iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

@penny-arcade.com is predicting the dystopian future well before it gets here.

A panel from Penny Arcade where an executive type, you know the type, says "I have invented a new Everquest II peripheral - The visa crucible. Seriously, listen up. Okay, kids run mom's credit card through the Machine and the amount of money they pay directly equals the damage they deal. Each swipe of the card a slash of the sword! It's so pure I think I'm going to cry."

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I had a great time attending @fullindie.bsky.social last weekend, and it got me thinking about how to make games at this weird moment in time. Read away! elzyg.com/blog/full-in...

elzyg.com

The Devil's Terms of Service | Elzyg

Making games under capitalism and Full Indie Summit 2026.

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I feel like this section pointing out Xbox (and Microsoft's) enduring stupidity will be evergreen. elzyg.com/blog/full-in...

If you spend a lot of time online, which most of us inevitably do, the sense of gloom and despair in the games industry is profound. As I write this essay I’m watching the reactions flow in to Xbox firing another 268 workers and the promise of more layoffs to come. Xbox, which is to say, the slobbering corporate hellworm that is Microsoft, is also lumping studios together with all the finesse of an angry toddler. Actually, I take that back: toddlers have better object permanence than the executives at Microsoft. Hell, putting 4 year olds in charge of financial approvals at a AAA studio might be a net win because children are largely motivated by fun, not the state of a Q3 balance sheet.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It's a good day for a blog post. I've had thoughts brewing on this for 6 months (years really) and finally got them coherent enough to post. iskotaa.com/blog/2026-09...

iskotaa.com

Becoming Disconnected - Iskotaa

I'm drifting further away from platforms and their demands

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In light of the Tapas news, I hope this helps someone.

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Alexa Ray Corriea @alexaray.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I normally dislike armchair developer discourse, but I am in fact a developer in an armchair so I feel comfortable saying I cannot even guess what the thought process behind this shuffling could have been

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

First conference with @ellie.bsky.social as a studio at @fullindie.bsky.social! Fantastic talks so far and really well organized.

A photo of Studio Iskotaa, I.e. Lars and Ellie, at Full Indie Summit in Vancouver BC.

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Spending the day in a Westin ballroom for @fullindie.bsky.social and we’re off to an amazing start:

A slide on a large screen that says “What systems do you engage with? Will you use LinkedIn and forever be banished from the light of god?”

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Finnish friends, I seek your aid! Is there a reliable English version of Elias Lönnrot's "Kanteletar"? I'm hoping there might be a university press edition or the like. Recommendations for a good Finnish edition I can dictionary-muddle through are also welcome!

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Easing back into things. Here's The Mood: Fall 2026 elzyg.com/blog/2026-09...

elzyg.com

The Mood: Fall 2026 | Elzyg

Seasonal sensations, inspirations, and motifs for the months ahead.

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Marlow Stern @marlownyc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

‘The Matrix’ creator Lilly Wachowski on J.K. Rowling and the new ‘Harry Potter’ series: “She is funding trans genocide. J.K. Rowling funds trans genocide, full stop. So, if you support ‘Harry Potter,’ you’re supporting trans genocide.” variety.com/2026/tv/feat...

variety.com

Lilly Wachowski on Her New Studio Anarchists United, the Black Power Origins of ‘The Matrix’ and How ‘Harry Potter’ Fans Are ‘Supporting Trans Genocide’

‘The Matrix’ filmmaker Lilly Wachowski opens up about her new studio for marginalized voices Anarchists United, J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

"In spite of their endless pursuit of realism, video games are at their most powerful in their capacity for abstraction. The game designer's decision to simulate some things over others [...] – these are in turn invitations for players to fill in the blanks with a little bit of themselves."

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Two family members passed away within 3 weeks of each other last month and oh boy was that hard. I'm really looking forward to being back at work on the next Studio Iskotaa game and firing up the figure skating commentary for a new season.

