Animation & motionReactive character animation
Responsive creature
A violet network changes shape as it is fed, played with, or put to rest.

Feed, play, and switch between rest and wake.
Subframe Original · MIT
Add to your project
Component source
Standalone React component. Styles are included.
React only. No additional packages.
Render the default export inside a container with a defined height. Its optional active prop stops movement when false. This example works with React 19; Next.js projects can use it as a client component.
View source code
/**
* MIT License
*
* Copyright (c) 2026 Subframe
*
* Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
* of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
* in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
* to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
* copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
* furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
*
* The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
* copies or substantial portions of the Software.
*
* THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
* IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
* FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
* AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
* LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
* OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
* SOFTWARE.
*/
"use client"
import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react"
export default function ResponsiveCreature({ active = true }: { active?: boolean }) {
const canvas = useRef<HTMLCanvasElement>(null)
const state = useRef({ time: 0, sleep: 0, food: 0, play: 0 })
const repaint = useRef<() => void>(() => {})
const [sleeping, setSleeping] = useState(false)
const [action, setAction] = useState("Awake")
const [reduced, setReduced] = useState(true)
useEffect(() => {
const q = matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)")
const update = () => setReduced(q.matches)
update()
q.addEventListener("change", update)
return () => q.removeEventListener("change", update)
}, [])
useEffect(() => {
const el = canvas.current,
ctx = el?.getContext("2d")
if (!el || !ctx) return
let w = 1,
h = 1,
frame = 0,
last = 0
function draw() {
if (!ctx) return
ctx.clearRect(0, 0, w, h)
const s = state.current,
t = s.time,
r = Math.min(w * 0.27, h * 0.38) * (1 + s.food * 0.15),
rest = 1 - s.sleep
const points = Array.from({ length: 42 }, (_, i) => {
const a = (i / 42) * Math.PI * 2,
phase = t * (0.5 + s.play) + s.play * 0.8,
breath = 1 + Math.sin(t * 1.2) * 0.025
return {
x:
w / 2 +
(Math.cos(a) * (0.77 + rest * 0.18 * Math.sin(a * 3 + phase)) + rest * 0.23 * Math.sin(a * 3 - phase)) *
r *
breath,
y:
h * 0.5 +
(Math.sin(a) * (0.85 + rest * 0.15 * Math.cos(a * 2 + phase)) + rest * 0.2 * Math.cos(a * 4 + phase)) *
r *
breath,
}
})
ctx.strokeStyle = "#60189d"
ctx.lineWidth = 1.1
for (let j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
ctx.globalAlpha = j === 0 ? 1 : 0.4 * rest
ctx.beginPath()
points.forEach((p, i) => {
const q = points[(i + (j === 0 ? 1 : j === 1 ? 5 : 13)) % points.length]
ctx.moveTo(p.x, p.y)
ctx.lineTo(q.x, q.y)
})
ctx.stroke()
}
ctx.globalAlpha = 1
ctx.fillStyle = "#60189d"
points.forEach((p, i) => {
if (i % 3 === 0) {
ctx.beginPath()
ctx.arc(p.x, p.y, 1.7, 0, Math.PI * 2)
ctx.fill()
}
})
if (s.food > 0.04) {
ctx.fillStyle = "#60189d"
for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) {
const a = (i / 6) * Math.PI * 2,
dist = r * (1 + 0.75 * s.food)
ctx.beginPath()
ctx.arc(w / 2 + Math.cos(a) * dist, h * 0.5 + Math.sin(a) * dist, 2 * s.food, 0, Math.PI * 2)
ctx.fill()
}
}
}
repaint.current = draw
const resize = () => {
if (!el || !ctx) return
w = el.clientWidth
h = el.clientHeight
const d = Math.min(devicePixelRatio || 1, 2)
const display = el.getBoundingClientRect()
el.width = Math.max(1, Math.round(display.width * d))
el.height = Math.max(1, Math.round(display.height * d))
ctx.setTransform(el.width / Math.max(1, w), 0, 0, el.height / Math.max(1, h), 0, 0)
draw()
}
let resizeFrame = 0
const scheduleResize = () => {
cancelAnimationFrame(resizeFrame)
// Ancestor transforms can settle after layout observers have run.
