Introducing ShipUI: Start with RETRO // NEXT
Most Next.js starter templates give you the folder structure and not much else. The routing works. The config is fine. But there's no design system, no components, and no real starting point for building a product. You spend the first two weeks on setup that has nothing to do with what you're actually building.
ShipUI is a different approach.
What Is ShipUI?
ShipUI is a collection of production-ready Next.js starter themes. Each one ships with a complete design system, real UI components, and enough structure to start building on day one.
The first theme is RETRO // NEXT.
RETRO // NEXT
A retro arcade aesthetic built on a modern stack. Neon glow effects, pixel fonts via Press Start 2P, an animated boot screen, a custom cursor, and a ticker tape component.
What's included:
- Full component library: buttons, badges, cards, stat blocks, leaderboard, section headers, and more
- Three color variants out of the box: green (default), cyan, and pink. Swap all three with three CSS token overrides.
- Boot screen animation
- Custom pixel cursor
- Ticker tape for announcements or scrolling content
- Login and signup pages, 404, and error boundaries
Tech stack:
- Next.js 15 with App Router
- React 19
- TypeScript 5 strict mode
- Tailwind v4
No broken imports. No manual wiring. Install dependencies and it works.
Works with ShipKit
RETRO // NEXT pairs with ShipKit if you use it. If you're wondering why ShipKit exists, Why We Built ShipKit explains the problem it solves.
The bundle adds ShipKit AI conventions for $10 on top of the base theme: cursor rules, project structure docs, and a CLAUDE.md ready to go.
The theme also works standalone. No ShipKit dependency, no lock-in.
Pricing
$29 for the theme. $39 for the theme with ShipKit conventions. One-time purchase, instant download, permanent link.
No subscriptions.
What's Next
RETRO // NEXT is the first ShipUI theme. More are in progress. The goal is the same across all of them: a real design system, a modern stack, and nothing left for you to wire up yourself.