Systems · Lessons available
Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Make games in Sinclair BASIC or Z80 assembly, and explore how instructions become changes on the screen.
The Spectrum connects drawing, colour, keyboard input and sound to a compact machine. Its screen and attribute memory offer concrete ways to investigate representation and the work needed to redraw a moving object.
Choose a language
Each route has its own guided sequence. You can begin without completing another language track or Foundations. Use shared explanations when they help with the program you are building.
Sinclair BASIC
Use the Spectrum’s keyword editor and build programs through runnable stages. Explore decisions, loops, drawing and game rules in the built-in language.
103 lesson pagesExplore Sinclair BASIC →Z80 assembly
Work with registers, instructions and memory. Follow the machine and language introductions into game projects, with direct control over how the program does its work.
65 lesson pagesExplore Z80 assembly →Counts reflect authored lesson pages. They do not mean every planned game is finished or every example has been checked on original hardware. Each track shows its available material and planned projects.
Prepare the right configuration
Check the model named by the lesson. The 48K Spectrum is the starting configuration for the introductory material; 128K models and Spectrum Next have different facilities. A modern development tool does not add those facilities to a 48K target.
The system setup guide introduces the development tools. Check the chosen language’s setup instructions before installing anything. The Setup Guide explains host and target, source and built output; the ROMs guide covers firmware and system files.
Explore the machine and its games
The Vault provides fuller explanations and historical context. These articles are optional reading alongside the lessons.
ZX Spectrum
The hardware, programming environment and history of the machine.
Read the article →Designing with attributes
How colour cells affect the way a game is drawn.
Read the article →Manic Miner
A game to examine for movement, hazards and level design.
Read the article →CRASH
The magazine and its place in Spectrum games culture.
Read the article →Follow a question further
The Craft develops game-design explanations; its current Maths for Games and Game Feel pages are outlines. The Pattern Library offers techniques to adapt, with their machine and language requirements.
Explore other systems to compare how a familiar idea changes with the language, memory layout or hardware. For additions to the site, read What’s New. The contribution guide explains how to help.