iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 01/06/2026

It's as always time for the monthly newsletter. This time there's talk about instruments and perhaps even noises. distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #13: Studio Time // Distant Illusions

This time on Distant News, we set upon a quest to discover the legendary Brown Note.

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mors @mors.games · 24/04/2026

Operius DX, my love letter to old-school arcade games, is once again on sale for 31% off on Steam! Why? Because I felt like it, okay? store.steampowered.com/app/3281050/...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 05/04/2026

I swear eventually we will start sharing actual news on our projects and not just newsletter entries. distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #12: Let's Talk About Cannibalism // Distant Illusions

I'm slowly losing it and need professional help.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 23/03/2026

Oops, almost forgot about the Steam Spring Sale! Operius DX, our love letter to classic arcade games, is currently at $3.44, its lowest price yet with 31% off! store.steampowered.com/app/3281050/... GO GET IT, GO GO GO GO!!!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 02/03/2026

It’s the newsletter day, and it's finally time to talk about some game design! Specifically, what's actually been going on in our heads with this strange 3D platformer we've been quietly working on... distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #11: Let's Talk About Game Design // Distant Illusions

Welcome to my GDC talk.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 09/01/2026

2026 is here, we've got huge plans, and we need YOUR help to shape the future of Distant Illusions. So, we put together a short form to gather some feedback on what kind of games you'd want to see from us next. We appreciate every single response, even if you never played our games!

forms.gle

Distant Illusions - 2026 Feedback Form

2026 is upon us, the birds are shining, the sun is singing, and we have a lot of cool stuff to do. As such, we want YOUR help to shape the future of Distant Illusions. Yes you, the person sitting in f...

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mors @mors.games · 08/01/2026

got the game running on a specific handheld gaming device made by a reputable japanese video game company #gamedev #gamemaker #fallingblocks #imissmyexwife #arcadepuzzle #videogames

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 01/01/2026

And we're back, for the 2072nd annual start of January, and we'll start this year by looking into stuff we did throughout the past year. Some of the info here is old, some is old... it's all old, it's from the past after all. distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #9: A Look Back Before Looking Forward // Distant Illusions

2026: The year the ultimate awesome badass force known as Distant Illusions rolled into town and started to wreck your scene up for real this time I swear

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 18/12/2025

As a part of the STEAM WINTER SALE, Operius DX is 20% off! If you're looking for a cheap game to pick up for your friends and family this Christmas, oh boy, you sure are in luck! Assuming you already bought it for yourself though, of course. You did, right? store.steampowered.com/app/3281050/...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 09/12/2025

If you guys thought we forgot about this month's newsletter, no we didn't. You did. Well, it's out anyway, rounding up everything that happened in the past month. distantillusions.com/blog/post/di-monthly-8-better-late-than-never

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #8: Better Late Than Never // Distant Illusions

Good news, everyone!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 04/11/2025

These libraries power our shipped titles, like Operius DX, Cascadence, and our Opera GX games. Tested on Windows, Linux, HTML5, that weird WASM target for GX.games, and, yes, even Nintendo Switch. They work. We use them. Now you can too! You're welcome.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 04/11/2025

We love open source! So, we decided to open-source the GameMaker libraries we use in production at Distant Illusions. - wFSM for state machines - wTimer for scheduling function executions - wRNG for seeded randomization - wEase for animation curves Try them out here: distantillusions.itch.io/digm

distantillusions.itch.io

DIGM by Distant Illusions

A collection of GameMaker libraries that we use at Distant Illusions in our own games.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 01/11/2025

It's that time of the month again! No not that one. Gross, dude. Anyway, the newsletter is here again, in this deep dark month of not quite winter. distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #7: It's all coming together... // Distant Illusions

HOUGH I'M PROGRESSING SO HARDDDDDD

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 09/10/2025

The last month was BUSY for us. Two game jam games, and a lot of other things happening alongside them. This months's monthly newsletter post is up now, where we talk about it all! distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #6: ALWAYS BUSY!!! // Distant Illusions

Me? Focusing on one project? Oh, don't be silly...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 04/10/2025

Games development was meant to be a lonely job. Trust us, you should isolate yourself and turn a fun thing into work. Reddit says so. We all love Reddit. We all love Reddit. We all love Reddit. distantillusions.com/blog/post/th...

distantillusions.com

The Legend of the Solo Developer // Distant Illusions

Hey it works!!! I'm sure of it! This subreddit that has 100 000 developers on it had one post about a guy who made it, therefore it's definitely the right course of action! What do you mean survivorsh...

