PICTOCLASH is an open-source art trading game that serves as a FOSS alternative to Art Fight. Taking place during winter break, it divides participants into two teams, each with unique colours and themes. Players, known as Fighters, create artwork featuring characters from the opposing team in a series of "Strikes." Fighters belong to guilds, which are rough groups of Fighters based on their medium and style.
The game incorporates hidden scoring and seven checkpoints throughout the event. Fighters are grouped into guilds based on their artistic background and can earn PictoCash by participating, winning checkpoints, and completing randomly generated "PictoQuests." PictoCash can be spent in the PictoStore, which contains digital assets like brush packs, wallpapers, virtual stickers etc. made by community members and partner artists as well as sponsors. PICTOCLASH supports both visual art and writing.
PICTOCLASH uses a hidden scoring system with seven checkpoints throughout the event. At each checkpoint, the current scores are recorded and the winning team for that checkpoint is determined. After each checkpoint, the internal scores reset. This process repeats seven times, making ties impossible. Scores are calculated based on artwork submitted by members for characters of the opposing team. Players score their own artwork using an honour system. The final result is determined by the number of checkpoints won by each team, not by total points accumulated.
PICTOCLASH is an open-source art trading game that creates a competitive, community-driven environment for artists and writers. Designed as a free and open-source alternative to Art Fight, it turns creative expression into an engaging team-based competition during the winter break period.
PICTOCLASH takes place during winter break, typically running from December 20th to January 1st. This 10-14 day timeframe was strategically chosen to avoid overlap with Art Fight's June schedule while providing artists an opportunity to experiment with holiday gifts of art supplies. The shorter duration, compared to Art Fight's month-long format, creates a more focused and manageable experience for participants and keeps engagement consistent, a problem Art Fight has to contend with every year as submissions drop during the middle of the event.
Throughout the event, seven checkpoints occur at predetermined but undisclosed times. These checkpoints are spaced roughly equally across the event duration, with the final checkpoint marking the event's conclusion. The hidden nature of these checkpoints prevents strategic timing of submissions and maintains consistent engagement throughout the event.
As the event progresses, players create and submit their artwork ("Strikes") continuously, with points accumulating behind the scenes. When a checkpoint is reached, the current scores are tallied, and the team with the higher score wins that checkpoint. To maintain competitive tension, only the winning team is announced, along with a percentage indication of the victory margin. Members of the winning team receive bonus PictoCash, which they can spend in the digital store.
The competition concludes at the final checkpoint, where the overall winner is determined by the total number of checkpoints won, rather than total points accumulated. This system ensures that consistent performance throughout the event is rewarded over burst activities.
Following the event's conclusion, PICTOCLASH hosts an online awards ceremony that serves multiple purposes. During this celebration, the complete scoring statistics are revealed through a detailed blog post, providing transparency and insights into the competition's progression. The ceremony recognizes outstanding contributions from participants through special achievement awards, accompanied by bonus PictoCash distributions.
The awards ceremony also serves as a platform to announce the themes for the next PICTOCLASH event, generating excitement and allowing artists to begin planning their participation. This structure creates a satisfying conclusion while maintaining momentum for future events.
This format creates a dynamic, engaging experience that combines the thrill of competition with the collaborative spirit of the artistic community, all while maintaining a manageable timeframe for participants.
The onboarding process for new PICTOCLASH fighters begins with a basic account creation, which is done through a simple username/password combination. A fighter's profile contains their name and profile picture, social links and a short bio, as most of the space is left for Characters.
The heart of the onboarding process is the Guild Sorting Questionnaire, an engaging interactive experience reminiscent of the Hogwarts House sorting system. This questionnaire consists of twenty carefully crafted questions that evaluate multiple aspects of an artist's approach to creation. Rather than directly asking about skill levels (which, as far as the project is concerned, doesn't matter), the questions explore the user's creative process, preferred working methods, and artistic philosophy.
