TIC-80 includes a powerful built-in code editor to assist with game development. It's entirely possible to design, code, and maintain a game without ever leaving the TIC-80 environment.

On top right of the code editor several buttons allow to:

• Switch font. The code editor uses two fonts and allows to switch from the default larger font to the alternative smaller one.
• Show shadow of the font.
• Run cart (hotkey: CTRL+R).
• Drag tool.
• Find provided text.
• Go to line number provided.
• Show Bookmark list.
• Show code Outline.

Custom Colors

Colors used in the code editor can be customized using the configuration file.

Code Structure

It is good practice to start cartridges by the metadata tags. In particular, the script tag is required when another language than Lua is used for the virtual machine to know.

At the core of every game is a loop that updates the game and renders new frames. In TIC-80, this is managed by the TIC() function:

-- # Metadata Tags:
-- title:   game title
-- author:  game developer, email, etc.
-- script:  lua --required to run cart if not lua

-- # Code outside TIC() runs once at program start.
-- Declare variables, functions, initialize

function TIC()
    -- # Code inside TIC() runs ~60 times per second.
    -- Handle inputs, update game state

    cls() -- Clear the screen
    -- Render graphics, characters, objects, backgrounds, etc.
end

Look at the Hello World cartridge as an example of TIC-80 code.

Note: Clearing the screen at every frame is not necessary but avoids annoying artifacts.

Please see API Reference for a full list of built-in functions or to download a quick function reference cheat sheet.

Code Editor Hotkeys

CTRL+F                  Find.
CTRL+G                  Go to line.
CTRL+P/N                Move to previous/next line.
CTRL+F1                 Bookmark current line.
F1                      Move to next bookmark.
CTRL+B                  Show bookmark list.
CTRL+O                  Show code outline.
RIGHT CLICK             Drag.
CTRL+TAB                Indent line.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB          Unindent line.
CTRL+/                  Comment/Uncomment line.

The general hotkeys are available in the code editor too.

Using an External Editor

The PRO version allows to use an external editor to write your code, if that is your preference.