Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 3hAs we celebrate our next alpha, we say goodbye to some cut music #vgm 🫡 This collab between Jeff and Sachin was the only draft of a track designed to stay similar in tone but hint at different genres. It was scrapped for discrete songs that will transition more like a medley #indiedev #gamedev 064
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 22hWe're rounding the corner to October 1 when we publish our next alpha playtest for Improve the Groove 🎸 I was hoping to share our band manager, Bassie, in this version, even as a still image if not an animation, but it was better to not rush the artist on this one. Such is #indiedev! #gamedev 091
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 09/09/2026Infrequent updates as we're deep in #gamedev for a major change to 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘷𝘦 🎸 Instrument, and now Dynamic, cards will play into a rolling queue that determines which combinations are made! Pay attention to your genre and how you set up solos! The #bgm will follow your changes 🔊 #indiedev 081
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 18/08/2026A huge thank you to our playtesters! 🙏❤️ The next alpha release is delayed slightly to include your amazing feedback! More soon on our #gamedev and plans for #MAGFest2027 as we collaborate with other indie devs to possibly present at #MIVS and join forces for an #indiedev -focused panel! 🤝💪 051
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 05/08/2026It's good to get bad feedback early 👎⌛✅ We're trying to do something we haven't seen in other deckbuilders, but it still has to play well so thank you for the feedback! 🙏 Those in the alpha playtest can expect a new version soon with changes we think you'll be excited about! #indiedev #gamedev 082
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 08/07/2026Milestone: We just handed out keys for our friends & family alpha playtest on Steam! Improve the Groove has reached a new level of realness 🎮🎸 We want to sincerely thank the Bluesky #indiedev community and the NOVA Game Developers for their unconditional help! ❤️ #gamedev 061
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 29/06/2026Getting to look at a stage from the FOH booth is a great perk before a show if you also happen to be developing a game about live music from the POV of a board op 😅 #gamedev #indiedev 072
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 26/06/2026Trying to get an alpha playtest up on Steam but their documentation is more fragmented than we expected, specifically around what's needed for the playtest's separate app ID vs what's needed for the main app 🤔 Anyone have a helpful resource you can link to? 🙏 #indiedev #gamedev 3121
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 01/06/2026How do others design information-dense areas in their #gamedev? For us, it's the cards in a #deckbuilder. We want to declutter them as much as possible without creating too much original iconography or just copying other games. Flyouts are mandatory, but when are they over-cluttered? 🤔 #indiedev 182
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 18/05/2026We pushed v0.13.1-a of Improve the Groove to our dev playtesters and one loaded it on his Steam Deck in desktop mode and played it without issue! We shouldn't be surprised since we're Linux-native but we thought it would need more work #indiedev #gamedev #steamdeck #godot #godotengine #linuxgamingstatic.klipy.comKronk: Emperor's New Groove - It's All Coming TogetherAlt: Kronk: Emperor's New Groove - It's All Coming Together 092
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 12/05/2026Learning #shaders was mind-bending but worth it! 🤯 My studies (sources below) let me make this 2D border from scratch in #Godot that adjusts to its container size and keep uniform width on each side. It can be solid or faded toward the center, a color or a texture, or animated! #indiedev #gamedev 272
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 27/04/2026Not much to add about our #indiedev this week as our #UI gets a massive overhaul. The previous UI was just for us devs to verify the math but the new UI will make it much clearer to players what's happening 🧭 So next time you see us at a #gamedev meetup we'll have a very different look to share! 062
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 20/04/2026We learned #shaders well enough to̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶d̶a̶n̶g̶e̶r̶o̶u̶s ^to craft some from-scratch animation and lighting effects Now we can complete the new #UI where players will build sound modules instead placing instrument cards "Improve the Groove" from the perspective of the audio tech! 🎧🎚️📈🔊 #gamedev #indiedev 082
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 13/04/2026Yet another great #IGDA meetup yesterday to get feedback on our #gamedev project, Improve the Groove 🎸 It's affirming to see another #indiedev take interest in your work and ask real questions about it And it's inspiring to see what other people have been working on and do the same for them ❤️media.tenor.coma man in a red and green shirt is sitting at a table in a diner .Alt: Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell is inspired 0103
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 07/04/2026We did a lot of #gamedev before tackling any graphics beyond placeholders because we started with a physical card game But it's time to program #shaders which is its own special hell that we wade deeply into because we want the practice and knowledge of doing it Real #indiedev starts now 293
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 30/03/2026This week in #gamedev we're looking at #localization options in #Godot to set up translation tables before we add too much text I want to launch in Spanish and English at a minimum, and we'll get help before we rely on my Spanish (or any other languages I've dabbled in). Nadie quiere eso #indiedev 084
