iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

We don't have a single crown coin left to share with the artist, but that's okay: I am the artist. Now imagine the coder. Actually, I have no clue what he's doing. But I know he's doing great! The game hasn't exploded yet. Or turned into a frog. 🐸

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At this very hour, We're working on the creative decisions and those pretty cool little things that make the game look good: the small details. And some... other stuff. (...) #danmafra #dmpac #gamedev #indiegame #indiegamedev #pixelart #steam #unity3d

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Hi. I'll take a look. Thanks!

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It's important to get everything right. Even though the game itself isn't exactly right in the head... Looking for a slice of cheese. Hope I find a good one for him. Or them. News soon. More stuff later today. #danmafra #dmpac #gamedev #indiegames #asliceofcheese #gamedevsbr #steam

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Yesterday I reviewed a lot of environment art. Tiles and sprites. Colors weren't right, shapes could be polished, motion wasn't cool enough. Some ideas in a notebook. Good ol' pencil on paper. (...)

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Another hard-working day. Pixels everywhere. Code there. Sounds... there. Writing... done with pleasure. Capsules, art direction, a new game to be released soon. (...)

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Indie game folks, I need some recommendations! 👀 We’ve got a new pixel art game coming soon, with a demo planned for this week. Looking for creators, curators, streamers, YouTubers & indie press. Who should I reach out to? 🧀 #indiegames #gamedev #steam #danmafra #dmpac #pixelart #indie

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#DemoMonday 👀 We've been quietly working on a game. I should finally show a bit this week. Maybe more next Monday. Pixels everywhere! 👀 Whimsical code, fancy sounds, and a char who just wanted a slice of cheese. 🧀 A cool mess. ✨ #indiegame #gamedev #danmafra #dmpac #pixelart #gamedevbr

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It may sound complicated, but actually... it’s just work. It’s about the details. And making the details work. News soon. Very soon. Really, soon. #pixelart #gamedev #indiegame #indiegamedev #dmpac #danmafra #trueindie

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It goes beyond pixel art, art direction, or simply making things look good. It’s about structure, consistency, and making sure every part supports the core idea. (...) #pixelart #gamedev #indiegame #indiegamedev #dmpac #danmafra #trueindie

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Tough Sunday. Bright Monday ahead. We keep working on the game production, mostly UI/UX and polishing. (...) #pixelart #gamedev #indiegame #indiegamedev #dmpac #danmafra #trueindie

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Pixel art e design para uma intro screen. Ainda longe de alguma perfeição. Um resultado ok. Mas o que é ok quando se sabe que se pode melhorar? A pixel art é um oficio alquímico. A gente se transforma com o processo. Em seguida Steam capsules. A noite será longa ainda. E feliz. #pixelart #indie

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Temple of the Dog. Say Hello 2 Heaven. Good song. Great lyrics. Brazilian politics, or any politics? Not interested. My heart and mind are in pixel art and games. The rest is all the same. And all the rest. #danmafra #pixelart #pixelartist #indiegamedev #gamedev #trueindie #brazil #brasil

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Early morning. Another pixel art round. Prayer (it's Sunday). Good cheese, good French bread, black coffee. And lots of pixel art. A long day of pixel art for the game. The Game. Some gags and terrible jokes. Coffee-powered jokes. Indeed. #danmafra #dmpac #indiegame #gamedev #steam #pixelart

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Você está emotivo. Estude, pratique, aprenda, repita. Uma melhoria por vez, um aprendizado conquistado por vez. Logo você chegará em algum lugar. E aí, verá que terá outra escada para subir. Esse é o caminho do artista ou criativo em games.

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Late Saturday night. The work goes on. I love pixel art and design, especially when they meet in UI. Looking at the game’s UI, I wonder: does this reflect what I want, or what people expect? Risk and authorship versus safety and predictability. #gamedev #indiegame #dmpac #danmafra #pixelart #UI

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When making a game, as a pixel artist, polish matters a lot. Care for the art and little details is crucial. A lot still slips past me. But you have to keep trying. Like chasing a chicken around the coop. Maybe you get an egg. Luck is luck. #danmafra #indiegamedev #gamedev #indiegames #gamedevbr

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If you ever need a pixel with experience on bitmap fonts, just send a DM. But It's actually nothing complicated to set fonts there. Doing the pixel arts is something else, though. Need practice and experience as any other pixel art work.

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I like how Godot deals with bitmap fonts. Easier and simpler than Unity, by my experience.

