Pixelorama

Pixelorama is a free and open-source pixel art editor which you can use to create sprites, animations, tiles, and graphics for video games. It incorporates specific tools for working with pixels, a system of non-destructive layers and effects, palette editing, tilemap creation, and a timeline when animating. The program is available for Windows and macOS, and you can import and export different formats.

Create pixel art with specialized tools

Pixelorama is specifically designed for pixel art, so it includes drawing and shading tools, pixel-perfect lines, and various rotation and scaling algorithms adapted to this type of image. There's even an indexed mode and options for working with guides, rectangular and isometric grids, and repeatable patterns via the Tile mode. On top of that, the inbuilt timeline is where you can work with layers and frames to create animations.

Work with layers and effects

You can organize different elements of an illustration and use clipping masks and non-destructive visual effects thanks to the layers system. You'll find outlines, gradient maps, and drop shadows, as well as other image effects to modify the appearance of your creations without having to alter the original content directly. Pixelorama also allows 3D layers to be incorporated within the 2D canvas.

Create tiles and graphics for video games

Pixelorama's tilemap layers can help you create graphics for video game development. Enjoy working with rectangular, isometric, or hexagonal tiles and reuse them across different parts of the map. Autotiling can also facilitate the creation of certain terrain patterns and settings. The best part is that you can create your sprites frame by frame and assemble complete animations without leaving the editor. The typical tools you would expect to find are all here, like pencil, fill, select, mirror, and gradients, designed specifically for working with pixels.

My thoughts after trying Pixelorama

The first thing I did was create a sprite from scratch to test the drawing tools and see how well they performed when working pixel by pixel. Then I moved on to the timeline to create several frames and put together a short animation, and it was quite easy to bring the sprite to life. Then I got to work with the tilemaps to try putting together a small setting by reusing the tiles and, finally, I tinkered with the layers, palettes, and some effects to see how far I could push the design without having to switch to a different program.

The best and worst of Pixelorama

• What I liked most is that it combines drawing, animation, tilemap creation, and video game asset export inside one open-source tool.

• What I liked least is that it has so many features that it is easy to get lost in the editing process.

Download Pixelorama for free and create pixel art, sprites, animations, and graphics for video games, work with tilemaps and layers, and export your projects in different formats from an open-source editor.