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 23/03/2026A #deckbuilder without cards? Instead of "cards" we're experimenting with a shuffling array of effects pedals in a guitarist's pedal board or modules in a sound board from the tech perspective. The latter organically gives us a view of the band and audience together 🤔 #indiedev #UI 170
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 16/03/2026Our #Linux native #indiedev studio is trying out #PopOS 24.04 LTS. #Ubuntu 25.10 serves our purpose for #Godot and creative apps like #Krita, but we like Pop!_OS for gaming and want to try it for #gamedev as well Sadly #COSMIC doesn't support our drawing tablet so that machine is using #KDEPlasma 073
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 09/03/2026This concept game menu was a big first step in setting up our #gameart direction. It needed work to have more texture and a clearer #UI, but we liked the idea for its grittiness, like a band flyer that was hand-drawn with marker and pen and maybe taped up on a community board #indiedev #gamedev 072
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 02/03/2026Another great IGDA NOVA meetup yesterday to get feedback on our #gamedev project, Improve the Groove 🎸 We also saw @potacostudio.bsky.social's next game and got to playtest it in 4-player mode! Every #indiedev should look into their local #IGDA chapter. It's a huge morale boost every time we go 🎉 083
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 23/02/2026The music genres in our #indiedev game, Improve the Groove 🎸 Punk Jazz Blues Reggae Funk Disco Latin Soul R&B EDM Rock Country Hip Hop Pop It's a shame to reduce so many of these into one style but we also have to limit scope creep in our #gamedev since each one changes the original BGM track! 0103
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 16/02/2026(Get ready to feel seen, viola players!) Here's some card art from our #indiedev project, Improve the Groove 🎸 Rarely visible, card backs still need something simple and music-themed on them. Next up is face art, which is under revision while we incorporate music genres into them #gameart #gamedev 082
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 13/02/2026I'm not sure how to say this 🤷 but I don't think it's a story that Studio Dhjamb is #queerowned and service-disabled #veteranowned 🏳️🌈🪖 Am I wrong? Just existing as an #indiedev seems like enough I feel like we have way more in common than we have that divides us 040
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 20/01/2026Improve the Groove #indiedev log 2: • Base decks, starting cards, upgrade paths, and scoring overhauled #gamedev • Main menu restructured, deck viewer in more places, and flyout details added #UI • Drummer, Sachin Ramabhadran, officially on board! #vgm Next update: Tutorial/intro and lots of art! 052
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 12/01/2026#MAGFest2026 has passed so it's time to recover and get some thank you notes out to the amazing #artists, #indiedevs, #educators, #writers, #musicians and other panelists who were so very helpful and gracious with their wisdom and time for us We also found Wally/Waldo along the way - did you? 030
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 09/01/2026We saw @potacostudio.bsky.social again, this time at #MAGFest with their awesome game, #Bluma, and they were the nicest group of devs to chat with! Their game is an inspiration Go find them in #MIVS (first on left) and play it. Also buy it! store.steampowered.com/app/3032520/... #indiedevstore.steampowered.comSave 20% on BLUMA on SteamJoin Bluma in this cozy puzzle-platforming adventure where you make the platforms. It’s up to Bluma, a magical chinchilla, to unite the elemental realms by solving physics-based puzzles and farming ve... 062
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 05/01/2026I'm glad my #indiedev partner is a #mathnerd because #deckbuilder math gets cR@zY 😵💫 Like, from any (t)otal deck of cards made up of an even split of 3 card types, how often will pulling 3 cards get you 1 of each type? With some help we found it to be: 1 x 2t(i) / 3[t(i) - 1] x t(i) / 3[t(i) -2] 🤯 140
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 02/01/2026PC Gamer Article www.pcgamer.com/software/lin... We agree!pcgamer.comI'm brave enough to say it: Linux is good now, and if you want to feel like you actually own your PC, make 2026 the year of Linux on (your) desktopNow if you don't mind I'm going to delete the root folder and see what happens. 000
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 29/12/2025This was the first placeholder UI for our game menu The idea was that the right side would look like sheet music 🎼 and show your band name, current stage, game speed, difficulty, etc. while the sounds of a band of your current skill level could be heard warming up 🎶 #WIP #UI #indiedev #gamedev 093
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 26/12/2025We've been slow to post #gamedev screenshots but please be patient 🙏 since our art is hand-drawn. We're an #indiedev and don't use gen AI for any assets or code, not even for placeholders so nothing's accidentally left in. We also use every draft as an opportunity to practice or learn ❤️ 0162
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 22/12/2025The #gamedesign of our #indiegame, Improve the Groove, is taking shape! Audiences come with a vibe and expectations. Play a card to establish your groove and skill, one to affect the crowd's vibe and chill, and one for a bonus. Match their vibe and exceed their expectations to get applause and fans! 022
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 15/12/2025What #MAGFest meetups should we look for? We're an #indiedev duo near DC working on a music game (not showcasing in 2026, but submitting for 2027). We follow IGDA DC but we're also comfy with small events Other indie devs? Anything #MIVS -related? Garage bands playing #vgm? (relates to our game) 012
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 10/12/2025It looks like dual-posting in #Spanish for our Western Hemisphere friends hasn't been as successful as we'd hoped. We're going to suspend #multilingual posts on #bluesky for the time-being, but will absolutely restart in the future depending on how our following grows. In the meantime, los sentimos. 100
