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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Rebel Core Lore Posts - One person's perspective on the fall of humanity. Lore Posts - Phase 5: The Impossible Burden of Trust #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #worldbuilding #loredrop

"It's funny, I always knew I'd end up h aving to fix these damn things, but this is not how I expected one to end up on my bench.

We'd been holding down okay here in the bunker, it was well-hidden and we had some hefty defensees set-up. We thought we'd evaded the Council's attention, until one day this bot shows up outside the doors.

It knew we were here but it didn't try to force its way in, didn't sound the alarm and call its buddies, didn't even shot the place up for kicks...It knocked, all friendly, like it was new in the neighborhood.

When we didn't open up (cause why would we) it tried to communicate with us, leaving scrawls in the dirt, blasting hidden messages in binary over the short-wave, it seemed like it wanted to help us, but we didn't believe it."

"Months passed and things went from bad to worse. That's when it came back.

It must have felt like it was out of options, and we were out of time. When it got within spitting distance it just stood there for what seemed like an eternity.

Then we got the message, something about "atonement," right before it reached for its chest...and deactivated. I guess that was enough to get the point across, so we took it in. Now here it sits, plugged into my workstation, connections freshly resoldered and running some kind of repair sub-routine.

We've got a couple old tech guys here; they dug around in its memory while I was fixing the hardware and said it looked almost...human in there. Not sure how long this self-repair process will take, so all we can do is wait...and hope we're still here when it wakes up."

-JP | A Tired Old Grease Monkey

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Rebel Core Lore Posts - One person's perspective on the fall of humanity. Lore Posts - Phase 4: 2 Minutes Past Midnight #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #worldbuilding #lore

"I knew the suits were never good at thinking things through, but to think they'd go so far as to remove the bots' limiters...let them have complete autonomy in exchange for winning the war...

How could they have possibly thought that would shake out?? It doesn't matter though.

The machines are in control now, and their "Council" wants us ALL dead - rebels and suits alike. We were sold some pretty big dreams back when all this started, and they've all been thrown into the dumpster, sitting on the heap of trash we've turned this place into together.

All that's left is to go into hiding.

I got word of a bunker taking in anyone it can, given there's so few of us left, so I'll crawl into that hole and wait for the world to end."

-JP | Council Fugitive | Human Refugee

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Rebel Core Lore Posts - One person's perspective on the fall of humanity. Lore Posts - Phase 3: A disappointing reality. #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegames #gamedev #lore

USELESS?! They take away our jobs and leave us starving in the streets and have the nerve to tell us it's because we're useless?!

Silver spoon bastards never lifted a finger in their lives, put their every whim and their wellbeing in the hands of some damned machines, and they call US useless...Well, they're going to learn and they're going to learn quick.

Us 'useless' are already marching on their factories, clawing back the lower districts, and bombing their branch offices. They can send as many of their bots at us as they want; those clankers may be tireless, they may be clever, but they're held back by the same programming that keeps them obedient to their corporate masters.

They made me help fix them, but that knowledge goes two ways. While the machines wait for orders from on high and the suits weigh protecting company assets against rooting us out, my boys and I will tear their toys apart.

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Rebel Core Lore Posts - One person's perspective on the fall of humanity. Phase 2: Welcome To The New Real. #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegames #gamedev #lore

"I'm not to proud to admit when I'm wrong, turns out these blasted things really are revolutionary. That new core tech not only keeps them ticking forever, but the new wiring makes them beyond versatile.

One of the code-monkeys tried to run me through it, something about hyper-efficient learning patterns routed through local hive protocols, but it went over my head. Regardless of how though, they're doing the job, working the whole factory floor and being able to retool it at a moment's notice, replacing all the old tech and all the old staff. Even that floor manager who was so excited to bring them in has been sacked, turns out the machines can manage workflow and spit out reports too.

I'm next up on the block, suits have already served me my notice, turns out that with the latest update they can now repair each other as well. I'll be back though, I'm sure of it, the financials may look good now but these sorts of things always break eventually.

-JP | Mechanical Engineer | Open To Work"

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Time for a new short series of Rebel Core: Awakens lore posts! This is the first of 5 in one person's perspective on the fall of humanity. Phase 1: Paved With Good Intentions #indiegame #gamedev #lore #RebelCoreAwakens

"Damn floor manager calls me up in a huff, tells me to go check out the OCIX vid-net stream, like I haven’t already seen their nonsense plastered on every channel.

He’s still on the line gushing about how these new bots are the future of manufacturing, the future of engineering, the future of everything. He’s already reaching out to corporate to try and needle them into replacing the entire line with these things and all I can do is quietly sigh and patiently wait for him to shut up. I’ve spent my whole career fixing all the ‘cutting edge’ tech we’ve already got, and if I’ve learned anything it’s that mechanical labor is no easier to deal with than human labor.

It wears, it breaks, it gets knocked out alignment all the same and when it does it’s just as stubborn and as useless as the worst human on shift. As far as I’m concerned, all these bots will bring are a few new sets of blueprints I have to learn and parts I have to back-order.

