iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

It's been quite a while since we last pushed an update to the demo of Bane. That simply means that today's update is huge. A lot of extra features, polish, and fixes. Including sharper rendering and ambient audio. Check it out on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3194460/... #gamedev #indiedev

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Joseph R. Lewis @josephrlewis.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Just a couple days left on my Shadowdark adventure Kickstarter, thank you all so much for your amazing support! #dnd #osr #ttrpg www.kickstarter.com/projects/jos...

kickstarter.com

Shadowdark Triple Feature

Three one-shot adventure zines by Joseph R. Lewis

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I love the fact that after the initial hype almost a decade ago, cyclic dungeon generation is still worming its way through the minds of fans of #procgen, #ttrpg and #gamedev... Case in point: share.sender.net/campaigns/gI...

share.sender.net

use-this-system-to-build-awesome-dungeons-

A Cyclic Dungeon Generation walkthrough

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Just back from a week 'buitenkunst' (an artsy summercamp for all ages) where I spent my time designing and soldering these 'bosbeesten': a set of 7 animatronic twig creatures you could jack into an arduino 'brain' built into a log. My collaborator Arjan Verschoor took these awesome photographs.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I am really starting to see the case for the inclusion of 10 foot poles... #dnd #indiedev #gamedev #rpg #procgen

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Naomi Clark (@metasynthie) 暗悪直美 @halfrobot.com · 24/06/2026

Almost absurdly reasonable and nuanced take from Doctorow that still boils down to "AI centaurs basically fine, limited; AI reverse centaurs unwanted capitalist orgy of self-destruction" arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026...

arstechnica.com

How to burst the AI bubble: Strike at its roots

Sci-fi author/tech journalist Cory Doctorow on his new book, The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

I've been working on and thinking about traps and hazards. An important quality I try to build into these features is the affordance to probe something before you interact with it. Case in point: throw something that is not you into this portal as a way to find out what it does... #gamedev #indiedev

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Tommy Thompson @tommy.aiandgames.com · 19/05/2026

I forgot to say at the time but I've always been fascinated by the great work in trying to apply machine learning to procedural content generation. Because PCG is often logic-driven systems that manifest from the thoughtspace of the designer. Where tacit knowledge feeds into algorithmic design.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Just finished @mtrc.bsky.social's book Next Level about #procgen and it is awesome. Don't expect technical details about various clever algorithms, but rather an accessible, informed, and loving account of the creativity and ingenuity behind games like Minecraft and Caves of Cud. 5/5 stars! Easily!

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Kyle Geske @stungeye.com · 03/05/2026

"The underlying intelligence of a language model isn’t a function of its architecture, its parameter count, or the volume of compute thrown at its training. It's a function of the social complexity of the civilization whose language it digested." Compelling arg that AI is a tragedy of commons.

theideasletter.org

The Social Edge of Intelligence - The Ideas Letter

Simons challenges the dominant story of AI-driven efficiency, arguing that the intelligence powering today’s systems is built from accumulated human interaction. As organizations automate work and off...

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Having fun introducing a classic Unexplored 1 & 2 enemy into Bane: Screaming Skulls. Nasty little flame spirits that took possession of a skull. It was a bit of a puzzle to figure out how their screaming lunge attack would work in turn-based combat. But I think this will work! #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Just because every self-respecting fantasy #rpg should have flaming blades in their arsenal, doesn't mean the technology has to be flawless, right? Introducing a 'solflare' dagger in Bane. Activate at your own peril, and don't try this at home, kids! #indiedev #gamedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Knowing that the enemy is coming and allowing you to prepare for combat is such a powerful moment in #ttrpgs. Making noises could already draw enemies in Bane, but now you know this is happening so you can act before the few precious turns you have before they arrive. #screenshotsaturday #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Unexplored 1 came out almost a decade ago. But this week I still got some fan mail with this awesome home-printed and hand-painted 3D model of the avatar: #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

