TIC-80 is a fantasy console: a machine that never physically existed, whose hardware specifications were invented and then frozen in order to impose creative constraints. Released in 2017 by Vadim Grigoruk (Nesbox), it is entirely free and open source, which explains its popularity in game jams. Its specification: a 240 × 136 pixel screen, a 16-colour palette, four sound channels and 64 KB of code per cartridge.
Like its competitors, TIC-80 bundles all of its tools: code editor, sprite editor, map editor, music tracker and command console, all in the same window. Its distinctive feature is the choice of language: a TIC-80 game can be written in Lua, JavaScript, Wren, Fennel, Squirrel or Python, among others. Finished games are exported as .tic cartridges and shared on the project's official website.
| Type | Fantasy console |
| Author | Vadim Grigoruk (Nesbox) |
| Availability | 2017 |
| Resolution | 240 × 136 pixels |
| Palette | 16 colours |
| Code | 64 KB per cartridge |
| Sound | 4 channels |
| Languages | Lua, JavaScript, Wren, Fennel, Squirrel, Python… |
| Controller | Mandatory |
📷 Screenshot coming soon:
system-tic80.png
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro tic80 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The system relies on a single emulator, Libretro tic80, available on every board, including the most modest ones. Netplay is supported, as well as CRT output. RetroAchievements are not available on this system.
Recalbox ships with five TIC-80 games: 8 Bit Panda, Cauliflower Power, Secret Agents, Shadow Over The Twelve Lands and Todor. You can therefore try the system without downloading anything. See the Included games page.
No BIOS is required for this system.
This system has a built-in downloader: open its menu and pick DOWNLOAD GAMES so that Recalbox fetches a selection of free games and installs them into the roms folder. A network connection is required.
Put your cartridges in:
/recalbox/share/roms/tic80/
Accepted extensions: .tic, .zip, .7z
A .tic cartridge contains the code, the graphics and the music of the game all at once: there is nothing else to install. Games can be downloaded from the project's official website, where the community publishes its creations, often under a free licence.
Deleting the included games from a roms folder can make the system disappear from the menu, since a system is only shown when it contains at least one game.
Also have a look at the TIC-80 guide for game preparation, configuration and system-specific tips.