iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Merlin

Portland Indie Game Squad @pigsquad.com · 10/09/2026

Share your game with our booth at the largest retro games show there is! We're at @retrogamingexpo.bsky.social again this October and submissions for showcasing your game or volunteering with us are open now! pigsquad.com/form-prge-2026 VERY excited for this year 😍🕹

A snapshot of the Portland Retro Gaming Expo show floor - PIGSquad's booth has purple-clothed tables backed by purple PIGSquad walls. Numerous monitors, TVs, laptops, and table dressings are arranged on the tables, sharing multiple different games with expo goers playing on controllers and keyboards. Developers of the games sit behind the booths to chat with attendees and other devs.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Update: I am fully on board with the tube. Cheetos has developed a solution to the age old problem of getting cheese dust on my hands by creating a method in which I can bypass the middleman and transport the cheeseballs directly into my mouth.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

No, I have only bought one tube and it has the cheeseballs. But I still think a bag would hold more cheeseballs. That said, I agree the tube is much easier to pour (have not encountered the "goro goro" noises because I've been pouring it directly into my mouth)

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

What was the point of the Cheetos tube? Was a bag not enough? Did they theorize that a tube could better transport a large sum of cheese puffs en masse? Or did a case study prove that tubes sell better than bags? Will the future be tubes? And is my pantry to someday become a catalog of tubed snacks?

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Reposted by Merlin

Mino @art-mino.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Made a sci-fi comic for #makeaterriblecomicday2026 Got too into it but I was having fun lol. Didn't end up making the second page I planned out. Used the occasion to finally try a sample screen-tone sheet I had lying around.

A title in the corner reads: "XEBIUM V CHAPTER 907".

Two aliens are standing in an alley. One alien is lanky and has a long face and goggles. One Alien is spiky and has a cloak and has a big collar and cool visor with headphones.

The lanky one holds out a briefcase and says "A Geal's a Geal! here's Perftwent Grumbos!" The spiky one says "I was promised Perfthirt."

Lanky says "GBO 4/7 raids are making z-boff hard to come by. You'll get the other Perften soon."
Spiky says "Are you trying to globon 7 me?
Lanky says "Suscount it if you don't believe me."
Spiky tensely retorts with "Why don't YOU trucount it?"
Lanky looks called out, with a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Replace any song with "baby" in the lyrics with "maybe."

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

I think that's what really sets Star Force apart from Battle Network with its theme of friendship. SF goes a step further by having a conflict literally centered around relationships between people. It tells us that trust is something that has to be built, and sometimes that process is difficult.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

The other characters who get possessed by FM-ians have similarly realistic struggles. The people experiencing trauma throughout the story act out in ways that actually make sense, and even though they use common tropes, I don't feel like they exist just to create conflict for the main character.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

I think a lot of youths can relate to Geo to some degree. He comes from a broken family, suffers from crippling depression, and is socially awkward. My circumstances weren't exactly the same as his, but this character made me feel seen. His personality felt real to me.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Mega Man Star Force is one of the few games I've played that manages to relay childhood trauma in a way that connects with its target audience. I won't laud it as a pinnacle of storytelling, but as I'm replaying the legacy collection I'm realizing it was a formative part of my adolescence.

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Reposted by Merlin

Portland Indie Game Squad @pigsquad.com · 24/03/2026

Friday, April 3rd, is our 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 🌟 We're hosting a feedback night & fundraiser at an evening party in NW Portland if you can make it 🤩 pigsquad.com/events-list/... Bring your game, come play games, and check out our next silent auction, it's going to be a blast.

A large group of people waves to the camera in a rustic party room. Some folks are seated at game setups, playing on laptops or with board games at a PIGSquad showcase.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Okay well whoa I didn't know it'd look like THAT

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

I just said this out loud and I'm crying from laughter

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Coming soon to the Switch 2, Yoshi's Book.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Playing Pokemon as an adult is wild because the obvious but never explicitly stated implication is that Pokemon are weaponized deterrents. If I control a herd of beasts that can breathe fire and your beasts are KO'd then guess who has leverage? No one in universe actually takes advantage of this.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I've posted before about the absolute inanity of older RPGs perpetuating the "Win the fight, lose the cutscene" trope and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness does not defeat the allegations. Brother, I have a fox that can maul your face and your Pokemon are all dead, kindly un-kidnap the professor.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Animal insults are peak. Love when someone gets called a snake, dog, chicken, pig, rat, etc.

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Reposted by Merlin

Mino @art-mino.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

A friend of mine asked for advice on her pixel art drawing of a hand (labeled "Original"). Another friend suggested I post my response here (got OP's permission. edited for bsky). 🧵Thread below🧵 Anyone reading this is free to hit me up for drawing or pixel art feedback any time, my door's open

The image features five labeled pixel art drawings.

