Every Frenchie in Frenchieland Frenchies is a hand-crafted pixel art character built for a 2.5D endless runner that targets 60 FPS on mobile browsers. This dev log breaks down the sprite design philosophy.
The Sacred 36×48 Hitbox
The game's Sacred Physics Doctrine mandates that all dogs share a 36×48 pixel hitbox. Art shifts to fit the box — never the reverse. This means a stocky Frenchie and a lean merle pattern occupy identical collision space, keeping gameplay fair and netcode-simple.
SPRITE_CONFIG Dictionary
Visual alignment is handled through per-character config values: vOffsetY, jumpScale, kennelFrame, vScale, and more. A Blue Merle might need a 2px vertical offset so its ears clear platform edges while Pied stays baseline. These tweaks are data, not code forks — one animation system, eighteen character configs.
Sprite Sheet Structure
Each character folder under assets/characters/ contains:
- run.png — Ground locomotion cycle
- jump.png — Airborne frame(s)
- dash.png — Ground smash animation
- hurt.png — Damage reaction
- death.png — Game over frame
The 16-bit aesthetic uses limited palettes per coat — Standard coats have 4–6 colors, Rare+ merles push 8–10 with dithered patches. Pink Exotic intentionally breaks the palette rules with saturated magentas that read at high speed.
Retro Readability
At 1.70× camera zoom (default), sprites are tiny. Every coat must be identifiable in peripheral vision during speed 700+ runs with 55% dimming active. High-contrast tan points, merle patches, and Pied masks are design features, not just flavor — they are readability tools.
What's Next
Platinum and Pink Fluffy sprites are in the pipeline with expanded 32-bit detail for kennel close-ups while maintaining the 36×48 gameplay hitbox. The retro arcade soul stays; the polish level rises.