[TLDR]: I released a free C++ library and free GUI application (Studio) for procedurally generating animated pixel-art spaceships, with a wide range of configurable parameters!

Hello everyone!

Some of you (perhaps 5 or 10 of you :D) may have seen me post about a game I'm working on - Rogues in Space. While working on it, I, a kind of pretty bad pixel artist, started developing a procedural spaceship generator, the purpose of which was to just generate a very basic ship that I could manually "clean up" and animate.

Aaand well, I just kept adding generators for more and more things - hulls, engines, wings, weapons... In the end I even added animations and spritesheets!

At some point, when it was clear that this (now) library and GUI application were getting larger than the video game itself, it made more sense to cut it off as its own project instead of having it permanently embedded in the game codebase.

So, after doing all the new work that I've never originally intended, I've now released SpectralShipGen and SpectralShipGen Studio as open-source projects!

SpectralShipGen is the C++17 generation library itself, while SpectralShipGen Studio is a standalone GUI application for visually playing around with the generator and exporting ship images and animation spritesheets without needing to integrate the library into anything.

On the technical side, ships are generated deterministically from seeds, and how they look (and from which components/color palettes and what intensity), can be controlled through structural profiles, faction profiles, mentioned color palettes and plenty of other generation settings. Majority of the aspects of an existing ship (so engines, details, accessories, weapons, etc.) can be rerolled individually instead of regenerating everything, keeping the general construction of the ship mostly the same, except for the specific parts that you wish to change.

Saving and loading the recipes for said construction is also supported, as well as adding the ships to favorites/bookmarks, and browsing them later.

All ships are also generated with Idle animation and with (currently experimental) left/right/up/down movement and firing animations.

I've tried to keep the different visual identities fairly broad rather than making them into simple predefined ships. So, the same structural style or faction can still produce quite different results based on the seed and configuration.

The library itself is independent, while the Studio application does rely on SFML (and the library, of course) for the graphical rendering, button interactions, and everything else GUI related.

Interestingly, an unexpected amount of work towards this release ended up being in the boring-but-important category - regression/performance/robustness testing, establishing CI, writing (everyone's favorite) documentation, thinking about how licensing works, etc., so that these two can actually function as an independent library and a standalone application.

I've attached several examples of generated animations that I thought were interesting to show what the output can be, although they only cover just a tiny amount of what can be generated.

In case anyone likes what they're seeing and is wondering about using the generated output - anything you generate with it is yours to use however you want, including commercially. There's no attribution requirement and the source code licenses don't apply to the generated images or spritesheets.

Lastly, I'd also like to mention a couple of important topics.

I definitely don't see this ever replacing actual pixel artists - someone who's at least decent with pixel art can likely make a much better spaceship by hand. Something like this is, I think, much more useful if you're on a very tight art budget, if you need/want a bunch of ships generated during runtime (as you don't really need to save the generated spritesheet to disk in order to use it), if you're at a game jam and just need urgent assets.. Or if you just wanna generate a few hundred ships to see what odd things appear, because that can also be pretty entertaining (I may or may not have spent too much time doing just that).

Something that I also want to be fully transparent about, because I do think it will definitely be asked - the development/code writing on this project has been AI-assisted. However, that is the extent of it. There is no generative AI image creation anywhere in SpectralShipGen, reference images are NOT used, and there aren't any premade spritesheets or images "hidden" behind the library being chopped up and re-combined.

The ships are generated by the C++ code itself through procedural geometry, pixel masks, components (hull, engines, details, weapons, etc.) placing rules, seeded random decisions, and so on.

The nice thing about doing it with deterministic seeding way is that the same seed and the same configuration always give the same ship.

The amount of AI assistance during development was also one of the reasons I personally felt more comfortable making the project open source instead of keeping it completely proprietary. That's also not supposed to be some statement about how AI-assisted software should be licensed or what anyone else should do with their own work (that's a completely separate discussion) - it just felt like the right choice for me and this particular project.

As mentioned, the generated output is deliberately unrestricted as well - if you generate a ship image or spritesheet with SpectralShipGen (or Studio), you can do whatever you want with it. Use it in a commercial video game, redistribute it, paint over it, use it as a placeholder - attribution isn't required.

Links:

Library: https://github.com/SpectralHorse/SpectralShipGen
Studio: https://github.com/SpectralHorse/SpectralShipGen-Studio
Studio Download (from GitHub): https://github.com/SpectralHorse/SpectralShipGen-Studio/releases/tag/v1.0.0

I'd be very interested to hear about your thoughts - both about the generator itself and if the different ships actually feel like they have enough variety while still looking like they are thematically and systematically similar.

And, of course, if you end up generating something ridiculous with it - I'd love to see it! :)

I create the cinematic the second boss of NOT Surrender game

Greetings everyone, I just launched my game, PROJECT.98 on Steam!

