C64 Program Collection

Thirty-one small, polished programs for the Commodore 64, written in stock Commodore BASIC V2 and 6502 machine code. The collection mixes arcade action, puzzles, simulations, creative tools, music, utilities, and visual effects. Every entry is self-contained and runs on an ordinary PAL or NTSC C64 without a cartridge or BASIC extension.

Browse and run the collection at c64.p20.dev.

Programs

Program	Released	Category	Language	Controls	Description	Source	Run
Meteor Dodge	2026-10-07	Arcade	BASIC	A, D, Q	Dodge falling meteors and build your score.	BAS	Run
Code Breaker	2026-10-07	Logic	BASIC	0-9, Return, Q	Deduce a four-digit secret in ten guesses.	BAS	Run
Submarine Hunt	2026-10-07	Strategy	BASIC	Row, Column, Return	Find three hidden submarines with limited sonar shots.	BAS	Run
Lunar Lander	2026-10-07	Simulation	BASIC	0-9, Return, -1	Choose engine burns and touch down gently.	BAS	Run
Memory Matrix	2026-10-07	Memory	BASIC	1-4, Q	Repeat a growing sequence of flashing quadrants.	BAS	Run
Robot Maze	2026-10-07	Puzzle	BASIC	W, A, S, D, Q	Navigate a freshly generated maze to its exit.	BAS	Run
Music Box	2026-10-07	Music	BASIC	A-K, 1-3, Q	Play the SID chip as a small computer keyboard.	BAS	Run
Pixel Painter	2026-10-07	Creative	BASIC	Cursor keys, Space, C, Q	Draw character-cell pictures on the screen.	BAS	Run
Stock Trader	2026-10-07	Simulation	BASIC	B, S, W, Q	Trade a volatile stock over twenty market days.	BAS	Run
Starfield	2026-10-07	Demo	BASIC	1-3, Q	Watch and control a layered animated starfield.	BAS	Run
Snake Trail	2026-10-07	Arcade	BASIC	W, A, S, D, Q	Guide a growing snake through a field of food and danger.	BAS	Run
Dice Poker	2026-10-07	Dice	BASIC	1-5, Return, Q	Keep your best dice and chase a winning poker combination.	BAS	Run
Word Scramble	2026-10-07	Word	BASIC	A-Z, Return, Q	Unscramble five computer-themed words from helpful clues.	BAS	Run
Nim Challenge	2026-10-07	Strategy	BASIC	1-3, 0	Outthink the computer in the classic game of twenty-one sticks.	BAS	Run
Reaction Timer	2026-10-07	Reflex	BASIC	Any key, Q	Test your reactions across five unpredictable timed rounds.	BAS	Run
Morse Trainer	2026-10-07	Educational	BASIC	A-Z, Return, Q	Learn Morse letters by reading and hearing their signals.	BAS	Run
Kaleidoscope	2026-10-07	Demo	BASIC	Space, C, Q	Grow colorful symmetrical patterns across the character screen.	BAS	Run
World Quiz	2026-10-07	Trivia	BASIC	1-3, Q	Take a seven-stop tour of world geography and landmarks.	BAS	Run
Life Lab	2026-10-07	Simulation	BASIC	Space, R, Q	Observe generations of Conway's cellular automaton evolve.	BAS	Run
Cipher Wheel	2026-10-07	Utility	BASIC	E, D, N, Q	Encode and decode secret messages with a Caesar shift.	BAS	Run
Sprite Playground	2026-10-16	Creative	Machine Code	W, A, S, D, C, Q	Move and recolor a hardware sprite in a responsive VIC-II playground.	ASM	Run
Raster Bars	2026-10-16	Demo	Machine Code	1-3, C, Q	Paint animated bands of color with cycle-aware VIC-II raster timing.	ASM	Run
SID Arpeggiator	2026-10-16	Music	Machine Code	A-K, 1-3, +, -, Space, Q	Shape a looping SID arpeggio with notes, waveforms, and tempo controls.	ASM	Run
Paddle Ball	2026-10-16	Arcade	Machine Code	A, D, Space, Q	Keep a fast-moving ball in play with a screen-edge paddle.	ASM	Run
Smooth Scroller	2026-10-16	Demo	Machine Code	+, -, C, Q	Send a message gliding across the screen with VIC-II fine scrolling.	ASM	Run
Fireworks	2026-10-16	Demo	Machine Code	Space, A, C, 1-3, Q	Launch colorful, noisy PETSCII fireworks above a twinkling city skyline.	ASM	Run
Jiffy Clock	2026-10-16	Utility	Machine Code	R, Space, Q	Turn the C64 jiffy timer into a large live digital clock.	ASM	Run
Typing Sprint	2026-10-16	Word	Machine Code	A-Z, Space, Q	Race the clock while copying a Commodore-themed phrase.	ASM	Run
PETSCII Aquarium	2026-10-16	Simulation	Machine Code	F, 1-3, Q	Watch a tiny animated aquarium and feed its roaming fish.	ASM	Run
Fifteen Puzzle	2026-10-16	Puzzle	Machine Code	W, A, S, D, R, Q	Slide numbered tiles until the classic four-by-four board is restored.	ASM	Run
Plasma Grid	2026-10-16	Demo	Machine Code	1-3, C, Space, Q	Fill the screen with a flowing field of color generated in real time.	ASM	Run

Running the programs

Start the local browser app with Docker Compose:

docker compose up --build -d

Open http://localhost:8134, or visit the hosted collection at c64.p20.dev. The app runs the VICE x64sc core through WebAssembly and downloads the selected PRG through its own backend. Click inside the emulator to enable keyboard input and sound. Direct keyboard input is enabled by default, mouse locking is disabled, and moving the pointer anywhere over the emulator reveals its control bar.

The repository is mounted read-only at /programs. Add a manifest entry and its source and PRG files, then click Refresh; the app does not need to be rebuilt. The overview renders programs in small batches and is ready to scale without creating every card at once. The default host port is configured as 8134 in .env.

On a Commodore 64, transfer a PRG to disk or another supported medium, then use:

LOAD"PADDLE-BALL.PRG",8
RUN

Substitute the filename and device number as needed. Machine-code PRGs include a small BASIC SYS launcher, so the same RUN command starts them.

Building machine-code programs

The assembly sources use ACME syntax. Build every machine-code PRG with the isolated tools profile; no local assembler installation is required:

docker compose --profile tools run --rm assembler

The tools profile is opt-in and is not started by the normal app command.

Source format

Each program directory contains a loadable .prg and its readable source:

• BASIC programs use line-numbered, uppercase .bas files compatible with stock Commodore BASIC V2. Their PRGs are tokenized at the normal $0801 BASIC load address.
• Machine-code programs use commented ACME .asm files. Their PRGs also load at $0801, where a short BASIC line starts the 6502 code with SYS.

New programs must open with an English splash screen containing a highlighted title, a short description, the full URL https://c64.p20.dev, the release date, and a prompt to continue with Space. The splash must include a Controls heading and visually distinguish its keys from their explanations. Gameplay instructions belong on the splash screen rather than occupying permanent rows in the running program.

All programs are self-contained and designed for ordinary PAL and NTSC C64 hardware as well as VICE-compatible emulators.