This page is meant to serve as a useful reference for the colors available in PICO-8. For something more stylish, check out this link.

Palettes[]

The Horror! The Humanity! The Hues![]

Pico-8 had driven me to delve into the strange corners of the city, seeking a color beyond the 16 color palette can sometimes feel maddening. The colors haunt you in your dreams, so limited in their scope, so taunting in their tint. After long nights in damp rooms full of weathered leather and mothballs, I suddenly found in my hands something most sacred.

Original Palette[]

-- The Pico-8 Colors and Their Values
colors = {
 black=0,
 darkblue=1,
 darkpurple=2,
 darkgreen=3,
 brown=4,
 darkgrey=5,
 lightgrey=6,
 white=7,
 red=8,
 orange=9,
 yellow=10,
 green=11,
 blue=12,
 indigo=13,
 pink=14,
 peach=15
}

-- Hexadecimal Values (Default Names)
hexdef = {
 black=0x000000,
 darkblue=0x1d2b53,
 darkpurple=0x7e2553,
 darkgreen=0x008751,
 brown=0xab5236,
 darkgrey=0x5f574f,
 lightgrey=0xc2c3c7,
 white=0xfff1e8,
 red=0xff004d,
 orange=0xffa300,
 yellow=0xffec27,
 green-0x00e436,
 blue=0x29adff,
 indigo=0x83769c,
 pink=0xff77a8,
 peach=0xffccaa
}

-- Hexadecimal Values (Descriptive Names)
hexdesc = {
 shadow=0x000000,
 storm=0x1d2b53,
 wine=0x7e2553,
 moss=0x008751,
 clay=0xab5236,
 mountain=0x5f574f,
 overcast=0xc2c3c7,
 cream=0xfff1e8,
 ember=0xff004d,
 clementine=0xffa300,
 sunflower=0xffec27,
 spring-0x00e436,
 sky=0x29adff,
 storm=0x83769c,
 rose=0xff77a8,
 sand=0xffccaa
}

-- Default Color Names Table
defaultnames = {
 'black', 'darkblue', 'darkpurple', 'darkgreen', 'brown', 'darkgrey', 'lightgrey',
 'white', 'red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'green', 'blue', 'indigo', 'pink', 'peach'
}


-- Descriptive Color Names Table
descriptivenames = {
 'shadow', 'storm', 'wine', 'moss', 'clay', 'mountain', 'overcast', 'cream',
 'ember', 'clementine', 'sunflower', 'spring', 'sky', 'storm', 'rose', 'sand'
}

Palette Table[]

Descriptive Name	Index	Hex	RGB	Name
Shadow	0	`#000000`	`0, 0, 0`	black
Sea	1	`#1D2B53`	`29, 43, 83`	darkblue
Wine	2	`#7E2553`	`126, 37, 83`	darkpurple
Moss	3	`#008751`	`0, 135, 81`	darkgreen
Clay	4	`#AB5236`	`171, 82, 54`	brown
Mountain	5	`#5F574F`	`95, 87, 79`	darkgrey
Overcast	6	`#C2C3C7`	`194, 195, 199`	lightgrey
Cream	7	`#FFF1E8`	`255, 241, 232`	white
Ember	8	`#FF004D`	`255, 0, 77`	red
Clementine	9	`#FFA300`	`255, 163, 0`	orange
Sunflower	10	`#FFEC27`	`255, 236, 39`	yellow
Spring	11	`#00E436`	`0, 228, 54`	green
Sky	12	`#29ADFF`	`41, 173, 255`	blue
Storm	13	`#83769C`	`131, 118, 156`	indigo
Rose	14	`#FF77A8`	`255, 119, 168`	pink
Sand	15	`#FFCCAA`	`255, 204, 170`	peach

Some descriptive names sourced from PICO-8 Subreddit. The others are names of my own choosing!

Secret Palette[]

These colors are not documented, but can be accessed with a little trick or two.

-- The Secret Pico-8 Colors and Their Values
colors = {
 brownblack=128+0,
 navy=128+1,
 aubergine=128+2,
 darkteal=128+3,
 darkbrown=128+4,
 purplegrey=128+5,
 mushroom=128+6,
 straw=128+7,
 raspberry=128+8,
 deeporange=128+9,
 yellowgreen=128+10,
 jade=128+11,
 mediumblue=128+12,
 grape=128+13,
 salmon=128+14,
 coral=128+15
}


-- Equivalent Hexadecimal Values
hexcolors = {
 brownblack=0x291814,
 navy=0x111d35,
 aubergine=0x422136,
 darkteal=0x125359,
 darkbrown=0x742f29,
 purplegrey=0x49333b,
 mushroom=0xa28879,
 straw=0xf3ef7d,
 raspberry=0xbe1250,
 deeporange=0xff6c24,
 yellowgreen=0xa8e72e,
 jade=0x00b543,
 mediumblue=0x065ab5,
 grape=0x754665,
 salmon=0xff6e59,
 coral=0xff9d81
}


-- Default Color Names Table
defaultnames = {
 'brownblack', 'navy', 'aubergine', 'darkteal', 'darkbrown', 'purplegrey',
 'mushroom', 'straw', 'raspberry', 'deeporange', 'yellowgreen', 'jade',
 'mediumblue', 'grape', 'salmon', 'coral'
}

-- Descriptive Color Names Table
descriptivenames = {
 'cocoa', 'midnight', 'port', 'patina', 'leather', 'silt', 
 'olive', 'straw', 'crimson', 'amber', 'tea', 'shamrock',
 'denim', 'plum', 'salmon', 'fairytale'
}

Secret Palette Table[]

Descriptive Name	Index	Hex	RGB	Name
Cocoa	128	`#291814`	`41,24,20`	brownblack
Midnight	129	`#111D35`	`17,29,53`	navy
Port	130	`#422136`	`66,33,54`	aubergine
Patina	131	`#125359`	`18,83,89`	darkteal
Leather	132	`#742F29`	`116,47,41`	darkbrown
Silt	133	`#49333B`	`73,51,59`	purplegrey
Olive	134	`#A28879`	`162,136,121`	mushroom
Straw	135	`#F3EF7D`	`243,239,125`	straw
Crimson	136	`#BE1250`	`190,18,80`	raspberry
Amber	137	`#FF6C24`	`255,108,36`	deeporange
Tea	138	`#A8E72E`	`168,231,46`	yellowgreen
Shamrock	139	`#00B543`	`0,181,67`	jade
Denim	140	`#065AB5`	`6,90,181`	mediumblue
Plum	141	`#754665`	`117,70,101`	grape
Salmon	142	`#FF6E59`	`255,110,89`	salmon
Fairytale	143	`#FF9D81`	`255,157,129`	coral

Note that some of the descriptive color names were obtained from this beautiful chart posted to the Lexaloffle forums. The others are names of my own liking!

Piccult Colors!

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