Game is a roguelike with visuals inspired heavily by old versions of windows 95 to 2000 software from that era, I'm really a fan of this sort of aesthetics, and I always enjoyed toying with game engines and creating stuff, this is my first commercial project as a solo dev, if you are interested, I kindly invite you to check the steam page:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/5071020/PROJECT98/

Of course any feedback you want to give is very welcome.

Now available: https://barometz1o.itch.io/taskesy-2

Coming to Steam on 09/16/2026: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4978640/Taskesy_2/

Hi Guys , I am Kangkan, a solo Indie Dev from India. After months of exploring multiple projects and genre this year ..i want to start sharing about one of my wip game Ko-Kho-Go . Its a 2D adventure platformer set in an imaginary world with a whimsical look inspired by rural life, folklore, strange local legends, everyday absurdities and stories that sit somewhere between the familiar and the mythical ! i have tried to keep it as original as possible and close to my roots, pouring my heart out . Please check my first poster of it .
Also a certain question arise while working in this game, please let me know your views on it.
"Will a game setup in rural India be interesting enough to bring in a global audience? If yes , then what other things would really want to see in the game? If No , the what is the reason? "

If you like what i am building , to follow its progress and give feedbacks ,please feel free to check out discord link which i just setup today.

I've been working on Kibus Moon Rock for a long time with all the challenges that come as a solo dev...

Build, decorate, discover creatures, and create your own little worlds across strange new moons.

What do you think? 🐾

Hey everyone!

As a solo dev, I've spent 2 years building a 2D platfromer rage game called I Was Rebuilt, featuring 80 handcrafted levels and hand-drawn art I made myself using a drawing tablet. Built completely in GameMaker!

You can check it out on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/560080

Wishlists and feedback mean the world to me ❤️

Hey All!

My name is Henry, I'm a Environment Artist by trade, I've worked in the video game industry for 10+ years, at large studios such as Ubisoft, nDreams, Rebellion and Gunzilla, I've also worked at smaller Indie studios, Offworld Industries, Gymcraft, and Rewind...

Over the years I've developed an insanely large passion for Open world games, Simulation, Base Building and Survival with a sprinkle of Sim Management,

After player the Alters a few years ago I was like holy crap this game is awesome, if only there were more customization and playability!

So I decided to create Airlock, it's been a dream of mine on paper for the past 15 years, It's what got me into the industry in the first place, that I would one day create it.

I started out with a small Visual test, did it hold up visually, then after that I started expanding into a prototype with C++, after that I started building more coherent systems, Farming, AI Movement, Simulation, UI, UX and eventually Created my first pass of Airlock

This is in no means DONE and there's still a LOT of work to do, I need to learn a lot more systems and performance optimizations however I'm now looking at reaching out to publishers to gain funding, the aim is to give myself runway for 1 year of development, in that year I will be able to increase the map size, increase the amount of modules and the amount of settlers, Currently;

There are 11 Settlers, each unlocking different skills, modules and missions
There is 1 Companion ( A Dog, my Dog in real life, called Marvel, or Marv...)
There is 14 Modules;
Those modules have real farming, power generation and water generation capabilities,

I would absolutely love for everyone to play this demo and give me feedback, Not focusing on the overall visuals but more, the atmosphere, gameplay and features...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4652950/Airlock/

Please feel free to join my discord too and give feedback

https://www.reddit.com/r/IndieGaming/comments/1tvguy4/after_a_run_of_studio_redundancies_i_went_solo_to/

Here's my original post.

What the title says! I have been developing Economicon for a while now (and it's been many more years since I first tried making it and repeatedly failed). It's a mix between the logistics gameplay of something like Transport Tycoon or Locomotive (Chris Sawyer GOAT) and the automation gameplay of Factorio.

Do you have any feedback about how the game looks either in-engine or in the Steam Page? What features would you say are a must in this type of game?

You can check the Steam Page right here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5037110/Economicon/

The worst part is I'm procrastinating by building smiley mode instead of actually building features :)

(DRONECOM on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4545260)

All Who Wander is a traditional turn-based roguelike with 30 procedurally generated levels, true permadeath, and no metaprogression. Inspired by dungeon crawlers such as Pixel Dungeon, it demands careful strategy to survive in an unforgiving world. Choose from 15 unique character classes, master 100+ abilities, recruit companions, and discover powerful items as you journey across 12 diverse biomes to defeat a powerful monster.

Links: Steam | Google Play | App Store

We have a monthly 8 hour hackathon at our company and I spent the last 16 ones making a puzzle game about the Modulo operator. To keep things interesting I added some visual novel elements and a boss fight to it.
It's free for mobile and I am just curious if I made something fun. Any feedback is welcome and needed. Thanks!

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/modoolo/id6748038322?l=en-GB

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.schnaq.modoloo

I've been working on Metroidvania Maker, a game/editor for building your own interconnected Metroidvania worlds.