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沁 @loika.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

absence

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I keep hoping I'll run out of reasons to repost this. Today is not that day.

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Game Maker's Toolkit @gamemakerstoolkit.com · 27/07/2026

Well, it finally happened! After 9 years of Unity dominance, Godot was the most used game engine for GMTK Game Jam 2026 submissions. 🤖 Godot - 47% 🎮 Unity - 34% 🛠️GameMaker - 5% 🚀 Unreal Engine - 3% ✨ Other - 11%

Pie chart showing game engines used to create 10,511 GMTK Game Jam games in 2026. Godot has the largest slice with 47%. Then Unity with 34%. Other with 11%. Game Maker with 5%. And Unreal Engine with 3%.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

You can follow other indie studios that have made the same commitment, right here on Bluesky! Check them out! go.bsky.app/6DRdowf go.bsky.app/AS5R4p7 go.bsky.app/7K7JDCJ #gamedev #noai

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🌷 vanemiin 🌷COMISSIONS OPEN! @vanemiin.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Haven't drawn much Zelda lately, here's something to warm up! #loz #oot #ocarinaoftime

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Continuing to refine and improve my 3d art. On the left is my new model, and on the right the original test. I feel like I've cracked the code on this one. #conceptart #watercolour #gamedev #indiegames

Two 3d models of a woman standing next to each other. The left model has a cleaner look and better eyes and facial features. The model on the right is rough and cartoonish. They stand in front of painted flowers, grass, bushes, and trees. The entire scene is watercolour.

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any cuter…

Little chipmunk decides to move onto boot, signs lease, never leaving.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

@ellie.bsky.social’s photo roll reminded me of the time a chipmunk stopped to have a snack on my boot

A chipmunk sitting on the toe of old hiking boots having a little picnic of acorns and moss. Satisfied, the chipmunk had a short nap before scampering off.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

This article does an excellent job of summarizing the feelings I've had about all the recent PlayStation and Xbox announcements. www.gamespot.com/articles/the...

gamespot.com

There Is No Reason To Buy Another PlayStation Or Xbox

Increasingly poor decisions are making it impossible to want or get a next-gen console.

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Daryl Surat @darylsurat.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Looks like the Sony PR team has begun its consent manufacturing operation among the media in the past 24 hours. I wonder how many other gaming outlets and influencers this week will also happen to put up posts/articles/videos declaring that eliminating physical media from consoles is good, actually?

Tweet from the official Gizmodo account posted 16 hours ago linking to an article with the headline “Game Discs Deserve to Die.” The accompanying photo is that of a hand with painted fingernails placing a silver-bottomed disc into a PlayStation 5.

Tweet from the official Polygon account posted 23 hours ago stating “I won’t mourn Playstation discs” with a link to a self-styled “spicy takes” op-ed column. The accompanying photo is of a PlayStation 4 ejecting a copy of 2013’s Killzone Shadow Fall, the first PS4 title to sell over one million copies whose servers were nevertheless shut down in 2022 such that all you can do with a copy these days is play its lackluster single player campaign.

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Chris Person @papapishu.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Microsoft engineered this so that it looked the least bad optically while at the same time still committing a slaughter, all so that Satya Nadella can still dick around with more useless AI horseshit. Fuck him and fuck Microsoft.

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Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Glad to see my Ai statement in use in various places & all the thought behind this from @magistracohen.bsky.social

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Game Informer @gameinformer.com · 03/07/2026

Opinion: The PS5 and Xbox Series X generation has been a race to the bottom buff.ly/RFKva6J

A header image depicting an Xbox Series X and a PS5 underwater

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Babe&Oak @babeandoak.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

✨🍁 Happy Canada Day 🍁 ✨ Find and support some amazing Canadian based artists 💛 go.bsky.app/5Qisn5N

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Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

The Wachowski sisters didn't use 120 cameras to film one shot just so you could tell me that AI is "inevitable."