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hotcyder @hotcyder.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Hello! Today I bring you three short videos on three (and a bit) cool games to check out 👀 youtu.be/OoV8HeGDFFg youtu.be/e2Db3I4C4fU youtu.be/Gi5SFSY0l2A

youtu.be

You Should Play FrogSpin (and Mosa Lina)

YouTube video by hotcyder

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 29/09/2025

We almost forgot about it, but as a part of the Autumn sale, Operius DX is also 10% off! ...I mean, okay, it's just 10%, but isn't that better than nothing? GET IT NOW!!!!! BEFORE THE SALE IS OVER!!!!!! store.steampowered.com/app/3281050/...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 29/09/2025

People keep asking us how to get started making games. Instead of giving a one-on-one lessons to each person who asks, we decided to write down our secrets. distantillusions.com/blog/post/th...

distantillusions.com

The Vision™ // Distant Illusions

My guide on "How To Get Started Making Video Games".

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mors @mors.games · 22/09/2025

Cascadence, the game I made with @catonator.net, is out now on itch! Arrange falling blocks into 2x2 squares to clear them from the board. Play solo through 10 unique levels, or go head-to-head with CPU opponents in some fast-paced block battles! #FallingBlockJam mors-games.itch.io/cascadence

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 08/09/2025

It's that month again. You know the one. There was a song about it or something. Anyway, as usual, the newsletter is out for all the ones that missed it last week by not being subbed to our mailing list. Like massive Lamerz.

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #5: I Swear This Isn't Intended To Be A Site Just For Newsletters // Distant Illusions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 03/09/2025

Operius DX v1.0.6 is live on Steam and itch. It adjusts the game difficulty slightly (especially for the Switcher Mode) and adds keyboard remapping. Plus a bunch of other smaller changes nobody cares about. store.steampowered.com/news/app/328...

store.steampowered.com

Operius DX - v1.0.6 live! - Steam News

A much needed update, promised long ago. Added keyboard remapping! Yippee! Hooray! Adjusted the overall game difficulty to be more forgiving, especially in the Switcher Mode. Changed the ring spawning...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 01/09/2025

BTW, the newsletter is also getting a new installment tonight. This is your last warning to subscribe to our mailing list. If you don't, we'll forever retain the rights to call you newbie baby for not getting how mailing lists work.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 01/09/2025

WE LOVE ADS!! We wish the internet was entirely made of ads!! We love ads so much that we'll make games that ARE ads! And after our last one, we wrote a retrospective on how those went: distantillusions.com/blog/post/di...

distantillusions.com

Distant Illusions Hits Gamescom (Again!) // Distant Illusions

What happens when you let three indie devs with questionable business acumen make games for a multi-million dollar corporation?

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 21/08/2025

Art by @gaem0n.bsky.social | Music by @catonator.net | Everything else by @mors.games We’ll be sharing more about this game, how the development went, and our experience having our game showcased at Gamescom (twice!), so stay tuned! We don't wanna reveal all of it yet, though. :)

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 21/08/2025

The reviews are already in, and people LOVE it: - "it's fine" - "so you're with opera again?" - "i just don't like this theatrical bullshit, that's why i really liked the indie hall" - "is it not gonna be available online?" If you're already at Gamescom, swing by and give it a shot!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 21/08/2025

We've got a game at Gamescom... again! If you stop by the Opera GX booth during the event, you'll find a brand new game we've cooked up just for this occasion. Take on a series of exercises, test your skills, and maybe even win some rewards!

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mors @mors.games · 12/08/2025

Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great game Operius DX is on Steam and Nintendo eShop for only $4.99. Go and buy it. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says, "But doctor...I made Operius DX."

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 07/08/2025

It's true, we're officially BANNED from entering Europe (real) (not clickbait) We've also been kind of MIA for the past month or so. Our latest newsletter explains it all, and shows some cool progress from our in-house tech as a bonus :)

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #4: Distant Ambitions, Broken Dreams // Distant Illusions

Was it all for nothing?

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 08/07/2025

If you subscribe to the newsletter you'll get to read these a week ahead of time, and they will drop directly to your inbox.

distantillusions.com

Join Our Mailing List // Distant Illusions

Join our mailing list and receive a free download link to the goodies.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 08/07/2025

Our latest newsletter is up! We crunched the numbers on the Operius DX launch, and it turns out we're now the proud owners of at least dozens of dollars! Come read about our stunning financial success and what we're (irresponsibly) spending it on next.

distantillusions.com

DI MONTHLY #3: Off To The Next Chapter // Distant Illusions

Operius DX is out...now what?

