iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 28/09/2026

Quiddo has officially launched! It was a soft launch, but I've been getting a steady stream of trial users joining and even had a subscription or two! I'm going to do a Product Hunt launch on Wednesday to try and get some more eyes on it which should be exciting 🤩 quiddo.com.au

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 22/02/2026

Drop a crush from your youth

Penny from the original Inspector Gadget animated series, holding her computer book.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 02/02/2026

I'm impressed with the way my 12yo figured out how to send me a message from school on his new laptop 😂

A screenshot of an email from a kids monitoring app reporting a Google search alert for "I'm being bullied (but actually Dad can you please unblock Krita and Spotify pls)"

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 11/01/2026

I'm trying to decide if I should re-do our key art on Steam before the Detective Fest that starts in a couple of days. The original seemed a bit unfocused so trying for something more eye-catching. I'd love some feedback! Worth changing to the new one, or just keep the current? #solodev #gamedev

Our current Steam capsule: a desk showing a bottle of whiskey, a cigarette in an ashtray, a VR headset and a classic noir detective's Trilby hat. It is entirely black and white except a small coloured glow from the headset and the cigarette. "The Grant Grover Anthology" is written above everything.

Our potential new Steam capsule. A detective Trilby had and VR headset floating as if on an unseen person, looking at a computer screen that we see from behind. A keyboard and whiskey bottle are visible. Behind is a slightly foggy view of venetian blinds in a classic noir style. Everything is black and white except for some orange glow coming from the computer monitor. "The Grant Grover Anthology" is written to the left in the negative space left by the dark corner and monitor.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 09/12/2025

We're essentially releasing The Grant Grover Anthology on the shareware model: one full episode for free, two more if you buy. Couldn't resist this little homage to DooM, though we probably won't use it as it doesn't really fit the tone of the game 🤓 #gamedev #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 06/12/2025

Where do you keep your spares of these little doohickeys? Maybe I keep them in the same place and just forgot?

A close up of one of those little metal pegs to keep shelves up in IKEA furniture

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 18/11/2025

It's still going to need some tweaking (lighting and texturing on the cinema in particular), but I'm enjoying building out this launcher for The Grant Grover Anthology. #gamedev #indiedev #godot

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 15/11/2025

Continuing with the lighting pass on all the scenes in The Echo Runs Deep. This scene has a few different angles which added some additional challenges, but I think it's actually come out the best so far! #gamedev #indiedev #godot s.team/a/4144960

A screenshot of a scene in a small marketplace. There are two characters standing outside.

A screenshot of a scene in a small marketplace. There are two characters standing outside. In comparison to the other screenshot, there is hazy lighting and a sign above the shop reading "Arlo's".

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 13/11/2025

Working on the lighting and camera for the next scene. This one is a simpler scene, but was maybe harder to light in a way that fits the noir atmosphere. #gamedev #indiedev #godot

Video game screenshot, black and white. A view through a window into an office, a private detective facing away from us at his desk. A bottle on the desk, and a door in the background. Simple lighting.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 12/11/2025

Starting a lighting pass on The Echo Runs Deep, which will be the case we include in our demo. I feel like I've made a good improvement to this scene? Always hard to tell when I've been looking at it for this long. #gamedev #indiedev #godot

A private detective and a psychologist are sitting facing each other, with a harsh sun shadow coming in from the right. They are in her office, books in the background. This screenshot is from the jam version of the game, with lower quality lighting.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 08/11/2025

I think our jam game Lan Party '97 from last year's AdvXJam must have hit a popular page on Itch this week, we got a huge spike in plays and visits!

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 31/10/2025

Ours came out pretty well in the end, after lots of hot glue burns!

A 12 year old in a homemade Knight costume from the game Hollow Knight.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 21/09/2025

This feels like a misunderstanding... 😂

A notification that the user "in politics.news" liked my post declaring that the Judge was defeated, referring to the game Silksong.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 07/09/2025

A couple of the very kind reviews we've received for our #brackeys jam game The Echo Runs Deep 🕵️🫆🙏 bslinger.itch.io/the-echo-run... #gamedev #gamejam #indiedev

A review from itch.io by Rafael Di Carlo on the game The Echo Runs Deep. The review reads: "Damn!!! I didn't expect this at all. One of the best and most innovatives games in this jam. Congrats! Everything is really great."

