This rig runs on mGear, a free rigging framework for Maya. Already installed? You are set. If not, it takes about two minutes.

Inside: The Boy (Maya Rig)

A production-quality Maya model based on Playdead's game, Inside.
Re-modelled and rigged by Emilio Serrano with a full AnimPicker and a Human IK version for motion capture workflows. Ideal for body mechanics and kid animation studies.

Part of our free Maya rigs collection. Browse all 71 free rigs

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Free Free personal use

The full plugin for personal, non-commercial work. Your key arrives by email.

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The Creator Tip £5.00 per seat, one-time

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One-time commercial licence, per seat
  • Personal, non-commercial use is free.
  • The commercial licence is a one-time purchase: pay once, no subscription, no expiry.
  • Per seat: one licence for each artist using it commercially.
  • Your licence key arrives by email and always lives in your dashboard.
  • Includes updates and activation support.
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Biped
Rig type
4 Nov 2026
Last updated
4 Nov 2026
Released
Works with
Maya + mGear 5
Licence
Free
Mocap
Human IK version included
  • Maya
  • mGear 5

Instant download Vetted creator

Latest rig updates
4 Nov 2026

Inside is out

Everything the rig ships with. What you get on day one:

Autodesk Maya

Built for Maya and ready to drop straight into your animation workflow.

Production ready

Designed for real-world animation workflows, from blocking to final polish.

Watch it move

Inside: The Boy (Maya Rig) in motion

Two clips
Boy-Sequence-Controlrig-1
Boy-Sequence-Rig-Notextures-1
Additional information

The details

Software
Maya 2024 or newer
Rig system
mGear 5
Type
Biped, stylised kid
Mocap
Human IK version included
Facial
None, a head control instead
Requirements

Maya + mGear

  • Maya 2024 or newer
  • mGear 5, installed and loaded
About this rig

Inside: The Boy, a free mGear Maya rig

The Boy is the nameless kid from Playdead’s game Inside. This is a production-quality Maya model of him, re-modelled by Emilio Serrano and rigged on mGear 5. It is free.

A simple mGear biped rig with a lot of extra details: sleeves, trousers, hair and a basic but effective head control for achieving appealing poses and strong silhouettes. An ideal rig for stylised animation, with emphasis on kid animation studies. It includes a full AnimPicker and a Human IK version for motion capture workflows.

The Boy from Playdead’s Inside

Inside is the 2016 puzzle platformer from Playdead, the Danish studio behind Limbo. You play a boy in a red shirt who runs, hides, swims and climbs through a dark, silent world, and the whole story is told through how he moves. That is what makes the Inside game character such a good animation study: no dialogue and no facial acting, only weight, timing and silhouette. If Limbo and Inside are why you wanted to animate, this is the rig to start with.

Inside and the Boy belong to Playdead. This is a fan re-model for animation practice, not an official Playdead asset.

What you get

  • The Boy rig as a Maya 2024 scene, built on mGear
  • A Human IK version of the rig for motion capture and retargeting
  • A full AnimPicker for the Boy
  • Extra controls for the sleeves, trousers and hair
  • An FBX of the character for game engines

Who the Inside Boy rig is for

Animators studying kids. The Boy never speaks and his face reads as a blank, so posture, rhythm and silhouette carry every shot. That makes him a good rig for body mechanics, run and jump work, and a stylised kid for your reel. If you want to put mocap on him first and polish after, the Human IK version is ready for it.

Requirements

  • Maya 2024 or newer
  • mGear 5, installed and loaded
  • No facial rig and no props. The head control does the acting.

More free rigs by Emilio Serrano: Rocky from Project Hail Mary and Kryyp, a Simon Stålenhag mech. Or browse every free Maya rig on Animworks.

Questions

Common questions about Inside: The Boy (Maya Rig)

Do I need mGear to use the Inside Boy rig?

Yes. The rig is built on mGear 5, which is free and open source. Install mGear in Maya 2024 or newer, load it, then open the scene.

Can I put motion capture on the Boy?

Yes. The download includes a Human IK version of the rig, so you can retarget mocap onto it and polish the animation afterwards.

Does the rig have facial controls?

No. The Boy reads through his body, so the rig has a basic but effective head control for posing instead of a facial rig.

Is this an official Playdead model?

No. It is a re-model by Emilio Serrano, based on the Boy from Playdead's game Inside. It is free to download for animation practice.

Which Maya version does the Inside Boy rig need?

Maya 2024 or newer, with mGear 5 loaded. It was built in Maya 2024.

What animators say

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Why you can trust this rig
Vetted

Every rig on Animworks is checked by our team before it goes live.

Supported

Questions and bug reports go straight to Emilio Serrano, or email support@anim.works.

Yours to keep

It lands in your downloads the moment you check out, and stays there.

Community

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Animating with Inside: The Boy (Maya Rig)? Post your shots in the Discord, ask Emilio Serrano a question, or tell us what you would want in the next version.

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