iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by congusbongusgames

Hyperlink Your Heart @hyperlinkyourheart.mastodon.ie.ap.brid.gy · 19/10/2026

Got my #LudumDare entry done and submitted! The Amiga 12000 - a probably ill-advised starship from whoever owns the Amiga trademark these days... 😅 Not sure if the gameplay is any good at all, but I enjoyed making it look like the Amiga Workbench anyway […] [Original post on mastodon.ie]

Cover image for the game. There is an orange/red planet in the background with the star shining on the far side of it so most of it is in shadow. An Amiga-inspired spaceship is at the bottom, a cream wedge with several layers and lights like those on the Amiga 1200. Above that is the text "Amiga 12000".

Screenshot of the start of the game. The same ship and planet are present. At the top of the screen is an Amiga Workbench top bar. In the bottom left corner is a shell window running a program called "ami_ai.bin". It is reporting memory corruption, and then the AI is saying "Wha... Where am I?"

In-game screenshot showing the navigation window to the right of the shell window. There is a graphic of the ship and a starscape, with three especially bright stars labelled.

In-game screenshot showing the system information screen. It is a diagram of a star system basically, with the star on the left and planets and moons and an asteroid belt to the right of it.

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 17/10/2026

#CDogsSDL 2.5.0 has just been released! cxong.github.io/cdogs-sdl/release/2… While no major feature is part of this release, there is a huge list of enhancements and fixes, including correct #DOS pixel aspect ratio (finally), cool particle effects, and being […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 15/10/2026

Made an important change to osgameclones.com: an #AI tag. AI is becoming more common and that goes for #OpenSource game clones / remakes too. Whatever your opinion on it is, it’s obvious that whether a project uses it is important. So now projects […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

The first level of episode 2 is now playable in #OpenCrystalCaves! The game does not mess around - you start facing a giant unavoidable hammer and insta-kill poison mushrooms. Fortunately the solution is also in view (the stop sign). But the level is […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

Behind the scenes work continues with #CDogsSDL plus a minor, niche feature: name tags for other player characters! Yes did you know that you can play C-Dogs SDL locally with up to 3 friends (plus even more via LAN), but it can get confusing fast […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Notice how the background for episode 2 says “This game is NOT shareware”, but episode 1 says “This game is shareware”, despite the data file coming from a registered (GoG retail) version of the game. This is the kind of silly little detail that gets noticed (and usually fixed) while OCC is […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

More bug squashing in #OpenCrystalCaves, plus an episode chooser! Original #DOS #CrystalCaves came with 3 episodes but each one was its own .exe. OTOH Crystal Caves HD lets you pick the episode when starting a new game. For OCC we’ve replaced the […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 19/09/2026

#CDogsSDL has a character appearance shuffler, which is used to help players generate new characters. It was all over the place as the colours were completely random. Updated it so it used more consistent colours - basically trying to pick natural […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

Collage of a large number of random C-Dogs SDL characters, using the old completely random generator. The characters have all sorts of different models and colours, ranging from different faces, hats, hair, and very colourful clothes

Collage of a large number of random C-Dogs SDL characters, using the new slightly more consistent random generator. The characters are still quite colourful but the variety is slightly reduced, with mostly human characters and a range of skin tones - between black, pale and many shades of tan in between - as well as hair colours, which are mostly black/brown/grey/red but also a few high saturation anime hair colours

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 12/09/2026

In #OpenCrystalCaves news, bug squashing and starting to implement episode 2 of #CrystalCaves! As you can see in the level viewer slideshow, the episode 2 levels are at a high state of completion. The three episodes have a lot in common, with no new […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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Reposted by congusbongusgames

Eike @zet23t.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

I think I like that level. What do you think? #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

@catgoat I interviewed with resmed many years ago, one of the questions was “What programming language would you use if you had limited time to sanitise a bunch of logs before a surprise audit” haha fun question right

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

Working on backend stuff as well as fixing a bug where the characters weren't animating in the main menu live background. I love live backgrounds in games as it not only looks cool, it shows what the game is like for new players and is handy for […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

Today marks a special release of #OpenCrystalCaves: episode 1 is fully playable! congusbongus.itch.io/opencrystalcav… There are still many features missing and known bugs but they will be implemented over time, as we start looking into the registered episodes 2 & 3. Check out a […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 22/08/2026

Fixed a bug in #CDogsSDL with a funny history: muzzle flashes weren’t showing when the player is just in front of a door… Ages ago I added a feature that left bullet marks on walls and doors. Problem was the bullet marks would show if the doors opened […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 20/08/2026