A review from itch.io by HusseinYouri on the game The Echo Runs Deep. The review reads: "What an absolute cinema experience! The way you introduced “The Biscuit” was super creative and really incredible. The story kept me engaged the whole time, always wanting to know what’s coming next (that girl nobil or something can't remember her name getting clapped tho 😂). You guys did such a great job with this one, and I loved the little details, like clicking to restore memories—which added a nice touch.

This could easily turn into a fantastic full game if you added some gameplay elements, like letting the player actually visit places and investigate scenes themselves. Full stars from me! ❤️"

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 26/08/2025

Finished the 1st rough draft for the game I'm working on for the @brackeys.com jam with @trevhscott.bsky.social - and we have a name! The game is called The Echo Runs Deep, and is a noir visual novel set in Neo Naarm. Not a lot to show visually yet, but here's the first scene: #gamedev #gamejam

A black and white scene of a therapist's office in low poly style. There is a man in a hat sitting facing away from the camera in one chair, and an empty chair in front of him (character isn't done yet)

The right third of the screen is the dialogue area, and shows one line of descriptive dialogue: "The therapist's office was tidy, and was refreshingly free of the metallic scents of technology I was so used to smelling."

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 21/08/2025

My kids were home sick today and I discovered this great environmental storytelling on our driveway. If it turns out to be a zombie virus the survivors will know what happened here.

A photo of a driveway with "I Am Sick" written on it with chalk

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 19/08/2025

Working on a collaborative puzzle box idea - having fun playing with physics and shaders I'm Godot for this little intro scene. Glitches galore that I will eventually have to fix, but I'm happy with where it's going! #gamedev #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 06/08/2025

I realized I'd overscoped so I'm paring down the colour palette and gameplay complexity of my game. I'm going to keep it as a straightforward arcade experience and remove the upgrade and building elements. There will still be powerups though, like this sauce cannon! #gamedev #indiedev #saucecannon

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 30/07/2025

Added a background, I'm not sure my main elements quite pop enough now though, what do you think? #badatart #gamedev #indiedev #solodev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 29/07/2025

Steering behaviours are working well enough that I could move on to some other things. Added today: - XP pickups - new weapon (Farfalle/Bowtie launcher) - explosions! (better effects TBD) #gamedev #indiedev #solodev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 22/07/2025

Adding some juice to the game - I may need to tweak these sauce explosions a little. 🍕💥 #gamedev #indiedev #solodev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 07/07/2025

Family trip to the old fashioned Sims factory

The front of an old fashioned building with a sign reading "W.Proctor Wheelwright and Coach Manufactory"

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 02/07/2025

Latest progress on this goofy Pasta vs Pizza shooter: Recruit additional chefs Penne Turrets! Improved enemy AI (still some work to do there) Added XP (doesn't do anything yet) I have nearly all the main elements in place now, then I'll start balancing and working on art 😎 #gamedev #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 30/06/2025

My son gave me the idea of making the turret barrels a piece of penne pasta, so here's the beginning of that 😁 It may be hard to see, I'm still working out the best sizes, but it's embedded in a nice spaghetti bolognese 🍝 #gamedev #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 30/06/2025

I've started work on a very silly arcade shooter - as a pasta-based alien society, you are fending off the attacks of the pizza invaders. Still very early days of course! I'm planning some light base building mechanics and potentially storylets for some narrative too. #gamedev #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 17/05/2025

Here's the zombie rising animation on its own, I'm most proud of this one!

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 17/05/2025

I've been working on my pixel art and animation for Pixel Game Jam, and I'm quite proud of how this has come out so far! Need to polish up the zombie walk cycle and add some idle and backstepping animations on the main character next, and then add some shooting and reactions. #gamejam #gamedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 07/05/2025

Building out the start of a level and working on the bullet slowing areas - this is the most shader work I've ever done, it's fun once you get the hang of it 😁 Anybody know how I would feather the edges of an arbitrary polygon though? Shader is good except for the sharp edges 😑 #gamejam #gamedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 07/05/2025

@dropout.tv , I expect this is a Ticketmaster issue but the artist pre-sale for the 2026 Melbourne show just started but is showing no tickets - not that they're sold out, but as if it hasn't been set up properly. cc @ticketmaster.com

A screenshot from ticketmaster.com.au showing the ticket buying screen for Dropout's show on July 30th 2026 at the Palais in St Kilda. No seats or tickets are showing up.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 05/05/2025