The questionnaire presents scenarios and preferences through natural, conversational questions. For example, users might encounter questions like "When inspiration strikes at 3 AM, do you immediately reach for your tools, make quick notes for later, or let the idea simmer?" or "Your friend shows you their unfinished work. Do you immediately spot ways to improve it, feel emotional resonance with the piece, or admire the technical execution?" These questions then contribute to five scores, which then sort the player into one of the five guilds, although the system's decision is not authoritative and can be changed outside of active clashes.
Creative Process
Style Assessment
Technical Approach
Every fighter must have at least one Character assigned to their profile to participate in PICTOCLASH. Characters represent distinct, original entities created by the fighter - these can be any type of character concept, from humanoid figures to creatures, mechanical beings, or abstract entities. A character denotes one single entity, meaning that groups, species, or multiple forms of the same being count as separate character entries. Each Character is assigned a unique ID, and has to have a unique name for that player. An example: If Morgana is a character by fighter Delphi, she can be the only character named Morgana, and is able to be called during strike submission as @Delphi:Morgana or her numeric ID.
Characters serve as the primary subjects for Strikes during the competition. When fighters create artwork, they must select one or more characters belonging to another fighter as their subject(s).
Each character submission requires several key components:
Characters can be added, removed, updated or modified during non-event periods, but remain locked during active PICTOCLASH participation to ensure consistency in artistic interpretations. Fighters can mark certain characters as "inactive" if they don't want them to be drawn during a particular event, allowing for rotation of their character roster.
The character system also integrates with the guild structure, as characters can be tagged with specific artistic styles or themes that align with particular guilds. This helps artists find characters that match their preferred artistic approach and creates natural connections within the community.
PICTOCLASH's guild system divides artists into five major categories, each with its own distinct identity and community. The Pixelweavers encompass digital artists who work primarily with tablets, computers, and digital tools. They range from professional illustrators to hobby artists, united by their comfort with technology and digital expression.
The Traditionalists represent artists who prefer physical media. These creators work with pencils, paints, markers, and other tangible tools. Their work often carries the distinctive charm of traditional techniques, from watercolor bleeds to pencil textures.
Wordwrights form a unique guild dedicated to written expression. These members participate in PICTOCLASH through character descriptions, short stories, and poetry, proving that art isn't limited to visual media. They often collaborate with visual artists to bring their written descriptions to life. Their submissions are accepted as sanitised Markdown, not as images.
The Hybridisers guild welcomes those who blur the lines between different media. These experimental artists might scan traditional artwork for digital enhancement, combine photography with digital painting, or explore emerging creative technologies. Their innovative approaches often lead to unique collaborative opportunities.
Sculptors can be both digital and physical three-dimensional artists. From traditional clay work to digital 3D modeling, these artists bring depth and dimension to PICTOCLASH. Their contributions often provide unique perspectives on character interpretation. Their submissions are also handled as images, though links to source files could be provided through the message section of a submitted strike.
Each guild maintains its own internal community structure with dedicated chat channels in a Discord server, resource sharing systems, and mentorship programs. Guild members can access specialised challenges and PictoQuests designed specifically for their preferred medium and style. The guild system also facilitates natural mentor-mentee relationships, allowing experienced artists to guide newcomers while fostering a sense of belonging and community pride.
A Strike represents a piece of creative work (artwork or writing) featuring one or more characters belonging to members of the opposing team. Each Strike must meet specific criteria to be considered valid and contribute to team scoring. In order to submit a strike, a fighter has to be an active participant - joining the clash is an active process that requires confirmation from the fighter, as characters can't be edited during participation.
Strikes do not have a minimum resolution or minimum word count requirement, as PICTOCLASH is open to all artists, regardless of their interpretation of the medium.
PICTOCLASH employs a hybrid scoring system combining honour-based self-scoring with simple plausibility checks. This approach maintains fairness while reducing moderation overhead. The Fit and Finish of a piece is a set of sliding scales with suggested settings for each. Points are only shown to the fighter after submission.
