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Doug Pennant

@ludiotic.bsky.social
468 followers 486 following 141 posts

Senior Producer at Infinity Ward | He/Him | Colour-blind | Author of "Pocket Mentor for Game Production"

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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I worked at Creative Assembly for 9 years, and there was such a different culture between the Total War and Console teams, and I've finally written up my thoughts on how this happens. The key: it's all in the environment... Substack Link in reply
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I played Final Fantasy VII in 1997, featuring "Cloud", 29 years ago... I played Final Fantasy VIII in 1999, featuring "Squall", 27 years ago... ...and only today, on the 27th of August 2026, do I realise that their names basically mean the same thing. -_-
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Spellkollektivet, an indie dev community in Sweden, are trying to buy their building they're in, otherwise they might have to leave. They make games and maintain their lives together. It's a glorious example of a community around a shared passion. I've donated. GoFundMe link in replies 👇
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Following on from last week's exploration of waterfall, here is a more technical guide to one of the ways the games industry manages these monstrous projects. #gamedev #production #waterfall #agile #projectmanagement dougpennant.substack.com/p/the-same-d...
dougpennant.substack.com
The Same Damn Tool I Build Every Damn Project
And Why It Keeps Coming Back To “Resource Vs Workload”
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Back after a short break with a reality check on how waterfall projects are likely here to stay, but why that isn't really a problem... #gamedev #production #waterfall #agile #projectmanagement dougpennant.substack.com/p/waterfall-...
dougpennant.substack.com
Waterfall Isn’t Going Away
But We Can Get Better At It
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
In my game career I never got a formal class in what the classic "milestones" were for, so here is my write-up for anyone who is still getting their head around all this jargon: dougpennant.substack.com/p/pre-produc... #gamedev #production #milestones #projectmanagement
dougpennant.substack.com
Pre-Production? Alpha? What?
Right, let me explain these milestones...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
If you see this post your getaway vehicle
static.klipy.com
Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, and Matt Lucas in a Bath
ALT: Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, and Matt Lucas in a Bath
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
This week's article is for any producers looking to be mobile in their career: leave a good trail behind you. dougpennant.substack.com/p/dont-pass-... #gamedev #production #leadership
dougpennant.substack.com
Don't Pass The Garbage
Good handovers will leave success in your wake
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
For music lovers/musicians that want a listening platform that looks out for the artists: Subvert.fm has just launched. This is a platform that is co-owned by is artists and community, and it's looking to grow. Have a look, and consider joining. #music #coop #subvert
subvert.fm
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
This week's article is "The Power Of The Stupid Question", one of my favourite techniques for breaking down assumptions in teams. If you lead with your own humility, you can inspire it in others. dougpennant.substack.com/p/the-power-... #gamedev #production #leadership #humility
dougpennant.substack.com
The Power of The Stupid Question
How You Can Lead With Humility
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
This week I'm continuing to write about accountability, and how you can set the best example with full decision ownership and disclosure. I'm curious...has anyone here already used "Decision Logs"? #gamedev #production #decisions #leadership dougpennant.substack.com/p/own-your-d...
dougpennant.substack.com
Own Your Decisions
How Decision Logs Create Autonomy And Commitment
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
If you haven't heard of "Risk Management", then my latest article will be an introduction to something very useful. If you are already experienced with risk management then what stories do you have? #gamedev #production #risks dougpennant.substack.com/p/hope-is-no...
dougpennant.substack.com
“Hope” Is Not A Strategy
How To Get Started With Risk Management
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Building on last week's article on ownership, this week I'm sharing how to help iron out those ownership gaps your work can fall into. #gamedev #production #ownership #accountability #yesitslate dougpennant.substack.com/p/the-x-and-...
dougpennant.substack.com
The X and Y Axes of Accountability
Where Feature Meets Pipeline
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Looks like a Bill too lock 3D printing into just a few companies 😬 The Dangers of California’s Legislation to Censor 3D Printing www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
eff.org
The Dangers of California’s Legislation to Censor 3D Printing
California’s bill, AB 2047, will not only mandate censorware on all 3D printers; it will also criminalize the use of open-source alternatives. Repeating the mistakes of DRM won’t make anyone safer, bu...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
This week I'm confronting the question "Can somebody do this?", and exploring why it's so important to give each job a named owner, and how producers make a process of this in the industry. #gamedev #production #ownership dougpennant.substack.com/p/every-prob...
dougpennant.substack.com
Every Problem Needs An Owner
Why “somebody should do this” doesn’t get anything done
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
I've wanted to write this one for ages: I think producers should study design. We wrangle so much information and process, but we're not trained in understanding the minds receiving it. Extended pitch within: dougpennant.substack.com/p/the-value-... #gamedev #gameproduction #design
dougpennant.substack.com
The Value of Design Skills In Production
Why Producers Should Study Design Principles
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Interesting development - #Valve has done a deal with #S&box (i.e. Garrys Mod 2) in which people will be able to sell the games they make on #Steam...royalty-free. 0.0 This feels like a response to the Roblox generation, and quite an exciting one: www.gamesradar.com/games/simula...
