iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve @megadwarf.ca · 14/07/2026

Overhauled the bejeezus out of my... Deckidex? Deckopedia? Decklindex? I dunno. Pretty happy with how it turned out, sounds and all. Properly logs encountered and captured creatures! #GameDev #Pokemon #IndieDev #IndieGame

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 27/06/2026

Been away doing full-time contract work (still am), but getting back into tinkering! Just added support for trainers to give a list of rewards instead of just money. #GameDev #IndieDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 20/11/2025

My endless hatred for UI programming continues to burn brightly. But now I have drag and drop support for your team + creature storage! #GameDev #IndieDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 15/11/2025

Playable Arcade Machines! I like to take "breaks" from my main games to dabble in other genres pretty often. So why not do that in the same project and slap 'em in arcade machines? Lots of abilities, bosses with special attacks, items, etc. Now back to the real thing! #GameDev #IndieDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 25/10/2025

Animated creature portraits! This one took a while but static images felt so lame in comparison. [Temp UI, as per usual] #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 20/10/2025

Blackjack in an underground parlor! I got carried away after the whole Slot Machine thing. It's basic (no splitting and whatnot) but cute! #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 19/10/2025

Slots! (Simply ignore I that I am testing them in a toxic dump environment) The first area is a resort town so I thought I should add some classic resort activities like losing all of your money. #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 15/10/2025

Since I started adding Traits, I've wanted one that spawns a temporary ghost with its own cards when a creature is defeated. Dispels after a set # of turns/on revive! Tons of work for a single trait - oh well, still cool! [Generated card art is temp for prototyping] #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 14/10/2025

I can now trigger different swim animations per body of water! You don't have to let your legs drag through sewer water anymore! #GameDev #IndieDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 12/10/2025

Conditional Dialogue and Animations! Also my first time blabbing over a video, so enjoy my dulcet tones. [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 08/10/2025

Got distracted blocking out the sewer area and decided I needed interactive garbage... #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 06/10/2025

Simple Wait for Time of Day mechanic. NPCs don't have schedules (yet?), but creatures have multipliers on their spawn chances based on the time of day. #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 05/10/2025

I said Character Creation was a later thing... But what if instead...? Was a doozy to get working with the save and load system, but it's all done and moderately polished. #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 30/09/2025

The catch mechanic now has visuals! Needs some more 𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘩 still, but it'll get there. Anything obvious immediately stand out as missing to you? This took me forever as is... so let's call it good enough for now 👍 [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #IndieDev #GameDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 23/09/2025

You can now attempt to flee battles (only as your first action per turn)! Animation needs some love, but I'm happy with it 🏃 [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 21/09/2025

Scribbles are my ✨ aesthetic ✨ Back to the UI grind... This time, first pass at a pause menu (and refactoring how saving/loading works). Lots left to do, but enough for now! Feel free to ignore the save timestamps that say how late I stayed up to finish this. #GameDev #IndieDev #Unity #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 19/09/2025

Combo cards! You can enhance effects of cards if the last card played did a certain damage type or applied a certain status. Along with a visual indicator that the combo is ready. [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 18/09/2025

Phew, got multi-targeting abilities working. Needs some feedback and polish love, but the core is there and I can take a long break from it now! [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 17/09/2025

Finally got around to (very painfully) adding UI animations for 'On Draw' card effects for both teams. You can actually kind of tell what is going on now! Before, every card just popped its effect instantly and all at once.😬 [Generated card art is temporary for prototyping] #GameDev #IndieDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 13/09/2025

Can you pet the dog? You can, in fact, pet 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆. First pass of the Dynamic Petting System! You even crouch to pet the small ones! @canyoupetthedog.com #IndieDev #GameDev #SoloDev #Pokemon

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 11/09/2025

Silly intro sequence and the first iteration of equippable clothing (at some point there will be full character customization but I got bigger fish to fry). #GameDev #IndieDev #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 15/07/2025

It wouldn't be a game made by me if there wasn't some kind of dress up mechanic... #IndieDev #GameDev #IndieGame

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 15/06/2025

Added coloured rarity backgrounds to the overview. Now to think of more stats that I should track. store.steampowered.com/app/3782040/... #GameDev #IndieDev #SteamNextFest #NextFest

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 14/06/2025

Phew. The weekend is here to save the day from daily wishlist decay. Try out my demo! store.steampowered.com/app/3782040/... #GameDev #IndieGame #SteamNextFest #NextFest

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 13/06/2025

Added a much needed overview screen (now live in the Demo on Steam!). You can now access a list of all your equipment and dinosaurs so you don't have to look around your gym. AND everything updates in real-time. #GameDev #IndieGame #SteamNextFest #NextFest

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 08/06/2025

store.steampowered.com/app/3782040/... Jurassic Gym Demo is live for Steam Next Fest (a wee bit early, because why not). Give it a try! #GameDev #IndieGame #NextFest #SteamNextFest

