iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

#Devtober Day 6 This may not look like much, but... - Bobbing hand cursor - Selecting different tabs using cursor AND dedicated buttons - Selected tabs are highlighted - 18x12-sized overworld map showing visited areas. - Current location is marked. Tomorrow I'll show another sidequest. #MayGame

1102

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

#Devtober Day 5 Added menu transitions. Similar to map transitions but *different*. 🙃 This time, the menu transitions are more flexible than before. Any transition can work for any menu (or minigame). May's map-opening animation is back too. And it looks nice in tall grass. ^^ #MayGame #gamedev

1254

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

#Devtober Day 4 Only one menu can be processed per frame now. This should make it impossible for any single button press to be counted twice when moving to a new menu. A menu switch can be queued any time, but is not performed until the very end of the frame. #MayGame #gamedev

Output from a command prompt. Each line shows a frame number, and the current menu type for that frame. There is one line per frame, except frame #112, which has two more lines indicating a menu transition was queued, and then performed.

2133

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#Devtober Day 2 I prototyped a way to deal with confirm/cancel actions from Nintendo-style controllers. Their A and B are reversed from the Steam/Xbox layout. But #Godot input events only provide physical button locations. So how to make a Nintendo A/Confirm work the same as an Xbox A/Confirm ?

Source code from the Godot engine editor. It shows a function which runs when a new controller is attached. The function then assigns to joy actions, Confirm and Cancel, to A or B buttons, depending on whether another function determined it to be a Nintendo-style controller or not.

2160

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Currently waist-deep in flower-related pixel art and code. But for now... Last week I overhauled my game's environmental puzzle code. Here's a sample puzzle definition. Old version on the top, new version below. It's much more compact and streamlined now. #MayGame #gamedev

A screenshot containing two blocks of code. Each block shows a class instance containing several const arrays. The bottom one has much less code but is functionally the same.

1151

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Objects' persistent state is simpler and more automated now! Blob enemies now track their stunned-state and held items even if you leave the room. Puzzles track their state too. And they can avoid softlocks, if we, say, walk through walls so that the barriers block our way in. #MayGame #gamedev

0213

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Yes Kamiko go go go become godly at the guitar. 💯❤️

A screenshot from Bocchi the Rock where Ryo says "You'd have to be practicing the guitar pretty hard for that."

220

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

On the technical side, it seems like simple puzzles in adventure games need 4 things: 1. what action(s) will trigger an is-this-solved check? 2. what is the is-this-solved check? 3. what will occur when the puzzle is solved? 4. how to check if this puzzle was already solved? #gamedev #gamedesign

A screenshot from Link's Awakening showing Link standing in a dungeon room. There are three red orbs nearby and one blue one.

1161

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The 9 games that left the biggest impact on me. Especially in terms of the genres and stories I enjoy. Not necessarily my favorite games. But all of these were still good<->amazing. The top 3 by far at the top. my9games.net/en/

A 3x3 grid of game box art, of 9 games:
Zelda Links Awakening DX
Terranigma
Undertale
Pokemon Blue
Super Smash Bros Melee
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Starcraft
Halo 3
Sonic Adventure 2 Battle

130

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

One more use for subsprites. Hats! I want to add lots of hats as optional collectibles/rewards. They fit with the cozy/cute atmosphere of the game, aren't too hard to add, and would give plays some cosmetic customization. And hiding them for players to find will be fun! 😁 #MayGame #gamedev

1224

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

My #gameboy -style #indiegame backlog is now 3 games long. And that's just from games released this month. Faaaaaa--- 🫠 Isle of Reveries bsky.app/profile/dese... Dovvee's ReQuest bsky.app/profile/crit... Draco and the Seven Scales bsky.app/profile/xyth...

A screenshot from Draco and the Seven Scales

23111

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The Giant store near me is notorious for this.

The "is this a pigeon meme". A man labeled "automated checkout machine" points to a butterfly labeled "me rearranging bag so lighter items are on top" while he asks, "is this theft?"

0120

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Animation libraries in my game can now be shared and combined at runtime. May can look like a blob here because the blob's animations were added to her own. This means theoretically any object could play any other object's animations. #MayGame #gamedev #gamedesign #Godot

1234

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Breath of the Wild 3 features a much cuter Link than its predecessors. 😁 #zelda #kirby

Kirby looking out into a vast green landscape.

151

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Nintendo really, REALLY wanted you to know you can un-equip the Iron Boots without needing a menu. 😁 #OcarinaOfTime #Zelda

914812

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

It's nice that the "Remote Play Together" (co-op) feature in #Steam tracks your playtime. However... It's kinda silly that it doesn't track achievements. 35 hours and "achieved" absolutely nothing. 😅

A screenshot from Steam. It says:
Play Time: 35.1 hours
Achievements: 0/39

130

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

My brother and I finally beat #Spiritfarer! ⭐🌸 Yes we are slow🙃 (and free time is scarce). But we also stayed long enough to help all the characters. It was a great and relaxing experience, even in co-op mode. #indiegame #cozygame

A screenshot from the game Spiritfarer showing the main character, Stella, hugging a fluffy white cat named Daffodil.