gamesradar.com
Garry's Mod creator partners with Valve in deal that ensures games made in his sandbox gem's new successor can be sold royalty-free on Steam: "It's just waiting for us now"
Garry Newman is paying forward the opportunities he's received
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
This is fantastic. You can put websites (and also people) in, and it gives a brutally sarcastic response talking about how AI replaceable they are. deathbyclawd.com
deathbyclawd.com
Are You Just a .md File?
Find out if your SaaS can be replaced by a Claude Skill. The SaaSpocalypse Survival Scanner.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
This week I'm looking at the reality of joining a new studio in an industry that often doesn't have time to plan effective onboarding, and how a producer can take control of their own start in a new role: dougpennant.substack.com/p/you-need-t... #gamedev #production #projectmanagement
dougpennant.substack.com
You Need To Onboard Yourself
Nobody else knows what you don’t know.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This week I'm writing about the difficulty of finding information in large game studios, and with it the success of one simple solution at my previous company. open.substack.com/pub/dougpenn... #gamedev #production #projectmanagement
open.substack.com
When No-one Knows Who To Ask
And why we created the "Ask Production" channel
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
This week I'm writing about the value of game producers having changeable plans, and why they should aim to become their team's "sat-nav": dougpennant.substack.com/p/a-good-pro... #gamedev #production #projectmanagement
open.substack.com
A Good Producer Always Has A Plan
A great producer always has several
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
This week I've been writing about the challenge of bringing improvements to frantic and busy game teams, and the methods I use to help solutions catch up with the pace of development. substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
When Everyone Is Too Busy For Your Great Ideas
How to make improvements when no-one has time for them.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Yes, I know...another damn substack, but after the book I really want to keep writing. So... This will be a free, weekly article containing practical lessons from my game development experiences. Human-written and voiced. Subscribe if it's your thing. 🙂 dougpennant.substack.com/p/game-produ...
dougpennant.substack.com
Game Production: A Lifetime At The Edge Of Chaos
It sounds dramatic, but this is the job.
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Reposted by Doug Pennant
HiG @humansingames.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Looking for a publisher and feeling lost in the void? 😵‍💫 HiG has you covered with a growing list of publishers you can actually pitch to. Link in bio #hig #gamedev #knowledgeispower #gamedevresources
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Ooof... Just played through "and Roger". 60 minutes of heartache. The kind of game where every drag of the mouse feels like an emotional journey. If you played Florence, you should give this a look.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Anyone else doing the Global Game Jam this year? I'll be in GGJ Digital Nomads hub in Brasov, Romania!
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
TIL about "The Breachies" - awards for the Worst, Weirdest and Most Impactful data breaches of the year, as compiled by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. My personal favourite is the "I Didn't Even Know You Had My Information Award given to Gravy Analytics🫠 www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
eff.org
The Breachies 2025: The Worst, Weirdest, Most Impactful Data Breaches of the Year
Another year has come and gone, and with it, thousands of data breaches that affect millions of people. The question these days is less, Is my information in a data breach this year? and more How many...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
As someone who cannot bear to read 15 pages of Terms and Conditions every time I sign into a cafe's WIFI 😵‍💫 I've started a small monthly donation to ToS:DR, a free service that grades websites and services on their ToS and summarises the risks. tosdr.org/en
A screenshot of the linked website. The headline reads "Terms of Service. Didn't Read." The tagline reads "I have read and agree to the Terms, is the biggest lie on theweb. Together, we can fix that." Below is a search bar, and two graphics displaying the summaries for Facebook and Amazon. Some lines are in green, and others are in red with crosses to indicate they are bad for the user.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Here's a 10 min segment of a great conversation I had written Gengis. This bit focuses on how you get opportunities in the game industry, or any other industry they. Spoilers: it's through relationships 🫵😶 youtu.be/DzM2_KTCdS8?...
youtu.be
Be Human First to Break into Games
YouTube video by Gengis
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Anyone into Cryptic Crosswords? Nice daily game with just one word per day, with useful hints if needed. Minute Cryptic - 18 August, 2025 "Temperamental electric air conditioning unit starts malfunctioning under 90 degrees" (5) 🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 I scored: 2 under par www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...
minutecryptic.com
Minute Cryptic
Solve a clue with a hidden meaning
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Inspired by the ridiculous UK Online Safety Act, I've started donating to the EFF. (www.eff.org). A non-profit dedicated to the protection of a digital landscape that is free, private, secure, and creative, achieved through legal work and journalism. Starting to put my money where my values are.
eff.org
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Defending your rights in the digital world
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Just finished The Baby In Yellow. Fucking brilliant game. All the madness, oppression and cosmic awe that you want from a Lovecraft game, with great puzzles, and this bastard little baby ruining it all. (Trigger warnings for parents/babysitters - may be relatable) youtu.be/CCveqwondjw?...
youtu.be
The Baby in Yellow - Steam Announcement Trailer
YouTube video by Team Terrible
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 10/08/2025
Just finished Thank Goodness You're Here. Absolute gem! Don't think I've ever laughed so much at a video game! XD I knew it was going to be good when this was the very first screen... Bravo @coalsupper.bsky.social !
