Pixicade Special Animation Edition - Alan Becker | Turn Drawings Into Playable Games | Abacus Brands

Introducing Pixicade Special Animation Edition from Abacus Brands, created in collaboration with Alan Becker. This hands-on kit blends traditional drawing with a guided app to help bring your characters to life without writing a line of code. You’ll explore color, movement, and storytelling as you transform flat drawings into mini video games you can play on a phone or tablet. The tactile mix of markers on paper and vibrant digital animation creates a rich, screen-connected creative experience for young artists and aspiring game designers alike.

What’s inside this creator-friendly bundle? A comprehensive 108-page idea book filled with more than 100 sample games and practical design tips, plus access to the Pixicade app that guides you through the animation process step by step. Guidance from Alan Becker, a familiar name in animation, can spark ideas and help you see how stories and gameplay can intersect in fun, accessible ways.

How Pixicade works

Begin with a simple drawing on paper. Use markers to color and shade your character and setting, then snap a photo with the built-in camera through the app. The Pixicade software analyzes your image and animates it, turning it into an interactive game in minutes. With a few taps, you can add movement, interactions, and basic rules to define how your game plays. The result is a playable, reusable experience you can tweak, share, and replay with friends.

Why creators love it

• No coding required—jump straight into drawing, animation, and game design.
• Guidance from a seasoned animator to spark ideas and refine techniques.
• A broad, hands-on path that blends creativity, storytelling, and STEAM learning.
• A compact, tactile kit paired with a powerful app that supports quick iteration.

Session tips

• Start with simple shapes and build confidence as you animate.
• Use the included guide to organize ideas, characters, and levels.
• Save and share your games with friends and family for feedback and fun.

Real-life use cases include family game nights where everyone contributes, classroom projects that fuse storytelling with character design, and solo sessions that combine drawing with problem solving. This experience is designed to be flexible—you can prototype quick ideas or develop more elaborate, narrated adventures. It’s not a guaranteed outcome, but it offers a structured path to explore imagination through playful creation.

Who is this for?

Pixicade is ideal for young creators ages 6 and up who enjoy doodling, building stories, and experimenting with gameplay. It appeals to makers who like sharing their creations with friends and family and to parents seeking a constructive, screen-based activity that also introduces design and storytelling concepts.