Slits by Extend Wins Zoo 2026 Main Demo Competition as Commodore 64 Demoscene Delivers 23 Productions

Extend's two-disk Commodore 64 demo Slits captures first place in the Zoo 2026 main demo competition in Finland, triumphing over 23 demoscene entries.

The Commodore 64 demoscene has crowned another major technical showcase, with Slits by Extend winning the main demonstration competition at Zoo 2026. The production received a score of 8.667, narrowly defeating Routines by Artline Designs, which finished second with 8.650. Third place went to Breadbin of Horror, a large collaborative production involving Atlantis, Bonzai, Elysium, Genesis Project, Lethargy, Offence and Pretzel Logic. The competition attracted twenty-three entries, demonstrating the remarkable continuing strength of the international Commodore demoscene. Other notable productions included Bliss Machine, Cosmodrome, DCTurbo250 and Beyond Time and Space. Slits represents a substantial collaborative effort, with programming contributions from Barfly, Gimle, Kakka, Mankeli, Muhmi, Tape and Vent. Graphics were produced by several artists, including Der Piipo, Duce, Electric, Sulevi and Tempest, while music credits include Chavez and Tape. The production occupies two disk sides, reflecting the amount of material involved. Its archive entry also includes a warning concerning potentially intense visual effects, which viewers sensitive to flashing imagery should take seriously. Unlike conventional videogames, demoscene productions are designed primarily to demonstrate technical ingenuity and audiovisual creativity. Programmers manipulate graphics hardware, memory timing and sound synthesis to create effects that often appear to exceed the original machine's capabilities. The extremely narrow difference between the first two scores suggests that the competition was particularly strong at the top. Zoo's results provide another reminder that historical hardware remains an active creative platform. The Commodore 64 may have been introduced forty-four years ago, but its programmers apparently still consider the phrase technically impossible to be a personal invitation.