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Game Development · head to head

Pico-8 vs Adventure Game Studio

Pico-8 logo

Pico-8

Game Development

A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games

From
$14.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Adventure Game Studio logo

Adventure Game Studio

Game Development

Create point-and-click adventure games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Adventure Game Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Pico-8 extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette; Adventure Game Studio the AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
  • They diverge on capability: Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pico-8 and Adventure Game Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Pico-8 and Adventure Game Studio differ
AttributePico-8Adventure Game Studio
Starting price$14.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry PiWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
Founded20051997

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Game Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Pico-8

  • Pixel art editor
  • Music composer
  • Lua scripting
  • Built-in palette
  • Sprite system
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges

Only in Adventure Game Studio

  • Point-and-click editor
  • Room system
  • Sprite animation
  • Built-in scripting
  • Inventory system
  • Dialog system
  • Audio support
  • Resolution scaling

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • Local deployment
  • Web deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Pico-8

  • Retro-style indie game developmentnot Adventure Game Studio
  • Educational game programmingnot Adventure Game Studio
  • Game jam participationnot Adventure Game Studio
  • Pixel art game creation with strict creative constraintsnot Adventure Game Studio

Adventure Game Studio

  • Building point-and-click adventure games in a classic Sierra or LucasArts stylenot Pico-8
  • Shipping a commercial or freeware adventure game with no licence feenot Pico-8
  • Scripting game logic in a Java or C# style language with a built-in debuggernot Pico-8

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Pico-8

  • Extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • Cart size capped at 32 kilobytes
  • Only 256 sprites of 8x8 pixels available
  • Map limited to 128x32 tiles
  • Monophonic sound synthesis with 4-channel chip synthesis only
  • Lua programming language exclusively; no other language support

Adventure Game Studio

  • The AGS editor and IDE run only on Windows (Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11), even though built games run on Linux, macOS, Android and iOS
  • The editor requires the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, and .NET Framework 4.5 on Windows 7 and Vista
  • Video playback supports only FLC and OGV (Ogg Theora) and is full-screen only; AVI and WMV support was dropped after version 3.6.0 and existed only on Windows builds
  • MSSCCI source control integration was discontinued in version 3.6.0
  • Graphics drivers are limited to Direct3D 9 and OpenGL
  • Audio format support is limited to OGG, MP3, WAV, MOD, XM and MIDI
  • Support is community-only through forums and Discord, with no vendor support channel

Pricing, plan by plan

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pico-8 review.

Adventure Game Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Built-in script editor
    • Room editor

Which should you pick?

Choose Pico-8 if

  • You need pixel art editor.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want music composer.
Pico-8 review

Choose Adventure Game Studio if

  • You need point-and-click editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want room system.
Adventure Game Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Pico-8 or Adventure Game Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Pico-8 starts at $14.99/one-time and Adventure Game Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pico-8 or Adventure Game Studio?
Adventure Game Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14.99/one-time for Pico-8 and Free for Adventure Game Studio.
Does Pico-8 or Adventure Game Studio run on more platforms?
Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi. Adventure Game Studio runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Adventure Game Studio for free?
Yes. Adventure Game Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pico-8 starts at $14.99/one-time.
What is Pico-8 best used for?
Pico-8 is most often used for retro-style indie game development, educational game programming, game jam participation, pixel art game creation with strict creative constraints. Of those, retro-style indie game development and educational game programming are not what Adventure Game Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Pico-8 do that Adventure Game Studio cannot?
Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Lua scripting, Built-in palette. Adventure Game Studio covers Point-and-click editor, Room system, Sprite animation, Built-in scripting. Both handle GitHub, Local deployment, Web deployment, Windows support.
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