iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 01/09/2026

I think I'll disappear from social media for a bit, maybe until I have something meaningful to show/share. Feel free to message or @ me, though I get that people don't really have a reason to. Take care.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 01/07/2026

I'm getting really sick of people deciding to make everything worse

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 25/05/2026

Seemingly sacrificing the ability to emote for marginal improvement at Gradius

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 09/04/2026

@play.date Sorry, but just in case there's a widespread issue, my Playdate just pulled an update (3.0.5, I think) from the server, tried to update (from the latest firmware) and failed into Error e2. Just retrying after going into Recovery Mode, but all seemed fine while recovering.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 06/03/2026

Getting pretty worn-down by seeing whether I feel the same way in the morning and the answer being "yes."

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 18/02/2026

It's feeling like I'm watching my life through a window

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 18/12/2025

I always appreciate a new People Make Games video. I hate that, in a world in which overt villains have enormous sway over so many lives, speaking-out for human rights is treated like fringe activism (or even terrorism). Solidarity with and as people is worth supporting. youtu.be/Ybj10537yi4?...

youtu.be

Why We're Boycotting Xbox (and Maybe You Should Too)

YouTube video by People Make Games

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 15/12/2025

It's been nice to return to ZeroRanger. Just such a fun game. I still have a long way to go, but it's felt really good to improve at it (especially while pushing myself and playing aggressively). I've really needed these shots of satisfaction lately - thanks, @system-erasure.bsky.social

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 30/11/2025

I've been playing some of the original R-Type (I'm still quite bad at it, but improving), and it's so cool that they were able to get such variety out of applying the Force mechanics to different scenarios. Shmup/STG stage variety is often great, but they squeezed so much out of that Force in 1987.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 29/09/2025

It's crazy that the government is legitimising the rising xenophobic rhetoric by acting as though it's good to be a bit less bigoted than another party. It'd be great if the country could celebrate and strengthen its care, diversity and cultural density. www.refugee-action.org.uk/government-m...

refugee-action.org.uk

Government must end scapegoating of migrants, 103 charities warn - Refugee Action

Some of the UK’s biggest charities have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to express deep concern at the government’s direction on immigration and urged...

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 22/09/2025

Topical: Finally started reading my copy of Maus yesterday. More than a bit worried that Maus isn't going to stop being topical...

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 13/09/2025

Such a turnout for a fascist rally... I don't know what happened to caring about people. In a country with the means to love, so many seem to find national pride in their levels of hatred. I need to get out of here...

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 06/09/2025

Ninja Gaiden II was a very cool game Ow, my heart

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 27/08/2025

I think people need to be careful about sharing the details for this ChatGPT case. It's abhorrent, and OpenAI deserve legal punishment, but a lot of the shared info is detailing suicide methods (repeating ChatGPT's words). I can say that suicidal people really don't need to be seeing this stuff.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 23/08/2025

After stopping reading Eurogamer because of their AI puff piece, I started getting news from GamesIndustry·biz. It really didn't take long for their editors to persuade me to stop reading. It'd be great if outlets for games journalism could respect the actual craft of making the things.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 18/08/2025

@gibiz.bsky.social Sorry, but in the published article about the AI usage survey, it feels misleading to not point out the massive conflict of interest therein. The article says that the research is presented by Google Cloud, who themselves offer ML services and have a reason to promote such usage.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 09/08/2025

@mekaskull.bsky.social I finally got around to playing through my copy of Cyber Shadow, and that game's just really good. Thanks a ton for making it.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 01/08/2025

Ah, annoyingly another year of definitely not being able to finish a game jam project in time, but I'll see about getting it finished soon, regardless. Missed a day from illness, and couldn't make up for that well enough today... Hey ho, I guess.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 26/06/2025

Well, time to stop reading Eurogamer, I guess. "But, like it or not, gen AI is becoming an invaluable tool for developers." Nah. Giving any credibility to the lizardry in that article reflects a lack of respect for actual creativity and craft.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 23/06/2025

Thinking aloud, I suppose I'll just have to not post anything more on here unless I make anything of actual substance to share. Maybe my brain's incompatible with social media, because just putting thoughts and experiences out into the void ends up reinforcing the feeling that I don't matter.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 23/06/2025

So much of what’s happening right now is just so abhorrent. I’m thankful that people with audiences are speaking up against the injustices. I’m also thankful that I still have countless treasures left to play, let alone discover. I just beat Game Boy Donkey Kong, and it’s just so great.

A PAL Game Boy cartridge of Donkey Kong.

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 12/05/2025

As well as being so clearly disgusting, I continue to find this rising xenophobic rhetoric in the country baffling. Our identity is the result of millennia of people deciding to sail over. I also don't get demonising people who actively choose to live here rather than happening to spawn here...?

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 03/04/2025

@hunty.biz I’ve been playing some Zero Zero (having never played 電車でGO!), and while I need to practice so much more, the game just feels so high quality (like it was a ton of work) Thanks a bunch for making it (and good job) – I’m not a train guy, but it’s super interesting :^)

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 02/04/2025

Thank you, Nintendo, for injecting me with some life force :^) (Big grins watching that Direct – now, to seek money…)

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 03/01/2025

Well, I’ve fixed some of the borked parts, but may have to spend the rest of the evening fixing more… Menus are still inactive on mobile, which is very fun…

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 03/01/2025

I finally updated my site (crowence.com) with newer work and descriptions. It still needs tweaks, especially to better support mobile, and I intend on redoing some of the visual identity soon Also, I’ll be posting thoughts on games to crowence.com/game-thoughts/, which already has six posts :^)

crowence.com

Crowence

Dean Rands | Game Designer & Developer

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 23/11/2024

How can there be hatred in the world when we have Kirby Super Star?

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Dean Rands | Crowence @crowence.com · 06/11/2024

I don’t think I have the energy to post miscellaneous game over screens this morning. I know I’m just contributing to a storm of defeatism, but I’m so tired of people willingly choosing a world driven by hate, malice and division. I’m long fed-up of all of it.

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