“We want it to really confuse people, but also really make people happy”

“We want it to really confuse people, but also really make people happy.”

This sentiment, echoed in the writings of Marcin Wichary, serves as a jumping-off point for a discussion on software craft. While I frequently reference John Gruber’s Daring Fireball with approval, this particular instance calls for a dissenting opinion.

The Anachronism of the Mac

Roughly a month ago, Gruber highlighted a Markdown editor developed by Sean Malseed. Curiously, it was written in 2026 but designed for Macs from the early 1980s.

Gruber expressed an absolute love for the project. However, we differ on a key detail: the "full screen" mode. While some "distraction-free" editors prioritize this, I find it jarring for a vintage Mac app. In the early 80s, windows were the standard; full-screen was reserved almost exclusively for gaming.

That said, I admire how the creator of ArtfulType integrated "future" elements into a retro setting:

• Distraction-free/Fullscreen editing
• A dark-themed menu bar
• The "shy" scrollbar

It prompts a fascinating question: What if dark mode had been conceptualized decades ago? This intersection of eras reminds me of Sopwith, and it leads me to explore other projects that blend the old with the new.

The Philosophy of Anachronistic Design

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The Playdate: Thoughtful Nostalgia

I will admit: I am a fan not a fan of Teenage Engineering. While their mechanical execution is flawless, I find their work lacks a certain soul. It feels like the peak of "Design" (with a capital D)—an exercise in aesthetics that often feels incomplete or self-indulgent. The Rabbit R1 is a prime example, bogged down by gimmicks.

Fortunately, the Playdate is a product of Panic, not Teenage Engineering. It is a 2022 handheld that treats anachronism with genuine care.

A Multi-Decade Hybrid

The Playdate doesn't just mimic one era; it curates the best of several:

• 1980s: The raw excitement of early gadgets.
• 1990s: On-screen visual aesthetics.
• 2000s: The spirit of the social internet.
• 2010s: The creative explosion of indie gaming.
• Present: High-end contemporary build quality.

While it utilizes metal construction (where Teenage Engineering's influence is a plus), it features a monochromatic screen reminiscent of the original Gameboy. The resolution is exactly $400 \times 240$ pixels.

“I kind of like don’t want to design in anything else anymore,” notes Panic designer Neven Mrgan. “It is so freeing for me, personally, to not think about the color and not think too much about, like, even things like line weight and whatnot.”

The device's software is equally eclectic. Some games rely on the physical crank gimmick, while others employ modern artistic sensibilities. Some are delivered via a "seasons" system, mimicking the serendipity of browsing a physical record store.

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PICO-8: The Fantasy Console

I was deeply influenced by Joseph White’s presentation on PICO-8, a "fantasy console" launched in 2015. If the Playdate is a physical hybrid, PICO-8 is the abstract version.

Usually, emulators recreate existing hardware. PICO-8 flips this: it emulates hardware that never existed.

Constraints as a Feature

By creating imaginary hardware, White avoids empty nostalgia and instead focuses on specific constraints to combat "design fatigue."

The "cartridges" are essentially single files, often embedded within PNGs to make web sharing seamless.

-- Conceptual PICO-8 snippet
function _draw()
  cls()
  print("Hello Anachronism!", 40, 60, 7)
end

As noted in a 2016 AV Club piece, the project succeeds because White knows exactly where nostalgia ends and the requirements of modern development begin. For instance, while it originally used BASIC to maintain its 80s pedigree, White eventually transitioned to a custom subset of Lua—a language familiar to those using the LÖVE engine or scripting emulators.

BASIC was the way $\rightarrow$ Lua is the way.