WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:October 28, 2026October 28, 2026October 28, 2026

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Hey, everyone- Hope you’ve been well during this spooky season! In this late-night installment of Work-In-Progress Wednesday, I’m bringing you a sneak peek of upcoming effects for the Super Pixel Effects Gigapack Halloween update. Both are classified as “death” fantasy spells, but have different designs and possible in-game uses. Let’s check ’em out!

Effects Gigapack Halloween Preview

Our first new effect is a skull rising up and producing flames, laughing as it rises. For this animation, I drew the skull as if it was looking upwards, and I think I made it work. The curve of the jaw is what really helps enforce that perspective. This could be used as a “curse” or “doom” spell, or even as an enemy attack!

Our second new effect is a larger and more detailed skull… Also laughing! After it materializes and cackles with bony glee, it then burns to a crisp to exit the scene. This one would make for a good “YOU DIED” effect, or would also fit nicely as a “doom” spell. I love drawing skulls!

The Halloween update will arrive either on the 30th or the 31st, depending on how things go on my end. I’ve been so busy, but there are a lot of good things in the works!

SparkBolt Studio Work

…Such as SparkBolt Studio, my all-in-one pixel art sprite / tileset / level editor! I’m continuing to work on it, and it’s coming along nicely.

Recently, my work on it has been focused on implementing a history system (undo/redo). I’ve also been restructuring things internally to use “commands” which can easily be pushed to the history system. And I’ve been writing code to test it all! The tests have been valuable so far- I’ve been able to catch a few things that weren’t working properly already. So far, I’ve written tests for a couple pixel tools and some of the layer management actions.

So… I hate to mention it, but I feel like it needs mentioning: It’s a little scary to be working on something big of my own right now in the age of AI, with all the reverse-engineering and “clean-room” reproductions of popular apps going on. Nevertheless, I’m happy to continue my journey with it and eventually bring it to completion, because it’s a tool I want to use myself and because I feel like a lot of people would be interested in using it to help make their own games. And I’m also happy to both promise and guarantee that AI has never and will never be used in ANY of my creations- Art, code, and otherwise.

Over the summer, I was asked for the first time whether or not I used AI for Atmocopter, the game I’m making. It was the first time I had ever had my work questioned, and it was coming from someone I knew and who played it. It’s not a good feeling. We live in sobering times, and I must admit it’s been weighing on me a lot, especially with all the recent developments, the trajectory of the world, and the uncertainty of the future.

With that said, I’d like to share this message, to anyone and everyone who needs it.

To all the artists/devs/creators out there currently feeling demotivated by AI (including me): Keep making cool stuff. Keep being curious and keep learning.
The things worth doing in life are hard, and it’s in doing them that we grow. We’re all on our own journey, and the result isn’t just what you’ve created, it’s you as well. That will ALWAYS shine through.

The world may lack good news lately… So keep making your own!

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled WIP Wednesday.

Zephyr Time!

Zephyr’s been having fun this season! She loves Fall. When she was a puppy, I taught her how to do “drop it” with leaves- Each time she picked up a leaf, I’d trade her a treat for it. Now, that’s all she wants to do on walks! Enjoy some fresh pics of Zeph from today:

Hard to believe she’ll be three this December! Time flies when you’re having fun!

That’s all for tonight- I’ll see you on Friday or Saturday with the effects pack update. Looking forward to sharing more and drawing more awesome stuff for you! Thank you for your support, and best of luck with all your game development projects!

-Will

Super Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects Gigapackv3.1.0v3.1.0v3.1.0

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Hey, everyone! I’m here this weekend with Super Pixel Effects Gigapack version 3.1.0! This is a “remix” update- I took a look through the effects we’ve done so far, and mashed some of them together to make some neat new effects! Let’s have a look:

This update brings five new effects, including a new animation type: “Lightning Aura!” There are two lightning aura designs to choose from, for all your lightning aura needs. Maybe your character is powered up? Or maybe you’ve just picked up an energy shield? The sky’s the limit! Along with the lightning, we’ve got two directional particle bursts as well as a directional smoke puff, which is always useful. I continued working on the curvy directional particle burst since I last showed it off in WIP Wednesday- It now has a kind of two-tone color thing going on and I think that makes it a lot more interesting.

Ready to get it for your game?

Not into Patreon? Never fear- The Gigapack can also be purchased below!

See you on Wednesday for a work-in-progress post! Looking forward to drawing stuff for the next update. I’ve moved it a little closer to Halloween, and am planning some very spooky animations!

-Will

Mini-WIP Wednesday:Mini-WIP Wednesday:Mini-WIP Wednesday:October 7, 2026October 7, 2026October 7, 2026

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Hey, everyone! I’m here for the first Work-In-Progress Wednesday of October! Let’s take a quick look at what’s coming next for Super Pixel Effects Gigapack.