Points are awarded based on Character Count and Fit and Finish. Character count denotes how many characters are in a piece, who they belong to and how much of them is featured for visual art (Headshot, half-body, full-body etc.). Fit and Finish are self-submitted, through a UI on the submission page that shows sliders, toggles and drop-downs for their values. If a strike contains a majority of characters belonging to the fighter's own team (rounding down - 1 own and 1 opposing character does not trigger this), a point penalty of Factor * .25 is applied.
Visual Art Scoring Criteria:
Base Criteria (Self-submitted):
- Lineart (sketch, rough, clean, lineless): 1-50 pts
- Colour (none, flat, detailed, painting): 1-50 pts
- Shading (none, cel, smooth, painting): 1-50 pts
- Background (none, pattern/photo, scene): 1-50 pts
- Finish (Boolean: special amount of effort?): Factor + .2
Automated Bonuses:
- First Strike of the Day: Factor + .5
- Guild Challenge Completion: Factor + .3Writing Scoring Criteria:
Base Criteria (Self-submitted):
- Kind (prose, poem, screenplay): No score effect
- Structure (rough draft, edited, polished): 1-50 pts
- Character Voice (basic, developed, distinct): 1-50 pts
- Scene Setting (minimal, descriptive, immersive): 1-50 pts
- Plot Complexity (vignette, scene, full story): 1-50 pts
- Finish (Boolean: special amount of effort?): Factor + .2
Automated Bonuses:
- Word Count Bonus: 1 point per 50 words
- First Strike of the Day: Factor + .5
- Guild Challenge Completion: Factor + .33D Scoring Criteria:
Base Criteria (Self-submitted):
- Make (CGI, clay, papercraft, other): No score effect
- Modelling (basic, detailed, complex): 1-50 pts
- Texturing (flat, mapped, procedural/painted): 1-50 pts
- Materials/Shading (basic, PBR, custom): 1-50 pts
- Scene/Lighting (basic, composed, environmental): 1-50 pts
- Finish (Boolean: special amount of effort?): Factor + .2
Automated Bonuses:
- First Strike of the Day: Factor + .5
- Guild Challenge Completion: Factor + .3The hidden scoring system operates through several layers:
Individual Score Tracking
Checkpoint System
PICTOCLASH has no explicit anti-gaming measures that prevent abuse of the honour system. This is a deliberate decision, as the only reason to game the system would be to ruin the fun - first and foremost - for oneself.
Fighter profiles serve as both public portfolios and personal organisational hubs within PICTOCLASH. Each profile presents differently depending on whether viewing your own or another Fighter's space, though both share a cohesive visual design that emphasises artistic identity.
The profile header features a circular profile picture (minimum 500x500 pixels) alongside the Fighter's chosen display name and pronouns. Below this, social media integration enables Fighters to link their artistic presence across platforms, with supported services including DeviantArt, Twitter/X, Threads & Instagram, ArtStation, and personal websites. These links appear as subtle icons that match the profile's color scheme, which adapts to show the team they're currently on.
The bio section provides space for Fighters to express themselves through both text and simple Markdown formatting. This area often includes information about artistic preferences, commission status, or event-specific details like preferred character types or collaboration interests. Guild affiliation appears as a special badge next to the bio, complete with the guild's distinctive icon and color scheme.
The character gallery forms the heart of the profile, displaying each character's reference image in a responsive grid layout. Hovering over a character reveals quick statistics such as number of Strikes received and given. Each character card can be expanded to show full reference sheets, character descriptions, and a gallery of received Strikes. For public viewers, this section focuses on showcasing the characters available as Strike targets.
