PICO-8 Fantasy Console Code Camp

In this hands-on camp, students become indie game creators—building their own retro-style video games using PICO-8, a “fantasy console” designed for making classic 8-bit games. Along the way, they’ll explore what made early video games fun and memorable, then use those ideas as inspiration for games they design and build themselves.
Ideal for students who already have some coding experience.
What students will do:
- Make playable video games in PICO-8
- Create pixel art using tools like Piskel, then bring it into their games
- Play and analyze games made by other students and creators online
- Try retro games (online or in person) to spark ideas for mechanics, characters, and levels
Skills students will learn:
- Core coding concepts in a typed coding environment:
- Variables
- Functions
- Loops
- Conditionals
- Pixel art fundamentals: Color choices, shading, and dithering
- The early history of video games, especially classic 8-bit games
- The basic flow of game design: brainstorming, prototyping, building, testing, and improving
What they’ll create
- One or more original PICO-8 games
- Custom pixel art (sprites, tiles, backgrounds, UI)
- 8-bit music and sound effects to bring their games to life
Suggested Age Range: 11-15
Class Format
The day is divided into learning blocks of 60-90 minutes with breaks, lunch and plenty of other enrichment activities built in!
The age range is a suggestion. This camp works well across many age groups. Contact us to ask if you have questions - we can let you know what the current age range of those booked is.