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Show HN: Code garden deep-dive: my Forth C64 tetromino game
3 points by ekipan 7 hours ago | 1 comments

(The article is permalinked to a tag, for latest:)

Deep-dive: https://github.com/ekipan/sss/blob/main/Design.md

Repo front page: https://github.com/ekipan/sss

The Silent Soviet Stacker is, in order:

  1. A tinker-toybox I wrote and pick at to relax.
  2. A technical deep-dive writeup, showing Forth by example.
  3. A game that works and you can play.
Try it (<5 minutes):

  1. C64 emulator [1]
  2. Load durexforth cart [2]
  3. Copy [3] contents to clipboard
  4. Edit > Paste in VICE.
  5. Type `help` then `new`.
[1]: https://vice-emu.sourceforge.io/

[2]: https://github.com/jkotlinski/durexforth/releases

[3]: https://github.com/ekipan/sss/blob/share-hn/sss.fs

  $ wc README.md Design.md Tinkering.md
     90   445  2928 README.md
    823  4863 27985 Design.md
    182  1029  6512 Tinkering.md
   1095  6337 37425 total

  $ wc sss.fs # docs-to-code ratio >4:1!
   284 1997 8680 sss.fs
ekipan 7 hours ago  [ - ]

Doc excerpts, as a teaser:

  - SDF JKL layout keeps me on home row, ready to type Forth.
  - 39 columns source text to fit the C64 screen.
  - `0 prof` patches the first instruction to an `rts`,
    disabling the profiler. `1 prof` restores the `eor`.
  - The `dup 0= +` phrase ensures nonzero seed, harmless but
    it's cute and I've grown fond of it.
  - Might be able to spread `land` work across frames but the
    complexity isn't worth it.
  - I choose the extra `rdrop` cognitive load just for its
    aesthetic.
  - <!-- It's better left unsaid. -->
I would be tickled if this was the thing to bring at least a few people from vaguely Forth-curious to writing something substantial. Tell me what delights or confuses you. What could be better, what needs examples.