CurioSprite One
A simple handheld reference device with a touchscreen, physical controls, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, audio, and open hardware documentation.
// product development
CurioSprite.
>_ Development Log.
Question. Understand. Explore. Share. Test.
CurioSprite is a planned open-source handheld game-creation platform built around one idea: people should be able to learn how games work by making, testing, playing, and sharing their own. Draw a sprite, animate it, build a level, add simple behaviors, press Play, and share the result — all without ever leaving the device.
CurioSprite does not exist as a finished product yet. This page documents the direction of the project, the first prototype we want to build, and the hardware and software we plan to develop in the open.
Raspberry Pi 3B+LinuxRetroArch / libretroMCP3008 ADC3D-printed enclosureCustom game runtime
// the vision
A handheld built for curiosity.
The goal is not simply to build another retro emulation handheld. CurioSprite is intended to combine playing games with learning how games are made. A user should eventually be able to draw a sprite, animate it, build a level, add simple behaviors, press Play, test the result, improve it, and share the finished game without leaving the device.
// what we want to make
The CurioSprite plan.
CurioSprite Create
An on-device creator for sprites, animations, levels, behaviors, and eventually complete small games.
CurioSprite Play
A launcher for user-created games, CurioSprite-native games, and supported retro systems.
CurioSprite Share
A way to package and send games between devices or through a community workflow.
CurioSprite Runtime
The lightweight engine responsible for running games built with CurioSprite tools.
CurioSprite Hardware
STLs, editable CAD, wiring, PCB files, bill of materials, and assembly instructions for community builders.
// hardware direction
Prototype first. Custom hardware later.
Prototype 01 will use off-the-shelf hardware so we can validate the screen, controls, ergonomics, creator interface, and performance before designing expensive custom electronics.
Prototype 01
- Raspberry Pi 3B+ development board
- 4–4.3-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen
- D-pad
- Analog thumbstick
- A/B/X/Y face buttons
- Start, Select, and Home
- L and R shoulder buttons
- Modular button boards and breadboard/perfboard wiring
- ADC for analog controls
- Speaker and small amplifier
- External USB power during early development
- 3D-printed enclosure
Later Hardware Goals
- Smaller purpose-selected processor or module
- Custom controller/main PCB
- Internal rechargeable battery
- Safe charging and shutdown
- USB-C charging/data
- Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Thinner and lighter enclosure
- Refined production controls
- Open-source CAD and PCB source
// software direction
Learn game development by making games.
Sprite Editor
Pixel drawing with touch and physical controls, beginning with small sprite sizes and a simple palette.
Animation Editor
Frame-by-frame animation with timing, looping, copying, reordering, and previews.
Level Editor
Touch-assisted placement of tiles, characters, objects, enemies, and collision areas.
Visual Logic
Readable rules such as “When A is pressed → Jump” instead of requiring traditional code for beginners.
Preset Assets
Editable characters, environments, animations, and behaviors that make a first game possible quickly.
Game Runtime
A lightweight runtime that can immediately launch and test what the user has just created.
// development roadmap
What happens next.
01
Bench Prototype
Connect the Pi, touchscreen, controls, analog inputs, and audio on the desk.
02
Input Layer
Make every physical control and the touchscreen register reliably.
03
Sprite Editor v0.1
Draw, erase, fill, save, load, and test the experience of creating on a handheld.
04
Animation
Add frames, playback, looping, and editable preset animation sets.
05
First Runtime
Put a created sprite in a basic world and make it move, jump, collide, and collect something.
06
Logic & Behaviors
Add visual rules and beginner-friendly preset behaviors.
07
Level Editor
Build and test small game spaces directly on the touchscreen.
08
Functional Handheld
Move the working prototype into the first complete printed enclosure and test ergonomics.
09
Sharing
Package a user-created game and transfer it to another CurioSprite-compatible system.
10
Hardware Revision 2
Use everything learned from Prototype 01 to begin shrinking and refining the hardware.
Not locked yet: Final processor, final PCB, production battery, exact screen model, final enclosure dimensions, final software stack, manufacturing method, pricing, or release date. Those decisions come after the prototype proves the core experience.
// open source plan
Build it. Study it. Change it.
The goal is to publish more than printable STLs. CurioSprite should eventually include the editable CAD source, printable parts, bills of materials, wiring diagrams, source code, PCB design files, software setup instructions, and build documentation so other people can reproduce the reference device and improve it.
// entries
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