What is Retro Diffusion?
Retro Diffusion is a web-based AI generator that produces true pixel art on a 1× grid for game development. It outputs characters, tilesets, animations, and low-poly 3D models across 84 styles using eight distinct models. New accounts receive free daily usage without a credit card, while ongoing generation operates on a prepaid balance starting at $5.
What are the features of Retro Diffusion?
- True pixel grid outputGenerates images at native resolutions from 16×16 to 384×384 pixels with limited palettes, supporting lossless nearest-neighbor upscaling and transparent backgrounds.
- Specialized generation modelsIncludes RD Pro for finished art, RD Fast for drafts, RD Mini for tiny sprites, dedicated models for tilesets and animations, and Low-Poly 3D for pixel-textured models.
- Single-image animation (Advanced Animations)Accepts one still image of a character or scene and outputs a looping sprite sheet and GIF with preset or custom-described actions.
- Custom style training (My Styles)Trains a generation style from a small set of user-provided reference images, compatible with all RD Pro settings.
- Canvas editing toolsNine built-in tools for inpainting, outpainting, background removal, palette conversion, seam tiling, and other edits directly on the canvas.
- Developer API and MCP serverProvides REST API access to all models with asynchronous jobs, cost checks, and a hosted MCP server for integration with AI coding tools.
What are the use cases of Retro Diffusion?
- Matching an existing game's visual styleDevelopers upload reference images to train a custom style or pass up to nine references directly to RD Pro to generate consistent new assets.
- Animating static character artGame artists input a single still image into Advanced Animations to produce a looping sprite sheet with walking, attacking, or custom actions.
- Correcting non-grid-aligned AI imagesUsers apply the Pixel Art Fixer to snap soft or filtered AI-generated images onto a true pixel grid and clean the color palette.
Retro Diffusion Pricing Information:
- Free daily usageAvailable to new accounts without a credit card; provides enough credits for approximately three RD Pro images initially, replenishing daily.
- Pixel Art Fixer guest accessFree in the browser without signup; bulk processing via the API costs $0.002 per image.
- RD Fast$0.03 per image.
- RD Mini$0.06 per image.
- Tilesets modelFrom $0.06 per generation.
- Animations modelFrom $0.07 per generation.
- Low-Poly 3D Lite models$0.10 per generation for fast drafts.
- Advanced AnimationsFrom $0.10 per animation; most moves are $0.14, with Subtle Motion and Custom Action priced at $0.25.
- RD Pro and My Styles$0.18 per image.
- Low-Poly 3D full modelsFrom $0.25 per generation for sizes from 16³ up to 256³.
- Low-Poly 3D whole scenes$4 per generation for kits of pieces designed to fit together.
- Canvas editing toolsColor Reducer, Palette Converter, and K-Centroid Downscale are free; Background Remover and Color Style Transfer start at $0.01; Image Edit, Inpainting, Outpainting, and Seam Tiling are $0.18.
- Prepaid balanceTop-ups start at $5, balances never expire, prices are displayed before generation, and failed generations are automatically refunded.
- API accessUses the same prepaid balance and pricing as the website with no extra fees.
- Teams and enterpriseMonthly invoicing based on spend and custom model training available upon request.





