iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Feedback heard. I've redesigned the main character's clothing to be more modest.

Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I threw away last week's biome and replaced it with a new palette and new sprites. Honestly, it seems throwing away things I've made is like half the process... #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

dropped a new funky Fool's Metal trailer (the game with the big guy destroying entire levels with his overwhelming presence) #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Playing around with a new biome with a new palette. Keeping all the same destruction of course. #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Been working to make sure everything interacts with absolutely everything. #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Making games is all about combining one stupid idea that shouldn't work with another stupid idea that shouldn't work. Point in case. #screenshotsaturday #indiegame #gamedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Any more mechanics I should steal from Raiders of the Lost Ark? #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This whole "domino" mechanic thing has really made making levels fun again. #gamemaker #indiegame #gamedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

What if I told you that dirt blocks are that item?

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Been toying with a new “domino” mechanic. At least that’s what I’m calling it for now. #gamemaker #gamedev #indiegames

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Imagine this …but like with Crash Bandicoot music. That’s the vibe I’m going for. #gamedev #gamemaker

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

A humble first attempt at a trailer for my big fella break things game Fool’s Metal. Will keep iterating constantly over time and always in search of feedback. #gamedev #gamemaker #screenshotsaturday

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Toying with unconventional environment manipulation stuff in Fool’s Metal. Players always understand they can break/explode anything, harder to wrap head around hooking and moving things around. #GameMaker #GameDev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Was starting to feel a bit creatively tired working on Fool's Metal so I decided to try make things that are just silly and fun for a bit. So now, you can turn into boulder. #GameMaker #GameDev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Still early days but I feel like I’m ready to start sharing what progress is looking like on my new game, Fool’s Metal. #GameMaker #GameDev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Got two games promoted in the Made in New Zealand 2025 Steam event this year. Fool's End 50% off for the week (it's biggest sale ever), and the messy Infernal Cleaner splashing around in there. Both proudly made here in Auckland NZ. Cool to be involved alongside so many sick NZ-made games. Chur.

Green graphic with snippets of the Fool's End Steam capsule art (shirtless man swinging pickaxe over lava) and the Infernal Cleaner Steam capsule art (Victorian clothed man spraying water from a skull-infused hose).

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

This is a first. Was wondering how far Infernal Cleaner gameplay could push it before the social media censor hammer smacked down. Guess I know now. #indiegame #gamedev

Screenshot of an iPhone screen showing a TikTok video, all blacked out with “Removed for violating community guidelines” in the centre of the screen.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

4. Base colour added. Grout and roughness to go. Getting there.

Rounded cube in Marmoset Renderer with the tiling rock texture mapped on. Height and base color details included, no real roughness variation yet though.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

2. Therepeutic value decreased after customising each of the ~40 stone pieces but we're getting there.

Zbrush sculpted stone wall. Tiling in both directions

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Thought it'd be fun to try remake my apartment's patio tiles in Substance Designer this afternoon. #gameart

Photo of a tiling patio floor. It consists of 3x3 square tiles with diamonds in the corner of each 3x3 section. Has dirty/mouldy patches.

3D render of the same tiles but in a rounded cylinder.

Same 3D material but this time rendered onto a plane.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Began sculpting a rock material in Zbrush today for my next environment piece. Very therapeutic way of creating stone materials. Will update progress on the environment here as it starts becoming a real piece...

Digitally sculpted greyscale rock wall, with lots of rugged rocks and bubbly mortar.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Finally stopped tinkering and decided my new environment piece was good enough to share on Artstation. www.artstation.com/artwork/8BnReO #gameart #unreal #indiedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Going to just leave the Nanite triangles here for a laugh. I thought the Nanite tessellated terrain looked crap so instead decided to spam grass/rocks/meshes on it instead with Landscape Layer Grass.

The irish rock castle scene show above, but displaying Nanite triangles only. The castle past is entirely triangled, so is the foliage (terrain is not).

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

But probably this lighting instead, idk, undecided

Another still shot of an Irish castle ruins environment.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Not thrilled with that video compression so I'll try a still instead....

Still render of an Irish castle ruins scene. Filled with lots of rocks and overgrowth.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Steeling myself to post this latest environment project on Artstation. Some more lighting touches then I think it will be good to go.. #ue5 #gamedev #unrealengine

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Best gameplay screenshots for Infernal Cleaner I've taken so far. #indiedev #gamedev #madewithunity

Using a skull-infused hose to clean blood off dungeon walls in Hell.

Dungeon in Hell filled with blood and chopped limbs.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

I don't even know if i can even begin to explain this one. First time I've sung in an English accent for a game....first songwriting credit too I guess... #gamedev #indiedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

serious question, can you consider a game with this much blood a cozy game? #gamedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Just launched the Steam page for the new game I’ve been building with the Sponge team - Infernal Cleaner. It’s a chill firstperson cleaning sim. But you’re washing blood and grime off torture chambers in Hell. It’s messed up, that’s the charm. #gamedev #indiedev

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

What’s interesting is it technically “fails” a few criteria. But Valve still marked it as Verified, and sent the feedback to me instead of flagging it to players. I like that.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Getting Steam Deck Verified was always a personal goal with Fool’s End. It wasn’t big enough for Valve to bother looking at when it launched, but a year later, they quietly gave it the green light.

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Alan - Fool’s Metal @alanpickled.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

I make games. The first one I ever released is called Fool's End and it involves mining, land mines and ... I think that's all the type of mines it includes.

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