New #blog post: I’ve marvelled at how games, especially #RTS games, use many techniques to present urgent info without burying the most important ones and overwhelming players with too many alerts. Screen edge indicators, 3D audio, even distance-based weapons audio - providing great context and […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

Implemented the endgame sequence for #OpenCrystalCaves (sorry, spoilers!) It’s simpler than the intro sequence but contains a nice gag image and outro text as a reward for the player. Soon the game’s first episode will be fully playable from start to […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 08/08/2026

Today I'm fixing a 2-decade lie - #CDogsSDL doesn’t look like C-Dogs… until now! Like many #DOS games, C-Dogs was designed with non-square pixel aspect ratios in mind. When displayed using square pixels, the little dudes in the game look like tubby gnomes, but really they are chads with beer […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 01/08/2026

Fully implemented the intro sequence in #OpenCrystalCaves. It involves 6 different movement states for the spaceship, pretty neat for a shareware #DOS game! #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #OpenSource #CrystalCaves #RetroGames

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 25/07/2026

Added a small and low impact fix to #CDogsSDL: bark interrupts Maybe you’re a #GameDev vet and know what that means, otherwise: “barks” are short voice clips characters say, like “huh?” when waking up or “aargh” when dying. If these don’t interrupt […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 18/07/2026

In the process of making the intro space level in #OpenCrystalCaves. The spaceship is in poor shape and has many unusual movement modes, all part of the gag #CrystalCaves #RetroGames #GameDev #OpenSource #ScreenshotSaturday #DOS

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Reposted by congusbongusgames

eSBe @sb2749.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

#pixelart color wheel: the sequel

pixel art color wheel thing with 11 colors.

clockwork-wise from red to brown:
red - Tenna (DELTARUNE)
orange - Samus (Metroid)
yellow - Chuck (Angry Birds)
green - Primid (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
cyan - Cyan/Oob (Horse Race Tests)
blue - Trucy Wright (Ace Attorney)
violet - Tape (Paper Mario: The Origami King)
pink - Galacta Knight (Kirby)
white - Jean Pierre Polnareff (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
black - Black Bomberman (Take a wild guess)
brown - Boney (Mother 3)

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026

New track drop just in time for #PortfolioDay! I’m a hobbyist #OpenSource #GameDev all-rounder who also makes #chiptune #music and #PixelArt animations - like this one! www.youtube.com/watch?v=afrVYWTr71E

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 27/06/2026

Added another silly feature to #CDogsSDL: hats can sometimes be shot off with a satisfying “tink” sound! #GameDev #OpenSource #ScreenshotSaturday

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

For the music video I put in more effort than usual and I think it paid off; I got to practice some different dithering techniques and so on. I slacked off on the star animation though and it shows haha! #PixelArt #TimeLapse

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 18/06/2026

New track drop www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWXL6vn2RbI This one's a bit different, calm and space-themed. I think it's the first time I didn't use any percussion, so it felt quite different to make #chiptune #music #RadTracker2 #tracker

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

Got sidetracked working on the intro/outro space levels of #CrystalCaves and implemented parallax backgrounds instead. It’s no Platform Masters but I think it looks neat! #OpenCrystalCaves #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #OpenSource #DOS #RetroGames

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 06/06/2026

Added input overlays to #CDogsSDL! Once upon a time, when C-Dogs was a DOS freeware game, you were expected to read a README to figure out what the controls are (and likely remap them before you play the game). These days it’s not good enough, and new […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 30/05/2026

Implemented E1L16 of #CrystalCaves, which means all 16 levels are playable in #OpenCrystalCaves! This level features windy pipes without big set pieces, making it visually unimpressive and easy to get lost in, but it’s a very fun level imo because the […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

More particle effects for #CDogsSDL: sparkles for the freeze effect! This is a more radical change: the old effect was “petrify” and it turned the character grey. Now it turns the character light blue with sparkles. Why? The freeze effect is more […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 21/05/2026

Wrote a #blog post about a game making philosophy I care deeply about. I love games that do more than just entertain, but enrich your life, by teaching interesting subjects, imparting wisdom, or inspiring with impactful stories. Games are uniquely good at this: understand complex systems via […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 16/05/2026

In #CrystalCaves, there are occasional signs with boomer memes like “Kilroy was here” or “Winners don’t use drugs”. If you’ve encountered these contemporaneously, it’s time to schedule a colonoscopy OTOH #OpenCrystalCaves’s “remaster” mode will show a […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

Screenshot from Crystal Caves, showing the player standing in front of a red sign saying “WINNERS DON’T USE DRUGS”, in a rocky cave with wooden beams.

