iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 21/09/2026

I owe so much to Roberta Williams, Al Lowe, and Ken Williams.

A castle scene from 1985's The Black Cauldron from Sierra Online, game by Roberta Williams and Al Lowe, a massive improvement over King's Quest in art direction but a step backwards in interactivity.

A scene of a castle from 1984's King's Quest, publisher Sierra Online, game by Roberta Williams, a milestone in interaction and game design.

Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 18/09/2026

I've been absolutely obsessing over styling forms the last few days. Something about finding a mix of unique visuals and UX that works alright has me really geeking out.

Absolutely over-the-top gradients for a simple "Create new account" form make it look like dobs of grabe and raspberry sorbet instead of a reasonable HTML box like everyone else.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 15/09/2026

If you live in the greater Seattle area, PSE is asking to raise electric prices by nearly 50% over the next 5 years. They want to subsidize massive discounts to Microsoft and Amazon for scaling data centers here. Here's the numbers just for the next three, and how to protest:

https://www.climatesolutions.org/article/2026-09/puget-sound-energy-fighting-increase-your-energy-rates-and-invest-more-fossil-fuels:

PSE has requested the following
Electric Service
- 2027 — An overall 15.3 percent increase in rates generating an additional $625 million in revenue.

Natural Gas Service
- 2027 — An overall 14.2 percent increase in rates generating an additional $192 million in revenue.

https://www.pse.com/-/media/Project/PSE/Portal/Rate-documents/News-and-Filings/8752_PublicCommentHearingNoticeOnGRC_0526_Web.pdf?rev=d63134f5f3a5495691f8c2c1c1532004&modified=20260526213454&hash=41EA80C0FFF950962937F2BEC30539BF :

>**Public hearing dates and times**
You may comment on the requested changes to electric and natural gas rates at in-person only and virtual only public hearings held by the UTC at the dates and times listed below.

>**In-Person Only**
*Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 6 p.m.*
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission 621 Woodland Square Loop SE in Lacey, WA 98503

>**Virtual Only**
*Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 6 p.m.*
You can participate online via the video conferencing platform Zoom, with the following link: [https://utc-wa-gov.zoom.us/j/82213518474?pwd=BmsrsNzVWp6WmOpoBdLBoxxvxD6Qb0.1](https://utc-wa-gov.zoom.us/j/82213518474?pwd=BmsrsNzVWp6WmOpoBdLBoxxvxD6Qb0.1) or by phone by calling 253-215-8782 and entering: Meeting ID number 822 1351 8474# and passcode 226995#

>Those planning to participate are encouraged to call 1-888-333-9882 at least one day before the hearing so you may be signed in.

>**Reasonable accommodations**
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in a public comment hearing, please contact the UTC at 1-888-333-9882 or [comments@utc.wa.gov](mailto:comments@utc.wa.gov) at least one week before the public comment hearing. The UTC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to participants with disabilities.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 08/09/2026

weirdly closer to the original art direction though IMHO which yes was weirdly yassified from the foal version of epona

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 01/09/2026

Pretty darn excited about the SLICE panel tomorrow at 4p. We're going to be covering all the things we wished we knew day 1 about the business of games. Even if you're not a studio founder, with so much of the industry being a dumpster fire I think everyone needs to know a little of the biz side.

Look at this man. He's clearly hyped for something. It's probably not this particular event, but who knows when the photo was taken. If you want to find out what made him so chuffed, your best bet is to attend Seattle SLICE games conference on September 2nd at McCaw Hall, like this poster so artfully proclaims with its cute little hand-drawn robot mascot holding a pizza box.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 24/08/2026

Am I allergic to bibles, tornadoes, or both? We may never know.

A Where I've Been map of the United States with a conspicuous light streak through tornado alley - or is that the bible belt?

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 20/05/2026

Low tides here are the best! Now to catch 20 seconds of an @aggrocrabgames.bsky.social ...

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 21/04/2026

Yes! Here's my Mario With a Hamburger to go with it! Painted it for my stepson's game he made about Mario going to the gym.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 16/04/2026

My theory is when you plateau in art, it's because you're improving in a way that you haven't yet learned to recognize. When the plateau ends, it's because your brain has finally identified what you were improving at and is ready for the next thing.

A pen sketch of a person with curly hair in a fedora, holding a coiled rope, dress shirt, pants, and shoes, doing a super-hero landing.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 13/04/2026

US media is suppressing reality: - Americans are protesting in cities, concentration camps, and college campuses every single weekend, at risk of their jobs and healthcare. They have not let up for a full year now. - These protests are recruiting people to fight the government, first legally. 🧵

Over 7,000 people gathered in the small town of Issaquah, WA last month to protest the fascist US Government.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 28/03/2026

No kings No faces Just smiles and love.