resizeFrame = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
resizeFrame = requestAnimationFrame(resize)
})
}
const transforms = new MutationObserver(scheduleResize)
for (let ancestor = el.parentElement; ancestor; ancestor = ancestor.parentElement) {
transforms.observe(ancestor, { attributes: true, attributeFilter: ["style", "class"] })
}
window.addEventListener("resize", scheduleResize)
const observer = new ResizeObserver(resize)
observer.observe(el)
resize()
if (reduced || !active) {
state.current.sleep = sleeping ? 1 : 0
draw()
}
function tick(now: number) {
const delta = last ? Math.min(now - last, 48) / 1000 : 0
last = now
const s = state.current
s.time += delta
s.sleep += (Number(sleeping) - s.sleep) * Math.min(1, delta * 5)
s.food = Math.max(0, s.food - delta * 0.5)
s.play = Math.max(0, s.play - delta * 0.35)
draw()
frame = requestAnimationFrame(tick)
}
if (active && !reduced) frame = requestAnimationFrame(tick)
return () => {
observer.disconnect()
transforms.disconnect()
window.removeEventListener("resize", scheduleResize)
cancelAnimationFrame(resizeFrame)
cancelAnimationFrame(frame)
repaint.current = () => {}
}
}, [active, reduced, sleeping])
function feed() {
state.current.food = 1
setAction("Nourished")
repaint.current()
}
function play() {
state.current.play = 1
setSleeping(false)
setAction("Playful")
repaint.current()
}
return (
<section className="sf-responsive-creature">
<div className="sf-rc-top">
<strong>Little life</strong>
<span role="status">{action}</span>
</div>
<canvas
ref={canvas}
role="img"
aria-label={sleeping ? "Resting circular organism" : "Awake connected organism"}
/>
<div className="sf-rc-controls">
<button type="button" onClick={feed}>
Feed <span>·</span>
</button>
<button
type="button"
aria-pressed={sleeping}
onClick={() => {
setSleeping(!sleeping)
setAction(sleeping ? "Awake" : "Resting")
}}
>
{sleeping ? "Wake" : "Rest"}
<span>{sleeping ? "↗" : "◡"}</span>
</button>
<button type="button" onClick={play}>
Play <span>↝</span>
</button>
</div>
<style>{`.sf-responsive-creature{width:100%;height:100%;min-height:280px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;background:#d1f63a;color:#60189d;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;box-sizing:border-box}.sf-responsive-creature *{box-sizing:border-box}.sf-rc-top{position:absolute;left:24px;right:24px;top:21px;display:flex;align-items:baseline;justify-content:space-between;z-index:1}.sf-rc-top strong{font:italic 23px Georgia,serif;letter-spacing:-.7px}.sf-rc-top>span{font:9px monospace}.sf-responsive-creature canvas{position:absolute;left:0;top:51px;width:100%;height:calc(100% - 113px);display:block}.sf-rc-controls{position:absolute;bottom:14px;left:24px;right:24px;display:flex;gap:0;border-top:1px solid #60189d66}.sf-rc-controls button{flex:1;min-height:44px;border:0;background:none;color:inherit;padding:0 10px;font:11px monospace;display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;gap:15px;cursor:pointer}.sf-rc-controls button+button{border-left:1px solid #60189d33}.sf-rc-controls button>span{font:20px Georgia,serif}.sf-rc-controls button[aria-pressed=true]{background:#60189d;color:#d1f63a}.sf-rc-controls button:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #60189d;outline-offset:3px}.sf-rc-controls button:active{background:#60189d18}.sf-rc-controls button[aria-pressed=true]:active{background:#60189d}`}</style>
</section>
)
}
Where it works well
A small character that communicates state through topology and cadence.
Reduced motion
Actions update a static state; breathing and connecting-line motion stop.
Things to know
An illustrative character with finite responses, not a pet game or health model.