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 25/06/2025

Operius DX is Switch 2 verified*, by the way. If you have a Switch 2 and haven't bought Operius DX yet then...what's wrong with you??? *Switch 2 verified isn't an actual term, we made it up.

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ProTayToe🩵 @protaytoe.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

NEW VIDEO! 4 years ago I made a promise to cover OPERIUS if it ever got a full version and @distantillusions.com has delivered! From GameJam to OperaGX to a Standalone release! I'm happy to get back into shorter indie reviews so I hope you enjoy the video and get the game! youtu.be/6KsZOU4JIUw

youtu.be

OPERIUS DX - Indie Spotlight Review!

YouTube video by Part Time Fox

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 21/06/2025

You're not wrong that the algorithms work, but they work in favor of the companies, not the users Technology connections has a great video on this: youtu.be/QEJpZjg8GuA

youtu.be

Algorithms are breaking how we think

YouTube video by Technology Connections

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mors @mors.games · 21/06/2025

ICYMI my game where you go fast and shoot stuff is out on Steam and Nintendo eShop!!!!!! i put a lot of love and effort into it and i believe i managed to make something special. please give it a go if you havent yet!!!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 21/06/2025

Hey, never said it was ALL bad posts there!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 20/06/2025

There's been a lot of talk about if Bluesky is dead or not. A lot of people seem to think so! We wrote about our thoughts. We have...a lot. distantillusions.com/blog/post/is...

distantillusions.com

Is Bluesky Finally Dead? // Distant Illusions

idk man, maybe it's just you

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 13/06/2025

sounding good like music. sounds good

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 13/06/2025

We've had quite a few people ask us about how the rendering in Operius DX works, because yeah, you can instantly tell there's some interesting stuff going on there! Don't worry fam, I gotchu. distantillusions.com/blog/post/th...

distantillusions.com

The Rendering of Operius DX // Distant Illusions

Wait, a 3D game with GameMaker? Or is it 2.5D instead? 3D? 2.5D? 3D? 2.5D? I'm confused! WRAAH!!!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 13/06/2025

And here's the Bandcamp link! catonator.bandcamp.com/album/operiu... Not only that, but the game is also out on Japanese eShop as well (because, yes, it wasn't before, don't ask).

catonator.bandcamp.com

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 13/06/2025

We here at Distant Illusions have experimented with sounding, and consider ourselves somewhat of experts in the field. Once you buy the Operius DX soundtrack album, maybe you too can become a sounding expert! The Operius DX soundtrack is out now on Steam (and on Bandcamp).

store.steampowered.com

Operius DX Soundtrack on Steam

The complete soundtrack, featuring 6 high-energy music tracks from Operius DX!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 07/06/2025

As mentioned before, if you subscribe to our mailing list, you get to read these a week ahead of time. You could've done that. Maybe that's where your life started going wrong. distantillusions.com/mailing-list

distantillusions.com

Join Our Mailing List // Distant Illusions

Join our mailing list and receive a free download link to the goodies.

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 05/06/2025

Oh would you look at that, v1.0.3 is live on Switch as well!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 04/06/2025

The Nintendo Switch version will get the v1.0.4 update in a few weeks, since we're still waiting for v1.0.3 to clear approval. We're also well aware of the crash that happens in the Switch version. That'll be fixed with v1.0.3. Full changelog: store.steampowered.com/news/app/328...

store.steampowered.com

Operius DX - v1.0.4 is now live! - Steam News

This update is a chunky one! We've addressed a lot of player feedback and added some quality of life improvements that should make things feel more fun overall. Added a new accessibility setting that ...

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 04/06/2025

Operius DX v1.0.4 is now live on Steam and itch! This version fixes a few minor issues, makes some small balancing adjustments, and adds a new accessibility setting that lets you tweak the game's color saturation. These changes all came from your feedback. Thank you!

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Distant Illusions @distantillusions.com · 02/06/2025

Operius DX is out NOW on Nintendo Switch, ready for your grubby little hands. It's the arcade shooter we all love, but sharper, faster, LOUDER, and packed with tons of new content Get it now! Available on Steam and Nintendo eShop store.steampowered.com/app/3281050 www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...

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