However, when viewing your own profile, an additional "Strike Planning" section appears. This personal organisational tool provides a specialised interface for managing your intended Strikes. This planning section supports drag-and-drop reordering. Fighters can mark entries as "In Progress" when they start working on a Strike, helping them manage multiple projects. The system also provides a "Quick Strike" button next to each planned entry, which immediately opens the Strike submission interface with the relevant character references pre-loaded.
When another Fighter creates artwork featuring one or more of your characters, PICTOCLASH posts a notification. The primary notification appears in your inbox, a tab of the profile. This notification includes a preview thumbnail and the attacker's username, allowing quick recognition without needing to open the full message.
Upon opening a Strike notification, recipients are presented with an artfully designed display showcasing the submitted work. For visual art, the system provides both an optimised preview and access to the full-resolution version, while written Strikes are formatted with clear typography and proper spacing. Below the main submission, the attacker's personal message appears if they chose to send one.
The Strike viewing interface offers two primary response options, each designed to maintain the game's gift-giving spirit while furthering competitive engagement. The first is the ability to tip the attacker additional PictoCash as appreciation for their work. Tips can be sent in predetermined amounts (10, 25, 50, or 100 PC) and include an optional thank-you message. This system encourages high-quality submissions and builds positive community interactions.
The second and more strategically significant option is the "Avenge" button. Selecting this option immediately opens the Strike creation interface, pre-populated with the attacker's character gallery for easy reference. The system tracks these revenge Strikes separately, and completing one within 24 hours of receiving the original Strike grants both players bonus PictoCash, encouraging rapid-fire artistic exchanges between players. These revenge chains often become highlights of the event, with players pushing each other to greater creative heights.
Each received Strike is automatically added to your character's gallery, creating a collection of interpretations by different artists throughout the event. The gallery interface allows sorting received Strikes by date, artist, guild, or whether they've been avenged yet.
PictoCash serves primarily as a measure of contribution and engagement rather than a premium currency, and can not be bought, only awarded or earned.
Players earn PictoCash through various activities, with Strike completion being the primary source. The amount earned scales with the complexity and effort involved - a simple headshot might earn 10 PC, while a full scene with multiple characters could net 50 PC. Receiving Strikes also generates a small amount of PictoCash, encouraging players to maintain active character galleries that inspire others to create. Daily logins and checkpoint victories provide supplementary income, ensuring that even players with limited time can participate in the economy.
The most engaging aspect of the PictoCash economy comes through PictoQuests, a dynamic challenge system that generates artistic tasks for players to complete. Drawing inspiration from social media art challenges, PictoQuests present players with specific creative constraints or goals. When submitting a Strike, players can toggle whether their submission fulfills any active PictoQuests. Only one PictoQuest is active at a time, and a new one is generated when the current one is completed. They are viewable on a marquee banner at the top of the main page and are logged on the fighter's profile.
PictoQuests fall into several categories, each with its own generation rules and reward structures:
Technical Challenges focus on artistic execution, such as:
Community Challenges encourage interaction:
Thematic Challenges add creative constraints:
Style Exploration Challenges push artistic boundaries:
Time-based Challenges add urgency:
PictoQuests are generated daily randomly, with weighting for each specific event being possible. The system ensures a mix of accessible and challenging quests while avoiding repetition. Rewards range from 20 PC for simpler challenges to 200 PC for complex or time-intensive quests. Some rare "Epic PictoQuests" might appear during special events, offering substantial rewards for particularly challenging or unique tasks.
The PictoStore transforms earned PictoCash into tangible benefits while fostering community contribution. Unlike traditional virtual marketplaces, the PictoStore emphasises creative tools and resources over cosmetic items, though profile customisation options are available.
Community members of substantial standing can contribute to the store's inventory by submitting their own digital assets, but this is handled by the team on a case-by-case basis. These might include custom brush sets for digital artists, reference pose collections, background templates, or writing guides. Each submission undergoes a quality review process that considers both technical quality and practical utility. Contributors donate their work to PICTOCLASH to support and promote the event, and do not receive a cut of the PictoCash sales of their assets generate, nor is PictoCash converted into real money.
