PICO-8 vs Bitsy

Struggling to choose between PICO-8 and Bitsy? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PICO-8 is a Gaming Software solution with tags like retro, fantasy, console, lua, tiny-games.

It boasts features such as Retro 8-bit aesthetic, Built-in code editor, sprite editor and sound effects editor, 128x128 pixel screen resolution, Lua programming language support, Cartridge sharing format (.p8) to easily share games, Mouse, keyboard and gamepad controller support, Export games to stand-alone executables and pros including Easy to learn and use, Active community support, Very affordable, Cross-platform support, Encourages creativity with limitations.

On the other hand, Bitsy is a Games product tagged with pixel-art, game-engine, game-editor, sprite-editor, tilemap-editor, 2d-games.

Its standout features include Pixel art editor, Game engine, Drawing sprites, Drawing tiles, Drawing backgrounds, Building game worlds, Basic scripting capabilities, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Simple editing tools, Good for small games and experiments.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

PICO-8

PICO-8

PICO-8 is a fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs. It feels like a regular console, but runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and inside browsers. Programs are written in Lua and share cartridges in .p8 format.

Categories:
retro fantasy console lua tiny-games

PICO-8 Features

  1. Retro 8-bit aesthetic
  2. Built-in code editor, sprite editor and sound effects editor
  3. 128x128 pixel screen resolution
  4. Lua programming language support
  5. Cartridge sharing format (.p8) to easily share games
  6. Mouse, keyboard and gamepad controller support
  7. Export games to stand-alone executables

Pricing

  • One-time Purchase

Pros

Easy to learn and use

Active community support

Very affordable

Cross-platform support

Encourages creativity with limitations

Cons

Limited resolution and color palette

No 3D support

Limited distribution options

Steep learning curve for total beginners


Bitsy

Bitsy

Bitsy is a free and open-source web-based pixel art editor and game engine designed for making small games and experiments. It features simple editing tools for drawing sprites, tiles, backgrounds, and building game worlds along with basic scripting capabilities.

Categories:
pixel-art game-engine game-editor sprite-editor tilemap-editor 2d-games

Bitsy Features

  1. Pixel art editor
  2. Game engine
  3. Drawing sprites
  4. Drawing tiles
  5. Drawing backgrounds
  6. Building game worlds
  7. Basic scripting capabilities

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Simple editing tools

Good for small games and experiments

Cons

Limited functionality compared to full game engines

Scripting capabilities are basic

Not suitable for large or complex games