Bullet time sequence in The Matrix featuring 120 still cameras in a big circle

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Penny Arcade @penny-arcade.com · 29/06/2026

Why can't Epic just be more like their big brother, Valve? There are enough villains already, we don't need one more Tim! See and read the full comic on penny-arcade.com ! #epicgames #capitalism #timsweeney #comedy #foryou

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Teeg @teeketch.art · 27/06/2026

Always happy to help pals out with their projects anyway I can. Ben asked if they could use this badge I made ages ago and I was happy to oblige. I even made some alternates and said use whichever they preferred. Check out the game and support/follow if you can 🤙💙

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

I don't think I'm buying any electronics for the next four years. Time to dig out the Gamecube and get some replays in

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Godot Engine @godotengine.org · 26/06/2026

We've published Godot Engine's first written vision statement, formalizing a decade of shared experience building, releasing, and maintaining it. This is intended to guide the Godot Foundation as we make decisions about where to allocate our resources. Read more: godotengine.org/article/godo...

godotengine.org

Vision for the Engine – Godot Engine

The Godot Foundation formalizes its vision for the engine with a written statement

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Ellie @ellie.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Visiting the gardens in the last hour they’re open = good light and no competition for the photo spots.

Rose garden with green shrub-bordered beds and a stone arch in the background.

Stone-lined walkway bordered with grasses and flowering plants.

Pond filled with floating lotus plants in late evening light.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

I’ve fallen for this one far too often 🥲

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Sam Antics @dsoart.com · 23/06/2026

Garffeld

Three panel comic of an homage to the first Garfield strip, but Jon is a monk and Garfield is a medieval rendering of a cat. In the first panel, Jon says, “HWÆT, LAM JON ARBUCKLE. I AM A MONK, AND THIS MY CATTE, GARFFELD.” In the second panel, Garffeld is thinking, “ HWÆT, I AM GARFFELD. I AM A CATTE, AND THIS IS MY MONK, JON.” In the last panel, Jon says, “OUR ONLY THOUGHT IS TO GLORIFY GOD.” Garffeld thinks, “FEDE ME.”

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Joel | Porch Weather Games @jhaddock.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

With #SteamNextFest over, I'll give a rundown of how things went for Tyrants Must Fall for the sake of sharing the ugly side of things for #indiedev short answer: terrible. ~100 total demo downloads 20 people actually played 30 added wishlists during the event 1/

A screenshot of Tyrants Must Fall's engagement during Steam Next Fest

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Now that Nib and Ink fest is over I can post this silly little comic I did for the charity zine. The theme was 'Eureka'.

PANEL 1
Rey, a short fox in a tunic, is stirring a giant cauldron with a manic expression.
REY
Yes! This is it. With this brew I’ll redeem everything about myself.
PANEL 2
She stands on a stool next to boxes of personal items labeled “TEEN STUFF”. She dumps in a box of memorabilia while the pot “gurgles” and overflows.
REY
A childhood doll. My teen diaries. A hair from my first crush....I’ll have the secret to a happy, well-adjusted life.
PANEL 3
“SADNESS” explodes out of the cauldron, sending books, hearts, and choke necklaces flying through the air.
PANEL 4
Rey stands amongst the wreckage as items fall back down to earth. She is covered in blackened bits and slime. Smoke billows behind her as the cauldron overflows.
REY
Maybe a little less “self-actualization” in the next batch.

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Lars • Iskotaa @lars.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

homestarrunner.com has the correct update strategy

A screenshot of the top of the homestar runner website that says "Updated every someday"

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Kitty Crawford @kittycrawford.com · 17/06/2026

Psst, did you know you can add this as an award on your steam page? It might make it easier for players who hate AI to know for sure you haven't used it in your game (they're trusting you to be honest thou!) Feel free to nick it from our page 😉 store.steampowered.com/app/4253020/...

A steam award that says' this developer assures that no gen ai was used in this indie game'

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