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Game Development · head to head

Pico-8 vs Pygame

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
Pygame logo

Pygame

Game Development

Python library for game development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pygame 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; Pygame licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1, free to use even in closed-source and commercial games, no paid tier
  • They diverge on capability: Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Pygame covers Graphics rendering.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pico-8 and Pygame actually diverge.

Attributes where Pico-8 and Pygame differ
AttributePico-8Pygame
Starting price$14.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry PiWindows, Macos, Linux, Android
Founded20052000

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
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges
  • GitHub

Only in Pygame

  • Graphics rendering
  • Audio playback
  • Input handling
  • Collision detection
  • Font rendering
  • Animation support
  • Event system
  • Python

Both cover

  • Sprite system
  • Local deployment
  • Windows support
  • Macos support
  • Linux support

What people use each for

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

Pico-8

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

Pygame

  • 2D game developmentnot Pico-8
  • Game prototypingnot Pico-8
  • Educational gamesnot Pico-8
  • Learning game developmentnot 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

Pygame

  • Licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1, free to use even in closed-source and commercial games, no paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

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

Pygame

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full library
    • Python support
    • Graphics rendering

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 Pygame if

  • You need graphics rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Android.
  • You also want audio playback.
Pygame review

Questions people ask

Is Pico-8 or Pygame better?
Neither clearly leads. Pico-8 starts at $14.99/one-time and Pygame at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pico-8 or Pygame?
Pygame has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14.99/one-time for Pico-8 and Free for Pygame.
Does Pico-8 or Pygame run on more platforms?
Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi. Pygame runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Android.
Can I use Pygame for free?
Yes. Pygame 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 Pygame is typically brought in for.
What can Pico-8 do that Pygame cannot?
Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Lua scripting, Built-in palette. Pygame covers Graphics rendering, Audio playback, Input handling, Collision detection. Both handle Sprite system, Local deployment, Windows support, Macos support.
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