PICO-8 Sprite Editor for Unity

A sprite editor for Unity that brings PICO-8's charming workflow and constraints to game development in Unity.

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Overview

This tool ports PICO-8 sprite editing functionality into Unity, allowing developers to enjoy the same efficient, creative workflow that makes PICO-8 game development so enjoyable. Work with PICO-8's characteristic aesthetic and palette directly within the Unity editor.

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Features

• PICO-8 Style Sprites — Create sprites with PICO-8 constraints in Unity
• 16-Color Palette — PICO-8's iconic fixed color palette
• Pixel-Perfect Grid — Clear visual grid for pixel-level control
• Efficient Workflow — Quick iteration and creative development
• Unity Integration — Seamless asset pipeline for game development
• Real-time Preview — See sprites in game context immediately
• Sprite sheet support — Organize multiple sprites efficiently

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Screenshots

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Getting Started

Requirements

• Unity 2020.3 LTS or later
• C# scripting enabled

Installation

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Place the editor package in your Unity project's Assets/ directory
3. The editor window will appear in the Window menu

First Steps

1. Open Window → PICO-8 Sprite Editor
2. Create new sprite or open existing
3. Select colors from the 16-color palette
4. Paint directly on the 8×8 or 16×16 canvas
5. Save as Unity sprite asset

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Workflow

Basic Sprite Creation

1. New Sprite — Click "New Sprite" button
2. Select size — Choose 8×8 or 16×16 pixels
3. Paint — Click/drag to paint pixels
4. Pick color — Left-click palette for paint color
5. Erase — Right-click to erase or use eraser tool
6. Save — Save as .sprite or PNG asset

Sprite Sheet Management

Organize multiple sprites efficiently:

• Grid layout — Automatically arrange sprites
• Batch operations — Apply transformations to multiple sprites
• Quick export — Export all as sprite sheet

Palette

PICO-8's signature 16-color palette:

• Colors 0-15 — Predefined PICO-8 palette
• Recolor — Remap colors for variations
• Custom palettes — Create alternate color schemes

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Integration with Unity

Using Sprites in Games

// Load sprite from editor
Sprite mySprite = Resources.Load<Sprite>("Sprites/my_sprite");

// Apply to SpriteRenderer
GetComponent<SpriteRenderer>().sprite = mySprite;

// Use in UI
GetComponent<Image>().sprite = mySprite;

Sprite Animation

Create animations using sprite sequences:

1. Edit multiple sprites in sequence
2. Use Unity Animator with sprite transitions
3. Or programmatically change sprite each frame

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Features in Detail

Drawing Tools

• Pencil — Single pixel drawing
• Brush — Variable brush sizes
• Eraser — Remove pixels
• Fill — Flood fill with color
• Line — Draw straight lines
• Rectangle — Draw rectangles
• Circle — Draw circles

View Options

• Zoom — Adjust magnification (1x to 16x)
• Grid — Toggle pixel grid display
• Background — Change editor background
• Checkerboard — See transparency clearly
• Animation preview — Playback sprite animations

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Keyboard Shortcuts

• Z — Zoom in
• X — Zoom out
• E — Eraser tool
• B — Brush tool
• P — Pencil tool
• F — Fill tool
• Ctrl+S — Save sprite
• Ctrl+Z — Undo
• Ctrl+Y — Redo

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Tips & Best Practices

PICO-8 Aesthetics

• Stay within 8×8 or 16×16 grids
• Use limited palette for cohesion
• Embrace pixel art constraints
• Use 1-2 px outlines for contrast

Performance

• Keep sprite counts reasonable
• Use sprite sheets for batch rendering
• Reuse sprites across scenes

Organization

• Group related sprites in folders
• Use consistent naming (e.g., player_idle_01)
• Keep separate sprite sheets for different characters

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Technical Details

• Language: C# (Unity)
• Pixel format: RGBA32
• Export formats: PNG, Sprite asset
• Save location: Assets/Resources/Sprites/ (default)

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Limitations

• Maximum sprite size: 32×32 pixels
• Fixed to 16-color palette (custom palettes upcoming)
• Sprite sheets limited to 512×512 texture

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Future Enhancements

• Custom palette support
• Animation timeline editor
• Onion-skin preview for animation
• Sound effect editor
• Map/tileset editor

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License

Copyright © Walter Gordy