This is an important milestone for Bane. Moobak is an elusive, recurring figure from the lore of Unexplored 1 and 2 that now also haunts our new game. #saturdayscreenshot #indiedev #gamedev

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Jon Carling @joncarling.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

The Deer Knight and the Demon's Cave

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Look at me dodging all those magical discharges! Transposing 'myst' from Unexplored 1 & 2 to Bane. Myst is a magical gas that can violently discharge when hit by an arcane bolt causing a chain reaction. Instead of it being real time, Bane's Danger Mode handles the 'bullet time'. #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

This week I've been focusing on expanding 'mundane' interactions. One new cool feature is the ability to bury and dig up stuff. I mean, we have been calling Bane a 'sandbox rpg' so we had to have this, right?! What other cool actions do you expect to see in a game like this? #gamedev #indiedev

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Mike Cook @mtrc.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

I've written a book! Next Level: Making Games That Make Themselves is the story of procedural generation - the tech behind games like Minecraft and Dwarf Fortress. It's about how it works, the games that use it, and the art and magic behind it. Out May 7th, in bookshops: linktr.ee/next_level 🎲🔮

A picture of a hardback book on a washed blue background. The title is Next Level: Making Games That Make Themselves, by Mike Cook.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Been recycling features from Unexplored 1 and 2. Here's me getting obliterated trying to harvest some Pink Varo. The art is placeholder. The deadly plants fire vicious, quarrel-like seeds at you. For that reason I named it quarrellaurel, but I am open to better suggestions! #gamedev #indiedev

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Everything Procedural Conference @everythingproc.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

New speaker announcement📣: Tom Rethaller A practical deep dive into how we generated procedural terrain for Dune: Spice Wars with a team of 2 over less than 2 years. This talk covers the challenge of creating diverse desert landscapes with constrained and precise art direction. #gamedev#EPC2026

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

A big thanks to all the players who tried out Bane: Dawn of the Lost during NextFest! The demo will remain available. In fact you can expect there to be updates as we are expanding the features and content on our way to Early Access. store.steampowered.com/app/3194460/ #gamedev #indiedev

store.steampowered.com

Bane: Dawn of the Lost on Steam

Control a group of heroes or join a party of friends online in this old-school, turn-based, procedurally generated RPG. Be clever and careful while exploring ancient sites. Cooperate to survive traps,...

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Aftermath @aftermath.site · 02/03/2026

The secretive company filling video game sites with gambling and AI aftermath.site/gameshub-click...

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

First review for the demo of Bane is on Youtube! It is in German, but the auto dub feature seems to work well enough. Fajeth is clearly having fun and has good grasp of the way the games systems interact. #gamedev #indiedev www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxfW...

youtube.com

Erster Eindruck: Bane: Dawn of the Lost | Next Fest Demo

YouTube video by Fajeth Gaming

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Do we have some screenshots for #screenshotsaturday ? Hell, yeah! Bane's demo released on Steam yesterday so we have screenshots aplenty! If you didn't know: Bane is a turn-based, generative, sandbox rpg. Single-player for now. But soon you can play with friends online, too! #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Now that the demo for Bane is finally done, I found some time to write about the OSR philosophy behind the game. If you want to nerd out with me and read my riposte to Shigeru Miyamoto's critique of RPGs. Follow this link: www.ludomotion.com/blogs/bane-p... #gamedev #indiedev #rpg

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I pressed a green button today, and now the demo for Bane is available on Steam! If you are interested in party-based, procedurally generated, turn-based adventuring give it a go! Single-player for now, but that'll change soon! store.steampowered.com/app/3194460/... #indiedev #gamedev #procgen

store.steampowered.com

Bane on Steam

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

OK game, I was already dodging with disadvantage. But having me roll two natural 1s is a little too much don't ya think? #gamedev #indiedev #rpg

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Today I have been working on traps. Here's some possible things that might happen when you open a trapped chest depending how how the dice land, or what you choose to do. #gamedev #indiedev #rpg

