iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I've been watching a friend play Sonic Mania, and the lives system is a frustrating time-waster, so I'm asking myself what it's doing there. And I'm afraid the answer is that "old sonic games did it."

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I agree arcade game design influenced these games, but it's oversimplifying to lump them together and ignore a decade of innovation. I think part of your point has to do with the lives system, and I agree that modern designers should ask whether that really adds anything to their game.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I say this as a guy who grew up on NES, SNES, and the Genesis Sonics, but could count the number of arcade cabinets I've ever played on one hand.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Your average early sonic platformer is two console generations removed from the arcade. Not to say certain design principles, like a lives system, didn't get carried forward, but I'd be wary of lumping too many games together in the same "era."

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Past a certain point you have to trust some people in this world. Many of us have established patterns of criticizing AI throughout our social media history. People can do their research and support creators who they trust. Frustrating to see people called liars for making principled stands.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

There's a lot of indie game devs, myself included, who hate GenAI and are outspoken in our refusal to use it. We're not hiding it. We're proudly against GenAI because it's against all our creative principles. Check out @eternalskies.neocities.org's starter packs to find hundreds of us as a start.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Complaining about "pick one of three" in roguelikes is like complaining about coyote time in platformers. No shame in using smart, established game design instead of forcing in unique systems that make your game worse. #gamedev

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Level-5: "With GenAI, development took 2 years instead of 5!" So the price will be 40% of normal, right? I wouldn't take your plagiarized slop for free. Heartbreaking to see a formerly visionary game developer ruin its legacy like this.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

GenAI users always show ignorance and lack of respect toward whatever they justify using it on. If they were knowledgeable, they'd understand how bad the output was. If they respected it, they'd pay people. Translation isn't like math with one correct answer. It's creative writing.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

And they're healthy cuz they're vegetables! ... Oh. Oh nooo...

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

There's a "dynamism vs balance" spectrum. More randomness in gameplay means less balance. But surprises can be exciting. Perfect balance in a fighting game means every character plays the same, but that's no fun. Crits add dynamism at the cost of balance. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I try to remember that "comparison is the thief of joy." There will always be people more successful than you, but dwelling on that only leads to feelings of inadequacy. It's best to focus on the uniqueness in what you do, and expressing yourself in the ways that are important to you.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Sorry you're having a hard time. Most creative people go through feelings like this at some point. You just gotta ride it out, and try to focus on the joy in creating things. Take a break if you have to. I think your passion for what you do will win out in the end.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

For me it's more of a square wave than a sine wave. And my whole life, not just game dev. Bipolar will do that to ya.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I kinda hate the Earth, Wind, and Fire song, where they rhyme September and remember over and over again, forever. Could have at least thrown a few dismembers in there.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

We need Found Pet fliers so we can get closure when people who put out fliers for lost pets find them. "Cat found! If we lose it, we'll call you."

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

As a fellow maker of zeldalikes featuring ghost children, this game seems relevant to my interests. I'll pass on the key, but gonna give the game a shot in a little bit.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

My reaction to the recent Mega Man Dual Override news:

Eli from Labyrinth Memoria edited into the Shut Up and Take My Money meme.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Reading the article and the dev's posts here, I didn't get the impression that's what they meant. The humiliation arose from being at an event to promote their game, but people being unable to access it.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

It seems so cynical to look down on others' art based on subjective ideas of quality, when art is about human emotion and experience. That's also why I don't call gen AI productions bad art. It's not art at all.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

The only bad art is art which promotes hate and misinformation. Even less skillful art is a reflection of someone's growth and what they're feeling at that moment. Kids' art is beautiful because it's a snapshot of their interests at a brief and formative stage of their lives.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I do comics now, apparently. Characters are from my upcoming turn-based RPG, Labyrinth Memoria. #pixelart #gamedev

A four panel comic with pixel art from Aevin's upcoming game, Labyrinth Memoria.
"Meet Eli, a rambunctious young gunslinger. His best friend is a sentient mask called Iyemmel. She's pure evil."
Iyemmel: "That's overly reductive. Once I'm queen, I'll have anyone who says that put to death."
Eli: "Hahaha! Wow, EML, you tell the wildest stories!"
Iyemmel: "The garotte? No, too pedestrian..."