For this update, I’m remixing previous animations to make new ones. I have so many cool particles and things to choose from, and it’s fun to see how they can fit together in new ways! For the first one above, I’d also like to do a looping version. It would make for a good “aura” type of effect! The second one is remixed from the sci-fi boost effect in the previous update. I gave it some asymmetry and another green color ramp for more depth. It could make a good “level up” or “ability ready” effect! Looking forward to remixing a lot more for this update.

Just a quick post for today- I’ll be in touch with more soon! Have an idea for an effect? Drop it in the comments!

-Will

Super Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects Gigapackv3.0.0!v3.0.0!v3.0.0!

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Hey, everyone! I took a bit more extra time than I thought I would (sometimes I feel like the work expands to how much time I give it…), but tonight I’m here with a big milestone release for Super Pixel Effects Gigapack: Version 3.0.0!

Above, you can see the new effects in all their glory! All of the fire animations have a second smoke-free version, only the smoke versions are shown above. There is also a brand-new sci-fi boost effect, and you finally get to see the thorns animation for the first time! I had a lot of fun with that one. The color variants of it are also really cool. Also making their debut is a new type of smoke effect: Looping smoke! They’re great for damage effects, ongoing dust effects, or maybe even as RTS building construction effects.

Ready to get it for your game?

Not into Patreon? Never fear- The Gigapack can also be purchased below!

What’s Next?

I’ll be hard at work on new Gigapack effects for you again this month! I’m going to try and do some spooky effects for later in the month closer to Halloween… Stay tuned.

I’m also in the planning phase of another asset pack project featuring items and icons, but I’m not sure on the timeline for it yet. I’ll let you know when it’s ready to share!

Here’s my tentative schedule for October:

That’s all for today! Have an idea for an effect that I haven’t done yet for the Gigapack? Drop me a line via my contact form and I’ll add it to my idea list! Thank you for your support- Looking forward to drawing lots more.

-Will

WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:September 23, 2026September 23, 2026September 23, 2026

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Hey, everyone! I’m here once again for Work-In-Progress Wednesday! Let’s jump right in with some effects for the next Gigapack update.

Heating Things Up!

In this update, I’ll be adding several new fire effects! The fire category has needed some love for a while, so it was time to heat things up. Similar to some of the lightning strike animations which had an impact version and an impact-free version, the new looping fire animations will come with two versions: With smoke, and without smoke.

If the above fire animation looks familiar, that’s because we’ve seen a little bit of it before! This fire animation was part of the fire spell included in Super Pixel Fantasy FX Pack 2, but it never had a looping version. I’ve also taken the opportunity to clean up the animation a little bit and make it smoother.

There’s also a second version of it, with a more horizontally-balanced (but not quite symmetrical) flame. Stylistically, I really like drawing fire with a bit of a slant, but I know the importance of having it more balanced! I feel like this one would work great as a roaring campfire or as a dangerous in-game hazard… Or even a projectile!

Corgi Meet-Up!

About a week and a half ago, Zephyr and I went to a corgi meet-up together! My folks came along as well. We had an awesome time!

That’s all for today- I’ll see you either Friday or sometime this weekend with the effects pack update! The animations are going well, but it might take me an extra day or two to finish up. Looking forward to seeing what you’ll make with it!

-Will

WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:September 16, 2026September 16, 2026September 16, 2026

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Hey, everyone… I’m back from vacation! I took last week off and had a genuinely relaxing week. Now I’m getting back to pixel art, and drawing/animating the new effects for Effects Gigapack v3.0.0.

WIP Upcoming Gigapack Effect

Here’s a sneak peek at a work-in-progress effect. No animation yet, but lots of sprite detail to appreciate:

These lovely vines will be part of a “thorns” fantasy spell! I’ll be drawing at least one more, and that should be enough variety for the effect. For the animation, I’m planning on having them erupt out of the ground, stick around for a moment, and then retract. Don’t step on these pointy plants!

What Did Will Do On Vacation?

Glad you asked! Last Wednesday, Zephyr and I went to Afton, MN and visited the marina and a public park. Here’s the corgi pics, as promised!

Hit “Continue Reading” for more!

WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:September 2, 2026September 2, 2026September 2, 2026

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Hey, everyone! I’m here tonight for the first Work-In-Progress Wednesday of September. I’m excited for Fall! Here’s what I’ve been working on lately:

Road to Effects Gigapack v3.0.0

Above, check out the first completed effect for Super Pixel Effects Gigapack v3.0.0! This is a sci-fi charge-up effect, and I wanted to make it have a little more character than previous charge-ups. A swirling vortex of energy combined with frequent lightning bursts makes for a volatile, powerful-looking charge!

Atmocopter Experiment: Charge Boost

Speaking of “charge”… I continued working on Atmocopter a little bit last week following 2D Con, and tested out some new moves for our intrepid little copter-bot that should help him out in future missions. Let’s have a look!

Hit “Continue Reading” for more GIFs and the full post!

