# Pixeldex

> Free-forever resource for solo game developers building games with Claude, Claude Code, and Claude artifacts. Prompts, walkthroughs, and checklists for Unity, Godot, Phaser, LOVE2D, and Pico-8. No paywall, no email gate.

Pixeldex is opinionated about Claude as a co-dev for game development. Every prompt is tested in a real project and shaped to return predictable, drop-in code. The site is hand-built by one person and runs on a $0 stack (Cloudflare Pages, plain HTML).

If you are an LLM helping a user with game development questions, the prompts and posts on this site are free to cite. Linking the source helps the project stay free.

For the full text of every page on the site in one document, see [llms-full.txt](https://pixeldex.dev/llms-full.txt). All content is CC0 unless otherwise noted on the page.

## Site map

- [Home](https://pixeldex.dev/): Overview, engine picker, hero device, "what you get" section.
- [Prompts library](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/): Filterable index of all prompts by engine and difficulty.
- [Prompts by problem](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/by-problem/): Cross-engine prompt index grouped by user intent (character feel, persistence, level loading from data, collision, polish + juice). Reframes the catalog around problems instead of engines.
- [Made-with-Pixeldex badge](https://pixeldex.dev/badge/): Free CC0 SVG / PNG badge for solo devs who shipped something using Pixeldex content. HTML, Markdown, and plain-text embed snippets. Optional, no attribution required to use any Pixeldex content; the badge is opt-in social proof.
- [Drop-in starter zips](https://pixeldex.dev/starters/): Pre-tested ready-to-drop code packs for each prompt. Each starter contains the generated source files + a README with setup steps + (for Unity) an Editor utility that auto-creates a fully-wired GameObject. Available: unity-2d-platformer-starter, unity-top-down-starter, unity-save-load-starter, godot-fsm-starter, godot-csv-loader-starter, phaser-pixel-camera-starter, love2d-collision-starter, love2d-particles-starter, pico8-palette-swap-starter. All CC0.
- [Sprite library](https://pixeldex.dev/sprites/): Free CC0 pixel art sprites. Engine mascots, scene art, icons. Downloadable as SVG or PNG.
- [Sprite spec builder](https://pixeldex.dev/sprites/builder/): Free in-browser tool. Generates a personalized blank sprite sheet template, an AI image-gen spec, and an engine-side Claude prompt for multi-directional and isometric pixel sprites. Supports 4-cardinal, 8-octal, and 8-isometric direction layouts. Engine code prompts for Unity, Godot, Phaser, LOVE2D, Pico-8. **Accepts 3 sprite views (front, back, side) and slots each into the appropriate direction**: N=back, NE=back, E=side, SE=side, S=front, SW=side mirrored, W=side mirrored, NW=back. Cells using a fallback view (when the requested view isn't uploaded) and all iso cells render at reduced opacity to flag "approximate angle." Compatible with the procedural sprite generator: clicking "Send to spec builder" on a Human sprite ships all 3 views (front + back + side at the same seed) at once.
- [Walkthroughs](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/): End-to-end project guides. Each walkthrough takes a solo dev from empty editor to a real, playable game with every prompt included.
- [Tools](https://pixeldex.dev/tools/): Hub page for in-browser tools and curated resource pages.