This is starting to feel like a real game! My 11yo son did the sprites which I think are fantastic - once I add some juice and get the bullet slowing mechanic in there I can start building out a level proper. #gamejam #gamedev #bullethell

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 04/05/2025

Added some temporary assets from Kenney's asset packs, and started playing around with a gimmick that slows bullets in particular areas. I think it'll work well once I tweak the enemy bullet patterns and start visualizing the effect! #gamejam #gamedev #bullethell

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 02/05/2025

Starting a new jam! Unfortunately we lost momentum on Mystery Jam and didn't finish, but I've got a good idea for Bullet Jam which should be fun to try out. Got some basic bullet pooling and collisions happening, will add some basic enemies next and try out my gimmick! #gamedev #gamejam

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 15/04/2025

The joys of game dev - where it's easier to just try each axis rather than actually think for a second and figure it out 🫣 #gamedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 15/04/2025

Umm... hopefully third time is a charm 🥲

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 15/04/2025

That's how cards work, right?

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 24/02/2025

I made a trailer for Open and Shut! Fairly simple but hopefully shows enough of the vibe to get some more people interested. bslinger.itch.io/open-and-shut

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 07/02/2025

Making good progress on our noir game for CYBRPUNK jam - @trevhscott.bsky.social has been doing great environment and title work while I hook up game logic and write dialogue. Excited to get this in front of people! #gamedev #gamejam #indiedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 06/02/2025

I bought this last time it was on sale, it is fantastic having such a varied font library when doing game jams - just today I loaded them all into a font browser to find a good noir-esque font for the game we're working on! (Ended up going with Hangar 9 and Projectionist)

A work in progress title screen for an upcoming jam game called Open and Shut. It is a greyscale noir style.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 03/02/2025

This is coming along nicely, this will be the 3rd jam game we've made containing a Control node based UI so I'm getting the hang of it

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 30/01/2025

I'm trying to get better at puzzle design by analyzing shorter point and click adventure games. Starting with Telwynium Book 1 by @dave.powerhoof.com , which is wonderfully crafted - here are my initial notes, then a more organized puzzle dependency tree. I've learned a lot already!

A photo of a notebook showing a criss-crossing puzzle dependency tree for Telwynium Book 1.

The continuation of a notebook showing a criss-crossing puzzle dependency tree for Telwynium Book 1.

A more organized puzzle dependency tree made in Godot, zoomed out to where you can't read the nodes but can see the extent of the whole tree.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 11/01/2025

One week into CYBRPUNK jam and we have a puzzle complete version of the game and 1 of 2 screens in pretty good shape! I've been giggling away at how this particular image, I'm still early in my artistic journey but I love how it's come together (TW: gore) #gamejam #gamedev

TW: gore - a pixel art I agree of a wall made from skin with part of it peeled back to show a mass of organs.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 29/12/2024

Simplified the rules a little to ensure platforms will always attach to the wall, and added a brace tile as an experiment. I just love watching these generate 😁 I think the next step will be to start with a collapsed map with just the wall and blank tiles, and re-generate certain sections.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 28/12/2024

Finally got some time to work on this WFC experiment - I now have a list of constraints that can be checked against the whole grid to decide if a certain tile can be placed in a cell. So far it means the ground and left wall can only extend in a little, and there can only be one ladder per row.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 22/12/2024

Here's the Waveform Collapse algorithm I was working on the other night, finally working as expected! This is just the Simple Tiling method with no tile weights currently, I want to play around with some more complicated constraints to see if I can have it generate a nice looking scene. #gamedev

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 05/12/2024

No surprises here, our house had been EPIC the Musical central all year ⚔️🌊🔱

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 25/11/2024

Actual gameplay! @trevhscott.bsky.social has been working hard on the systems here to allow for Golden Idol style puzzle solving in our #AdvXJam game, and they're working well. I'm nearly done with all the backgrounds and have started getting all the clues in place. Fun! #gamejam #gamedev #indiedev

A screenshot of a game interface showing a number of slots for words to be dragged into to solve specific puzzles.

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Ben Slinger @ben.slinger.com.au · 22/11/2024

I still see problems with it but I need to move on if we're going to get this game done. I must say, I really enjoyed the colouring process once I got into it! #AdvXJam2024 #gamedev #gamejam

A background from an in-progress game jam game showing a LAN party in a basement, set in the 90s.

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