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 05/06/2025

store.steampowered.com/app/3782040/... The demo for my silly little desktop game where you run a modern day gym for dinosaurs will be part of Steam Next Fest. Try it, wishlist it, review it! #GameDev #IndieGame #NextFest

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 31/05/2025

New little trailer for Jurassic Gym! (Making trailers is hard, man.) store.steampowered.com/app/3695640/... #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 27/05/2025

Floor changing shaders! This took... so long. I am not the most familiar with shader graph, but after much trial and tribulation, I'm pretty happy with the result. Also added subtle environment particles (like snow) to some flooring. #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev #art

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 20/05/2025

I said "Wiggle" to myself one too many times while making animations for when you pick dinosaurs up. Thus, a dinosaur wiggling music video was born. store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 #GameDev #IndieGame #art #music

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 19/05/2025

In my haste, I wrote a terrible, truly awful auto save system that SPEWED garbage and made the game hang. I just finished spending a deeply embarrassing amount of time rewriting it... but I got its garbage allocation down 99.78%. I hated every second of it, but I am glad it is done. #GameDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 18/05/2025

Just a freeze frame from a Brachiosaurus animation. This game is very realistic. #GameDev #IndieGame #wip #art

Where do I even begin? It's a Brachiosaurus in front of a rack of modern day dumbbells - one is laying on the ground in front of the dinosaur. The Brachiosaurus is reeled back on its two hind legs and its neck is bent all the way back so his head is looking at his butt. The end.

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 18/05/2025

First pass on a tutorial system, featuring Assistant Gym Manager Tyler Rex and his dialogue system that can trigger sprite changes during the typewriter effect. (The black portions of the screen are transparent in builds. The game sits on your taskbar :) ) #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev #wip

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 17/05/2025

This one was a doozy. Because the game takes place sitting on your taskbar, I had to figure out how to offset the camera and the UI dynamically based on your operating system (Win 10/11). Then on top of that, a custom offset so you can tweak it to your liking. #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev #wip

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 16/05/2025

This was the whole game 5 weeks ago. I like taking video clips as I go because it's fun to look back and see the progress made. Now I have buying/placing/painting equipment and decorations, dinosaurs gain stats and level up, sending dinos to competitions, a ton of UI, etc. #GameDev #IndieGame

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 15/05/2025

I've decided that flailing animations are needed when you pick dinosaurs up. store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev #wip #art

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 14/05/2025

Ignore all the temp art and descriptions, I beg you. Yanked my snappy Search Bar code out of my other game and slapped it in this one. Satisfying. Also added a List / Tile view toggle. #GameDev #IndieDev #IndieGame #WIP

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 13/05/2025

Grass hiding tech is just satisfying to play with. This is what I attach to objects so the grass doesn't clip through them if placed in the outdoor area. Supports rounded corners and spheres too! #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 12/05/2025

100% Science Based Dinosaurs in a Gym Simulator. store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 #GameDev #IndieDev #IndieGame

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 10/05/2025

You ever played your own game while you're playing your other game? Now I can manage a dinosaur gym on the bottom of my screen while I run around in my creature collection game! Pretty cool! store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 #GameDev #IndieGame #IndieDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 09/05/2025

Saving and Loading custom paint jobs ✅ Maintaining Sanity ❌ #GameDev #IndieDev #IndieGames

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 08/05/2025

Solely because the tech is cool, the game is 𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑺𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑻 and takes place on the bottom of your screen. store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 You can still use apps behind the game completely as expected, you just have a little dinosaur gym at the bottom now! #IndieGames #IndieDev #GameDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 07/05/2025

Every time after playing back what I thought was good progress on a new animation. #IndieDev #GameDev #Animation

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 07/05/2025

A fun challenge was object placement & interactions like snapping specific items to others like tables. Also shoutout to @minionsart.bsky.social for the grass that I've used in multiple projects now. Just modified the grass cutting to be temporary grass hiding. #IndieDev #GameDev #IndieGames

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 06/05/2025

I made a steam page for my lil' dinosaur gym game. Gonna have a demo ready for Next Fest! store.steampowered.com/app/3695640 Still putting together some more gifs and a trailer, but I needed the store page to be live to apply for Next Fest. Check it out! #IndieGame #IndieDev #GameDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 06/05/2025

Because I can't help myself, I have yet another side project. The goal of this one is to make a significantly smaller game than the other things I make. This time it's about running a modern day gym for Dinosaurs. Because why not? #GameDev #IndieDev #IndieGames #Unity

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 27/03/2025

Mud. I don't know why I would need mud in this game, but I made a trigger that forces you to walk and thought of mud. So I made mud. Mud. #GameDev #IndieDev #Unity #SoloDev

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Steve @megadwarf.ca · 25/03/2025

I wanted to add a few more item-gated mechanics (like needing the whistle to ride a water mount), so I thought I would try my hand at a basic grappling hook because why not?! Animation needs a bit of love, but I'm pretty happy with it so far. #GameDev #IndieDev #Unity #SoloDev

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