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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Too late I got the idea to maybe have a dark green grassy tile under each flower, which would free up an extra color to use for the flower itself (its green would be handled by transparent pixels showing the green underneath)... Oh well. For a demo release, I think this is fine. ^^

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The past week was spent researching 32 flowers, animating 32 flowers, putting together 32 flowers puns, collecting 32 flower facts, and of course making the code to run it all. I'm lily glad to be done with this sidequest. 🙃 #MayGame #gamedev #indiegame #cozygame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

That's basically what's happening, yeah. The code adds it as a child node. Or a grandchild, for some. I opted for a factory pattern, where each ingame object is assembled in pieces, in code, rather than via a prebuilt scene tree. Makes it easy to keep things consistent and add/remove them any time.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Thank you! Lots of trial and error but we're getting there!

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'd be very interested to know if other engines have something like this!

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Refactored into it, actually. 😅 This is my first time working with any game engine. So much of this is just learning how to do things and then making it better and easier to add content for.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This week I merged a bunch of systems in my game into one. Shadows, held items, sparkle fx, "Zzz" text, pickup animations, and more, can now be added or removed from any object with one line of code. This makes things very flexible and convenient. 😊 #MayGame #indiegame #gamedev #WishlistWednesday

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Let's see how things look when we add five different subsprites at once... Yep it looks awful. 🫠 Maybe we'll stick to just one or two at a time.

An image showing the protagonist with a giant red ball, a small bug, a pink sparkle, a floating "Z" and tall grass covering her legs, all at once. The code responsible for this is also displayed, and reads:

SubspriteTools.add_subsprite(self, C.SubspriteType.HEAVYITEM_REDBALL)
SubspriteTools.add_subsprite(self, C.SubspriteType.BUCK)
SubspriteTools.add_subsprite(self, C.SubspriteType.SPARKLES_LARGE_PINK)
SubspriteTools.add_subsprite(self, C.SubspriteType.TERRAIN_GROUND)
SubspriteTools.add_subsprite(self, C.SubspriteType.SLEEP_ZZZ_16_RIGHT)

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Thanks - and I agree! I also found a blog post by the main artist for Celeste who wrote about this very thing (style consistency and when to break it). Lots of good info to consider! saint11.art/blog/consist...

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Oh wow even changing the window size! That can't have been easy!

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

At the moment, I think this font, and then things like LCD and CRT shaders, are the only things in the game that will allow sub-pixel rendering.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Lots of pixelated games provide the option of an HD (non-pixel) font. Many players prefer it. I wanted to see how technically feasible it would be, since everything else is forcibly rendered with strict pixel-precision. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad. ^^ #gamedev #MayGame #Godot #gamedesign

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Yeah it's a bit slow. The idea is to use it for very important moments. Less than 10, probably. Moments that imo shouldn't be rushed. We'll see... And thanks! 😊

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I've begun tidying up the codebase for my game: simplifying the APIs, adding tests, and creating cheatsheets to make adding content easier. For today, this means the screen overlay effects. They can now be used in any cutscene via a common API. #MayGame #cozygame #indiegame #WishlistWednesday

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Also, sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been posting some unpolished updates on my @micalpixel.bsky.social dev account. And it's all been design document work. Not much to actually *show*. But with that out of the way, I should have more to share now. ^^

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

This is a bit different from how other games handle carryable objects. Especially the lack of throwing and being able to attack while carrying it. But I think this will lead to some unique gameplay. Maybe you can jump over gaps. But the ball can't. So you must find another way.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

In my game, you can pick up and carry certain large objects. Here's how they work: - You can pick it up by walking into it. - If you jump, you'll drop it. - You can't throw it (too heavy) - But you CAN whistle (attack) while carrying it. #MayGame #WishlistWednesday #cozygame #indiegame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

The tutorial area for my game is now in a finished playable state, and here it is, from beginning to end. It teaches most of the basic gameplay mechanics. And now has music and lots of sfx too. This is a major milestone for me and I'm very happy with it. ^^ #indiegame #cozygame #GameDev #MayGame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

How can you tell if there's still something to solve in a room? And what will happen once it's solved? Easy. A Puzzlegeist will be there. Draped over a door. Or a locked chest. Or just hanging out. Maybe your map will even show where they're still around. #gamedev #indiegame #cozygame #MayGame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The bulbs can be farmed for items, give the player something to do on screens with no puzzles, and also are more fitting for the grassy overworld than blocks. So they have enough uses that they will remain. A one-way counterpart, not so much.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Good question!! I'm thinking of ditching them. They could be used to: 1. Create one-way zones (a restraint useful for puzzles) 2. Create mazes The flippable tiles can be used to do both. So, the red directional mushrooms are kinda redundant now.

