iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

as promised, here's the #screenshotsaturday peek at my next full #GameBoy game made in #GBStudio! no title as-yet, but it's been a lot of fun to design for (and a real bear to work on!)~ dice combat? tower.. crawling..?? mysterious entities from realms beyond?!? all that will be here and more~ 🎲✨

an in-game image of an ominous tower in the distance. Super Game Boy palette of faded purples and greys. has text that reads:
"Like other fools, I've come here to climb the Tower of Wishes..."

an in-game image of a maze-like top-down interior of the previous tower. it shows the player character as they prepare to make their run of the first floor. Super Game Boy palette of earthy reds and browns. has text that reads:
"Good luck on your first expedition!"

an in-game image of a tabletop dice-based combat scene between a wasp assassin and an simian-like eyeball monster. the dice have been rolled once and symbols are showing lightning bolts, claws, and shields. Super Game Boy palette of drab beige and ice blue.

an in-game image of a tavern counter and back wall. the wall is stocked with nondescript bottles and jars. Super Game Boy palette of muddy greens and yellows. has text that reads:
"Take it easy now!"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

reading the collected horror works of M.R. James on a whim. I genuinely love "Oh, Whistle and I'll Come to You, My Lad", but the whole "I, a learned Englishman, heard this kinda weird story from a colleague (another learned Englishman, I will let you know)" is already wearing on me...

an image of the cover of the book "Collected Ghost Stories" from M. R. James. it shows a crumbling castle amid a barren wood, set in front of a dark sky

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

don't have time to watch the trailer! here's some Super Game Boy screenshots of Moth-erless instead! ✨ there's only a few more days left in the launch sale, so if you wanna grab the game for 30%, please do! and don't forget to rate it and leave a comment and/or review~

a screenshot from the Game Boy game "Moth-erless: A Drone's End" depicting a DNA model with some kind of decomposition happening

a screenshot from the Game Boy game "Moth-erless: A Drone's End" depicting the first boss fight against a mutated pumpkin in a field of flowers and thorns

a screenshot from the Game Boy game "Moth-erless: A Drone's End" depicting the ant protagonist and her moth ex-girlfriend having a conversation in the shadow of an enormous tree. the moth is saying:
"Fine. Be that way. Want to know so bad? Then look at THIS~"

a screenshot from the Game Boy game "Moth-erless: A Drone's End" depicting the player characther setting off a bomb in one of the rooms on the first floor

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

there's bugs. there's women. they are the same thing lots of the time! come struggle to stop your malicious(?) ex (a moth) from doing seed crimes while your body fights against you (an ant). and if you play it via Super Game Boy, you get extra colors, a custom border, and even some in-game effects!

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

doing something new for GAMEBUG3's cover! rather than pixel art, I decided to try incorporating some other creative things I dabble in to make a very human cover for my game about sad bug women~ if you want, you can read all about the process by joining my Patreon~ www.patreon.com/astoryinpiec...

a photo of a my hand holding up a work-in-progress version of a handcrafted miniature lance I made from aluminum foil, wrapped in string and nylon stuffing, with a shaft of wire and painted papier mâché. in the background is my deskmat, notebook, laptop, router, and various desk things~

a photo of the final version of the handcrafted miniature lance I made. it is fully decorated and painted, and has been posed by digging the tip into the ground. it is set among low grasses and tall plants growing in the background to give a sense of scale

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

the arcade nearby me here in GNV has started using AI for its promotional posts and people called them out. so their response was.. this... a total slop "game" lashing out at "trolls" who disagree with them. woof, okay. and it's even a paid promotion ad on reddit, too. just.. what a shitshow...

from Instagram: an absolutely disgusting AI-generated promotional post from Bragging Rights arcade in Gainesville, FL. it advertises a slop "game" called "Down-The Trolls"(?) and is completely horrendous top-to-bottom. just ugly characters on a dark background and some "smart phones" with their shitty game screenshots on each. if you can't see it, be glad

from reddit: the same absolutely disgusting AI-generated promotional post from Bragging Rights arcade in Gainesville, FL. it advertises a slop "game" called "Down-The Trolls"(?) and is completely horrendous top-to-bottom. just ugly characters on a dark background and some "smart phones" with their shitty game screenshots on each. if you can't see it, be glad

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

keep AI slop out of GB Studio!! I'm not even the least bit surprised that this kinda shit just keeps hitting the Game Boy community more and more lately, but damn if it isn't exhausting to see the bigger names in GB Studio development and influence being onboard with all the worst shit.