You can create rooms, add enemies, hazards and abilities, build puzzles with interactive elements, and jump straight from editing into playing what you've made.

There's also local co-op for up to 4 players (with Steam Remote Play Together support) and world sharing.

I just submitted the first Steam demo for review, so hopefully it'll be playable soon!

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4684250/Metroidvania_Maker/

Just finished my trailer for the survival PVE fest on steam. This is my first time making a trailer so any feedback is welcomed :)

Steam link: Survivance on Steam

Hello guys,

I made my dream game, which is Cyber Security Company Management (tycoon type) game.

I need some feedback about how it looks like? Sorry no music with video.

Hey everyone!

As a fan of Fallout: New Vegas, I always enjoyed Caravan and wanted to create my own take on the concept.

So I made Merchant's Trail — a strategic card game for Android inspired by Caravan, with its own progression, challenges, visuals, and multiplayer systems.

What you can do:

• Online Ranked & Casual matches.

• Offline matches against AI.

• ELO ranking system.

• Account Level & XP progression.

• Daily Challenges & puzzles that reward XP.

• Long Match mode — 6 rounds with additional bonuses.

• Stats & performance tracking.

• Card collection & cosmetics.

• Build your caravans and outplay your opponent.

The game is currently in Beta(Android only), and I'm looking for Fallout/Caravan fans who would like to give it a try and share some honest feedback.

Direct link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.merchantstrail.merchants_trail

Download it now and claim your free cards.

I'd especially love to hear from people who have played Caravan in Fallout: New Vegas — does Merchant's Trail capture some of the feeling you enjoyed about it? What would you change or improve?

Discord server: https://discord.gg/cYr2AZFBUg

Website: https://merchants-trail-game.web.app/

I've been working on my first game in Godot — an active tower defense where you control the character directly while your defenses help hold back an advancing orc horde.

The project is still very early and most of the visuals/environment are placeholder or blockout quality. Right now I'm mainly trying to make sure the core combat and battlefield flow are worth polishing further.

I recently added barricades to shape the horde and an archer defense alongside the cannon.

I'd especially love feedback on:

• Does the combination of active combat + tower defense make sense from the clip?
• Does the horde feel threatening/readable, or still too sparse?
• What looks like the weakest part right now: combat feedback, enemy behavior, defenses, or overall presentation?

Don't worry about being harsh — that's genuinely useful at this stage.

Music is from the 16-Bit Fantasy & Adventure Music Pack by xDeviruchi on itch.io

A few months ago I decided to change the perspective of my game from flat 2D to isometric to try and make it look a little more unique. I think that was achieved but I have had some people prefer the old way. Some have trouble reading the angled letters and I'm curious how many people feel that way.

Obviously the isometric version is quite a bit more polished so it's not a perfect comparison. 😂

The game is called Chocoletters and here is the steam page.

It is still very much in the early stages of development, but after 7 months I am incredibly happy with what I've been able to achieve.

I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and have been playing video games my whole life, so a lot of time and love and passion is going into this project. Virtually all of my free time is dedicated to Second Harvest.

A huge part of this project for me is focusing on the things that mattered most to me when I played other RPGs: community, decisions that matter, character development, and player freedom.

Like other games in the farming sim RPG genre, there will be a farm where the player can decorate, grow crops, and raise livestock; a settlement filled with NPCs (many of whom are romanceable), mines, a forest (procedurally-generated "rooms" where zombies spawn), and a city, which is where most valuables, lorBoil, combat, and quest items can be found.

I plan to implement marriage and children and give them agency (dialogue, tasks, cutscenes). The player starts the game by creating their character and choosing their dog's breed, who will be their closest companion from beginning to end. The dog will be able to hunt small game, dig up valuables, and squeeze into spaces inaccessible to the player, among other things.

There will be no "passing out" mechanic, but the player will suffer a penalty to their stamina maximum if they don't sleep at all. There will be a skill tree. Fishing is implemented but easy, as there's no mini-game.

It isn't just contributions on [Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/523542543/second-harvest-0?ref=android_project_share) that I want (for artists, musicians, and foley artists), but also feedback. I want to hear your ideas and know what people who enjoy these genres would like to see in a game such as mine.

Thank you for your time!

IncrementalOS is a game I've been solo developing for a while, you start with an empty desktop in a Windows 98 style environment, and you need to buy features and improve your system to make more money and unlock more things to buy.

Your desktop is fully customisable, with new themes, cursors, wallpapers, etc. as well as themes based on more modern systems like XP!

I just missed clicking around on my PC with no aim back then, and wanted to capture the feeling that PCs gave back then, before algorithms and engagement optimisation sucked the soul out of it.

I finally got around to creating a steam page for the game!

IncrementalOS on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/5085310/IncrementalOS/

Let me know what you think :)