🦐 Shrimp

Shrimp is a high-level scripting language for writing Game Boy games. It compiles directly to LR35902 machine code — the CPU inside the original Game Boy — and produces standard .gb ROM files.

What you can do

• Define pixel art as tile literals right in your source code
• Handle input with pressed() and just_pressed()
• Draw sprites and backgrounds with set_sprite() and set_bg_tile()
• Write game logic with variables, loops, conditionals, and functions
• Run instantly in the browser IDE with a built-in emulator

Quick taste

from core import pressed, set_sprite, Button

tile ball:
    ..33....
    .3333...
    33333333
    33333333
    .3333...
    ..33....
    ........
    ........

let x = 80

init:
    set_sprite(0, x, 72, ball)

on vblank:
    if pressed(Button.Right):
        x := x + 1
    if pressed(Button.Left):
        x := x - 1
    set_sprite(0, x, 72, ball)

How it works

1. You write .s source files in the Shrimp language
2. The compiler tokenizes, parses, resolves symbols, and emits LR35902 machine code
3. A ROM writer packages the code + tile data into a valid 32KB Game Boy ROM
4. The emulator (or any Game Boy emulator) runs it

Next steps

• Getting Started — write your first program
• Syntax — full language reference
• Built-in Functions — sprites, tiles, input, and scrolling
• Examples — Pong and Platformer walkthroughs