mcp-aseprite

An MCP server that gives AI assistants (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor and any other MCP client) full control of Aseprite, the pixel-art editor.

It wraps both the Aseprite command line and its Lua scripting API, so an assistant can inspect sprites, export frames and spritesheets, create new files, and edit pixels, layers, frames, tags and palettes. All of it runs headless in batch mode, with no window.

You:    Create a 32x32 sprite with a 4-frame "idle" tag, then export it as a
        packed spritesheet with JSON metadata for my game.
Claude: → aseprite_create_sprite → aseprite_run_script → aseprite_export_spritesheet
        Done: hero.png + hero.json (4 frames, tag "idle" 0–3).

Tools

aseprite_run_script is where the power is: anything the Aseprite scripting API can do (drawing pixels, adding frames, applying palettes, resizing, building animations) is available to the assistant. Output from Lua print() comes back as the tool result.

Related MCP server: Aseprite MCP Tools

Requirements

• Aseprite v1.2.10 or newer (Steam or standalone). The trial version has no CLI and will not work.

• Node.js 18+

Installation

git clone https://github.com/brunosr3003/mcp-aseprite.git
cd mcp-aseprite
npm install

Claude Code

claude mcp add aseprite --scope user -- node /absolute/path/to/mcp-aseprite/index.js

Claude Desktop, Cursor and other clients

Add this to the client's MCP config (for example claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aseprite": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-aseprite/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Finding Aseprite

The server looks for the Aseprite binary in the usual Steam and standalone install locations:

If none of these exist it falls back to aseprite on your PATH. To point to a custom location, set ASEPRITE_BIN:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aseprite": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-aseprite/index.js"],
      "env": { "ASEPRITE_BIN": "/path/to/aseprite" }
    }
  }
}

Notes

• Use absolute paths for every file argument. Relative paths resolve against the server's working directory, not yours.

• Frame numbers in tool arguments and in aseprite_info output are 0-indexed. Inside Lua scripts the Aseprite API is 1-indexed as usual.

• Each call runs a fresh Aseprite process, so state does not carry over between calls. To keep changes, save within the same call (save: true, saveAs, or sprite:saveAs() in your script).

• aseprite_run_script executes arbitrary Lua with Aseprite's permissions, including file access. Only connect this server to assistants you trust.

License

MIT © Bruno Soares Reis

Aseprite is a trademark of Igara Studio S.A. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by Igara Studio.