Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the most common questions about RetroChallenges, from hardware compatibility to challenge creation and Lua scripting.
Q: Can I play this on original Hardware?
No, this makes heavy usage of LUA scripting and relies heavily on emulation. Would it be possible to create a romhack that would replicate those? Probably, but it is not our expertise at all.
Q: It says it's missing a game file
We do not include the game roms with the tool, you will have to find your own.
Q: Can I create my own Challenge?
Yes! That's what we are hopping for, building a community of people creating their own challenges and making them available to the community.
Q: How do I create a Challenge?
Check our LUA scripting guide to get started. Or join our discord and we will do our best to help
Q: But... I don't know how to code.
Good news, ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Claude.ai knows how! You can easily get into it doing something we call "vibe coding"... although im not a fan of the term, it is entirely possible!
Q: Which platforms are supported?
Any platform that BizHawk supports we do, personally, my main focus is on the NES, but I'm sure people can create it using their preferred platform.
Q: What is BizHawk?
BizHawk is basically what powers RetroChallenges it is an amazing emulator that supports LUA scripting and even some .NET! You can learn more here: https://tasvideos.org/Bizhawk
Q: I just want to try the challenges, I don't really care about creating my own...
That's is fair and we need player as much as we need challenge creators.
Q: I have an idea for a cool challenge, maybe you can make it for me?
Maybe! If it's for the NES, there's a good chance we can help you with it! Join us on discord and let's have a chat.
Q: Is this an open source project?
Yes, check out our GitHub.
Q: Can I contribute on the app (not necessarily creating challenges)
Yes please! I'm a hobbyist at when it comes to programming and I will use all the help I can get.
Q: Why did you start this project?
I started this project with my friend Jodosh, we had worked on this before with FCEUX but we found the LUA scripting too limiting to achieve what we were aiming for, BizHawk opens a lot of options for us, and we're excited to jump back in it.
Still Have Questions?
Can't find the answer you're looking for? Join our Discord community and get help from fellow gamers and developers!