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JoeStrout
JoeStrout

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MiniScript Weekly News — April 22, 2026

Development Updates

MiniScript 2 made a big step forward this week with the new error type landing in the language. Errors can now be created with err(...), checked with isa error, and even subtyped for more specific handling — a major improvement to one of MiniScript’s longtime weak spots.

Read more in the dev log and discussion thread: miniscript2 DEV_LOG and error handling proposal.

There was also active design discussion around Mini Micro 2, especially whether display mode should keep using the current “magic assignment” style or move to a clearer function call like setMode. Joe is leaning toward preserving compatibility while introducing the cleaner API, which seems like a thoughtful path for existing projects.

Related discussion: #minimicro-2.

On the platform side, raylib-miniscript got more polished documentation and continues to evolve quickly. The API docs now include autogenerated sections for custom intrinsics, plus http.post, file.loadRaw, and file.saveRaw support for practical app and game integration.

Repo: raylib-miniscript

Community Projects

maho_citrus published a new utility library, utf-8-for-miniscript, for environments (like GreyHack) without native UTF8 encode/decode support.
Repo: utf-8-for-miniscript

Dat_One_Dev updated a personal site with a growing collection of Mini Micro articles and courses, including multiple tutorial series. They also mentioned training a model on their site’s content, which is a neat sign that Mini Micro resources are becoming substantial enough to support discovery and reuse.

Links: Mini Micro tutorial hub, Zero to Game Dev, Learn by Code

Zaxabock continued building out logic and automata projects in Mini Micro, including a logic engine template, finite-state automata work, and a Mini-Micro-based logic engine repo. These are the kind of deep, playful technical projects that show how flexible the language can be.

Repo: LogicEngineV4

Joe also shared progress on MiniClaw, a tiny LLM agent built in Mini Micro for working with text files. There’s already a write-up on dev.to, and it’s a fun example of MiniScript being used for something modern while still keeping that compact, readable style.

Article: MiniClaw: A Tiny LLM Agent for Mini Micro

Code: miniclaw on GitHub

Discussion Highlights

There were lots of helpful embedding questions this week, especially from Frib, who is integrating MiniScript into a Unity-based project. Joe confirmed that _foo-style globals are fine for host code, but suggested using intrinsics when possible for safer exposure to user scripts.

MiniScript 2 also sparked some classic language-design brainstorming, from better error propagation to compiler/source-location tracking and stack traces. It’s great to see the community stress-testing the new features and helping shape them before release.

In Mini Micro circles, there’s ongoing interest in tutorials, docs, and even a community book built around expanding existing demos. That kind of “learn by remixing” idea feels very on-brand for MiniScript, and it’s wonderful to see people building on the demos as teaching material.

Thanks for reading — and as always, keep sharing your experiments, tools, and little sparks of weirdness. See you next week!

Upcoming Game Jams

These upcoming jams look like a great fit for Mini Micro:

  • Mini Choco Jam (starts 2026-02-28 23:00:00) — A romance-focused, story-first jam with 2D-friendly requirements and no need for 3D or networking is an excellent fit for Mini Micro, especially for visual-novel or text-based games.
  • TriGameDev Monthly Game Jam #6 (starts 2026-04-24 21:00:00) — A 48-hour theme-driven jam about imprisonment and escape, with flexible interpretation and optional challenges like a Panopticon concept or dual perspectives, making it a strong fit for concise 2D retro-style games.
  • Portfolio Builders Jam - Week #70 (starts 2026-04-27 11:00:00) — A very flexible weekly jam focused on portfolio pieces, with room for small playable demos or even standalone art, audio, or code samples—great for polished 2D, retro-style projects and skill-building experiments.
  • Deltarune + Undertale Jam — A strong fit for a retro 2D project: this jam centers on turn-based battles, dialogue-driven storytelling, and the emotional, quirky atmosphere that pairs perfectly with pixel art and simple RPG mechanics.
  • AEIOU GameJam 2026 (starts 2026-05-01 03:45:00) — A creativity-first jam with a clever twist theme, encouraging illusions, hidden mechanics, and unexpected gameplay that fits retro 2D experimentation perfectly.
  • Oink Jam 2 ($3000+ in Prizes) (starts 2026-04-30 13:00:00) — A short, beginner-friendly four-day jam with flexible themes, light rules, and a welcoming community—great for making a polished retro-style 2D game fast.

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