# Crankfruit, a crank-driven game console on Fruit Jam

An unofficial, Playdate-inspired game player built on the Adafruit Fruit Jam. It runs Playdate-style Lua games with one-bit graphics and synth sound over HDMI, with a CNC handwheel encoder as the crank.

- Category: Hardware (build)
- Made by: Adafruit Learning System on Adafruit Blog
- Original: https://blog.adafruit.com/2026/10/19/new-learn-guide-crankfruit-gaming-adafruitlearningsystem-adafruit/
- On Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/crankfruit-a-crank-driven-game-console-on-fruit-jam

## Can I build this?

- Difficulty: Intermediate
- AI-buildability: 4/5 (Most of the work is CircuitPython software on an off-the-shelf board, with light wiring for the encoder and controller.)
- Time: A weekend
- Cost: $100–175
- Parts: Adafruit Fruit Jam, 100-pulse CNC handwheel encoder, USB game controller
- Tools: soldering iron, 3D printer

Estimates based on the original write-up.

## Build sheet

- Base: Adafruit Fruit Jam
- Crank: 100-pulse handwheel encoder
- Output: HDMI, one-bit graphics
- Language: CircuitPython, Lua games

## Starter prompt

```
Based on "Crankfruit, a crank-driven game console on Fruit Jam" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/crankfruit-a-crank-driven-game-console-on-fruit-jam

Write a CircuitPython program for the Adafruit Fruit Jam that outputs video over HDMI at a one-bit resolution and plays synth tones. Read input from a USB game controller and from a 100-pulse quadrature handwheel encoder used as a crank, mapping encoder pulses to a crank angle value. Structure the code so a simple Lua game loop can call update and draw functions each frame.
```

## Story

Crankfruit is a standalone game player for the Adafruit Fruit Jam. It runs Playdate-style Lua games directly from source, outputs crisp one-bit graphics and synth audio over HDMI, and takes input from a USB game controller.

The distinguishing feature is the crank. A 100-pulse CNC handwheel encoder is added to the setup to act as the crank input that Playdate games expect, giving the controller a physical turning control rather than only buttons.

The project is described as unofficial and experimental, and is written in CircuitPython. A Learn guide from Adafruit explains how to build your own.

Tags: fruit jam, circuitpython, handwheel encoder, playdate-style, one-bit graphics, retro gaming, hdmi

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