Questions and answers
In short: how Pikselnya draws sprites, animations and tiles, what it costs and what you can do with the results.
Can I describe my character in English?
Yes. The workshop interface is in Russian for now, but the description of a character can be written in English, for example "knight in a blue tunic and steel helmet". The neural network draws a pixel art hero, and we snap it to a clean pixel grid and a shared palette.
Besides characters, Pikselnya makes walk, idle and attack animations, single images, item sets and seamless tiles. You can try it in the workshop, and new users get two character sheets free.
How do I make a character sprite with 8 directions?
Open the workshop, choose the "Персонажи" (Characters) section and the "Лист 8 направлений" (8-direction sheet) tab. Describe the hero in one sentence or upload your own picture, then pick a size: "Герой 64" (Hero 64) or "Босс 128" (Boss 128). A couple of minutes later you get a sprite sheet: eight views (down, up, left, right and four diagonals) as separate PNG files and one combined sheet.
A 128 boss has four directions: down, up, left and right. A sheet costs 9 crystals, or 13 ₽ as a single purchase.
Is Pikselnya a PixelLab alternative?
The jobs are similar: characters in several directions, animations, tiles, engine export, an API and an MCP server. The differences are practical. Pikselnya is priced in rubles, takes Russian bank cards and SBP, and has a Russian interface, with English descriptions accepted. Prices are listed up front on the Pricing page.
A subscription never renews by itself, and money is taken only when you press "Buy". Which tool draws better for your idea depends on the task, so compare on examples: the first two character sheets are free.
Can I use the sprites in a commercial game?
Yes. Everything you create in Pikselnya (character sheets, animations, images, item sets, tiles and export files) belongs to you. You can use it in your own games, sell it and use it in client work. You do not have to credit Pikselnya, and there are no royalties.
If you upload your own picture as a base, you need to hold the rights to it. The terms (in Russian) cover this in the section on rights to the result. The result is made by a neural network, and the law in your country may treat AI-generated works differently, so copyright protection is not guaranteed.
How do I make a walk cycle animation?
In the workshop open "Персонажи" (Characters) and the "Анимация" (Animation) tab. Pick a finished character or describe a new one, then the action "Ходьба" (Walk; there are also "Покой" for idle, "Атака" for attack and "Своё" for a custom action), the number of directions (4 or 8) and press "Сделать" (Make).
A walk cycle is built from 4 frames per direction. You get a GIF for each side, a frame sheet PNG, a JSON with frame durations and packages for game engines. A 4-direction animation costs 15 crystals (22 ₽ as a single purchase), and an 8-direction one costs 30 crystals (44 ₽).
How do I make seamless tiles and a tileset for Godot?
In the workshop open "Картинки" (Images) and the "Плитки" (Tiles) tab. Describe a surface (grass, stone, sand), pick a tile size of 16, 32 or 64 pixels and a number of variations: 1, 4 or 8. Edges are made so the seam does not show.
You get a PNG sheet, a Godot TileSet, a file for Tiled and JSON. You can also order a transition between two surfaces: two surfaces with 4 variations each and 16 border autotiles (Wang). Plain tiles cost 9 crystals (13 ₽), and tiles with a transition cost 17 crystals (25 ₽).
Is there an MCP server or API for Claude Code and Cursor?
Yes. Create a personal key in your account and connect the MCP server at https://pikselnya.ru/mcp. For Claude Code one command is enough: claude mcp add --transport http pikselnya https://pikselnya.ru/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY". For Cursor you add the address and the key header to the mcp.json file.
After that your assistant draws characters, animations, images, item sets and tiles by itself. The same features are available through a plain REST API. A key spends crystals from your balance at the site prices. Instructions with examples are on the API and MCP page.
How much does Pikselnya cost?
Everything is counted in crystals, and one crystal equals 1 ₽ when you buy a subscription. A character sheet, an image, an item set and tiles cost 9 crystals each, and tiles with a transition cost 17. A 4-direction animation costs 15 crystals and an 8-direction one costs 30.
Subscriptions for 30 days cost 1,000, 2,500 and 5,000 ₽. Without a subscription you can buy any single operation: from 13 ₽ for a sheet, 22 ₽ for a 4-direction animation and 44 ₽ for an 8-direction one. The price does not depend on size, so a hero and a boss cost the same. The full table is on the Pricing page. Prices are in rubles.
Is anything free?
Yes. A new user gets two character sheets free, and registration with a confirmed email is required for them. The site also has free tools: four pixel art helpers that pixelate a picture, reduce a palette, remove a background, and slice a sheet into frames to build a GIF.
The tools run in your browser. Your picture is not uploaded anywhere, and no registration is needed.
Which engines and formats are supported: Godot, Unity, GameMaker, Aseprite?
A finished animation comes with separate packages for Godot (SpriteFrames and a sample scene), Unity (a sheet with slicing settings and animation clips), Aseprite (a ready .aseprite file and JSON) and GameMaker (sprite folders). There is also a universal set: every frame as a separate PNG, a frame sheet, a GIF and JSON. It suits any other engine or editor.
Tiles export as a PNG sheet, as a Godot TileSet, for Tiled and as JSON.
How do I pay, and can I pay from outside Russia?
Payment goes through YooKassa: a bank card, SBP, YooMoney or T-Pay, and you pick the method on its page. Prices are in rubles. The seller is self-employed, and a receipt is issued through the My Tax app.
These are Russian payment methods, and foreign cards are not on the list. Business details and refund terms are on the Business details and Terms pages (both in Russian).
What if a sprite or an animation comes out uneven?
The neural network draws with a share of randomness. The service checks every direction itself and redraws the grid once for free. If you still do not like the result, you can redo the grid for 15 crystals. If a job fails because of a service fault, the crystals return to your balance automatically.
Is the site available in English?
The home page, pricing, the API and MCP page, this FAQ and the free tools are in English. The workshop, sign-in, registration, your account and the legal documents (terms, privacy policy, requisites) are in Russian for now. Descriptions of your characters can be written in English.
The workshop interface is in Russian for now. You can write your descriptions in English.