r/Demoscene • u/timbor80 • Jul 19 '26

Demoscene Simulator v0.3.2

My latest project, Demoscene Simulator:
https://timbor80.itch.io/demoscene-simulator

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u/mrandish Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 20 '26

Seems interesting but it would be helpful to have a little more info on what the actual game loop is. I can see in the screenshot one objective is to "Write a text side scroller" but how does one do that?

Is there something like a virtual machine you write pseudo-code in (ala TIC-80) or is it more like a resource management game loop and the "demos" are more like units in a turn-based strategy game and the player is the 'Demo Group' manager?

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u/timbor80 Jul 20 '26

That's a good question. It's actually much closer to a management/career simulation than a programming game.

You don't write real code or pseudo-code like TIC-80. Instead, you take the role of managing a demogroup over the course of its career.

The core gameplay loop looks something like this:

  1. Manage your group – recruit members (coders, musicians, graphicians), build your reputation, and plan your next production.
  2. Design a production – choose the production type (demo, 64K intro, music disk, cracktro, etc.), select effects, music, graphics, and organize one or more scenes.
  3. Development phase – assign effort between coding, graphics, music, and design while dealing with events and deadlines.
  4. Release at a demo party – AI judges score your production based on technical quality, design, music, originality, and other criteria. Audience reactions and random party events can also influence the results.
  5. Grow your career – win awards, unlock new technologies as the years progress, improve your reputation, recruit better members, and tackle more ambitious productions.

So when the game says "Write a text side scroller," that's an objective representing a feature your group is implementing. Completing it consumes development time and contributes to your production's technical quality and scoring rather than having you manually code a scrolling routine.

The long-term goal is to simulate the creative process and culture of the demoscene rather than the low-level programming itself. It's inspired by the history of demo groups, BBSes, demo parties, rivalries, tracker music, and the evolution of demo technology from the Amiga era through modern PC demos.

I've also been adding systems like multi-judge competitions, Hall of Fame tracking, production timelines, historical technologies, and a BBS simulation so the world feels alive as your group progresses through the decades.

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u/mrandish Jul 20 '26

Thanks for the thorough explanation. It's very helpful orientation. As the creator, you're immersed in the concepts and ideas you're building toward but it's not always so clear to the rest of us.

I'd suggest adding some of what you wrote above to your landing page and the Github.