An image of a top-down pixelart indie game in development. The player character, a girl dressed in pink, stands in a cave area with two blocks in front of her, but they are arranged in a way where the player is unable to move them, from the bottom. But could move them from the top.

An image of a top-down pixelart indie game in development. The player character, a girl dressed in pink, stands in a cave area filled with directional blocks which form a maze.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

She climbs that rope way too fast. 🤣 Gonna slow it down next time (sorry May)

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

May has no weapon, and destructible terrain has its uses in a game, so shattering crystals with sound seemed like a good idea at the time. But...appreciating natural beauty is kinda a theme in this game. So swapping them out for plants that open up feels like a better thematic choice.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

On second thought, maybe shattering (nice-looking) destructible crystals into tiny pieces isn't quite the vibe I want to go for. 🤨 So how about instead, a bulb that opens up when you whistle at it? Might be something useful inside. Oh and here's a new rope-climbing mechanic too. #MayGame #gamedev

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

There is some funky physics going on, for sure. 😁 But maybe that's just how things work in this world. ^^ bsky.app/profile/mayg...

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

There are some things I *really* like about these blocks that you don't get from typical block-pushing puzzles: - they're FAST. No tedious dragging a block across the room one tile at a time. - they can't get stuck. Hit a wall? No problem. Just launch it again.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Another block type has entered the chat. These blue arrow blocks are similar to your typical ice blocks, but: - They're 2-way only. - You can trigger them from any angle, even if you're in their way. #MayGame #gamedev #indiegame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I'm actually doing a playthrough of Zelda: Oracle of Ages right now! No joke! 😊 Love the Switch Hook. They should bring it back. +1 on cool magical elements. And yes to beta testing. I really do want to get actual player feedback on this before releasing!!

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Very true. It's preferable to have puzzle elements that behave like in real life, so they're easier for a player to learn. But there's plenty of wonky magic going on in these games too. Hopefully as long as the game doesn't g overwhelm the player with too many such things, it's fine...

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Yeah, this is part of what bugs me... Maybe I could use a lore excuse that their dual solid/non-solid nature is a form of technology. They work similar to stunned enemies, which also occupy space without dislodging. So hopefully it will be somewhat familiar.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

As far as the non-solid wireframe state goes... It looks and works exactly like stunned enemies in this game. They become wireframes and safe to pass through. So the player should hopefully be familiar with it already.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Thanks! Yeah, I'll definitely try to ease people into these mechanics. Maybe just one that flips out of the way at the start. And then slowly add more steps.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

And yes they're made to look like a spiral notebook. Which hopefully...maybe...helps sell the idea? ...Do people still use spiral notebooks? Or am I old? XD

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Your angle doesn't affect the direction they flip. And they become non-solid if they land on a creature, and won't re-solidify until the space is free. Real life doesn't work like this. And I've never seen a game do this. And I have a nagging anxiety that maybe there's a good reason for that...?

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Serious question: Are these flip-able blocks easy to understand as a game mechanic? Do they look fun? I'm experimenting with blocks that behave in non-standard ways, and I worry they're too unconventional and players might have a hard time adjusting... #MayGame #gamedev #WishlistWednesday

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

The blobs' walk animation always felt a bit off, since the animation frame updates were not synced with their movement frames. No sub-pixel interpolation allowed, so it was kinda noticeable. Fortunately, this long-standing issue is now fixed. #MayGame #GameDev #indiegame #cozygame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

- And too gray. Too desaturated compared to the rest of the game.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Here's the old cave tileset. - Walls were a lot more "noisy" in terms of pixels. - Their colors were too similar to walkable tiles - Did not handle multi-level floors - Water edge tiles used a different perspective (straight-down rather than angled)

Another image of a screenshot of a pixelated cave. Which, in the author's opinion, is uglier than the new one.

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Hello, everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the absence. Lots of drawing board work the last two weeks. The cave tileset has gotten a complete overhaul - as well as the water edge tiles. This is the first room of the currently-WIP "tutorial cave." #ScreenshotSaturday #indiegame #cozygame #MayGame

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May and the Amazing Bouquet | Wishlist on Steam! @maygame.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

We now have sound effects! 🔊 All created with the audio tool I made earlier this year. That thing took almost 2 months to make but was worth it! 🙌 #WishlistWednesday #indiegame #cozygame #MayGame #gameaudio

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