Pixel art · Countdown · 4 × 2 widget

Pixel art countdown widget

By the WidgetCraft team · Updated November 13, 2026

A pixel art countdown widget counts the days left until a date you choose. 8-bit game screens: pixel fonts, chunky meters and limited palettes. This page gives the exact colors, type settings and layers, with a preview drawn from the same values.

Pixel art countdown widget design preview: 8-bit game screens: pixel fonts, chunky meters and limited palettes. — Design preview drawn from the recipe below. Example values are shown; your widget uses live data.

What a pixel art countdown widget shows

A countdown widget keeps one date in view: a trip, a birthday, an exam or a launch. The number of days is the hero, the event name gives it meaning and a bar shows how far along you are.

WidgetCraft's countdown layer works from the phone's clock, so it is free, needs no permission and works offline. You pick the target date in the layer's details.

How the pixel art style shapes it

Pixel art widgets look like a handheld game console from the late 1980s. Text uses a pixel font, progress is shown as blocks or hearts, and the palette is a few flat greens or bright arcade colors.

Numbers: Show numbers like a game score, with a short label such as LV or HP in front.
Bars and rings: Draw meters as ten square blocks and fill them one by one.

Pixel art countdown widget recipe

Layer	Settings
Canvas	360 × 180, background #D8E8C0, corner radius 0, outline 4 pt #22331F, shadow #22331F offset 6/6 with radius 0
Layout	split: label and event name on the left, the number right aligned and larger on the right
Text	label "Days until", size 12, color #55704A
Countdown	days remaining, Press Start 2P, size 60, color #22331F
Text	event name, size 20, color #22331F
Progress	ten square blocks, 312 wide, progress #D64545
Ornament	four 12 × 12 dark squares in the corners for a notched pixel frame, and two small red squares as status lights
Font	Press Start 2P (import the font file), or the built-in Mono
Home screen size	4 × 2 cells

Pixel art color palette

Screen green #D8E8C0Background
Mid green #B8CFA0Surface and tracks
Dark pixel #22331FText
Moss #55704ALabels
Heart red #D64545Accent

How to make a pixel art countdown widget in WidgetCraft

Create a widget and open Canvas. Set the size to 360 × 180, the background to #D8E8C0 and the corner radius to 0. Add a 4-point outline.
Tap Add and choose Countdown. Pick your target date and show days only.
Set the font to Press Start 2P, the size to 60 and the color to #22331F.
Add a Text label "Days until" at size 12 in #55704A, and a second Text layer for the event name at size 20.
Add a Progress layer as ten square blocks in #D64545 to show how much of the wait has passed.
Add the pixel art ornament with Shape layers and move them below the other layers in Layers: four 12 × 12 dark squares in the corners for a notched pixel frame, and two small red squares as status lights.
Tap Save, then Add to home screen and resize the widget on your launcher if needed.

Everything in this recipe works in the free version.

Tips for pixel art countdown widgets

Import Press Start 2P or Silkscreen for authentic pixel type.
Keep every edge square and every color flat.
Decide whether today counts; label the number "days left" or "sleeps" so it is not ambiguous.
Short event names fit best. Two or three words is ideal.
After the date passes, change the target or the widget will sit at zero.
Do not use smooth gradients or rounded corners.
Do not use more than four colors in one widget.

Ready-made Retro Pixel templates

WidgetCraft includes a Retro Pixel template pack you can import and edit instead of starting from a blank canvas.

Habit experience23 editable layers

Launch pad18 editable layers

Pocket power HUD36 editable layers

Questions about the pixel art countdown widget

What size is a pixel art countdown widget?

It is designed for 4 × 2 home screen cells on a 360 × 180 canvas. You can resize it on the launcher and the design scales in proportion.

Which colors does it use?

Screen green (#D8E8C0) for the background, Dark pixel (#22331F) for the main text, Moss (#55704A) for labels and Heart red (#D64545) as the accent.

Is it free to make?

Yes. Countdown widgets use free features in WidgetCraft, and the pixel art styling is free too.

What else is this style called?

People also search for 8-bit countdown widget, retro pixel countdown widget, pixel countdown widget, game style countdown widget. They describe the same look as this pixel art countdown widget.