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Rakushou! Hyper Doll was a banger. a surprisingly great 90s dub that's even got a cute translated OP! two superpowered, alien women are forced to fight giant monsters, but torment a high schooler as a hobby. also dares to ask the real question, "if the dolls won't do it, who will??"

cover image for the anime OVA "Rakushou! Hyper Doll"
shows the two main characters, Mew and Mica, out in space. they're both wearing their transformed outfits and smiling at the camera. the red-haired Mica is charging an energy blast, and the blue-haired Mew is holding an uppercut pose

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman and its sequel (Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman R) were both much gayer and much funnier than I ever would have expected for an OVA duology about a repressed Catholic girl who transforms into a sumo-belt-wearing superhero to protect her school from cultists.

cover for the OVA title Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gootaman ("Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman"). it shows a woman dressed in knee-high boots, a sumo belt, skin-tight bra top, and a feathered turban(?) wielding a pink paper fan

cover for the OVA title Dengeki Oshioki Musume Gootaman R ("Butt Attack Punisher Girl Gautaman R"). it shows a close-up of a woman in a loose robe and wearing a feathered turban(?) smiling at the viewer

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

like I told you already, I said what I said! 😤 also, I'm right! look at this cover and tell me I'm wrong, bard!! just Shrek and evil Patrick Star comin' to your very own Game Boy~

the front cover for the Game Boy game "Gargoyle's Quest"
it shows a cartoonish, green flying "gargoyle" smiling with exhilaration while a purple-ish robed figure and a blue beetle watch from below

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

watched the Re: Cutie Honey 3-episode OVA series this afternoon. I'm glad I read the original manga first, but Re: was just.. so, so good... and it's more definitively yuri! throughout! just a lot of wild, colorful, stylized ecchi fun~

the cover for the "Re: Cutie Honey" OVA series. it features a pink, white, and yellow motif with a large Cutie Honey in the background, and a paired-up Honey Kisaragi and Cutie Honey in front. "Re: Cutie Honey" title text in Japanese katakana are underneath the characters

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

the Queen of Us All makes time for each and every drone in the nest, even when they just want a kiss! 💖 or two, or three, or maybe four... 💋 🐜

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

just added the first Benevolence Copies to the LesbiAnts Story Edition page. if you want the game, but don't have the dollar to throw around, nab one of these copies while they last, and please drop a rating and review! anyone who does buy the game, every purchase adds a new free copy on the pile!

a screenshot of the purchase section of the LesbiAnts - Story Edition itch.io page. the large section of text reads:
"For those who want to help...

A gift from the Queen of Us All to those who want to help, but don't have the means! If you want to play LesbiAnts, but don't have the funds to support it financially right now, please help yourself to a free copy of the game. All that's asked is that after you've enjoyed the game, you leave a positive comment, a 5-star review, and please share the game's page with those you think will enjoy it!

The pool starts with a small pile of copies up for grabs, and for every copy of the game that is purchased here on itch.io, a new Benevolence Copy will be added to the pool~ "

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

of course, if you're waiting for all the amazing work I've put into the original version's update?? well, don't worry. you'll be fed soon, I promise~ and you could always follow me here, or on itch, or on my Patreon, to find out *exactly* when the Queen of Us All makes her colorful entrance~

a screenshot from my Game Boy game, LesbiAnts, that shows a flowery border surrounding an interior windowed scene. a strange-looking seed, leaking fluid, is in the center. a dialog box at the bottom reads:
"Well, let's find out together, shall we?"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

ugh.. same... 💙💔 it's not like the previous amount of traffic I was getting was immense, but it was still regularly 3-4x higher, and those major spikes never happen anymore...

