Charios

What is Charios?

Charios is a browser based 2D game character animation tool that auto detects body parts from a single image, rigs them with drag and drop bones, and applies hundreds of mocap ready humanoid animations. Solo developers can go from a flat sprite to a playable character in minutes.

Top Features:

• Auto layering: drop an image and Charios separates every body part into transparent layers.
• Drag and drop rigging: attach bones with live preview deformation directly in the browser.
• Animation library: hundreds of mocap clips from CMU, Truebones, and Rokoko ready to use.
• Multi engine export: ships Unity prefabs, Godot, Unreal, and GIF or PNG sequences.

Use Cases:

• Indie game prototyping: rig and animate a hero sprite during a single weekend jam.
• Devlog content: generate animated GIFs from existing artwork for Twitter and YouTube updates.
• 2D platformer production: equip enemies and players with mocap walk and idle cycles fast.
• Asset pack expansion: add motion to static character art without hiring an animator.

Who Can Use Charios?

• Solo game developers: shipping 2D projects without an animation specialist on the team.
• Small indie studios: needing fast character motion across many sprites and engines.
• Game jam participants: producing polished animations inside tight 48 hour deadlines.
• Hobbyist pixel artists: bringing their static character drawings to life in the browser.

Pricing

• Free ($0/forever): three active projects, the full editor, and 13 mocap clips included.
• Pro ($20/month): unlimited projects, priority processing, higher upload caps, and PNG plus JSON export.
• Studio ($45/seat/month): everything in Pro with team collaboration and priority support included.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Browser based workflow: no install needed and projects sync across machines instantly.
• Engine flexibility: outputs work directly in Unity, Godot, and Unreal pipelines without extra steps.
• Generous free tier: the forever free plan handles real indie projects beyond simple demos.

Cons:

• 2D only focus: users needing full 3D character rigs must look elsewhere for support.
• Free clip library: only 13 mocap animations available before upgrading to a paid plan.
• Upload caps: larger source images require the Pro tier to process without size limits.

FAQs:

1) Do I need to install anything?

No, Charios runs entirely in the browser, so any project is reachable from any modern computer.

2) Which game engines does Charios export to?

It exports Unity prefabs, Godot scenes, Unreal assets, and standalone GIF or PNG sequences.

3) Where do the animations come from?

The library bundles motion capture clips from public datasets like CMU, Truebones, and Rokoko.

4) Is the free plan limited in time?

No, the free tier lasts forever and includes three active projects with the full editor included.

5) Can teams collaborate on Charios projects?

Yes, the Studio plan adds team collaboration features and priority support on top of the Pro tier.