Inspired by the Fortnite store, the inventory rotates regularly, with new items appearing daily and special collections launching during events. Digital art assets include brush packs optimized for popular software, texture collections, and reference materials. Writers can find character development worksheets, world-building guides, and prompt collections. All items in the store include clear usage rights documentation, ensuring contributors and purchasers understand how assets can be used both within and outside of PICTOCLASH.
Carefully selected partnerships with art supply manufacturers and digital tool providers enhance the store's offerings. These collaborations might include exclusive brush packs from tablet manufacturers, special filters from photography software companies, or educational resources from online art schools. These sponsored items undergo the same quality review as community contributions, ensuring they provide genuine value to participants.
The store also features guild-specific sections, offering specialised tools and resources relevant to each creative community. Pixelweavers might find optimisation scripts for digital workflows, while Traditionalists could access scanning guides and paper texture collections. This specialisation ensures that all participants, regardless of their preferred medium or style, find valuable resources in the store.
PICTOCLASH maintains a PG-13 rating across all content, ensuring the platform remains accessible and safe for younger teens while providing enough creative freedom for meaningful artistic expression. This rating applies to all aspects of the platform: character designs, Strike submissions, profile content, and user interactions.
Content guidelines are clearly outlined during registration and remain easily accessible through the help center. These guidelines specifically address:
Prohibited Content:
- Excessive violence or gore
- Sexual content or nudity
- Transphobia and homophobia
- Hate speech or discriminatory content
- Harassment or bullying
- Real-world political messaging
- Commercial advertising outside the sponsor system
- Unauthorized use of copyrighted material
- AI-generated artwork
Allowed but Subject to Moderation:
- Mild fantasy violence
- Romantic themes within PG-13 bounds
- Religious or mythological references
- AI-assisted elements (backgrounds, textures)
- Generative code artEvery content piece on PICTOCLASH features a prominent but unobtrusive "Report" button. When clicked, it opens a modal with specific reporting categories and a free-form text field for detailed explanations. Reports enter a queue system where they're prioritised based on several factors:
The moderation interface presents reports in an efficient dashboard where staff members can:
Regarding AI art, PICTOCLASH takes a firm stance favouring human creativity while acknowledging the nuanced reality of modern artistic tools. The system differentiates between prohibited AI-generated art (where the core artistic elements are AI-created) and acceptable AI-assisted art (where AI tools augment human creativity). Examples of acceptable AI assistance include:
When content violations are confirmed, moderators can take several graduated actions:
All moderation actions include:
The appeals process provides users a structured way to contest moderation decisions. Appeals must:
While PICTOCLASH maintains its PG-13 focus, the platform architecture includes provisions for possible future expansions like "PICTOCLASH After Dark" events. These potential additions would:
However, such expansions would only be considered after establishing a proven track record of successful moderation in the main platform and extensive community consultation.
PICTOCLASH requires a modern web application architecture that prioritises scalability, real-time interactions, and efficient media handling. While specific technology choices remain open for implementation teams, the system requires several key architectural components:
The user interface, designed in Figma by Ruby Morgan Voigt, emphasises clean visual hierarchy and intuitive interaction patterns. Any frontend implementation must support:
The server architecture needs to handle:
Multiple storage systems are needed:
Primary Database
Media Storage
Cache Layer
The system must handle various image-related tasks:
Events requiring real-time updates:
Tasks that should run asynchronously:
The system should provide:
The architecture should maintain flexibility for:
- ID
- Email
- Password hash
- Username
- Profile image
- Pronouns
- Bio
- Team assignment
- PictoCash balance- ID
- Owner ID
- Name
- Reference image
- Description- ID
- Creator ID
- Target character ID
- Submission (image/text)
- Timestamp
- Base score- ID
- Reporter ID
- Content ID
- Report type
- Description
- Status