Question 1

Is ParticleFX Studio free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The editor and every premade effect are free in your browser, with nothing to install, and a free account exports 3 effects a day in GIF, PNG, WebP and APNG. Your first AI agent build needs no account at all, and a free account then gives 20 builds to start and 5 every day. Plans from $7.99 a month add more, including unlimited exports, Pro builds with a much stronger model, every FX pack and hi-res, batch, normal map, video and runtime exports.

Question 2

What formats can I export?

Accepted Answer

GIF, APNG, WebM with alpha, MP4, PNG frame sequences, and spritesheets with data files for Unity, Godot 4, Phaser, PixiJS, GameMaker and Aseprite. Web games can also use a small live player that runs the effect itself.

Question 3

Can I use the effects in Unity, Godot or GameMaker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Export a spritesheet and pick your engine: you get the atlas plus the file your engine reads (a Godot SpriteFrames resource, a GameMaker strip, a grid layout for Unity), so there is no slicing by hand.

Question 4

Why use baked effects instead of my engine's particles?

Accepted Answer

An exported effect plays as a sprite animation, so hundreds can run at once for about the cost of hundreds of sprites, and it looks identical in every engine. Looks that need shader work in an engine, such as palette-locked pixel art, ink outlines and glow, are already in the frames, and you do not need VFX experience in your engine to use them. Keep your engine's particles for effects that must react to the game world, like wind or a trail on a moving weapon; for web games, the live runtime plays the same effect file and can react too.

Question 5

Does it make pixel art effects?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pixel mode renders the effect at your game's resolution with hard edges and locks every colour to a palette such as Endesga 32, PICO-8 or your own. Exports are true pixel art, not a filter over HD.

Question 6

Do the effects loop?

Accepted Answer

Every effect loops perfectly: the last frame flows into the first exactly, even with turbulence and chained explosions, so looping exports never pop.

Question 7

Can I describe an effect instead of building it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Type what you want, for example "a crunchy pixel-art explosion that throws debris", and the agent builds it on the live canvas, checks the render and fixes what does not read. Everything it makes stays editable.

Question 8

Can I use ParticleFX from Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our MCP server lets any MCP client build, preview and export effects with the same engine as the studio, saved to your account. Make an API key on the billing page or connect with your account; each new effect costs 1 build and editing it is then free, previews are free for the first 20 a day and then 1 build per 4, and exports and agent builds use your builds. Details are on the MCP page.

Question 9

How is it different from Pixel FX Designer or SpriteMancer?

Accepted Answer

ParticleFX Studio runs in the browser, handles both HD and pixel-art effects, has an AI agent that builds from a description, loops perfectly, and exports engine-ready spritesheet data. It also ships with 410+ premade effects, each with free GIF and spritesheet downloads, plus hands-on lessons.

Question 10

Where do I get sprites for my game?

Accepted Answer

SpriteLab generates pixel-art characters, items, animations and tilesets from a text prompt, with an API and an MCP server. Its sprites and ParticleFX effects work well together.

ParticleFX Studio: particle effects for games, made in your browser

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