8bot

A framework-agnostic library for composing 8-bit pixel objects — characters, robots, props, and geometric primitives — for webapps, web games, or anywhere else.

Install

npm install 8bot

Use a built-in object

import { createHuman, randomHuman } from "8bot/catalog";
import { drawToCanvas } from "8bot/canvas";

const human = createHuman({ palette: { outfit: "#ff5533" } });
const anyHuman = randomHuman(); // random parts + palette
const repeatableHuman = randomHuman(42); // same seed -> same human

const ctx = (document.getElementById("scene") as HTMLCanvasElement).getContext("2d")!;
drawToCanvas(ctx, human, { pixelSize: 8 });

Or render to SVG instead:

import { toSvgString } from "8bot/svg";

document.body.innerHTML = toSvgString(human, { pixelSize: 8 });

Built-in catalog

Object	Import	Limbs
Human	createHuman, randomHuman	2 arms, 2 legs
Elephant	createElephant, randomElephant	4 legs
Tree	createTree, randomTree	none (static)
Octopod robot	createOctopod, randomOctopod	8 legs
Tetrapod robot	createTetrapod, randomTetrapod	4 legs
Flying bot	createFlyingBot, randomFlyingBot	2 thrusters
Uni-eyed UFO	createUfo, randomUfo	none (static)
Cube / Oblongoid / Sphere	createCube, createOblongoid, createSphere (+ randomX)	n/a

Animating limbs (walk cycle)

Any object with limb slots (legs, thrusters) can be posed generically with walkCycle — no per-object animation code needed. Pass the resulting pose back into createX/compose each frame:

import { createOctopod, octopodDefinition } from "8bot/catalog";
import { walkCycle } from "8bot/core";
import { drawToCanvas } from "8bot/canvas";

function renderFrame(ctx: CanvasRenderingContext2D, t: number) {
  const pose = walkCycle(octopodDefinition, t);
  const octopod = createOctopod({ pose });
  drawToCanvas(ctx, octopod, { pixelSize: 8 });
}

In React, drive t from requestAnimationFrame:

function Robot() {
  const canvasRef = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    let frame: number;
    const start = performance.now();
    const tick = (now: number) => {
      const ctx = canvasRef.current!.getContext("2d")!;
      ctx.clearRect(0, 0, ctx.canvas.width, ctx.canvas.height);
      renderFrame(ctx, (now - start) / 200);
      frame = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    };
    frame = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frame);
  }, []);

  return <canvas ref={canvasRef} width={64} height={56} />;
}

Positioning and interaction

8bot doesn't touch the DOM or track world position — it gives you the object's bounds at whatever position you tell it, so your app can compare against anything else on the page (e.g. a button):

import { getBounds, intersects } from "8bot/core";

const robotBounds = getBounds(octopod, { x: robotX, y: robotY }, 8);
const buttonRect = buttonEl.getBoundingClientRect();
const buttonBounds = { x: buttonRect.x, y: buttonRect.y, width: buttonRect.width, height: buttonRect.height };

if (intersects(robotBounds, buttonBounds)) {
  // the robot has "reached" the button — trigger whatever your app needs
}

Build a custom object

Custom objects use the same primitives the catalog is built from — 8bot/core is not a wrapper, it's the actual public API:

import { compose, type ObjectDefinition } from "8bot/core";

const palaceDefinition: ObjectDefinition = {
  name: "palace",
  width: 10,
  height: 10,
  slots: [
    {
      name: "wall",
      position: { x: 0, y: 0 },
      variants: [{ id: "default", anchor: { x: 0, y: 0 }, grid: [["stone"]] }],
    },
  ],
  defaultPalette: { stone: "#aaaaaa" },
  allowedRegionTags: ["stone"],
};

const palace = compose(palaceDefinition, {}, { stone: "#ffcc88" });

Isometric (2.5D) rendering

The same composed object renders flat or isometric — pass mode: "isometric" to either renderer; parts with a higher layer are drawn projected further up and to the right:

drawToCanvas(ctx, human, { mode: "isometric", pixelSize: 8 });

Contributing a new catalog object

Add a folder under src/catalog/<name>/ with parts.ts, definition.ts, and index.ts (see src/catalog/tree/ for the smallest example), then export it from src/catalog/index.ts. Mark any leg/thruster/arm slots role: "limb" to get walkCycle support for free. No core code changes needed.

Design spec

See docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-25-8bot-design.md for the full design.