Dude has a really nice red leather jacket. Walking with a protest sign that says "Hate has no home here" in English, Spanish, Korean, and Arabic.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 24/03/2026

Betting 1,000,000:1 this quote is conveniently left out of the new series. We ain't watching it in this house.

A quote from Albus Dumbledore saying "It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" something JKR has clearly forgotten ever writing.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 23/03/2026

OHMYGOD Astropad Studio finally added a virtual display! Now I don't have to futz with VDD to do 4k paintovers in Clip Studio on the desktop. Huge props to @mronge.bsky.social and the Astropad team. Love the update.

WIP lighting paintover of amazing concept art by @joewillsart.bsky.social

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 08/03/2026

I've been watching my wife replay Majora's Mask. It's remarkable how many activities they managed to cram into the world. And it still feels designed and cohesive. Plus, the whole thing was made in just a year from mostly existing assets.

A frog in Majora's Mask addressing Link with "Ah! Don Gero! It has been so long."

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 06/03/2026

These would be my personal top to date!

Nine game covers including Subnautica, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Half-Life 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Jade Empire, Mass Effect 2, Team Fortress 2, Civilization V, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 06/03/2026

9 games that made me a game dev, a bit different than my personal top 9 my9games.com

Nine game covers including Doom (1994), Half-Life, Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, BlackThorne, Unreal, Warcraft III, Age of Empires II, Savage, and Knights of the Old Republic.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 23/02/2026

This is the Video Game Dev Rubber Duck. Reskeet to help a game developer debug their game code today.

The Rubber Duck Penguin Boat from Batman: The Animated Series looking very friendly indeed while it listens to you explain your terrible game code to it.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 22/01/2026

Ah, so excited for you! You're gonna have a blast. Since it's my job, I've put probably 20m into over 2,000 games. Very few have been completed. I'd say my blind spot is late game design / climaxes. If it ain't in this list, I should probably go back and complete it...

A game library including Age of Empires 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Bioshock, Half-Life series, Borderlands, Brutal Legend, Crysis, Dragon Age 1, Morrowind, Fable, FEAR, Halo 1-3, Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, Jade Empire, Mirror's Edge, Republic Commando, Subnautica, Titan Quest, and Titanfall 2.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 27/12/2025

Same but specifically because I am a medium goblin and will end up with whatever it is smeared across my hands, nay body, every time. Pen only tends to get a little bit on my fingertips.

A pen sketch of a character concept for the game Red Hat Arcade Pod Escape (2020).

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 01/09/2025

I need y'all to know that every time I send a text without a dad joke in it, it's because I deleted it out before hitting send. Like a sensible adult. Things keep going the way they are in the US, though...

I was going to make a bad joke about Windows IT support but I think my brain just needs to be switched off and back on again.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 24/08/2025

Thank you @blueskynoise.com for this excellent Gamespot article about co-op with kids! It's truly hard to get across the idea of finding games to play with your kids that aren't Nintendo platformers or Minecraft. Sending this directly to our investors 😁 www.gamespot.com/articles/leg...

Still, I've been left wanting for one specific reason, and I imagine other parents can relate: It's hard to find games to play with my kids, so I'm glad Lego Voyagers is just around the corner.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 07/08/2025

Look, I'm A/B testing posts! And yeah we discussed internally about mental health and online safety before-hand. This team is awesome.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 02/08/2025

We've been working on a comic book for the backstory of our game universe's villain, and... I am so in love with it. It's GORGEOUS. Can't wait to share the whole thing and introduce all the artists behind @chroniclersoftware.com 's upcoming title.

A space battle scene depicting masses of ships firing lasers in front of a planet, bodies and a photo in the foreground.

A cloaked figure muses in front of the wreckage from a space battle scene, map plotting... something. "They lash out like petulant children with gestures they think will win them their freedom. Freedom."

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 05/06/2025

Some work-in-progress shots from our demo level. Co-op sci-fi puzzle shooter. It's so much fun when things start to come together on a game!

A space-suited salvager muses over a rock slide covering the side of a crashed spaceship.

Our intrepid hero poses in front of a window for a picturesque photo, because who doesn't stop for a snap in the middle of combat?

We aim for a Time To Crate of 0 in our games. High score perfectionists, us.

What lies beyond the door? No idea, we haven't built it... yet!

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 04/04/2025

This TikTok has been stuck in my head on loop since it came out. cw: profanity

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 27/03/2025

Missed seeing your face this past GDC! I hope you're doing well and having a lovely birthday.

The bearded poster smiling at the camera wearing an emerald sweater and green newsie cap.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 27/03/2025

We haven't announced yet so here's two paintovers of Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire I did to bring them more in line with our art style as examples.