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Oh dear, I've been shown a daily cryptic puzzle game Minute Cryptic - 8 August, 2025 "Song at night club leaves Lucy transfixed by mirrorball?" (7) ⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 I scored: 3 under par www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...
minutecryptic.com
Minute Cryptic
Solve a clue with a hidden meaning
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
Do you like TANK GAMES? 💥💥💥(shout out for a former colleague's new game) TANKENSTEIN is a fight-upgrade-and-survive tank game from a 2-person studio, in early access now. Give it a Wishlist if it looks like your thing: store.steampowered.com/app/3814340/... #gamedev #indiegames
store.steampowered.com
Tankenstein on Steam
Tankenstein is a 3rd person ARPG where the player controls a dishevelled tank in a post apocalyptic wasteland looking for new parts to survive and upgrade itself. All of the other tanks in the scrapya...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
I might regret this, but with a #game-dev book coming out I felt the need to make a YouTube video about it... youtu.be/bRL2oGKufkc Now available for pre-order from Routledge and Amazon, The Pocket Mentor for Game Production will be a head-start for any aspiring game producer and team leader!
youtu.be
I've written a book about Game Production!
YouTube video by Ludiotic
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
I love seeing video games raise unheard voices, and share untold stories, and @palestineskategame.bsky.social is exactly this. It honours a people, their spirit, and their love of life despite their oppression. #game-dev #palestine #palestineskategame www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250605-pal...
middleeastmonitor.com
Palestine Skating Game reimagines resistance on wheels
...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Just finished reading the Dune Saga, (just the Frank Herbert ones). Lots to take away from it. His writing style is incredible for emotional depth, but does become frustrating when it takes two whole pages for someone to internally react to a single greeting. 😵‍💫 Still, glad I read them. 👍
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
This lands pretty close, I think 😆
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Reposted by Doug Pennant
Rev Austin @revaustin.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Good news if you're in #gamedevelopment and looking for a #gamejam - the #thatgamecompany x #COREBLAZER Game Jam is now live over on @itch.io Skinny: shorturl.at/7Xt47 #EnebaIndependentGamingNews #Itch #gamedev
shorturl.at
Thatgamecompany X COREBLAZER Game Jam Now Live
The thatgamecompany X COREBLAZER Game Jam is now live, with a theme of "Generosity." Submissions end on June 8, 2025.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
Playing Tunic, and I couldn't help feeling that this was something from a Gen Z dating manual...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
Binge-played #Cocoon this weekend and I am in awe. No text, no UI, no tutorial, yet all the mind-bending puzzles were completely intuitive, satisfying, and beautifully presented throughout. Masterclass in game design. A must-play for designers. @geometricinteractive.com @annapurna.com
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
Couldn't finish #TheInvincible, as I hit the lag issues at the base, and I couldn't find a resolution. Still, played most and then watched the rest I want to congratulate @starwardindustries.bsky.social and @11bitstudios.bsky.social on a wonderful, contemplative narrative experience. 🙏
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
New pope is from Chicago so...wait, does that mean... #pope
media.tenor.com
two men are driving a car with the words " we 're on a mission from god "
ALT: two men are driving a car with the words " we 're on a mission from god "
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Random thought: is the Statue of Liberty a kaiju? ...it even walks in Ghostbusters 2...
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
www.androidcentral.com/phones/fairp... Nice piece. I've had my Fairphone 4 since 2022. Swapped out the USB-C port one time. Piece of cake. Still good. 👍 Hoping we see more companies dive in on home-repairable technology. 🤞 @fairphone.com keep it up!
androidcentral.com
Fairphone is doing what Apple and Samsung can't. Or won't.
Doing it right.
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Hot take: the next Smash Bros game character roster should include the Duolingo Owl 🫵😶 #smashbros #duolingo #ineedcoffee
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
This is fantastic news for colourblind gamers! Many game devs lack the accessibility tools they would love to employ, so sharing tools like Chroma helps developers to make their games accessible to wider audiences, which is great news for developers and players alike! #accessibility #a11y #gamedev
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
So this place is cool 🤘🥶
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Doug Pennant @ludiotic.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
For anyone looking for entry-level work!
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