iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dennispr

Alan @wizardzone.net · 02/10/2026

Game design

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Reposted by Dennispr

ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

what did he know

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

But, the reason we remember this implementation fondly is because they made the choice coherent with other design decisions. This is in contrast to other games that just kinda had it... Like superman 64.

A picture of superman 64 which also had fog, but was poorly explained in the world/game so it was obvious it was a limitation and not intentional.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

Here's an example of method that doesn't use fog, but does the same thing. Instead of saying I'm not gonna draw that bc FOG, this method only ever renders things that you're going to be looking at.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

This is a stylistic excuse that basically boils down to, we know there is more to see... But, we're gonna pretend that there's fog (because people have dealt with fog and kinda get it). There are a lot of other cool ways to save computation on draw calls, but this was a readily available technique.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

Why have fog at all??? Games have to render what you see (every object, every texture) for each frame that you see. For most games, you want to do this at the speed of at least 60fps which means a lot of computation. But even at 30fps there may be too many things to render... so you fog it out.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

It's October 1st, and it's foggy outside, so here's your somewhat yearly reminder that Silent Hill's fog was a technical limitation. Even now, it's still one of the best examples of turning a hardware weakness into a game design strength. #gamedev #gamedesign #silenthill

A picture of an older silent hill game where we can see and example of the fog/render distance.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

I gotta admit. I felt this exact way when vampire survivors blew up. Since then I've come to appreciate how well they did the reward/feedback system, but at the time it felt like a lot of other stuff I saw.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

Access to feather fall is cool and all, but I thought D&D stopped doing race based attributes?

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 01/10/2026

I loved the art for the golgari guild gate. I feel like it really nailed the feel of the guild.

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Reposted by Dennispr

that one video game writer @deathmeetauthor.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

another day in the layoff industry

My bad Canva edit of a tweet about feeding game studios to shareholders

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 28/09/2026

But... To this day, apparently they still get into arguments with fans who say it's not true 3d. The guy seemed tired of fighting it.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 28/09/2026

They quickly found. Out that the Snes couldn't do what they wanted without additional hardware, so they added it to their cartridges (super fx chip).

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 28/09/2026

True story. The guy was from Argonaut software. They made a demo that had vector based 3d on the Gameboy And Miyamoto (maybe iwatta) said we want you working on the Snes.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 28/09/2026

Randomly thinking about meeting a lead dev on starfox attending his talk, and having the takeaway be: "No one appreciates the cool math we did because they only think about the furry pilots" #gamedev #gamedesign #starfox

A cute drawing of fox McCloud in an arwing.

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Reposted by Dennispr

Videogame Workshop @videogameworkshop.com · 28/09/2026

Happy Monday, y'all. Or youse guys if you prefer. New crossword puzzle made with the ridiculous headlines from the past 2 weeks! on this week's puzzle: "Wendy's releases new emo ____ with metalcore pop punk vocalists" #crossword #puzzle #gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames

videogameworkshop.com

HEADLINER

A crossword puzzle about ridiculous news in horrific times.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 26/09/2026

I remember this doing numbers back in the day.

A pie chart that looks like Pacman. The legend says the yellow part resembles pacman and the not yellow part does not resemble pacman.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

Uplink is arguably one of the best hacking games that doesn't require you to actually use the command line. I think they nailed the feel, especially for the time it came out.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

So so good. I've spent tons of hours on them

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

I take every chance I get to hype it!

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

If I remember correctly, the limited format? That said, Innistrad was quite the act to follow.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

We do a poor job of communicating how to survive as indies without a hit. Not that anyone has a concrete way to do it. But it doesn't help that we hold up mega hits as THE way. Meanwhile, devs put out their 10th small game that they hope will recoup costs and provide runway for the next.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 23/09/2026

We're doing 9 games again? Sure!

A my nine games collage with the games

FTL
Pokemon Red
Super hot
Resident evil 4
Doom
Magic the gathering arena
Slay the spire
Uplink
Pokemon snap

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

weirdly enough, this isn't the only sports/boardgame mash up. And even weirder, the UNO NFL version was MUCH better addressing a lot of these issues. There was also a championship for $50,000 championship.matteluno.com

championship.matteluno.com

UNO Championship Series 2026

UNO Championship Series 2026. Register for a chance to be invited to participate. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Many will enter; few wi...

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

There's a lot more to talk about on this but the major issue seems to be they didn't seem to be confident that a tcg based on sports would work well or have the audience so they tried to mash up pre-exisitng systems without committing to either one.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

Good: "Bigger than the box design" There are a lot of game pieces and you see a random subset. In theory every game is different and you can customize it to reflect your own style. Bad: In order to pull this off you it's gotta be popular enough where other people have their own cards. Unlikely.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

Good: using an existing well known game to piggy back another system. e.g. if you kinda know monopoly, you can focus more on the new/different parts like the player cards Bad: Why sports and monopoly?? Maybe they have better consumer data but is there any overlap with monopoly and sports fans?

