Game Themes

A .spk.theme file restyles one game’s page, launch screen and library icon in Spark. The game itself is not changed. Installed themes go into a shared library and are applied per game.

What a theme can change

Every part is optional; anything a theme leaves out keeps the standard look.

Area	What a theme can change
Game page	Backdrop artwork, title artwork, background (image, video, color or gradient), an animated layer (particles, scrolling pattern, video or animated image), text and button colors, title font
Game details	Description, developer, release year, Patreon and Website buttons, Characters row
Launch screen	Background, animated layer, logo, loading spinner color, title text
Library	The game’s icon
Music	A track that plays on the game page and launch screen

Getting a theme

Open a .spk.theme file

Open a .spk.theme file from Files, Mail, Messages or AirDrop and choose Spark. The theme is installed but not applied.

Import from inside Spark

Tap Import Theme… in:

Settings > Themes > Installed Themes — installs the theme.
A game’s theme picker — installs the theme and applies it to that game.

If the theme is already installed, Spark asks Replace Theme?.

Themes that come with a game

When an imported game includes a .spk.theme file, Spark asks what to do once the import finishes:

Popup	Buttons
This game includes a theme	Install & Apply, Install Only, Don’t Install
This game’s theme is in your library (newer version)	Update & Apply, Update Only, Don’t Install
This game’s theme is in your library (same or older version)	Apply Installed Theme, Don’t Install

If a theme won’t install

Message	Meaning
This theme file is larger than the 250 MB limit.	The file is too big.
Not enough free space to install this theme.	Free up storage and try again.
This file isn’t a valid .spk.theme package.	The file is damaged or not a theme.
The theme’s configuration is invalid	The theme was built incorrectly.
This theme doesn’t contain anything Spark can apply.	Nothing in the theme was usable.

Theme Installed with Warnings lists parts that were skipped; the rest of the theme is installed.

Applying a theme to a game

Open the game and tap Game Settings.
In Theme, tap Change next to Applied Theme.
Pick a theme, or Default for the standard look.

To preview first, tap ⋯ next to a theme and choose Preview, then Apply to This Game.

Per-game theme options

Option	Shown when	What it does
Theme Music	The theme has music	Turns the theme’s music on or off for this game. Default: On.
Hero Image	The theme has more than one title artwork	Picks the title artwork.
Icon	The theme has more than one icon	Picks the icon.

Theme music

Plays on the game page and launch screen, and stops before the game starts. It follows the silent switch. Turn it off per game with Theme Music, or for all games in Settings > Themes.

Themes and your own customizations

Custom art, colors and Background Animation set in Customize override the matching parts of a theme.

If the game already has customizations when you pick a theme, Spark asks Use the theme’s look?:

Button	Result
Use Theme Look	Removes the game’s custom art, colors and background animation, then applies the theme.
Keep My Customizations	Applies the theme with your customizations on top.
Cancel	Changes nothing.

Reset Look in the Theme section returns custom colors and the background animation to the theme’s values.

Saving your own look as a theme

In Game Settings > Theme or the Customize sheet:

Save as Theme… — enter a Theme name and tap Save. The game’s custom art and colors become a theme, which is applied to the game; the game’s own customizations are cleared. Saving again updates the same theme.
Share Theme File… — exports the game’s customizations as a .spk.theme file without installing it.

Both are unavailable when the game has no custom art or colors. To share an installed theme, use Share Theme from its ⋯ menu.

Managing installed themes

Settings > Themes > Installed Themes lists each theme with its author, version, size and how many games use it. Tap ⋯ for Preview, Share Theme or Delete.

Deleting a theme returns the games using it to the default look. Their custom art and colors are kept.

Where themes are stored

iCloud Drive › Spark › Assets › Themes, or on the device when iCloud is not available. A theme still downloading from iCloud shows a cloud icon and can’t be previewed or shared yet. Applied themes are also kept locally.

UI Customization — Global theme switches.
Customizing a Game
Importing Games