Character reference generation
Describe a character in text, select an image model, and generate aligned side, front, and back reference views on transparent 1024×1024 canvases.
Wombo
Wombo is a locally run, open-source AI studio for generating 2D game characters, animations, spritesheets, sounds, and music from text prompts.
AI-generated assets for 2D game projects
Wombo is a locally run AI game asset studio for creating 2D characters, animations, sounds, and music from text prompts. It is presented as an open-source GitHub project and is intended to support game development workflows that need generated assets rather than a general-purpose image editor.
The app starts with named characters and generates aligned side, front, and back references before using those references to guide animation sequences. It saves generated work into projects outside the repository, preserving drafts and older asset revisions so creators can review and refine their output over time. Image and video generation uses OpenRouter routes, while sound and SFX generation uses ElevenLabs directly from the server.
Key features
Prompt-based animation creation
Use a character and movement prompt to generate sequences such as idle, walking, or fighting animations, with optional start and end images where supported by the selected video model.
Frame selection and spritesheets
Review animation frames, include or exclude individual tiles, and rebuild the output spritesheet from the selected frame set.
Game-ready 2D outputs
Automatically save PNG spritesheets and matching Aseprite animations, then generate a looping preview for review.
Sound and SFX generation
Create named sounds and music from prompts through the Sound & SFX workflow, with ElevenLabs used directly from the server.
Local projects and revision history
Organize characters, animations, sounds, revisions, and project metadata in a local project structure with automatic saving and retained older revisions.
Practical use cases
Prototype playable character animations
A solo developer can describe a character, generate aligned directional references, and turn the character into named idle, walking, fighting, or turning sequences without manually assembling every frame.
Build connected animation sequences
A game team can use saved poses and the last included frame of an earlier animation to connect sequences, such as transitioning from a turn into a step in a new direction.
Refine generated animation assets
Creators can select only the strongest generated frames and rebuild a spritesheet and Aseprite animation before importing the assets into a game project.
Maintain a local game asset library
A project can keep visual assets alongside generated sounds and music, with each asset's settings, current files, and previous revisions retained for iteration.
Support early game prototyping
Teams exploring a 2.5D or stylized game prototype can use the workflow to produce temporary character, animation, and audio assets while the wider game is developed with tools such as Unity and Blender.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Covers character references, animations, spritesheets, sounds, and music in one project-oriented workflow.
- Exports PNG spritesheets and Aseprite animation files automatically.
- Keeps project drafts, current assets, and older generated revisions organized locally.
- Supports pose continuity by using saved references and frames from earlier animations where the selected model permits it.
Cons
- Requires local setup with Node.js 20+, ffmpeg, and provider API keys.
- Generated character and animation consistency still needs review; the documentation specifically recommends checking anatomy and costume details across reference views.
- Provider model capabilities differ, so available start and end image combinations depend on the selected video model.
FAQ
How do you set up Wombo?
Wombo requires Node.js 20 or newer and ffmpeg on the system PATH. After installing dependencies with npm install, copy .env.example to .env, add the provider key for the workflow you want to use, and start the local app with npm run dev.
Which API keys does Wombo use?
Character and animation generation use an OPENROUTER_API_KEY. Sound and SFX use an ELEVENLABS_API_KEY directly from the server. Each workflow only needs the key for its provider.
What files does Wombo generate?
Character references and animation outputs are saved as PNG spritesheets and matching Aseprite files. Generated assets are stored in the project directory, with JSON manifests pointing to current files and older generated revisions retained.
Where are projects and generated assets stored?
Wombo stores projects outside the repository in ~/.ai-game-studio/ by default. You can choose another location by setting AI_GAME_STUDIO_HOME, and the app creates the storage directory during installation.
Quick Facts
- Product type
- Open-source AI game asset studio
- Primary outputs
- Character references, PNG spritesheets, Aseprite animations, sounds, and music
- Runs on
- Local development environment
- Required runtime
- Node.js 20+ and ffmpeg
- Image and video provider
- OpenRouter
- Sound and SFX provider
- ElevenLabs
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