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

yeah, it's a lot more tolerable of a puzzle game when you can see the entire field at once. I had only known Lode Runner from this Windows PC version in the 90s before playing the Game Boy one!

screenshot from Lode Runner on Windows PC (1994), sourced from Moby Games. it shows a single-screen puzzle set in a jungle, with gold, ladders, and platforms arranged around the level in rows, as well as some mossy platforms around the center of the screen where the player sprite is standing

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

sometimes a kid's favorites just stop being favorites for a bit, y'know?? 😅 these little comics have been really fun to make! not planning a consistent kind of thing, but I hope to make 'em whenever an idea strikes me~ also, I didn't wanna keep posting it all separate, sorry if it gets wrecked...

two pillbugs (mama, a larger purple one, and frimp, a smaller blue one) are eating a carrot slice among the grass and pebbles
frimp: "mama? I think I'm kinda tired of carrots..."
mama: "okay~
we'll have a different vegetable next time"

the two pillbugs are eating a cucumber slice now
frimp: "I like this, but..."
mama: (a bit exasperated) "you're tired of it already. okay. next time."

the two pillbugs are eating a kale leaf now
mama: "how's this? still okay?"
frimp: (cheerily) "nnooo...
I could really go for some carrots!"
mama pillbug then curls into a ball and jumps in place, exasperated, as frimp munches happily

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

working on another of these silly slice-of-life bug comics. will post it tomorrow, prob'ly~ so here's a panel preview! ✨ these are a fun little diversion from work stuff, and I hope others enjoy them, too~ 🥰

two pillbugs (a larger purple one and a smaller blue one) are eating a sliced piece of carrot among the rocks and grass

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Idunno, I saw the Mega Man announcement posting and this just came to me lol my 9yo and I were JUST talking about this earlier today..! (if you saw the mosaic post before, no you didn't~) 1/4

two pillbugs, one large and one small, are talking.
L - "sorry, kiddo. there hasn't been a new Mega Man game for, like, 7 years"
S - "dang..."
and the small one rolls away

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

for all the bug yuri lovers... the time for Our ants-iversary is coming soon~ 🐜💜✨

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

yep. stated in their own rules. and it's even okay to remake someone else's game! no NSFW, though, of course.

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

I've managed 10 so far, but I bet you could make even more! there's really no limit to the adorable pixel ants~

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

artist tip: you can draw as many adorable pixel ants as you want~ 🐜💚💖

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

what the fuck is this artifacting?? I would rather deal with VHS fuzz and/or tracking *any fucking day of the week* than whatever the hell these AI greaseballs think they're doing with old media

screenshot from Bill Nye the Science Guy episode on cells. Bill is holding a Twinkie snack cake nearby some trees, and the trees in the background are horrendously artifacted thanks to "AI upscaling"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

and lastly, a non-binary player trainer! one of the first things I added to the hack was gender selection. I decided to go with "BOY/GIRL/ENBY" for the choices (GB limits and all). I made the enby sprite the character, Yellow, from the Pokémon manga, but I may make a new, more original one later~

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

next? Jynx 🧜‍♀️ ❄️ (w/bonus SGB color vers.) definitely the top candidate for a redesign, imo. I went with more of a deep-water siren instead of.. whatever the original Jynx sprite is supposed to be... I do think Jynx is an interesting and unique combination of types, though!

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

bringing some Pokémon back because of course I am. re-spriting them down to Yellow version levels has been a challenge, but fun! not too many of these, though~ first up, Chingling! 🔔✨ (w/bonus SGB color vers.) Chingling feels like a natural addition for a boosted gen 1 to go into Lavender Tower~

a custom generation 1 re-sprite of the Pokémon, Chingling, by me
it's jumping happily with its braided ropes up in the air

a custom generation 1 re-sprite of the Pokémon, Chingling, by me (Super Game Boy colorized)
it's jumping happily with its braided ropes up in the air

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

yeah! as the bonus scene in the mini SOS mode I did in one of my games! there's even a crushed-to-fit voice clip of me saying "Nice job!" when you get there~

1-bit furry art of a cute bee lounging at the center of the screen. text beneath it reads "NICE JOB!!"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

here's a link-out button I just made as well! if Bsky wrecked it in the upload, you can also get it from my site's links page~

88x31 webpage button that reads:
"~astoryinpieces~ web nest"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

been missing my art? well, here's a trove of bug-type ladies to enjoy! @beachboogeyman.itch.io commissioned me to make these for his upcoming project, Inverti-Brats! ~96x96 each, there's monarch butterfly, ladybug, mosquito, death's head hawkmoth, scarab beetle, scorpion, spider, and yellowjacket!