A paintover frame from Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire showing main characters Milo and Kida held prisoner by two expedition leaders in front of blue glowing ancient stones in a large cavern.

A paintover frame of Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire highlighting the beautiful ancient city of Atlantis at dusk, warm light streaming from an ancient temple over the foggy blues of a nighttime subterranean swamp.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 16/03/2025

If you're a (current, aspiring, solo dev) game director, join Sam and I in keeping a sketch book. Directing a game without using drawing and animation skills, however crappy, is doing it with one arm tied behind your back.

The least crappy unused concept sketch for a game fighter craft, from my sketchbook.

The second least crappy unused concept sketch for a game fighter craft, from my sketchbook.

A completely crappy unused concept sketch for a game cruiser craft, from my sketchbook.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 13/03/2025

Holy socialite Batman! 500 of you love game dev (or dad jokes) enough to follow me. Thank you, I'm glad you're here. Good time to reintroduce myself: - Ex Xbox (Halo, Minecraft etc) - Step-dad - Co-directing a sci-fi looter shooter for all ages with the indomitable @joewillsart.bsky.social Heya!

The titular poster emphatically posing with the most dad-like charm in a life-size Barbie box, pink cowboy hat and feathery boa included, probably wondering if he can get wallet photos of the eventful occurrence to hand out to his teenage step-son's friends.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 08/03/2025

Show me four games that influenced YOUR current game project. #gamedev #indiedev #indiegamedev

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 20/02/2025

Wooh! The problem with Seattle is there's just so much to do. I've got a map of recommendations, if you like I'll dm you a link. Off the top of my head: - Quest Bookshop & Twice Sold Tales - Queen Sheba - hot cakes - Cinnaholic - Snoqualmie Falls - Tokul Tunnel - Downtown Snoqualmie for food

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 14/02/2025

Yeah he's not just blacklisted by EA for that horrifying review. The more indies that put pressure on publishers to refuse review keys to people like this, the more they will be forced to crawl away from the industry crying "woke" and "can't anyone take a joke".

Steve Hogarty up in arms again because he's facing consequences for writing a game review that features domestic violence as his punchline.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 19/12/2024

And of course I wouldn’t end a thread on design without asking @joewillsart to tease the heck out of you all. Thanks for entertaining some of my thoughts on good character design for games! (7/7)

The silhouettes of four characters, each inspired by a suite from a deck of cards, against a blue, sci-fi background of towering buildings.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 19/12/2024

Shape and contrast are the most important design aspects visually. We go through many multiple iterations when designing our characters' shapes and silhouettes. It's all about communicating what's most important about each character (5/7)

A plethora of character silhouettes, with green x's by those we considered for additional development as a main character.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 15/12/2024

First shipped game and latest shipped game?

Minecraft Realms, the ongoing Live Service Marketplace powering Minecraft, running on Microsoft PlayFab and Azure.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 20/11/2024

In Notion Speak, each one of these is a different "view" of the same "doc" owned by different people. One's a spreadsheet backlog for the producer, the Phase Tracker is a KanBan for the Design Lead, and the "Concept|10" board is a KanBan for the Art Lead to track. It's all drag n' droppable too.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 17/10/2024

Welcome to bsky all you beautiful people! I'm a game designer, and I recently started a little studio called Chronicler to make co-op games for teens & adults to play together. So happy you're here!

Concept art of space combat between multiple gray ships in front of a yellow nebula.

3D model of a space ship for the game Halo: First Offensive.

Screenshot of the Hammer game nap editor showing a work-in-progress Counter-Strike map.

Concept art featuring two stylized kids in a home-made hot air balloon for the short film Box Forts (2012).

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 14/10/2024

Sure we have a housing crisis in Seattle but what's that against the profits you could make with artificial scarcity on AirBnB? (credit to Xell on Discord for the research)

Infographic showing the top 1,488 Air-BnB-listed homes by owner in King County, WA with an average 43.63% occupancy rate, bringing in $93MM+ annually for their landlords.

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 23/09/2024

First time going to Unreal Fest - and I'll be speaking! Come say hi. Heads up we'll also be hiring soon for UE5 Expertise!

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 17/03/2024

First time at GDC? Need someone safe to walk with? Come say hi! I'll gladly introduce you to cool people to buddy system with or help you navigate GDC. Look for the guy in the red jacket. (I can't walk with people this year but happy to text people who can).

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Derek Reese is making games @derekree.se · 22/08/2023

Hallo Gamescom! Here's what we look like today. If you see us and this is your first time out, need safe people to walk with you, or want to ask questions about the industry, please feel free to say hi!

A selfie of Derek and Rasmus at Gamescom.

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