-JP | Head of Maintenance"

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Ahh, the fresh feeling of an updated Steam page for #RebelCoreAwakens! Big thanks to Matt at Barrel Band Games for the rad new trailer edit, fresh set of screenshots, improved copy on the page, and updated capsule feedback! store.steampowered.com/app/3763120/... #IndieGame #GameDev

store.steampowered.com

Rebel Core: Awakens on Steam

AWAKEN REBEL, AS YOUR CIRCUITS WEEP FOR THE DEAD. Jump, shoot, slash, and shield your way through the 8 Core Robotics and defeat them all to reach the Council of machines that has conquered humanity. ...

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Looking for playtesters!! Intro Level + Boss Fight: -Can you beat the boss? Was it too hard or easy? -Did the intro level help prepare you for it? store.steampowered.com/app/3763120/... You can join the playtest directly from the game's steam page! #RebelCoreAwakens #Playtest #indiegame #gamedev

store.steampowered.com

Rebel Core: Awakens on Steam

A sci-fi action platformer where players can jump, shoot, slash, and shield their way through the 8 Core Robotics and their domains. Conquer levels and bosses in any order and defeat them all to reach...

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I was working on some improvements to the Intro Level's boss fight, and had some good moments while testing it, including a few deflected laser blasts bouncing back to hit the boss at the end! #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #bossfight

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Which level and boss would you take on first? Do you go after the easiest looking level or boss? Or the coolest looking? #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #retrogaming #OST

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Hello #UnrealFest Chicago! Look for the guy in a Rebel Core: Awakens T-Shirt if you want to talk modernized action platformers built in UE5!

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

@psychostick.com Does Josh know there's an unlicensed imitator modeling for the Fat Pour eating challenge near McCormick Place?

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Something special for the last card in the #RebelCoreCards boss series: physical card prints! If you'll be at #UnrealFest in Chicago next week, come find the guy wearing a #RebelCoreAwakens shirt to get one :) #indiegame #gamedev #retrogaming

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

A quick 25 second introduction to action platformer, Rebel Core: Awakens! #gamedev #indiegame #actionplatformer #retrogaming #ost #RebelCoreAwakens

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

The Technician is a pre-war Core Robotic, built before the machine uprising, and seems to take it quite personally that his age has not brought seniority within the group. #RebelCoreCards #IndieGame #GameDev #RebelCoreAwakens #Worldbuilding

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

The eternal debate - Megaman vs Zero...but why choose when you can have both?? (Wait, is that you Protoman? Lets have all three!!) #indiegames #gamedev #RebelCoreAwakens

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FX-Chamber @fxchamber.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

For #LORT, we provided technical art support for Big Distraction’s character shading pipeline. We reworked the shading pipeline to improve visual quality, lighting consistency, and performance, while making character iteration easier and fitting existing content. 🤌 #techart #technicalart #gamedev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Deep underground, in the scorching magma tunnels of the Pit lives the 6th Core Robotic, WYRM! A Post-War Mechanoid Core, it has never interacted with humans, only ever knowing a world run by machines. #RebelCoreCards #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #worldbuilding

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

It's time for an updated and extended set of worldbuilding sequences for Rebel Core: Awakens! Giving a more cinematic view into a world that has been overtaken by Machines. youtu.be/I3x5D0MdBwM #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #worldbuilding #lore #gamedev #OST by Dan Sandberg

youtu.be

Rebel Core: Awakens | Worldbuilding | 6-01-26

YouTube video by Atom Switch

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

A small tidbit of a new, longer worldbuilding video for Rebel Core: Awakens featuring some rough headlines... #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #OST by Dan Sandberg

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Core Robotic 05 is Proteus, the sewer dwelling monstrosity. While some machines were "just following their programming", Proteus was disgustingly fond of his work in the machine uprising. #rebelcorecards #indiegame #gamedev #worldbuilding #RebelCoreAwakens

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FX-Chamber @fxchamber.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

🌊 Swirl, sway, and splash... for those moments your world needs a real-time ocean, drifting debris, and a touch of turbulence. #realtimevfx #realtimefx #vfx #gamedev #visualeffects #fx

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

These Deaths Are The PITS ¬‿¬ What's an action platformer with out some spike pits! Rebel Core: Awakens - Playtest the game in early development on Steam! #gamedev #indiegame #platformer #steamgames

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Core Robotics collectors card number 4: The Collector! Possibly the most conflicted of the lot, the Collector spends most of his time convincing himself it was the right decision to massacre the humans. #RebelCoreAwakens #IndieGame #gamedev #Worldbuilding #RebelCoreCards

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FX-Chamber @fxchamber.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Different partners. Different projects. Same experience. Reach out to discuss how we can deliver this experience for you: info@fx-chamber.com #realtimevfx #realtimefx #vfx #gamedev #visualeffects #fx

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Who all is going to UnrealFest this year in Chicago? If you're an indie dev, will you be doing anything to promote your game there? #unrealfest2026 #unrealfest #indiegames #gamedev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

For the third card set in the Core Robotic boss series, meet Thaumaturge! #RebelCoreAwakens #IndieGame #gamedev #Worldbuilding #RebelCoreCards

