--- a/src/GameSrc/objsim.c
+++ b/src/GameSrc/objsim.c
@@ -26,8 +26,10 @@
 // Object simulator code for Citadel
 #define __OBJSIM_SRC
 
-#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "Shock.h"
 
@@ -1924,6 +1926,93 @@
     *h = s_critterNativeH[id][frame];
 }
 
+// Resource id of the last-drawn critter animation, updated every frame from
+// gameobj.c's FAUBJ_CRIT case - read by debug_dump_critter_animation() on
+// the debug dump hotkey (see engine-debug-tools/, root README.md's
+// "Debugging" section). Debug-build only: see
+// engine-debug-tools/engine-patches/.
+static Id s_lastCritterId = 0;
+
+void debug_track_critter_draw(Id id) { s_lastCritterId = id; }
+
+// Dumps every frame of the last-drawn critter's current animation (the
+// whole resource id, not just the currently-visible frame) as raw
+// palette-index bytes, one file per frame, independent of the renderer's
+// own texture/GL state - lets a corrupted frame be told apart from
+// corruption introduced later, in rendering. Format: 2-byte LE width,
+// 2-byte LE height, then width*height index bytes - converted to a viewable
+// image by engine-debug-tools/dump2png, not here, to avoid this debug path
+// depending on the renderer's own palette/SDL state.
+void debug_dump_critter_animation(void) {
+    RefTable *prt;
+    int numFrames, frame;
+    char path[256];
+    FILE *f;
+
+    if (s_lastCritterId == 0) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] no critter drawn yet\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    mkdir("dumps", 0755); // ignore EEXIST - fopen below reports any real failure
+
+    prt = (RefTable *)ResLock(s_lastCritterId);
+    if (prt == NULL) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] ResLock(%d) failed\n", (int)s_lastCritterId);
+        return;
+    }
+    numFrames = prt->numRefs;
+    ResUnlock(s_lastCritterId);
+
+    fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] id=%d numFrames=%d\n", (int)s_lastCritterId, numFrames);
+
+    for (frame = 0; frame < numFrames; frame++) {
+        FrameDesc *fd;
+        grs_bitmap decoded;
+        uchar *bits;
+        short w, h;
+
+        fd = (FrameDesc *)RefLock(MKREF(s_lastCritterId, frame));
+        if (fd == NULL) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] RefLock frame %d failed\n", frame);
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        if (fd->bm.type == BMT_RSD8) {
+            if (gr_rsd8_convert(&fd->bm, &decoded) != 0 /* GR_UNPACK_RSD8_OK */) {
+                fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] gr_rsd8_convert frame %d failed\n", frame);
+                RefUnlock(MKREF(s_lastCritterId, frame));
+                continue;
+            }
+            bits = decoded.bits;
+            w = decoded.w;
+            h = decoded.h;
+        } else {
+            bits = fd->bm.bits;
+            w = fd->bm.w;
+            h = fd->bm.h;
+        }
+
+        snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "dumps/id%d_frame%d.raw", (int)s_lastCritterId, frame);
+        f = fopen(path, "wb");
+        if (f != NULL) {
+            uchar hdr[4];
+            hdr[0] = (uchar)(w & 0xFF);
+            hdr[1] = (uchar)((w >> 8) & 0xFF);
+            hdr[2] = (uchar)(h & 0xFF);
+            hdr[3] = (uchar)((h >> 8) & 0xFF);
+            fwrite(hdr, 1, 4, f);
+            fwrite(bits, 1, (size_t)w * (size_t)h, f);
+            fclose(f);
+            fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] wrote %s (%dx%d)\n", path, (int)w, (int)h);
+        } else {
+            fprintf(stderr, "[debug dump] failed to open %s for writing\n", path);
+        }
+
+        RefUnlock(MKREF(s_lastCritterId, frame));
+    }
+}
+
 errtype obj_set_secondary_properties() {
     char i, j;
     RefTable *prt;
--- a/src/GameSrc/Headers/objsim.h
+++ b/src/GameSrc/Headers/objsim.h
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@
 errtype obj_create_player(ObjLoc *plr_loc);
 Ref ref_from_critter_data(ObjID oid, int triple, byte posture, short frame, short view);
 void get_critter_native_size(Id id, short frame, short *w, short *h);
+// Debug-build only - see engine-debug-tools/, root README.md's "Debugging"
+// section.
+void debug_track_critter_draw(Id id);
+void debug_dump_critter_animation(void);
 errtype obj_zero_unused();
 grs_bitmap *obj_get_model_data(ObjID id, fix *x, fix *y, fix *z, grs_bitmap *bm2, Ref *ref1, Ref *ref2);
 errtype obj_model_hack(ObjID id, uchar *hack_x, uchar *hack_y, uchar *hack_z, uchar *hack_type);
--- a/src/GameSrc/gameobj.c
+++ b/src/GameSrc/gameobj.c
@@ -1019,6 +1019,7 @@
             {
                 short native_w = 0, native_h = 0;
                 get_critter_native_size(REFID(ref), REFINDEX(ref), &native_w, &native_h);
+                debug_track_critter_draw(REFID(ref));
                 _fr_draw_bitmap(tpdata, _fdt_dist, 0, anch.ul.x, anch.ul.y, native_w, native_h);
             }
             release_critter_bitmap_fast(ref);
--- a/src/Libraries/INPUT/Source/sdl_events.c
+++ b/src/Libraries/INPUT/Source/sdl_events.c
@@ -481,6 +481,19 @@
     SDL_Event ev;

     while (SDL_PollEvent(&ev)) {
+        // Debug-build only (engine-debug-tools/, root README.md's
+        // "Debugging" section): K dumps every frame of the last-drawn
+        // critter's current animation to dumps/. Checked here, before the
+        // switch below dispatches on event type at all, so it can never
+        // collide with an existing game keybinding - a plain letter rather
+        // than Insert, which some keyboards don't send at all (compact
+        // layouts, or routed through Fn).
+        if (ev.type == SDL_KEYDOWN && ev.key.keysym.sym == SDLK_k) {
+            extern void debug_dump_critter_animation(void);
+            debug_dump_critter_animation();
+            continue;
+        }
+
         switch (ev.type) {
         case SDL_QUIT:
             // a bit hacky at this place, but this would allow exiting the game via the window's [x] button