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Learn Pico8-lua - 10 Code Examples & CST Typing Practice Test

PICO-8 Lua is a fantasy console and sandboxed Lua environment designed for creating small, retro-style games. It combines a virtual hardware environment with Lua scripting, graphics, sound, and cartridge management for game development and rapid prototyping.

View all 10 Pico8-lua code examples →

Pico-8 Lua Button Press Counter Pico-8 Lua Color Toggle Pico-8 Lua Score Tracker Pico-8 Lua Simple Timer Pico-8 Lua Health Bar Pico-8 Lua Level Tracker Pico-8 Lua Coin Counter Pico-8 Lua Power-Up Timer Pico-8 Lua Ammo Counter Pico-8 Lua Star Collector

Learn PICO8-LUA with Real Code Examples

Updated Nov 21, 2025

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Code Sample Descriptions

1

Pico-8 Lua Button Press Counter

count = 0

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Button Count: "..count, 10, 10, 7)
end

function buttonPress()
    count = count + 1
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
buttonPress()
buttonPress()

Counts button presses and displays the current count on the screen.

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2

Pico-8 Lua Color Toggle

isDark = false

function updateUI()
    cls(isDark and 0 or 7)
    print("Theme: "..(isDark and "Dark" or "Light"), 10, 10, 7)
end

function toggleTheme()
    isDark = not isDark
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
toggleTheme()
toggleTheme()

Toggles the background color between dark and light themes.

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3

Pico-8 Lua Score Tracker

score = 0

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Score: "..score, 10, 10, 7)
end

function increment()
    score = score + 10
    updateUI()
end

function decrement()
    score = score - 5
    updateUI()
end

function reset()
    score = 0
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
increment()
decrement()
reset()

Tracks a player score with increment, decrement, and reset functions.

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4

Pico-8 Lua Simple Timer

time = 0

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Time: "..time.." sec", 10, 10, 7)
end

function tick()
    time = time + 1
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
tick()
tick()
tick()

Counts seconds and displays the elapsed time.

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5

Pico-8 Lua Health Bar

health = 100

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Health: "..health, 10, 10, 7)
end

function damage(amount)
    health = health - amount
    updateUI()
end

function heal(amount)
    health = health + amount
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
damage(20)
heal(10)

Displays a health value and updates it with damage and healing.

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6

Pico-8 Lua Level Tracker

level = 1

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Level: "..level, 10, 10, 7)
end

function nextLevel()
    level = level + 1
    updateUI()
end

function resetLevel()
    level = 1
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
nextLevel()
nextLevel()
resetLevel()

Tracks the current game level with increment and reset.

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7

Pico-8 Lua Coin Counter

coins = 0

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Coins: "..coins, 10, 10, 7)
end

function collectCoin()
    coins = coins + 1
    updateUI()
end

function loseCoin()
    coins = coins - 1
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
collectCoin()
collectCoin()
loseCoin()

Counts collected coins in a game.

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8

Pico-8 Lua Power-Up Timer

powerTime = 10

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Power-Up Time: "..powerTime, 10, 10, 7)
end

function tick()
    powerTime = powerTime - 1
    updateUI()
end

function resetPower()
    powerTime = 10
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
tick()
tick()
resetPower()

Counts down power-up duration and resets.

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9

Pico-8 Lua Ammo Counter

ammo = 10

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Ammo: "..ammo, 10, 10, 7)
end

function shoot()
    ammo = ammo - 1
    updateUI()
end

function reload()
    ammo = 10
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
shoot()
shoot()
reload()

Tracks ammo usage with reload and shoot actions.

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10

Pico-8 Lua Star Collector

stars = 0

function updateUI()
    cls()
    print("Stars: "..stars, 10, 10, 7)
end

function collectStar()
    stars = stars + 1
    updateUI()
end

function loseStar()
    stars = stars - 1
    updateUI()
end

-- Simulate actions
updateUI()
collectStar()
collectStar()
loseStar()

Counts collected stars and shows progress.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pico8-lua

What is Pico8-lua?

PICO-8 Lua is a fantasy console and sandboxed Lua environment designed for creating small, retro-style games. It combines a virtual hardware environment with Lua scripting, graphics, sound, and cartridge management for game development and rapid prototyping.

What are the primary use cases for Pico8-lua?

Retro-style 2D games. Game jam prototypes. Interactive demos. Educational programming projects. Creative coding and art experiments

What are the strengths of Pico8-lua?

Encourages creativity with tight limitations. All-in-one development environment. Lightweight and easy to learn for beginners. Immediate feedback and iterative development. Strong community with shared cartridges and tutorials

What are the limitations of Pico8-lua?

Limited memory, code, and screen resolution. Not suitable for complex or commercial-scale games. Sandboxed environment restricts external libraries. No native 3D support. Exporting beyond fantasy console may require additional adaptation

How can I practice Pico8-lua typing speed?

CodeSpeedTest offers 10+ real Pico8-lua code examples for typing practice. You can measure your WPM, track accuracy, and improve your coding speed with guided exercises.

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