Short answers to the questions we get most. Follow the links for details.

Cost and licensing¶

Is Retro Asset Studio free? Yes. It is freeware from GameRoad Studio, free for personal and commercial use under the EULA. There is no trial, no paid tier, and no subscription.

Do I pay anything at all? Only your AI provider. Image generation runs on your own Google AI Studio key, and Google bills you according to its pricing (a paid plan is required for image models). Everything else in the app (editing, posing, spritesheets, export) is free and runs locally. See AI Providers.

Can I use the generated assets in a commercial game? Yes, as far as Retro Asset Studio is concerned: you own what you create with it. The output is also subject to the terms of the AI provider you used, so check their usage policy for commercial work. See License (EULA).

Is the source code open? No. Retro Asset Studio is proprietary freeware. The feedback repository exists only for issues and discussions and contains no code.

Can I support the project? If you like, at ko-fi.com/gameroadstudio. Donations are optional and unlock nothing; the app is the same for everyone.

Installation¶

Why does Windows say "Windows protected your PC"? The alpha installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen does not recognize the publisher. Click More info, then Run anyway. You can verify the SHA-256 checksum first. Code signing is on the roadmap.

When will macOS and Linux versions be available? They are planned after the Windows version stabilizes. There is no date yet. Watch the website or the feedback repository's Discussions.

How do I update? Download the new version from retroassetstudio.com/download and install it over the old one. Your projects are kept. The alpha has no auto-update.

Installer or portable zip? Same app. The installer adds a Start menu entry and an uninstaller; the zip runs from any folder. Both store data in the same place.

Working offline¶

Does the app work offline? Editing does; generation does not. Pixel editing, palette work, the Pose Editor canvas, the Spritesheet Editor, export, and import all run locally. Anything that asks the AI for an image needs an internet connection and a configured provider.

Files and data¶

Where are my files? In %APPDATA%\Retro Asset Studio\data. The app.json file there is the database and projects\<id>\ holds each project's images. See Installation: Data Storage.

How do I back up a project? File > Export Project… writes a single .rasproj file with everything except your API keys. Export All Projects… does it for every project at once. See Backup: export & import.

How do I move my projects to another PC? Export them, copy the .rasproj files over, install the app on the new PC, and use File > Import Project… on each file. Then re-enter your provider keys in Project Settings.

What happens if I import a project that already exists? You are asked to choose Replace (overwrite the existing project) or Copy (import as a separate project named "… (imported)").

Does uninstalling delete my projects? No. The data folder stays. Delete it manually if you want it gone.

Where are my API keys stored? Are they safe? In app.json, encrypted with Windows Data Protection (DPAPI) so only your Windows account on that PC can read them. They are never exported. See Privacy & Data.

Generation¶

Which AI provider do I need? Google Gemini. Create a key in Google AI Studio, enable billing on the linked Google Cloud project (image generation is not on the free tier), and pick gemini-2.5-flash-image as the model. Hugging Face and OpenAI appear in the app but are disabled and marked "Coming soon" in this alpha. See AI Providers.

Why does the generated image not match the resolution I chose? Resolutions are hints. Providers return their own sizes; the Get Pixel Perfect step snaps the result down to true pixel art at the size you want.

Do variants, posed frames, and spritesheets use my existing art? Yes. The source sprite or frame is sent to Gemini as a reference image together with the prompt, so results stay close to your original design.

Does the app send my images anywhere? Only to the provider you configured, and only the images you choose to attach (project references, a variant's source, a pose frame, a character used for a spritesheet). Nothing else leaves your machine. See Privacy & Data.

Help¶

Where do I report a bug or ask for a feature? Issues and Discussions at github.com/gameroadstudio/retro-asset-studio-feedback, or email support@retroassetstudio.com. See Reporting Bugs.

Where is the version number? Help > About Retro Asset Studio in the title bar menu.