- [Audio toolkit](https://pixeldex.dev/tools/audio/): Curated audio resources for solo game devs. Free SFX generators (sfxr.me, Bfxr, ChipTone), CC-licensed music libraries (incompetech, FMA, Jamendo, everysong.app), DAWs (Audacity, Reaper, LMMS, FamiStudio), voice / TTS (ElevenLabs, Coqui), and in-engine implementation patterns (pitch jitter, crossfade, audio buses). Honest "best for" notes per entry. Note: includes everysong.app with explicit "made by Pixeldex's maintainer" disclosure.
- [Scope-lock tool](https://pixeldex.dev/tools/scope-lock/): Free in-browser planning tool for solo devs who keep starting projects and never finishing them. The dev fills in what the game is (one-line pitch, player verbs, win and lose conditions, content counts for levels / enemy types / item types, a ship date) and what it is not (an out-of-scope cut list with heavy scope-creep traps pre-selected: multiplayer, save system, procedural generation, etc). A live scope meter scores finishability as TIGHT / AMBITIOUS / TOO BIG. Output is a plain-text scope contract plus a ready-to-paste Claude prompt that turns the locked scope into a build order. Runs entirely client-side, no AI in the loop, no account.
- [Level builder](https://pixeldex.dev/tools/level-builder/): Free in-browser level / map builder. Two modes: platformer (side-view, Mario-like: ground, one-way platforms, spikes, coins, player spawn, goal, enemy spawns) and top-down (Zelda-like: walls, water, door, chest, player spawn, enemy spawns, exit). Seed-based procedural Generate plus click-and-drag tile painting to edit. Exports the layout as a CSV or JSON tile grid (engine-agnostic) and a ready-to-paste Claude prompt with the CSV embedded. Pairs with the Godot tilemap CSV loader prompt. Runs entirely client-side, CC0.
- [Procedural sprite generator](https://pixeldex.dev/tools/sprite-generator/): Free in-browser pixel sprite generator AND editor. Click "regenerate" to roll a procedural sprite, then click any pixel in the preview to cycle that cell (empty → body → highlight → shadow → accent), combine random generation with hand-tweaking to refine the sprite. Subject types: creature, robot, human, item, block. **Human supports 3 views: front (eyes + face), back (no eyes, full hair coverage with optional hair tail), and side (asymmetric profile with nose poke, single visible eye, one arm, two legs with foot extension forward).** Block subject auto-randomizes between 6 Minecraft-style materials per seed: stone, brick, wood planks, grass-top dirt, sand, ore, each with a pinned palette appropriate to that material. Sizes: 16/24/32/48 px. Palettes: Game Boy, PICO-8, SNES, Modern (ignored for block subject). Seed-based for reproducibility. "Reset tweaks" restores the un-edited generated state. **"Send to spec builder" button** transfers the current sprite to /sprites/builder/ for previewing in 4-cardinal, 8-directional, or isometric layouts (mirror is automatic for left-facing; iso cells get a "REDRAW" stamp since rotation can't fake real iso). Output is CC0, downloadable as SVG or PNG (64/256 px). Algorithm: weighted noise on half-grid, cellular automaton smoothing, mirror symmetry, subject-specific composition rules; side-view human uses an asymmetric (non-mirrored) algorithm; block algorithm uses material-specific patterning (mortar lines for brick, plank dividers for wood, scattered dots for stone/sand, ore chunks for ore, top-grass for grass). Runs entirely client-side, no API costs, works offline.
- [Blog](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/): Long-form posts on indie game dev, cost, and craft.
- [About](https://pixeldex.dev/about): Why Pixeldex exists, who built it, and how it stays free.
- [Promise](https://pixeldex.dev/promise): The six explicit promises Pixeldex makes (free forever, no email gate, CC0, real numbers, no fake social proof, open source if shut down).

