About To a Starling
To a Starling is a difficult PICO-8 precision platformer built around teleporting. You warp and jump your way across rocky wastelands and down into harsh depths below, chaining teleports and jumps to cross gaps and stay off the spikes.
The controls are tight and simple: arrows to move, X to teleport, C to jump. The menu also lets you swap those two buttons, and a Continue option picks up where you left off.
A first run takes around half an hour, and speedrunners race it for much less. You can play To a Starling online here, inside the PICO-8 player with its pause, sound and fullscreen buttons.
How to Play To a Starling
- Click the game window, then choose New game from the menu.
- Move with the arrow keys.
- Press X to teleport and C to jump.
- Pick Swap buttons in the menu if you'd rather have them the other way round.
- Combine teleports and jumps to get through the rocky wastes and the caves beneath.
- Choose Continue when you come back to pick up your progress.
What to Expect in To a Starling
Expect a tough, tightly built precision platformer with a dark, cave-like look: black backgrounds, hanging chains, glowing green orbs and rows of spikes. The teleport sits at the heart of almost every move you make, so learning its range and timing is the whole game.
It's short, around half an hour for a first run, which keeps the challenge focused. This build is version 1.3, and the music gives the small cartridge a lot of atmosphere.
Tips for To a Starling
- Try Swap buttons early if teleport on X feels wrong. It's easier to switch now than after your fingers have learned it.
- Think of the teleport as your main way of moving, not a panic button.
- Go fullscreen with the button beside the game. The PICO-8 screen is tiny otherwise.
- Use Continue rather than New game when you return, or you'll start the climb down from scratch.
- Play To a Starling free again after a first clear and try a faster route through rooms you know.
Who Made To a Starling
To a Starling was made by Peteksi, who released it on itch.io. Music is by Gruber and playtesting by rebix. It's a PICO-8 game with art drawn in Aseprite. FunClicker embeds the creator's own version so you can play it here without downloading anything. We did not make the game, and the credit for its design, code, and art belongs to its creator. You can find the original on the To a Starling page on itch.io.
FAQ
Is To a Starling free?
Yes. To a Starling is free to play here in your browser. The PICO-8 cartridge runs in this tab, with side buttons for pause, sound and fullscreen. There's nothing to install, and the Continue option lets you come back to your progress later.
How do you play To a Starling?
Move with the arrow keys, press X to teleport and C to jump. If you'd prefer those two the other way round, pick Swap buttons in the menu. Then work through the rocky wastes and the depths below, using teleports and jumps together to clear gaps and avoid spikes.
What is the goal in To a Starling?
Make your way through rocky wastelands and down into the depths beneath them, using teleporting and jumping to get past every obstacle. A first run takes about half an hour. After that you can go back for faster runs, since the game has its own speedrunning community.
Who made To a Starling?
To a Starling was made by Peteksi, with music by Gruber and playtesting by rebix. It was released on itch.io, and FunClicker embeds that original PICO-8 version with a credit link back to it, so the credit for the design, code and art stays with them.
Can I play To a Starling on a Chromebook or phone?
A Chromebook works, since To a Starling runs in the browser and only needs the arrow keys plus X and C. A phone is a poor fit, because precise teleports and jumps need a keyboard. A laptop or desktop keyboard gives you the control this game asks for.
Is To a Starling unblocked at school?
To a Starling needs only a browser tab, with nothing to download. Whether it opens on a school network depends on that network's filters, which we do not control. If it loads, the Continue option means you can stop at the bell and pick up later.
Can I change the controls in To a Starling?
Yes. The title menu has a Swap buttons option that trades the teleport and jump keys, so you can put jump on X and teleport on C. Movement stays on the arrow keys. Set it before you start, since your hands will get used to whichever layout you pick.
Is To a Starling hard?
Yes. To a Starling is a difficult precision platformer, and the depths get harsh. The controls are simple, but every room asks you to time teleports and jumps exactly. Patience helps, and the Continue option means a tough session never costs you your progress.