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This is a broad storytelling thing, not just a game thing. The question is often more interesting than the answer. It always bugs me when a story delivers some effective and intriguing ambiguity, only for the author to "word of god" it away in an interview.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I appreciate your thoughtfulness and open-ended questions. Your takes are great conversation starters, I just sometimes wish they reflected more nuance. Haven't played, but Spelunky strikes me as having a nice density of engaging trap placements. I want to find more smaller games that do it well.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

In Zelda NES, level 1 is cyan, and level 2 is blue. This is narrative. It was a story to 5-year-old me, watching in awe as my mom reached that new, mysterious, colorful place. Colors, music, aesthetics inform how you respond emotionally on these journeys. "Aesthetics as narrative." #indiedev

A room in Level 2, the Moon Dungeon, in the original NES Legend of Zelda. A crew of snake-like enemies called Ropes guard a key.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

But tuning it to specific rules is the whole point. It's the "procedural" part. Sure, if you blindly randomly place stuff and call it content, that's lazy and uninteresting, but is there really an epidemic of people doing that? If so, I'd call that out, not a blunt binary of generated vs. memorable.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Minecraft is another example of a procgen game with staying power. There's appeal in discovering unique biomes. These biomes aren't handcrafted, exactly, but there's an art in the procgen that produces areas that align with the devs' vision for the word. The randomness is also part of that art, imo.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

I also think there's unique experiences in the random elements rubbing against each other. One great example is the Binding of Isaac. Content updates featured new "handcrafted" bosses, and new items, but the memorable thing about the items was how they combined randomly with other items.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Eventually, players get bored if there's nothing new to see, so you still have to handcraft things to go in the procedurally-generated levels. The most enduring games like this have tons of neat things that people have made for you to encounter, just in randomized locations and combinations.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The issue for me is that sometimes people turn to procgen as a shortcut. Procgen can be done well, but it takes a lot of time and work, essentially "handcrafting" a consistently enjoyable outcome through fine-tuning. You still have to put in the time to create that content for it to be good.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

@gravitygales.bsky.social took a foray into the Spectral Web: Hitodama. Check out the video! Thanks so much to Eskay and Vivian for giving the game a shot. It was a delight to watch, and the two of you are hilarious. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbaB...

youtube.com

Two Queers Play The Spectral Web: Hitodama | Boy with a Coin

YouTube video by 80% Relatable

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

They may not be the solution to all your problems, but if you enjoy doing them, they can still bring something positive to your life, and to others', too. Truthfully, I wrestle with this stuff a lot myself. If I find the magic bullet that solves it all, I'll share the secret with you.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

My game is just a bunch of numbers in big arrays, but I very thoughtfully put colored dots onscreen so players would enjoy the numbers more. Except the dots are actually just more numbers.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Maybe add an outline to make the word pop out from the background a bit more?

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Personally, I think the wings add too much noise to an already busy image. Without it, the image is eye catching but not too busy. Plain gold works the best imo.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Labyrinth Memoria is my comfort game. There's been countless times when I've pulled it out when I was depressed or anxious, and it helped me feel better. That's something that keeps me going, the thought that the things I make might be someone else's comfort when they need it. #indiedev #pixelart

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Is that a kitty in the background? If so, it really makes for fantastic framing on the shot. Either way, the cocktail looks beautiful.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Yeah, ZQuest Classic is great. I got my start in game development in ZC, and spent a big chunk of time in the community. I hope you enjoy your time with it.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Definitely hat, imo. Character design is important, and the hat is more memorable and adds character.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

When I'm not busy doing game development, I like to relax with different game development.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

You're a person, not a meme. Most people relate to things like this that we all go through at some point. Take care of yourself, and if posting your thoughts helps, then you shouldn't hesitate.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

There's good reasons to use early access, though. Some games need a boost of funding to get across the finish line, or access to a bigger pool of testers. I'm planning early access when my game is fully finished to workshop apps for modded content. In some cases, early access makes games better.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I love the concept of the song minigame to recruit monsters. I could imagine it varying in difficulty based on the rarity of the monster. Having something simple but skill-based like this for recruiting seems great.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

It feels like that, but I think it's important to make room for other things. I'm having to very deliberately plan how to do that myself. Allow yourself some self care, some time away from the game to relax or explore hobbies. It'll help avoid burnout and have a positive impact on the game.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

I'm guilty of this from time to time. It's hard when the character limit encourages brevity.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Yeah, the guy you're replying to likes to talk as if he's an experienced dev, but one look at his profile shows no gamedev content, and he's admitted elsewhere he hasn't released a game and just plays with AI. Most real indie gamedevs hate AI.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

It's true that very brief videos are what grab people's limited attention these days, but that's an advertising thing, not a game design thing.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

No need to gatekeep. Games of all kinds of complexity can still be great. But players will check out if a tutorial is a long explanation. Good tutorials are often invisible, teaching you to play as you go by exposing the player to concepts little by little.

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AevinAbstract | Spectral Web: Yuurei @aevinabstract.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

It's perfectly normal to experiment with other genres. Lots of people go through a phase like this. I'm sure you'll come around on metroidvanias eventually. In fact, I know some really nice ones I could introduce you to.

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