What it is
PicoPlayer is a minimalist, open-source website that collects over 150 hand-picked PICO-8 games into a single, fast-playing browser hub. The entire site — games included — downloads in under 4 megabytes, and games can be hotswapped into the player for near-instant switching.
From the developer
In the developer’s own words, from picoplayer.net.
Hi HN! I just released a new minimalist website that lets you play over 150 PICO 8 games on the web that I curated myself. It's fully open source and made from the ground up to be tiny and fast, allowing you to switch games instantly by hotswapping them into the game player. The website also works as a PWA that works on mobile and can run offline after launching it once! The entire website with all 150+ games can be downloaded in under 4 megabytes of internet use. Any feedback or questions are welcome. Enjoy! GitHub Repo: https://github.com/popcar2/PicoPlayer Technical details on how it works: https://picoplayer.net/technical_deets
Editor takes
“As a curation piece it's admirably tight — the whole thing ships under 4MB and hotswaps games instantly — but it's a well-polished frame around other people's work, not a game with its own arc.”
“The minimalist shell does the right thing by getting out of the way, letting PICO-8's chunky pixels and chiptune loops speak for themselves, though the site itself is so bare it offers zero visual personality of its own.”
“With 150+ curated games there's plenty of variety to cycle through, but there's no progression, score, or reason to return beyond the novelty of the catalogue itself.”
How to play
Open the site in any modern browser and pick a game from the curated list. The app also works as a progressive web app: install it on mobile or desktop, and it can run offline after the first launch.
Tips
- Use the hotswap feature to switch between games without reloading the page.
- Install the PWA for offline play after a single visit.
- Check the technical details page and GitHub repo for how the tiny footprint is achieved.
Questions
Is PicoPlayer a game itself?
No — it's a curated collection and launcher for PICO-8 games, all playable through one minimalist web interface.
How many games are included?
Over 150 PICO-8 games, curated by the developer.
Does it work offline?
Yes. As a PWA, it can run offline after being launched once.
Comments 0
Log in to comment
No comments yet. Share a tip, a bug or your best moment.