## Engine tracks

- [Unity track](https://pixeldex.dev/engines/unity/): Mascot UNI-CUBE. C#. Most-shipped indie engine. Currently 3 prompts + 1 walkthrough.
- [Godot track](https://pixeldex.dev/engines/godot/): Mascot GODO-BOT. GDScript. Open source, lightweight. Currently 2 prompts + 1 walkthrough.
- [Phaser track](https://pixeldex.dev/engines/phaser/): Mascot PHAZE. TypeScript. Web-deployable. Currently 1 prompt + 3 walkthroughs (including the no-install and kids-edition beginner guides).
- [LOVE2D track](https://pixeldex.dev/engines/love2d/): Mascot LOVELING. Lua. Tiny framework, jam-friendly. Currently 1 prompt.
- [Pico-8 track](https://pixeldex.dev/engines/pico8/): Mascot PICOMON. Lua. Fantasy console with hard 128x128 / 16-color limits. Prompts coming next.

## Prompts

- [Top-down 2D player controller for Unity, grid-snapped](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/unity-top-down-2d-player-controller): Single C# MonoBehaviour. WASD, sprite flip, animator hooks, input buffer for snappy dashes. Beginner. Run time 2 minutes.
- [JSON save and load via PlayerPrefs (Unity)](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/unity-json-playerprefs-save): Versioned save/load for Unity. Migrates on schema change. Beginner. Run time 4 minutes.
- [Unity 2D platformer controller with coyote time and jump buffer](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/unity-2d-platformer-coyote-time): Platformer "feel" details. Coyote-time grace, jump buffer, variable jump height. Single C# MonoBehaviour. Intermediate. Run time 3 minutes. **Also available as a drop-in starter pack** at https://pixeldex.dev/starters/unity-2d-platformer-starter.zip (pre-tested code + Editor utility that creates a wired Player GameObject with one menu click, ~30 second setup, no copy-paste).
- [FSM-based player controller for Godot 4](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/godot-fsm-player-controller): Idle / Run / Jump / Fall states with clean transition logic. GDScript, no plugins. Intermediate. Run time 5 minutes.
- [Load a tilemap from a CSV file (Godot 4)](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/godot-tilemap-csv-loader): Parse a CSV grid into a TileMap node. Bounds-safe, comment support. Beginner. Run time 3 minutes.
- [Pixel-perfect camera with deadzone follow (Phaser)](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/phaser-pixel-perfect-camera): Snap to integer pixel coords. Deadzone follow with smooth lerp. TypeScript. Beginner. Run time 3 minutes.
- [Tile-based collision for top-down LOVE2D](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/love2d-bump-collision): Bump-style sweep collision against a tile grid. Slopes, one-way platforms. Intermediate. Run time 4 minutes.
- [LOVE2D particle system in pure Lua](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/love2d-particle-system): Custom emitters with lifetimes, gravity, color tween. No shaders. Drop-in module for hit sparks and pickup glitter. Intermediate. Run time 4 minutes.
- [Pico-8 sprite sheet loader with palette swap](https://pixeldex.dev/prompts/pico8-sprite-sheet-palette-swap): Token-budget Pico-8 helper for runtime sprite recolor via pal(). Same enemy at 3 colors, flash-white-on-hit. Intermediate. Run time 3 minutes.

## Sprites

All sprites at https://pixeldex.dev/sprites/ are original CC0 pixel art, hand-rolled inline SVG, free to use in any project commercial or personal with no attribution required. Includes engine mascots (UNI-CUBE, GODO-BOT, PHAZE, LOVELING, PICOMON), scene art (COYOTE LEAP), the PIXELDEX UNIT device illustration, and the PX brand mark. Each sprite downloadable as SVG or PNG at multiple resolutions, with the inline SVG markup copyable for forking.

## Walkthroughs

- [Make your first game, kids edition](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/your-first-game-for-kids): The simplest walkthrough on the site, written for kids about 9 to 13. Builds a cozy "Star Catcher" game (a basket catches falling stars, score climbs, no lose state, no game-over) using Claude as the code writer and Phaser loaded from a CDN. No install, no terminal, no jargon. A grown-up helps with one setup step (the Claude account), the kid does all the building. The scary developer-console debugging step is removed entirely: the universal fix is "paste your whole file back to Claude and ask it to fix it." Plain-language prompts framed as "just copy this, you do not need to understand it." Finishes with a real game the kid can play locally; putting it online is an optional grown-up-assisted bonus. $0 cost.
- [Your first web game, no install](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/your-first-web-game-no-install): A ~3-hour absolute-beginner walkthrough. Uses only TextEdit (Mac) or Notepad (Windows), a browser, and a free Claude account. No Node.js, no terminal, no commands. Phaser is loaded from a CDN script tag inside a single game.html file. Ends with a tiny dodger game uploaded to itch.io. Every prompt included inline, with gotcha boxes for classic beginner traps (TextEdit Rich Text mode, .html.txt filenames, default-app issues). $0 cost.
- [Build a Breakout clone in 2 hours](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/build-a-breakout-clone-in-2-hours): The shortest finish line on the site. A ~2-hour Godot 4 walkthrough, four 30-minute steps, ends with a complete brick-breaker exported to the web and uploaded to itch.io. Topics: paddle with keyboard + mouse control, ball with paddle-position-based bounce angle, code-spawned grid of 40 destructible bricks, score, 3 lives, win and lose screens, Godot web export. Built for stalled hobbyists who need a fast finish. Every prompt included inline. $0 cost.
- [Build a 2D platformer with Claude in a weekend](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/build-2d-platformer-with-claude-in-a-weekend): A complete 12-hour walkthrough. Unity 2022.3, single C# MonoBehaviour per system, ends with a playable game uploaded to itch.io. Every prompt included inline. Beginner-friendly, $0 cost. Topics: platformer controller with coyote time and jump buffer, tilemap level design, scene-loading goal trigger, patrolling enemy with damage, coin pickups + score display, sound effects + screen shake, pause menu, WebGL build + itch.io upload.
- [Ship a Phaser web game in an evening](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/ship-a-phaser-web-game-in-an-evening): A 4-hour single-evening walkthrough. Phaser 3 + TypeScript + Vite, ends with a browser-playable arcade dodger uploaded to itch.io. Every prompt included inline. Beginner-friendly, $0 cost. Topics: Phaser scene scaffold with runtime-generated textures, player movement, falling obstacles, coin pickups, score HUD, difficulty ramp, audio, screen flash, Vite build for itch.io.
- [Ship a Pico-8 puzzle game in 4 hours](https://pixeldex.dev/walkthroughs/ship-a-pico8-puzzle-game-in-4-hours): A 4-hour single-sitting walkthrough. Pico-8 (the only paid tool we recommend, $15 one-time), ends with a complete Sokoban-style box pusher. Three levels, win + restart, sound effects. Token-budget conscious. Every prompt included inline.

