LameStation is the game console you can understand.

In 2010, I set out to build a game console for a school project. This became the LameStation.

In 2013, I decided to try turning LameStation into a company, with all my experience running companies (read: none). I did this for three years, which was a truly amazing and enriching and life-ruining experience. All of the above.

Since then, I've held on to the LameStation resources like I've held on to hope that I would decide to quit my job again and give the biz another try.

I now realize that was a waste. LameStation was never meant to be a product. It was a bright spot of joy and enthusiasm in my life that languished in trying to commercialize it.

These days, I'm doing other things, so I'm working to make available every last bit of LameStation that I can, so that it can live on after me. Please do whatever and god bless, and if you ever find this stuff useful and want to tell me about it, please contact me. I'd love to hear about it.

Build

Get ready for some of the most tricked out specs you've ever seen:

  • You thought one core was enough? This thing has 8 cores running at a blazing fast 80 MHz.

  • 32kB of RAM. That's room for 32 thousand bytes of program data (at least!)

  • 0.125K screen resolution with ultra-fast 140 Hz refresh rate and vivid 2-color display!

  • One beautiful audio channel that outputs to speaker or headphones!

  • Classic serial programming interface, for authentic analog downloads!

  • Hardware-accelerated software-defined graphics engine!

  • All through-hole design for speedy 8-hour soldering with parts you have lying around.

LS1 board files

Coming soon!
LS Mini board files

Never before seen! Coming soon!
Kit build instructions

If you're one of the lucky few to land a classic LameStation LS1 kit, the assembly instructions are live for you to work through.

Code

Let's get your computer set up to program for the LameStation.

PropellerIDE

Use this to write, compile, and run code on LameStation hardware.
lsimage

Use this to convert your own pixel art to work with LameStation games.
LameStation SDK
API Reference

Play

Well, you made it this far. Here are things you can do with your LameStation.

If you have a LameStation, you can play any game by installing PropellerIDE and running:

propman Game.eeprom

Where Game.eeprom is the EEPROM image for the game you want to play.

Brettris
Frappy Bard
piXel
Pikemanz
Racey Car
Zero Force

Learn

These tutorials were created to walk students through programming the LameStation in a classroom setting.

I'm Alive

Learn the basics of the Spin programming language by making some blinkin' lights blink.
Snake

Make a totally epic game where you are a hungry, hungry snake trying to find its way in this world.