Are you ready to unleash your creativity and bring retro-style gaming to life? Look no further than the BEEP-8 SDK, a revolutionary tool for developing games and tools for the virtual fantasy console. With its unique blend of modern programmability and nostalgic hardware constraints, this platform is perfect for developers of all levels.

Instantly Accessible

Try BEEP-8 instantly without installing anything – just open it in your mobile browser or desktop computer! This means you can play sample games, upload your own .b8 ROMs, or share them online with ease. The SDK works seamlessly on a variety of devices and operating systems, including iPhone, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Cross-Platform Development

The BEEP-8 SDK is designed to be cross-platform, supporting development environments like Windows (Command Prompt/PowerShell), macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon/M1/M2/M3), and Linux. No external toolchain installation is required – the SDK includes prebuilt compilers for all supported platforms.

Advanced Features

Developers can directly access hardware through minimal APIs or choose their own structure, frameworks, or libraries to build applications. The PICO-8-like C/C++ library provides a rapid and familiar development option, but it's entirely optional. The SDK also features a custom real-time operating system (b8OS) designed for game development, which supports multi-threading, semaphores, interrupt handlers, and a simple in-memory file system.

Distribution and Cost

Completed games are delivered as a single ROM file, and developers can release their creations on the official BEEP-8 portal site: https://beep8.org. The platform serves as a shared space where everyone can upload, discover, and play games created by the community. And the best part? The SDK is completely free to use, and game releases are free as well!

Get Started

You can get started with the BEEP-8 SDK in one of two ways:

  • Option 1: Clone the Repository (Recommended)

+ This is the most reliable and up-to-date method. If you're comfortable using Git, we strongly recommend cloning the repository: git clone https://github.com/beep8/beep8-sdk.git

  • Option 2: Download as a .tar.gz Archive (Alternative method)

+ This method is provided for users who prefer not to use Git. You can download the latest snapshot of the source code here: https://github.com/beep8/beep8-sdk/archive/refs/heads/main.tar.gz

We recommend using Option 1 (Git) unless you have a specific reason to avoid Git.