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

an additional note is now a part of the intro of that wild "State of the Homebrew" survey posted here by GB Studio Central. apparently, it's a survey meant for someone's blog, but isn't representative of ANY actual retro game development community, or the site hosting that hosts the blog...

a section attached to the "State of the Homebrew" survey going around right now. it reads:

"NOTE: This survey is being conducted for my (Sean aka Scrobins') blog A Homebrew Draws Near, and is not affiliated with Video Game Sage, NESmaker, GB Studio, or the various homebrew communities through which the link to participate has been shared. You can read my blog, including past survey results here: https://www.videogamesage.com/blogs/blog/30-a-homebrew-draws-near/

The information collected is for my own use to understand and present the community's consensus opinions. Identifying information will not be shared, but some direct quotes may be included in my final post to articulate points made by the community.

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

sometimes I just love the way things line up when you zoom out on a project~ #GBStudio #GBdev #GameBoy #GAMEBUG

a screenshot taken in GBStudio 4.1.x that shows a 25% zoomed-out version of my project's current workspace footprint, complete with all the scene connections. they're all aligned neatly and look very pleasing~

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

oh, holy shit. it's bad enough that we've already got a genocide-friendly Game Boy. but now they're going after the N64 next?? just fucking stop already. just quit. just leave it the fuck alone. pulled this image from their account on Twitter because they haven't posted about it over here.

image from Twitter that shows ModRetro is gearing up for a Nintendo 64 console with preorders:

"EARLY BIRD PRICE SECURED
You've locked in early bird pricing for M64, and as a ModRetro customer, you'll be first in line when orders go live. We'll keep you in the loop with updates as launch approaches."

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

even the fucking "NSFW" tag doesn't show up anymore?? what a heinous, shady fuckin' move...

a screenshot of itch.io's game browsing tag. "nsfw" is typed into the search, but no results show up

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

just checked on my own games after seeing this. I can see my games on my own page, but the amount of NSFW games with the "Game Boy" tag on itch went from over 120 to just around 40. only risque and horror stuff. the explicit adult games are gone. this fuckin' sucks, ya'll

a screenshot of the itch.io browsing page for NSFW Game Boy games, now showing only 40 results instead of the previous 120+.
all of the explicit adult games are not shown

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

it took a full week of work to finish, but I'm so excited to show this off! please enjoy this part of the intro sequence for GAMEBUG3, and look forward to learning more of the story behind it in the future~ ✨🐜💖 #GBStudio #GameBoy #SuperGameBoy #pixelart #animation #GAMEBUG #LesbiAnts #yuri

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

this is the first time in years we've had an actual oven to bake in, so I absolutely had to make sure my gremlin got the birthday cake he wanted this time~ 💖

a homemade chocolate birthday cake I made for my 9-year-old. it features wafer cookie "buildings", cookie crumb and sprinkles for "dirt", and a large, soft-vinyl Biollante toy on top~

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

2+ years since first publishing it on itch, LesbiAnts has officially hit 1,000 downloads!! 🎉 thank you. genuinely. I know it's not "viral success" or rapid growth (and the Sisters might know something about that), but it means a lot. and if you rated and reviewed it? maybe we? should kiss??

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

so in doing more poking around about the Super Game Boy, I came across the official Game Boy Programming Manual from 1999. I can't parse the large majority of its technical information, but an interesting part at the very front shows how Nintendo evaluated games for release on various GB hardware.

quoted from the Game Boy Programming Manual:

"To ensure that the expectations of the Game Boy Color consumer are met, Mario Club will evaluate the use of color in all CGB games (dual or dedicated) using the following criteria:

