ChaiLove Core on RetroArch: Loading ChaiScript 2D Games

ChaiLove is a framework for making 2D games with ChaiScript. ChaiLove games can run in LibRetro-compatible frontends such as RetroArch through the ChaiLove core. This guide summarizes the official documentation's workflow for loading content and lists the core's supported features, options, and controller behavior.

Before you start

• Install RetroArch, which provides the frontend used in the documented workflow.
• Ensure the ChaiLove core is available so RetroArch can load .chai and .chailove content.
• Use content files with the .chai or .chailove extension.

Loading the Floppy Bird example

• On RetroArch's main menu, select 'Online Updater'.
• Select 'Content Downloader'.
• Select 'ChaiLove'.
• Select 'Floppy Bird.chailove'. RetroArch downloads and extracts the file to its Downloads directory.
• Return to the main menu and select 'Load Content'.
• Select 'Downloads'.
• Select 'Floppy Bird.chailove'.
• If RetroArch asks which core to use, choose 'ChaiLove'.

After selecting the core, the content should start running. Floppy Bird is distributed through RetroArch's Content Downloader, so no separate download is required for this example.

Core specifications

• Internal core name: ChaiLove.
• Core-provided FPS: 60.
• Core-provided sample rate: 44100 Hz.
• Core-provided aspect ratio: game provided.
• State files are saved to or loaded from the frontend's State directory using the pattern 'content-name'.state#.

Core options

• Alpha Blending (chailove_alphablending): enabled by default; toggles alpha blending (transparency).
• High Quality (chailove_highquality): enabled by default; toggles extra visual features.

Controller support

• For users 1 through 5, the available device types are None, RetroPad, and RetroPad w/Analog.
• RetroPad is the default device type for these users; the documentation recommends staying on RetroPad.
• Each user's buttons can be remapped through RetroArch's controls menu using the descriptors B, Y, Select, Start, D-Pad Up, D-Pad Down, D-Pad Left, D-Pad Right, A, X, L, and R.

Supported frontend features

• Supported: Restart, Screenshots, States, Rewind, Netplay, Core Options, Native Cheats, Controls, Remapping, Username.

• Not supported: Saves, Memory Monitoring (achievements), RetroArch Cheats, Multi-Mouse, Rumble, Sensors, Camera, Location, Subsystem, Softpatching, Disk Control, Language, Crop Overscan, LEDs.

Author and license

The ChaiLove core was authored by Rob Loach and is licensed under the MIT License.