting your own defender scores 0 but still fuels Overcharge.
Defend	Keep a defender alive at all times. Lose it and you’ve got 10 s to drop another or you’re out.
Capture	Triggered by Overcharge—snatch an attacker pointed at your defender, then redeploy it anywhere.

Scoring

We recalc right after every placement:

Attackers earn 1 pt if 2 + attackers point at the same defender of another color.
Defenders earn 1 pt if facing 0 – 1 attackers.
Everything else = 0.

Each player totes 6 pieces → 36 pyramids max in a 4‑player frenzy.

Overcharge ⚡

Three or more attackers locking on one defender? That defender Overcharges. Its owner gets an instant Capture move before play rolls on.

Endgame

3‑minute round timer, or
Player 1 may end early by holding both buttons 5 s.

Highest score wins. Tie = sudden‑death; first point steals the crown.

State of the Panic

Alpha build live! I need your hot takes on:

Attack/defense balance
Is six pieces each spicy enough?
Can you always tell which cursor mode you’re in?

Drop feedback, gifs, and victory dances below. Salty taunts encouraged.

Pyramid Panic - a WIP loosely based on Icehouse

Mon, 19 May 2025 02:19:02 UTC

pyramiddemo

by thearcades

[Click to Play]

First pico-8 game. My old trig brain is getting a workout from this!

Game mechanics are loosely based on Andy Looney's game Icehouse.