The drawing labeled "original" shows a green hand laying flat, viewed from below. It has white highlights facing different directions and a dark shadow covering the bottom half of the palm.

"No Shading" shows the same hand with no shadow and some detail lines to imply the shape of the palm

"Shading" shows the hand with shadow implying the bottom of the palm and fingers. The Highlight has been reduced to a one-pixel highlight.

"Primitive" shows a rectangular slab, draw at roughly the same angle as the hand. It is shaded with the same palette as the hand. The bottom of the slab is in shadow, to illustrate the methodology used to shade the bottom-facing planes of the "shading" drawing. There is a slight highlight on the slab's corner that most faces the light source.

"Primitive 2" shows the same slab, with one side shaded completely white, to illustrate a potential rendering style that uses white to accentuate a plane direction instead of a highlight.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Check it out, we're putting on a convention! It's been in the works for a long time and we're super excited to finally announce it. Hope to see you there!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Overall, this game is a good time, and if you like Fire Emblem you should play Path of Radiance. Its not a bad first FE game either but future entries do some things better. Also, be aware it has a direct sequel which finishes the plot, so... if you play it you'll want to find a way to play that too

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Gameplay wise, this game is pretty good. They added skills, more map movement options, and a better base. That said, most of the skills suck, several characters are imba, and the "choices" are basically "Do you want this cool thing or not?" So I like what they added, but the sequels do it better.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I think if there's one thing I like about the plot though it's Ike's relationship with Elincia, because for once the hero isn't romantically interested in the princess (or women in general). What they build instead is a deep platonic trust and belief in each other, and I think that's cool to see.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

The characters are very well written though, which, let's be honest, is what really matters in 95% of media. Each character has unique visual design, mannerisms, personality. They feel real and I find myself caring about each one of them. Even if Ike has the emotional range of a plank.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Roast post: They didn't really invent anything new with the plot which follows the usual FE template. It's kinda just "What if Fire Emblem but with furries?" The villain is comically evil for no reason other than he is bad. Also, why they got Darth Vader in this, and what's Sephiroth doing here?

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I think this game deserves a lot of credit. They clearly put a lot of time and dedication into it. The artwork is astounding, the world is incredibly well built, and it's just super polished. Plus we got dubbed animated cutscenes! They also introduced some gameplay mechanics which became staples.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I finished Path of Radiance last night and it's been a while since I did one of these so here's my review after playing this game for the 3rd (?) time. It's a little hard to be objective because this was my first Fire Emblem game and I was around 12 years old when it came out. Anyway, spoilers ahead

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I got to be on a podcast recently! Check it out!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Going live in about an hour! Come hang out and watch!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

It's okay, I'm a widely renowned tool

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Join me on Sunday for a stream featuring some local indie games!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

I got a new phone that was on sale for black friday and then on cyber monday it had another sale that was $50 cheaper so EITHER WAY I'm a FUCKING IDIOT!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

Every fantasy setting be like, "Once there was a war between humans and a magical race of creatures that are way better than humans. The humans won"

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Taking a break from making my game to work on a little fan project. Any theories as to what it might be?

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Reposted by Merlin

Portland Indie Game Squad @pigsquad.com · 14/11/2025

Last chance for you to get your Cubepig Castle shirt, designed by @marlowedobbe.com and printed locally! Sales end next week Tuesday and we're shipping first week of December. Pick it up before it's gone and support the PIGSquad nonprofit 🏰⚡😍 pigsquad.com/store/cubepi...

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

Yeah that's what I was thinking. Like if it comes with DLC at launch then that's just a base game feature that's locked behind a premium pass.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

They announced DLC for a game before it even came out

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

That... Might work. They can just be the minions, I'll be the lane pusher.

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

If kids can learn how to play Minecraft they can learn my laser tag RPG!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Why don't laser tag places go harder. I want character classes, changeable weapons, and environmental hazards. We can add RPG mechanics like levels, quests, and status effects too. The framework is all there guys

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

You somehow uploaded this during my Yugioh phase

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Star Rift Saga, the metroidvania I've been making art for released today! Go check it out!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Been getting back into digital painting a bit so I did some (unofficial) key art for Arc, the main character of Star Rift Saga!

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Thanks! Makes it look a bit more evil I think 😈

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Also, I liked the enemy artwork so much that I'm kind of obsessed with it, so expect to see fan art. lol

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Merlin @merlinthewizard.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Overall, I found this work incredibly captivating in so many ways. I'm not sure where it lies on my list of favorite games, but it's rare that something leaves me thinking like Clair Obscur, and I'm glad I experienced it. I'll definitely be thinking about it for a while. I solidly recommend it.

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