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Making a game is one of the coolest things you can do. It's also pretty complex. Like fishing at the edge of the abyss. Whatever that means. No. It actually means a lot. News next week. Maybe sooner. #gamedev #indiegames #gamedevbr #indiegamedev #dmpac #danmafra

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Olá, Devs. Para quem busca se manter atualizado na indústria de games recomendo o perfil do Andre Soldera. Ele faz uma ótima cobertura de notícias e análises do mercado, além de compartilhar conhecimentos práticos de gamedev. Confira: www.instagram.com/solderadev/ #GameDev #IndieDev #GamedevBR

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One thing aspiring and amateur pixel artists may not know: You’ll spend time reading, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts. That isn’t separate from the creative work. It’s part of being a professional. #pixelart #pixelartist #pixelartbusiness #artbusiness #gamedev #digitalart #danmafra

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Sort of. A 1-bit image is limited to two color values. Gray can be a temporary guide for areas that will later receive dithering, but it’s part of the workflow, not the final image. The dithering itself must use the same two colors. I might record a video about this process and share it on Bluesky.

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I was on Discord and spotted a guy using a character portrait I made for Astro Burn as his profile picture. He probably have no idea I created it. It’s wild to see your work out in the world like that. The game: store.steampowered.com/app/3810660/... #pixelart #pixelartist #astroburn #indiegame

store.steampowered.com

Save 20% on Astro Burn on Steam

Dodge everything. Destroy anything. Stack ridiculous firepower and unleash anime style Catnip powered chaos in this fast paced cute-em-up bullet hell. Play as Astro, a space cat with her robot compani...

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Yes, that’s always a risk with 1-bit art and dithering. I’ve seen it happen many times. When dithering is balanced with solid clusters, the result is usually more subtle. You’ll see when the game is released and I share the link here. :)

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It only spins at certain moments, but I can’t share any more details before the game is released.

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For more professional 1-bit pixel art, check out: www.behance.net/gallery/2091... You’ll find some great examples there, and throughout the rest of my portfolio, of course. #danmafra #pixelart #pixelartist #digitalart #indiegamedev #gamedev #indiegame

OCTOBIT 2024: 1-BIT COLLECTION - Dan Mafra

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At the moment, I’m working on a 1-bit, high-tech board game for a Playdate title. The board spins, creating a really nice animation effect. Pretty cool. Maybe I’ll share it here someday, after the game is released. #danmafra #pixelart #pixelartist #digitalart #indiegamedev #gamedev #indiegame

OCTOBIT 2024: 1-BIT COLLECTION - Dan Mafra

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If an artist is expected to prove that every pixel and stage of their work is original, that extra verification process should be treated as additional labor, and charged accordingly. Do you agree? How should artists handle this kind of request? #pixelart #pixelartist #indiegames #gamedev

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

They're pretty cool. Lot of the pixel art development continued on this device, while the focus was 3D on the other platforms.

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▫ I’m Dan Mafra, a Pixel Art Specialist. My portfolio is in my bio. ▫ How do you approach this in your own work? Tell me in the comments or send me a DM. ▪ #pixelart #pixelartist #danmafra #gamedev #indiegame #digitalart #pixels

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

#02 Today’s Pixel Thought ▫ Pixel Grid: The grid that defines the exact position of every pixel. It controls alignment, proportions, edges, and movement between frames. ▫ ▫ ▫

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

#01 Today’s Pixel Thought ▫ Pixel: The smallest visual unit of a raster image. Each pixel occupies a fixed position and contains a specific color value. ▫ ▫ ▫

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

🎮 🎨 What’s your favorite visual style in games? • Pixel art • 3D graphics • Painted 2D • Vector art Drop a comment below!

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

My **Soccer World Cup 2026** pixel art project is now complete! ⚽ A full panel featuring every national team in the tournament, with one player representing each country, created to celebrate the World Cup, football, and, of course, pixel art. ... #pixelart #worldcup2026 #fifa #soccer #football

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Me, the night, and budgets. Every calculation matters in pixel art. Every pixel matters, too. The night is long ...and full of numbers. 🌔 #pixelart #pixelartist #digitalart #digitalartist #artistlife #indiedev #pixels

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

It wasn’t published by the client, but I still really like how this one turned out: its technical, geometric style, unique texture, and vivid color palette. Lot of people have mentioned this piece to me over time, so It's cool to share it here. The projects's page: www.behance.net/gallery/1778...

Pixel Art Case: Nothing Without a Ship - Dan Mafra

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Dan Mafra @danmafra.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

I’ve recently been working on a new series of pixel art projects, and I’ll be organizing and sharing more of them here soon. For now, here’s a planet/moon illustration I created for Nothing More Than A Ship, a spaceship game with CRPG elements and 16-bit art. www.behance.net/gallery/1169...