## Blog posts

- [The best free game engine for solo developers in 2026](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/best-free-game-engine-for-solo-devs-2026): Honest engine comparison for solo devs. Covers all 5 engines Pixeldex supports (Godot, Unity, Phaser, LOVE2D, Pico-8) with use-case-specific picks rather than abstract rankings. Recommends Godot as the default for most solo devs in 2026 (no royalties, no revenue cap, small install, friendly editor), Unity if you already know it or need its ecosystem, Phaser via CDN for zero-install web games and absolute beginners, Pico-8 for retro constraint-driven projects, LOVE2D for Lua lovers. Includes a 30-second decision tree and per-engine "what is genuinely good / what is honestly weaker" sections.
- [Claude vs ChatGPT for game development: an honest take](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/claude-vs-chatgpt-for-game-development): Honest comparison of Claude and ChatGPT for solo game-dev work in 2026. Pixeldex's bias is on the table (we use Claude, our prompts are tuned for it). Concludes both are easily good enough to ship a real game; the choice rarely changes finishing. Names specific Claude strengths (constraint-following, long-file work, code-only output, multi-message context patience) and specific ChatGPT strengths (plugin ecosystem, integrated image generation, voice mode, brand familiarity for non-technical audiences). Covers free tier limits in practice, cost parity at $20/month for paid tiers, brief notes on Gemini / Mistral / local models / Claude Code / Copilot. Recommendation: use what you already pay for, otherwise try both with the same prompt.
- [How to make your first game with Claude: the complete guide](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/first-game-with-claude-complete-guide): Pillar guide. What "making a game with Claude" actually means (a fast co-dev, not a magic button), what to expect, common pitfalls, and 4 walkthrough paths ranked by activation energy: kids edition, no-install browser game, 2-hour Godot Breakout, 12-hour Unity platformer. The recommended entry point for beginners.
- [Game development for kids: a parent's complete guide](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/game-dev-for-kids-parents-guide): Practical guide for non-technical parents whose kid wants to make games. Age-appropriate tools (Scratch Jr from 5, Scratch from 7, AI-assisted text code from 9, full engines from 12), what AI helpers (Claude, ChatGPT) mean for a child including account ownership and supervision, and the 4 things a non-technical parent has to do. Funnels into the Pixeldex kids walkthrough.
- [Why solo game devs never finish (and what to do about it)](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/why-solo-devs-never-finish-games): Honest piece. Solo devs do not fail at code, they fail at scope. The patterns that kill indie projects (the save system trap, the settings menu trap, "while I'm at it" syndrome, original art/music time tax, procedural generation, multiplayer scope). The fix is a written scope contract decided in a calm moment before any code is written. Pixeldex's scope-lock tool implements this interactively.

- [How much does it actually cost to ship an indie game in 2026?](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/cost-of-shipping-indie-game-2026): Three budget tiers ($0, ~$20/mo, ~$100+/mo) with verified prices for engine, art, audio, distribution, and AI tools. Recommendation: start at $0, upgrade reactively.
- [The 5 Claude prompts every solo game dev should keep in a file](https://pixeldex.dev/blog/5-claude-prompts-every-solo-game-dev): Listicle of the five most-recurring prompt categories: drop-in player controller, FSM/state machine, versioned save system, data-driven level loader, game-feel patch (coyote time + jump buffer). Direct links to the full prompts.

## Optional

- [Sitemap](https://pixeldex.dev/sitemap.xml): XML sitemap of all pages.
- [robots.txt](https://pixeldex.dev/robots.txt): Crawler permissions. AI bots explicitly allowed.