What Is a TIC-80 Cartridge and How Is It Used?

Updated

A TIC-80 cartridge is the single file you get when you finish a game in TIC-80, the free and open source "fantasy computer" for making, playing and sharing tiny games. You can store and play that cartridge on the TIC-80 website, or pack it into a player that runs on popular platforms and distribute it however you like. This applies to anyone building a mini retro game inside TIC-80's built-in tools; if you only want to play existing games, you don't need to create a cartridge at all.

What the cartridge contains

TIC-80 bundles its development tools into one environment: code, sprite, map and sound editors plus a command line. When you finish, that work is saved as a cartridge file. Because everything the game needs lives in that one file, it can be moved between the website and a standalone player without a separate asset bundle.

The cartridge also inherits the platform's technical limits, which shape what fits inside it:

Limit Value
Display 240x136 pixels
Palette 16 colors
Sprites 256 8x8 color sprites
Sound 4 channels

These constraints are part of the format's appeal: a cartridge is small enough to share easily and runs consistently wherever TIC-80 runs.

How a cartridge is used

There are three practical stages:

  1. Create. Work inside TIC-80's editors until the game is playable, then save it as a cartridge file.
  2. Store and play on the website. Upload the cartridge to tic80.com, where it can be stored and played in the browser. The site's "New & Popular Carts" section shows this in action — entries like BLUEYVANIA by fizzii01, SPEED by Andrey Listopadov, and BAD APPLE (PCM AUDIO) by HanamileH are cartridges published for others to play.
  3. Package and distribute. Export the cartridge into a player that works on all popular platforms, then share it under whatever terms you choose.

Verifying it works

After saving, load the cartridge back into TIC-80 or open it on the website and play through the game. If sprites, maps or audio are missing, the cartridge wasn't saved with all its assets — re-save from the project rather than from a partial export.

Common sticking points

  • Expecting more than the limits allow. Plan art and sound around 240x136 pixels, 16 colors, 256 sprites and 4 channels from the start; retrofitting later usually means redrawing.
  • Assuming a cartridge is only for the website. It is equally the input for a standalone player, so the same file serves both online play and offline distribution.
  • Forgetting the distribution choice is yours. The platform provides the packaging route; how and where you share the result is up to you.

To see finished examples before building your own, browse the cartridge listings on tic80.com and open a few to see how other creators work within the same limits.