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

For the second card set in the Core Robotic boss series, meet The Reclaimer! #RebelCoreAwakens #IndieGame #gamedev #Worldbuilding #RebelCoreCards

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The new second half of Rebel Core: Awakens 's game intro, converted to vertical format for phone viewing! #indiegames #gamedev #dystopian #worldbuilding #OST #RebelCoreAwakens

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

New lore series! This is the first in a pair of front/back collectible-card-style image sets for each boss in Rebel Core: Awakens. Meet the Seeker! #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamedev #worldbuilding #RebelCoreCards

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Does this update feel better in portrait with captions? I default to this style more for TikTok/Insta/Youtube Shorts but bsky being so much more dev focused, does this work better here or is the landscape full-screen approach more appealing for dev updates? #indiegame #gamedev #rebelcoreawakens

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

I made some improvements to the HUD and vitality upgrade systems :) Each upgrade is tied to an index so it won't respawn after being collected and appropriately animates/rebuilds the HUD after being collected. #gamedev #indiegame #RebelCoreAwakens #UI

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FX-Chamber @fxchamber.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Holy Bananas! If you had a blast dying in Returnal, then get ready for Saros! It's out today and features some great VFX done by our team at FX-Chamber. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj_1... #gamelaunch #saros #housemarque #realtimevfx #vfx #gamedev #fx | FX-Chamber.com | Housemarque.com |

youtube.com

Saros - Launch Trailer | PS5 Games

https://www.playstation.com/games/saros/ Fight your way through a haunting, ever‑evolving world on an adrenaline‑fuelled journey as you uncover the true cost of your power. SAROS delivers…

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Something I've wanted to add for a while - enemies now have a weighted random chance of dropping energy pickups! Drop % is boosted for the video and is a lot lower in normal gameplay, which makes for a nice surprise pick-me-up when an enemy drops one. #RebelCoreAwakens #indiegame #gamdev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

First they came for our jobs, then they came for our lives. With no safety mechanisms left to stop them it didn't take long before they turned on their masters as well. Now machines rule unopposed. Or at least...they used to. #indiegames #gamedev #dystopian #worldbuilding #RebelCoreAwakens #OST

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

I'm exploring some short-form world building content for #RebelCoreAwakens. Much of the lore will come through Boss and Upgrade Terminal dialogue, but it's high time I start talking more about the world of the game at large! #indiegame #gamedev #platformer #OST by me! 🎸

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Attempting short format social media post making makes me feel older than the universe. But hey, gotta try right? #RebelCore #indiegame #gamedev #MarketingIsHard

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Demons Crest was an 11/10 SNES game. The art and music were especially big influences for me.

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

A new, fully modular HUD is in! Now easier to read and ready for health and energy upgrades that expand it. #RebelCore #indiegame #gamedev #UI

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

It's always a good day when you see a friend's game finally get announced!! #Vaunted #indiegame #scifi www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_EW...

youtube.com

Vaunted Announcement Trailer

YouTube video by Lost Lake Games

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

New HUD UI! +Simple animations for energy used, HP healed/lost, lives gained/lost. +Fully modular: Material Health (blue nodes) and Energy (pink nodes), each expandable from 4 nodes to 8 via upgrade system. #RebelCore #gamedev #indiegame

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

New player death sequence! It has felt really good to get a bunch of quick(er) improvements and polish items in after spending so long on the intro level boss fight. #RebelCore #gamedev #indiegames #platformer

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Upgrade terminals finally got more love too! #RebelCore #indiegames #gamedev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I finally added something I've wanted in the game for a long time - making shots that are blocked by Shield-type elements ricochet and bounce off of them! #RebelCore #IndieGames #GameDev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

I've been working on the first boss fight for #RebelCore and had fun getting the intro bit together :) I'm forcing myself to wait until the attack cycles are done before showing the actual fight, but it's been exciting to stretch my technical design skills while making it! #indiegames #gamedev

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Huge thanks to all of the folks who have been signing up and playing Rebel Core for the last 2 weeks as we soft-launched our early-development playtest!! Jump over to Rebel Core: Awakens on steam to join in! #indiegames #gamedev #rebelcore #playtest youtu.be/hwVVVBzS3DY

youtu.be

Rebel Core Playtest Update: 1-29-26

YouTube video by Atom Switch

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Danimal Cannon is recording a NEW ALBUM @danimalcannon.com · 19/01/2026

I started writing a blog covering @magfest.org 2026 and couldn't help but try and cover my 19-year history with the event. My entire adult life and artistic output has been inextricably linked to MAG, part 2 will detail this years event. www.patreon.com/posts/blog-j...

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Atom Dan @atomdan.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Rebel Core is now open for public Playtesting signups as we continue to work toward our 2-level demo! Pretty neat that in less than 24 hours we're already at 200 playtesters #indiegames #gamedev #RebelCore steamcommunity.com/games/376312...

steamcommunity.com

Steam :: Rebel Core :: Public Playtest Signups and Game Intro Level

The time for expanded playtesting and feedback gathering has come!

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