Write Playdate Games in Zig

https://gist.github.com/DanB91/4236e82025bb21f2a0d7d72482e391d8

by hasheddan • 4 years ago

143 26 4 years ago

gist.github.com

srgpqt• 4 years ago

Appears to be something like a Zig SDK for https://play.date/

So after watching their teaser [1], playdate is a handheld gaming device with exclusive games on it every week available via WiFi.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdF3CnFvxg4

jedisct1• 4 years ago

Oh, yes, this is Panic's game system.

I didn't follow that the project had made so much progress. Damn, it looks insanely cool. A black & white screen is quite limiting for games, though.

Zig looks like a perfect language for such a platform.

otachack• 4 years ago

Applying limits is a catalyst for creation. Not having to deal with limitless colors, in Panic's Playdate example, frees up to think about gameplay, mechanics, and story instead.

tgv• 4 years ago

Color does appeal to buyers, though. A B/W game system is doomed to a niche position.

Uehreka• 4 years ago

Personally, I think it’s an interesting gimmick, but if I’m being honest I wouldn’t say that dealing with color actually limits my ability to think about other things when developing software/games.

sonofhans2• 4 years ago

It is insanely cool, and fun. For sure it would be a different type of fun with a color screen, and not all to the benefit.

For one thing, they’re somewhat expensive for little toys: $179. I bet a megacorp making 10 million at a time could do it more cheaply, but Panic seems to be doing it in batches of thousands. A backlit color screen would boost that cost. Then they’d need a bigger battery to provide the same life (~8 hours playtime), which would increase cost and maybe size.

Then yes, while the games would be cooler in some ways, they’d also take more time to develop. One nice thing about Playdate gameplay so far is that it feels very pure: just a few controls and an interesting puzzle. They’ve distilled the fun down to as simple an experience as they can.

cableshaft2• 4 years ago

That $179 price includes 24 newly made games (by that I mean not just tossing some retro roms on the device) by various developers, including some bigger names.

I'm sure those developers are getting a cut of that for compensation for their efforts. Wouldn't be surprised if at least $40-50 of that cost is just going to the developers of those games. Assuming there's 24 developers, that means they're only getting between $1-2 per device sold, that's nothing huge.

danb91• 4 years ago

Oh wow, thanks for the post here, hasheddan! Just an FYI for everyone, I had heard people were interested in writing Zig for the Playdate, so I put out some code I have for a game I've been developing on Twitch.

I do plan on having a more complete template in a proper Github repo at some point in the future when the code is more complete. When that is finished I'll post it on my Twitter @dbokser91. Feel free to reach out if anyone has questions about this code!

davidwritesbugs• 4 years ago

Waiting for the Doom port. Though serious question: what if you get a game you really like can you opt to keep it? Is it a one game at a time?

S1ngleM4lt• 4 years ago

From their FAQ:

Q: Do games get deleted when the week is over? A: Absolutely not. You keep the games forever.

https://help.play.date/games/season/

sonofhans2• 4 years ago

No, the games stack up. Every Monday we get 2 new games, and all the prior games stay on the device. A Playdate has 4GB, and games are pretty small, so there’s lots of room. Panic has this documented — https://sdk.play.date/1.11.1/Inside%20Playdate.html#_game_si...

You can delete games and then download them again. Panic fully supports sideloading games, too.

PinkMilkshake• 4 years ago

https://devforum.play.date/t/doom-on-playdate/852

Shadonototra• 4 years ago

what a refreshing language, everything is in zig including the build script! that's perfect

TheDesolate02• 4 years ago

No, lol.

That's what the world needs... More plastic garbage

DrewRWx2• 4 years ago

Wow, that is shortsighted. The Playdate development community has cultivated a sense of art and exploration in gamedev from AAA to indie devs that I haven't seen in a long time! (Or at least since the PICO--8.)

AnIdiotOnTheNet• 4 years ago

Eh.... I kind of agree with parent actually. This could easily have been a VM for phones and PCs the intended audience almost certainly already have. Instead it produces a niche product that I suspect will 40% be bought to look good on people's shelves, 20% with vague intention to develop for it that never gets realized so it ends up in a drawer like so many Raspberry Pis and Arduinos, and 90% will be in a landfill in 30 years.

I might have bought it in that case, but even though I know some of the developers listed for this thing are incredibly good, I just don't need more trinkets in my life personally, not even taking into account the environmental cost (which is admittedly relatively tiny).

TheDesolate02• 4 years ago

No it's hand cranked plastic garbage.

seba_dos1• 4 years ago

Last time I checked, doing things like that seemed forbidden by Playdate's SDK license. Did it change already?

Write Playdate Games in Zig

Related Stories