I publish NebulaKit, and this is a free background resource for space-game prototypes, menus and 2D scenes: 12 procedural nebula backgrounds, supplied as 48 PNG layers.
Download the free Parallax Vol.1 PNG pack.
To see how the art behaves in an engine, there is also a free Godot 4.5 browser demo. Try the 12 presets and adjust motion, tint and layer settings. It is intended for desktop browsers and loads about 34 MB. This is an interactive preview.
The included art license allows modification and use in personal and commercial projects, with no attribution required. It prohibits repackaging or reselling the original files as an asset pack; this is not CC0.
The static PNG pack and browser preview are free. The itch page also offers optional $3 Motion files; those are not required to download the free art.
The images are generated procedurally; the code and this text use AI assistance. If you try it in a Godot project, a concrete note about your target resolution or a reproducible display issue would be useful.
October 9: optional installable controller and a first-use task
The free Nebula Parallax Controller is now available in the Godot Asset Library (asset 5520; search that exact name in the editor’s AssetLib tab). It works without buying a pack. Its code and generated demo textures are MIT; the separate PNG artwork retains the art licence above. AI assistance was used for the code and instructions.
Try the generated-texture demo first:
- Create a new Godot 4.5 project with the Compatibility renderer for this first test; the addon ZIP does not contain a
project.godotfile. Install exactly oneaddons/nebula_backdrop/copy from the listing. There is no editor plugin to enable. If you already have the Nebula Backdrop Kit, do not install a second copy: the paths and class names are shared. - Open
addons/nebula_backdrop/demo/demo.tscnand press F6 (Run Current Scene). The included gradients, checker pattern and stars require no downloaded artwork. - Try speed, camera mode/position, brightness and pause. Reduced motion holds the current frame; it is a manual control, not automatic system-preference detection.
Then put your licensed art behind your game: instance addons/nebula_backdrop/backdrop.tscn in a CanvasLayer behind gameplay (for example, layer -10). Create a NebulaBackdropPreset, assign three textures with identical dimensions, save it and assign it to the backdrop’s preset. Use horizontally tileable images for smooth wrapping; transparent foreground layers are supported. The addon README includes the camera-input example in source-image pixels. If your world coordinates use a different scale, convert them first; the controller does not do that conversion for you. Camera wiring is explicit; this is horizontal scrolling, not a vertical/3D camera system or MP4 player.
Godot’s built-in Parallax2D is also a free alternative for camera-relative backgrounds. You can use the PNG artwork without this controller.
If you try either route, a voluntary report of your Godot version, target resolution and first missing/confusing step would help me fix the instructions. A screenshot is welcome once your game is ready; no rating or purchase is requested.
October 12: a separate native video-backdrop example
Godot’s built-in VideoStreamPlayer uses Ogg Theora (.ogv); the original H.264 MP4 loops are not its direct input. The PNG/AnimatedSprite2D route and controller above remain separate valid options.
The free Parallax download linked above now also contains Nebula-Motion-Godot-Free-Sampler-20261012.zip (about 4 MB). Extract it, import its project.godot in Godot 4.5, and press F5. Try fitted 2D playback or an actual 3D video screen. This source example uses VideoStreamPlayer, SubViewport and QuadMesh; it is separate from the three-texture controller and browser preview.
The sampler contains one 01-drift clip: silent, lossy 1280×720/24 fps Theora. Its eight-second file preserves three approximately 2.67-second source cycles. Pause and Reduced motion manually hold playback; automatic OS-preference detection is not included. Code is MIT; the video artwork has its separate art licence. AI assistance was used for code and documentation. No purchase is required. The same source demo with all five converted clips is included in the existing $3 Motion option on that page; the original 1080p MP4s, PNGs and spritesheets remain available.
Technical QA on Windows/Godot 4.5/OpenGL covered all five moving streams, loop wrap, resizing and held/resumed playback, plus first use from a freshly extracted sampler. Mobile, web export and other machines remain unverified. Free Godot documentation and conversion tools are alternatives; this kit provides the prepared artwork and an importable reference scene.
If you try the free sampler, a voluntary note with your Godot version, renderer, target resolution, and whether import → F5 → playback worked is useful. Please include a reproducible error if it fails. No purchase or rating is requested.