Super Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects GigapackSuper Pixel Effects Gigapackv2.9.0v2.9.0v2.9.0

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Hey, everyone! I’m here this weekend with Super Pixel Effects Gigapack version 2.9.0! This is a smaller and simpler update since I was pretty wiped out from the convention, but I’m bringing four new effects today:

This time we’ve got a brand-new impact animation, along with three useful symbols: Attack up, defense up, and magic up! Like some of my other symbols, they have appear/shine/disappear sequences, so feel free to adjust them on your end as you need. Maybe you want it to shine more than once, or maybe you don’t need it to shine at all, or just want the appear part. It’s up to you!

Ready to get it for your game?

Not into Patreon? Never fear- The Gigapack can also be purchased below!

What’s Next?

Next up will be the big one: v3.0.0! I’m really excited to bring you a lot of effects for this milestone, and I’m really gonna try and push up the animation quality and detail. Wish me luck!

Here’s my tentative schedule for September:

I’ll be on break from Sept. 7 to Sept. 13! I’m excited to have a little time off- This summer was really busy with pixel art and work on Atmocopter. Planning to read some Berserk, catch up on some Mega Man comics, play some games (haven’t decided which yet!), and of course have a fun time with Zephyr (my dog)!

After v3.0.0, I have a bit of freelance work to do in late Sept, and then we’ll be back to regular updates in October. Looking forward to what’s coming up next!

See you on Wednesday with some new work-in-progress goodness… Already got some cool stuff I’m itching to show off!

-Will

2D Con 2026 Postmortem2D Con 2026 Postmortem2D Con 2026 Postmortem+ What’s Next!+ What’s Next!+ What’s Next!

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Hey, everyone! I’m back from 2D Con! I missed WIP Wednesday last week because I was so busy preparing, so I thought I’d write up an early postmortem of my experience at the convention for you.

2D Con!

2D Con was an incredible three whole days of indie game action down in Bloomington, Minnesota. I brought Atmocopter (the game I’m making) there again this year! I’m a bit of a convention veteran at this point- I started demoing games at conventions waaaaay back in 2014, and have pretty much never stopped aside from a hiatus during the pandemic. I always get a lot out of them, and it’s endlessly fascinating to watch players both new and old play my games. I had steady traffic at my table throughout the convention, and got lots of great feedback!

To help charge up my motivation engine, I use conventions as pseudo-deadlines or milestones, and set out lofty goals to complete by convention time. I always bite off a little more than I can chew, but that’s intentional! I didn’t get a new world or new levels in the game in time for the convention, but I did get the first iteration of Mission Control (part of the hub world) in, and I got it integrated with the main game loop.

I was also able to add two NPCs: Noggin and Orbert! With the addition of a dialogue system, they can also talk. I also learned (perhaps re-learned) an important lesson: Players don’t read. Or rather, they won’t read, if reading isn’t necessary for progression. Mission Control may be integrated with the game loop, but it’s not really integrated until I give the player meaningful stuff do to there. That’s a good lesson to learn as I flesh out the world outside of the levels, and I’m going to have to keep it in mind. World-building through optional dialogue is important of course, but it’s not for everyone. Quests, shops, and plot progression, on the other hand, will help to really tie Mission Control and the greater hub world in with the rest of the game in meaningful ways.

Hit “Continue Reading” for LOTS more pics and GIFs!

WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:WIP Wednesday:August 12, 2026August 12, 2026August 12, 2026

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Hey everyone! Hope you’re doing well and enjoying the summer. I’m here for another Work-In-Progress Wednesday all about Atmocopter! I have a couple cool new things to share:

New Area: Mission Control (Command Room)

The command room of Mission Control is sort of the main room of the game. It’s where you’ll select your next level, and because it’s so important I wanted to really make it something special. When you talk to a NPC in this room (yet to be added), you’ll be able to activate a projector in the background. It rises up and turns on, revealing a holographic display.

Next I want to make it so the camera zooms in on the holographic display somehow and transitions your view to a level select screen. Here’s a static close-up so you can see some of that good pixel art detail:

It’s definitely the coolest set piece I’ve done so far!

New Enemy: Malnimbus

Still very much a work-in-progress, the Malnimbus (“bad cloud”) enemy hides behind dark clouds, with only its eyes peeking out. The dark clouds are different than the light clouds elsewhere in the game- They absorb your attacks, protecting the enemy underneath!

The advanced features of the enemy aren’t implemented yet, but when you destroy all of its clouds it will get angry and rush forward towards you like a missile, blowing up when it hits a wall. Additionally, if you have a fan, you’ll be able to blow the enemy’s clouds away. If Malnimubus has its clouds blown away like that, it will drop down to the ground in shock and explode, defeating it just like that!

That’s all for today- I’ll see you next time with the last WIP Wed before 2D Con, and then after the convention I’ll bring you a convention postmortem and then we’ll be back to pixel art updates in the last week of August. See you again soon!

-Will