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 08/12/2025We had a great #indiedev Dhjamb session with our #gamedesign friends over the weekend! What generates applause? How does that get you more fans? What does it mean to have more fans? These answers are leading us to what the extended game loop will look like in Improve the Groove #ImproveTheGroove 011
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 01/12/2025¡Improve the Groove #indiedev diario! • Las tarjetas rediseñado #gameart • Setlist y Concierto definado #gamedev • Cambiador de perfil te permite bandas varias e intercambiarlas • Editor de tarjetas permite probar el diseñador de juegos a ideas nuevas • ¡Pronto utilizar #OBSStudio para compartir! 061
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 01/12/2025Improve the Groove #indiedev log! • Redesigned cards #gameart • Better defined what a setlist and concert are #gamedev • Profile changer lets you have more than one band and swap between them • Card editor allows our game designer to test new ideas in-game • Loaded #OBSStudio to start sharing soon! 0103
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 24/11/2025We just found out that we can't make #multilingual posts on #bluesky. Well, we can, but it appears most users set their content language to just their native language and that causes Bluesky to filter posts tagged with multiple languages, so almost nobody sees it 😕 Maybe separate posts work better? 120
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 24/11/2025I'm feeling inspired to compose new #gamemusic in the #indiedev studio today. 🎶 I'm thinking of a droning but driving background track and a sister track in a relative modal key. Then I can create a mashup of the two for a 3rd track, which could create musical symmetry among them. 🤔 #musictheory 121
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 17/11/2025Our #indiedev duo has a functional game loop demo! It's ugly and not ready for public comment, but our game designer and tester can help us get there. Now our process switches from building to refining. It's a fun transition! Also, sorry we post early and neglect our time zone: Intentaré mejorar 151
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 10/11/2025It's finally p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y˰𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 pictures time! 📐🫥 This is fun but discarded #gameart for the back of a card, which was really just practicing with the new drawing pad and basics in #Krita. Being #indiedev means learning new things and reinvigorating some long-atrophied skills 😓 041
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 02/11/2025Our friends @playmodeofficial.bsky.social made something exciting for the #Dune Imperium Uprising #boardgames that holds all of the game pieces in AND out of the box so they come out ready to play! Cut our setup time in 👉⅓👈 I want this for all our #tabletopgames. Check them out! #boardgamegeek 241
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 28/10/2025We're not quite ready to post draft #gameart 😰 So by way of apology, please accept a picture of our boys also looking at us impatiently #dogsofbluesky #rescuedog #huskiesofbluesky 060
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 20/10/2025We're now deep into coding what concert tours will look like in Improve the Groove but we've also created a few art concepts along the way. Stay tuned for p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y˰𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 pictures! 📐🫥 #indiedev #gamedev #gameart 082
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 13/10/2025Save drafts! 🚨 #IndieDev isn't a perfect process. We discovered our #gamedesign was bad when testing the game loop and it felt like failure. Was there a bad change or was it always bad? 😨 Luckily we could revert to our first draft cards and game balance was restored, revealing the bad changes. 😌media.tenor.coma woman wearing a denim jacket and a gold necklace is sitting at a table with her mouth open .Alt: an animated image showing a woman wearing a denim jacket with a facial expression turning from panic to relief as she says, "Okay! Okay, 'cause I was like literally about to pass out" 051
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 06/10/2025Who looked at this and said, "this is a music game!"? We did... allegedly. #gamedesign #indiedev 061
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 22/09/2025No more working title! "Improve the Groove" will be the first game from #indiedev Studio Dhjamb! We felt like this was a good fit after developing the mechanics of how audiences react to your band's evolving musical style that is based on how you upgrade and play the cards 0110
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 17/09/2025Studio Dhjamb is registered for Super #MAGFest in January and we're excited to attend! If anyone wants to chat #indiedev, #GodotEngine, or #VideoGameMusic (Jeff is a musician and huge #VGM fan), please feel free to hit us up to meet and chat! 070
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 01/09/2025Some big developments last month... - Theme established: Music! Build a band and earn fans around the world! - Outlined a #gameaudio structure using #Godot for dynamic background music to support the theme! - Game title brainstorming (soon no more "Project Purple")! #gamedev #indiedev 182
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 23/07/2025Work on the #gameaudio and #gamemusic is taking off! We had a great meeting with our collaborating analog #drummer to conceptualize and compose distinctly different moods that complement the draft synthesized tracks. Can't wait to see how this plays out (pun intended)! 130
Studio Dhjamb @dhjamb.com · 05/07/2025We learn more and more about what we can do with #Godot for #indiedev every week! And today we'll give the first demonstration of Project Purple (working title) to the game designer who helped us create the physical card prototype that our deckbuilder is based on. Exciting! 031