- Differentiation - If a game is to be considered CGB-compatible, then it must appear significantly more colorful than a monochrome Game Boy game when “colorized” by the CGB hardware. The
principal measure of this is the number of colors in the background (BG) and the number of colors in the objects (OBJ).
- Simultaneous Colors - Because CGB hardware automatically “colorizes” monochrome games with up to four colors in the BG palette and up to six colors for two OBJ palettes (three colors per palette),
a game typically must display more colors than this automatic “colorization” to be considered a CGB game.
- Appropriate use of Color - Objects in the game that are based on reality (trees, rocks, animals, and so on) should be a color that we would normally associate with them. For fictional objects, colors
should be chosen to show appropriate detail and, when needed, to differentiate unlike objects.
- Variety of Colors - The CGB is capable of producing a wide range of colors (32,768 to be exact -- albeit not all at the same time). A CGB game should use this capability of the hardware to yield
distinctly different colors for objects, characters, areas, and so on.
- Contrast & Saturation - Two of the elements that make a game look colorful are high contrast and “saturated” or vibrant colors. Pastel colors on a white background will not seem nearly as colorful as
the same colors on a dark background. Not every game can use a dark background, but the intensity of the colors should still be maximized as much as possible.

Please detail or demonstrate how your game will utilize color capabilities of the CGB. Use whatever means will best allow you to do so, such as artists renderings, programmed demos, ROM images, written descriptions, and so on."

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

I love using the #SuperGameBoy for coloration and borders! but I do wish it came with a GBC-like performance boost when on hardware, too... curious to see the difference? here's a comparison of the same #GBStudio project (using dual Color + Monochrome mode) played via SGB, GB Pocket, and GB Color~

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

screenshots of the latest bug yuri project last night from testing on my #SuperGameBoy. color palettes aren't 100% where I want them to be yet, but it's pretty close. just have to spend some time in the SGB's palette customization screen~ #screenshotsaturday #GBStudio #GameBoy #gamedev #GAMEBUG

screenshot of new GAMEBUG project 3 taken on a Super Game Boy with custom colors. shows two characters having a dialog beneath a tree twinkling with dew. the dialog box from the character on the right says:
"Fine. Be that way. Want to know so bad? Then look at this~"

screenshot of new GAMEBUG project 3 taken on a Super Game Boy with custom colors. shows gameplay of the player character navigating a level of flowers and thorns after having just exploded a bomb near an enemy.

screenshot of new GAMEBUG project 3 taken on a Super Game Boy with custom colors. shows the player entering a boss room where a monstrous pumpkin sits in the middle of an enclosure made from flowers and vines.

screenshot of new GAMEBUG project 3 taken on a Super Game Boy with custom colors. shows a cutscene frame of a very close-up depiction of DNA with some obvious discoloration in the center of the strand.

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

jfc it's everywhere!! is the whole GB scene gonna be poisoned?? would anyone taking part in this compo jam actually want one of these things as a reward? gross...

a screenshot of the sponsors list for upcoming GB Compo 2025, including only ModRetro and incube8 Games

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

not active on Twitter/X, so I missed a shout-out from the official itch account. boo. but, also, interesting to learn the Bsky account is probably managed separately/differently, since the same shout-out didn't happen here. it's not a cross-posting/automated thing like I would've thought. neat~

a screenshot of a post from Twitter/X of the official itch.io account shouting out my game, My Final Cursed Days, on April 28, 2025

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

trying to keep consistent with making a stream schedule to keep the analysis paralysis of *what* to stream at-bay. thought it'd be good to start sharing it here as well!

astoryinpieces' streaming schedule for Twitch streams the week of 4/8 to 4/13

Tuesday is GB Studio game-dev @2pm EST
Wednesday is Haunted PS1 2020 (bonus) @10pm EST
Friday is exploring GB horror @10pm EST
Saturday is Bookworm Adventures @2pm EST
Sunday is GB Studio game-dev @10pm EST

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

haven't posted these here yet, but I'm sure some other game-devs will get some use out of them~

an image of a seal very similar to the old Nintendo Entertainment System quality seal, but it says "This seal is your assurance that A Trans Person was involved in the creation of this game"

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

a new clip of my next #GAMEBUG release for #ScreenshotSaturday ~ rescuing a stranded drone can take a toll and put your own survival in a precarious position. but you wouldn't leave her to die.. would you..?? (presented with Super Game Boy border and color palette) #GBStudio #GameBoy

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astoryinpieces @astoryinpieces.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

look at this rad sculpture installation that LesbiAnts is being housed in!! my screenshot from the IG story I was tagged in doesn't do it justice I'm sure. if anyone's in Brussels during the event, please let me know how it plays!

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