Piskel is a web-based sprite editor for creating game sprites, animations, and pixel art. The tool runs entirely in the browser using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, with no installation required.
Piskel addresses the need for an accessible, lightweight sprite editor by providing a straightforward interface for pixel-art creation. It handles the technical challenges of sprite work through built-in support for animated GIF generation using web workers, GIF parsing and import, spritesheet management, and export to ZIP files. The editor includes a color picker, layer support, and canvas-based drawing tools designed specifically for pixel-level precision.
The tool suits developers and artists who need a quick, browser-based alternative to desktop sprite editors for game development or animation work. It works best in modern versions of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave, though Brave requires canvas fingerprinting to be disabled. The project explicitly does not support mobile or tablet devices. Offline builds are available for those who need to work without internet access.
The project accepts only small, straightforward contributions such as documentation updates, typos, and minor bug fixes. Large bug fixes spanning multiple areas, major refactors, and pull requests that modify user experience or introduce new features are unlikely to be reviewed or merged due to limited maintainer resources. The tool uses end-to-end testing with Playwright to validate functionality.