Screenshot from OpenCrystalCaves, showing a metallic level with a red “A WINNER IS YOU” sign

Screenshot from OpenCrystalCaves, showing a metallic level with a red “LEEROY JENKINS” sign

Screenshot from OpenCrystalCaves, showing a rocky level with a large red “PRESS F TO PAY RESPECTS” sign

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 13/05/2026

@0xabad1dea agree with the message but I think it’s not (just) about the education system or literacy crisis, since given the mastodon demographic it’s unlikely to be that anyway. I notice it’s way more common on platforms that incentivise scanning and replying to things quickly, as I’ve done […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 09/05/2026

More eye-candy and also an important gameplay bug fixed for #CDogsSDL. Added flame particles, so anyone taking damage from a flame-type weapon visibly looks like they’re on fire! The bug fix is missing “squares” in randomly generated levels. This is a […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 05/05/2026

RE: mastodon.gamedev.place/@congusbongu… This easter egg is giving me jump scares while testing #CDogsSDL. I guess it's a special day today! #CincoDeMayo #GameDev

Screenshot of C-Dogs SDL game, showing a plain blue level with many red-shirt NPCs with sombreros. Other props and actors in the level include mechs, crates and steaming vents

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 02/05/2026

Added BONUS eggs in #OpenCrystalCaves! A classic easter egg in #CrystalCaves. Did you ever shoot these? If you did they seem to leave random letters that are worth 100 points, but the eggs alone are 1000 points. Smarter not to shoot them right? This […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 01/05/2026

For the music video I ended up making a bunch of catgirl emotes… very silly #PixelArt #TimeLapse #animation

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 25/04/2026

Added a poison bubble effect to #CDogsSDL Unusual for an action game, C-Dogs is full of status effects like poison, confusion and petrify. Adding some juice like this helps make it clearer that something unsettling is going on! #GameDev #ScreenshotSaturday #OpenSource #PixelArt

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 18/04/2026

Big progress with #OpenCrystalCaves: levels 13 and 14 are done, including the “low gravity” mechanic! Why the scare quotes? Because it doesn’t - as you might assume - make you jump higher, despite what the sign says. Instead it means when you fire it […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 14/04/2026

It's #PortfolioDay! I'm a hobbyist #OpenSource #gamedev all-rounder, I make games like #CDogsSDL and #OpenCrystalCaves I also make #chiptune #music, #PixelArt, sometimes at the same time www.youtube.com/@congusbongusgames If you like them I […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 11/04/2026

Making good progress getting to the sound data out of Wwise containers for Wolfstone 2D. It's a real nesting doll situation with data blobs located by headers inside containers inside more containers, phew! But also added some juice to #CDogsSDL, with […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 04/04/2026

New release for #OpenCrystalCaves! congusbongus.itch.io/opencrystalcav… We’ve completed levels 8-12, and implemented game save and continue. Also made a quality-of-life feature where the game […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

Screenshot of OpenCrystalCaves, showing a pixelated video game scene with the player standing in a night scene, with planets and stars in the background. Some button prompts are shown above the player, showing them which keys to press to move, jump and shoot

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2026

#TimeLapse #PixelArt animation made for the music video. Got to practice/learn some new techniques for this one, including using the curve tool for most of the picture (as opposed to pencil/brush which is usually the case for low res pixel art). My […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 31/03/2026

Made a #chiptune #EDM kind of track www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orVDgwdBZg This track was built around a simple minor chord loop and ended up with an unusual structure - most of the track is an extended bridge - and I got to try some new techniques, so it's a bit unusual for me. The chord […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026

The hard work in reverse engineering and extracting the Wolfstone data was already done by ECWolf et al so it wasn't too difficult, just porting and adapting the code from C++ to C for the most part. The technical details are pretty intense - the levels are kraken-encoded in IDCL containers, and […]

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congusbongusgames @congusbongus.mastodon.gamedev.place.ap.brid.gy · 28/03/2026

A tiny enhancement to #CDogsSDL - sprite variations. Notice how the plants in the screenshot are not quite identical? No? Oh well. I guess being unnoticeable is the point "( – ⌓ – ) But also, reached a milestone: we can extract the level data from […] [Original post on mastodon.gamedev.place]

Screenshot of a level in C-Dogs SDL showing various map objects like boxes and crates, including a group of potted plants, whose leaves are ever so slightly different on close inspection

Screenshot output of terminal output of a Wolf3D level extractor, showing the first 2&1/2 levels of episode 1 in coloured terminal boxes and ASCII characters. This is from Wolfstone but the levels are identical to Wolf3D

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