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

Good - Putting player cards at the center. You get recognizable players, you get to make your own team. Bad - Seemingly no balance. Understandable - saying what player is the best and who isn't is a whole can of worms. There's also a conflict for space between the player stats and game stats.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

The most interesting thing to me is that there seems to be some legitimately good design ideas in here. But, those are drowned out by decisions that are purely financial.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 21/09/2026

I just learned that Monopoly tried to pivot to a booster pack model while collaborating with FIFA. I have thoughts. The first of which is just a resounding... What? But let's talk about booster pack focused games anyway? #gamedesign #monopoly #tradingcardgames

A picture of monopoly prism being played. There's a recognizable monopoly board with 3 empty slots in the center where your players would be placed. Matches are determined based on your team.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 18/09/2026

Speaking of sankey diagrams, I was once rudely informed I was wrong so I'll pass it on (even though they were wrong) AcTuAlLy It's CaLlEd A rIvEr PlOt

100 opinions. 99 are Sankey diagrams 1 is a river plot

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 18/09/2026

"So I have this idea for a casual multiplayer game" "So werewolf?" "No!" "Ok, how do you play?" "So it's *like* werewolf BUT...." #gamedev #indiedev

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

You only have to lose the game!?! A bargain!

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

Similarly, noxious revival lets you choose what to put where and often for no mana (2 life). Let me tell you, that can feel like a time walk when you need to draw a land and an opponent puts a non land card on your deck.

Noxious revival (g or 2 life)

Put target card from a graveyard on top of its owner’s library.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

Buuuut, if you think outside the box a bit you can get something similar for cheaper. Memory lapse, for example, counters a spell and puts it back on top of the deck. Sure, it didn't destroy it, but if your player really wants that effect they're gonna have to spend another turn to do it.

Memory lapse (1U)

Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner’s library instead of into that player’s graveyard.

Disempower (1w)

Put target artifact or enchantment on top of its owner’s library.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

For this reason, cards that skip draws are almost as expensive as cards that give you turns or are symmetrical so that both players stall. (See plagiarize's 4 mana vs temporal manipulation's 5)

A card called plagiarize, an instant for 3U with the rules text "until end of the turn if target player would draw a card, instead that player skips that draw and you draw a card"

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

For many tcgs, it seems like blocking a draw, or otherwise making it irrelevant, seems to be the answer. Especially as the game goes on. Cards give you options. A draw means new options. No cards means you're stuck taking the same actions you took last turn.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

Similarly Pokemon lets you: Draw a card Play 1 energy Play trainers/supports Evolve pokemon Same question, which do you need here to get an extra turn without explicitly "getting an extra turn"?

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

So, In magic a new turn lets you: Draw a card. Untap (restore) permanents that were previously used (lands, creatures) Game phases reset allowing you to use certain cards and effects (for example combat steps) So, which of these could you block/remove to effectively get an extra turn? (Tempo)

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

Generally, giving a play an extra turn is too powerful without a big cost that goes with it. Magic made the mistake of severely undercosting time walk at 2 mana and has settled around 5 for a fair version. But can you get an extra turn by just removing the best part? #mtg #gamedesign #tcg

A picture of the card Time walk costed at 1U with text

Take an extra turn after this one.

A picture of temporal manipulation costed at 3UU with he rules text Take an extra turn after this one.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 17/09/2026

Shinji! Crew the Mysterious Limousine!!

Whenever this Vehicle enters or attacks, exile up to one other target creature until this Vehicle leaves the battlefield. If a creature is put into exile this way, return each other card exiled with this Vehicle to the battlefield under its owner's control.
Crew 2

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 15/09/2026

I'm doing some design research and reading up on modern pokemon decks. It's weird to me, that energy is now viewed more like a combo piece than a resource. Your main resources are closer to your cards in hand since they don't (usually) require activation costs (mana, etc)

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 15/09/2026

Where else can I share my figures??

Lisa Simpson with a graph showing as intelligence increases happiness decreases. It's captioned with "I make a lot of graphs"

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 11/09/2026

"Robot cockroach can inject you with stuff" is just starting to feel like a normal 2026 headline. Help. #cyberpunk #cyborg

A screenshot of an ieee article titled "cyborg roaches can stab you with needles"

It also shows a picture of said cockroach wearing a backpack with wires connected to its head.

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Dennispr @dennis.videogameworkshop.com · 09/09/2026

Who turns off their company's coffee machine before noon? Or at all???

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Reposted by Dennispr

Poisoneddonut @poisoneddonut.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Repost to scare a Yugioh player

Hypnotic Specter
{1}{B}{B}
Creature — Specter

Flying

Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, that player discards a card at random.

Its victims are known by their eyes: shattered vessels leaking broken dreams.

2/2

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