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Len Maessen @lenmaessen.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Of ik de geschiedenis van games in de eerste 25 jaar van de 21ste eeuw wilde beschrijven in een groot stuk. "Erm", zei ik, "Dat is zo'n beetje de helft van de hele levensspanne van m'n medium." Zoek maar wat hoofdlijnen en kies scherp, was het antwoord. Bij deze. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

nrc.nl

Hoe games van kinder- en tienerspelletjes ook ‘grotemensencultuur’ werden

Een kwarteeuw kunst (slot) | games: In de game-wereld van de 21ste eeuw kwam er naast blockbusters als World of Warcraft en Call of Duty ruimte voor meer diverse en diepgaande, creatieve games, vaak g...

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

New personal ice swimming record today: by our measurement the water of the Amstel river was 0.5 degrees celsius... We lasted 2.5-3 minutes. Last year and the year before the temperature never dropped below 1.5.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

The menu in Bane where you can manage your party, recruit new members, and do some shopping now appears as the village square. #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

I haven't been posting many updates on my #indiedev project Bane recently. That doesn't mean that there hasn't been any. Far from it. This is the new menu where you can plan and prepare for new adventures. #gamedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Falling into the rabbit hole of researching West Marches campaigns... Both because it seems like a very good template to handle multiplayer in Bane, but also because I now desperately want to run one myself!

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Had a lot of fun drafting #ttrpg adventures the last couple of days. Did a full write up and even made a dungeon map using pastels. Will be play testing this one with Shadowdark at the library in Amsterdam this Wednesday. I'll probably seek to publish it somehow if it works well enough.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

It's been ages since I last posted something, but we are still making good progress... #indiedev #gamedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

The creature is called a Remnant Herald and it is going to feature in the upcoming demo of Bane. #gamedev #indiedev Wishlist on Steam to stay updated!

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Sersa Victory posted a free, small, simple dungeon crawling game that will have you exploring like it is 1981. Pencils and graph paper not included... #indiedev sersavictory.itch.io/catacombs-of...

sersavictory.itch.io

Catacombs of the Black Dragon by Sersa Victory

Dark fantasy reimagining of Hunt the Wumpus and the D&D handheld game

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Sometimes bugs are hilarious. I added 'slug meat', and edible item to the inventory of a big slug so they would drop it when you defeat them. This one decided to have a nibble during the fight and it "Tasted much better then you expected." lol

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Today I fell into the rabbit hole of making the rumor system. More control over enemies gives you better opportunities to provide rumors even before the levels are generated. Here's me doing a bit of adventure crafting and learning finding out about those levels. #gamedev #procgen #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

I am always looking for ways to improve my #procgen. Bane is no exception. Today I found myself rethinking enemy placement. Previously I using enemies mostly as hazards: a room needs content, a specific type of enemy is present so the generator is allowed to place them there. #gamedev #indiedev 1/8

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Expanding Bane's enemy roster. This is a naga... #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

So we've finally settled on the first draft for the core mechanics for Bane. The system is going to be very simple: you have 3 core stats: Resolve, Sleight, and Insight. Their values are added a D20 roll when make a skill check. (1/4) #gamedev #indiedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Well look at that! I did manage to finish the whole thing. Now I'm itching to find a moment to run it. Might be doable as a one-shot in a lean #ttrpg system. A few details still only exist in my head, though. Such as the chasm is filled with ice cold water that somehow always reflects the nightsky.

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Not completely finished yet. But made good progress in creating this adventure I called 'The Hall of Midnight'. The cards really helped fleshing things out and generating ideas. So I am pretty happy with that! But now I have to rest my poor hand. Not used to draw this much. #ttrpg #gamedev

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Printed myself a set of adventure idea cards based on videos by The Red Quills. Gonna use them to flesh out an idea for a #ttrpg adventure set in the Hall of Midnight that I rolled up earlier using my offline generator 'Places of Adventure' If it looks like something I'll share some pics tomorrow!

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Joris Dormans @jorisdormans.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Do I know somebody nearby that owns a 8bitdo Ultimate controller that I can borrow for an afternoon?

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