152

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

It's great. I think this game is appropriate for little kids. They'd like the visuals and characters. But there's plenty of jokes here that they wouldn't pick up on too. 😁

A screenshot from Snufkin: Memories of Moominvalley where the protagonist, Snufkin, says "Being a parental figure is so...demanding."

040

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I added a proper debugging window to help speed up development. The old one was an ingame menu and only accessible via button presses. Reminiscent of debug menus in retro games but...very inconvenient. Being able to just click things makes it so much easier. 🥰 #gamedev #gamedesign #MayGame

2183

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Side note: I LOVE the concept art and design notes like this they put in. It really humanizes the whole piece.

A sketch of Link from the Four Swords manga. It reads "We had in mind a design somewhere between the ones in the Oracle books and The Wind Waker. Green. Leader. The classic Link."

060

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The most surprising things about the Four Swords manga so far: 1. We get to meet Link's dad! 2. The Links' personalities are different from most fan portrayals 3. Link talks. 🙌 4. All four Links talk. 5. They have MORE dialogue than ALL OTHER CHARACTERS combined. 😂 #Zelda #FourSwords

The cover art for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords manga: Legendary Edition. A brown book with triforce symbols in the corners. With "story and art by Akira Himekawa". In the middle are the four Links' standing together: Green, blue, red, and purple.

270

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Dove back into my game's code yesterday... ...and got sidetracked when I saw how clunky and scattered the unit test handling was. So I threw together some code to automatically detect unit test classes and functions, Python-style. And it works just fine. So onto the next thing. 🙃 #gamedev

A block of GDScript code. There are 3 functions. One to run_all_tests(), one to run_tests_in_folder() with a path parameter. One to call all test methods for a particular file.

2172

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Longer videos on @bsky.app ? Perfect timing! :D Here's the entire 6-minute Opening of #Terranigma !

172

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I filled in ~1/3 of my game's overworld terrain using stub assets, to get a feel for its size and where all the major things will go. ~70 new screens total. And...the size feels right. Not cramped, not empty either. Plenty of space to add enemies and sidequests. #MayGame #gamedev

1183

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I'm not too familiar with Moomin lore and media. But seeing its two games at 96%+ positive on Steam has me intrigued. The art style looks absolutely lovely. #gaming #moomin store.steampowered.com/app/1808680/

A screenshot from the game Snufkin: Memories of Moominvalley. The main character, Snufkin, stands on a cliff that overlooks a green valley filled with fall trees and some buildings. It is surrounded by rounded gray mountains, and the sea and sun are visible in the top-left corner.

171

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Hot take: I want #Nintendo to make another fully-side-scrolling #Zelda game. I'm pretty sure Echoes of Wisdom has more sidescrolling puzzle rooms than any other Zelda. Maybe from LA influence. Maybe stackable items encourages verticality. Action and puzzle sidescrollers are both fun, so why not?

A screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (from IGN), where Zelda navigates a sidescrollign area with several open and narrow spaces. There are three spiders nearby hanging from the ceiling , and Zelda is using one of them as a climbable rope.

161

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Even the palace guards are lovable goofballs. 🤣 #gaming #monsterworld4

A screenshot of the game "Monster World 4." The main character is speaking to a palace guard. He says: "Welcome to the palace. Aren't you tired of hearing the game thing? Ha ha ha. Just kidding. You're truly welcome here, Lady Asha."

040

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Monster World 4 is a fantastic game and I cannot recommend it enough! #gaming #segagenesis #monsterworld4

4259

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I had a fun time with Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. 2-3 hours. Explore an island and try to capture every animal on film. Currently 80% off. Wildlife atmosphere is great. You can listen for specific sounds to find the animals you're missing. #indiegame #cozygame store.steampowered.com/app/1337010/

The title card for the game Alba: A Wild life Adventure. A girl stands on a grassy hill looking over an island, with the ocean and sky visible on the horizon. A blue gird is flying on the side. The art style uses cel-shading.

173

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I added large images to my game's design docs to make it easier to identify each section at a glance and zoom in more quickly to the one I want. Our brains think in pictures after all. This doc has 7 sections/columns. Red things are still WIP (but probably not much longer). #gamedev

A screenshot of a blackboard application featuring 7 columns of text nodes, each one split into 2 sub-columns.

Each column has a large image at the top featuring different types of terrain or colors to easily indicate what each column is for, such as a forest or bulletin board.

0111

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

There's so much to balance with game development. Story, themes, gameplay, characters, progression. You think things are fine and then realize they're not. And a frantic struggle to resolve the situation ensues. Fixing it is a chaotic mess but it's satisfying to pull it off. #gamedev #nichijou

070

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I made a Boss-Keys-like chart outlining important events and progression gates for my game. Starting from the top, it starts out linear with some optional exploration. And becomes more and more open as the game goes on. Happy with it. ^^ (blurred to avoid spoilers obviously) #gamedev #MayGame

A diagram showing numerous colored rectangles connected by arrows. It is shaped somewhat like a pine tree, with a single start point at the top that branches out as it goes towards the bottom. There is text but it's all blurred to avoid spoilers.

1102

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

They DO say that line in every single RPG, don't they? #MonsterWorld4 #gaming

Two screenshots of the game Monster World IV, in which a random NCP says, "Monsters have been multiplying of late. Townspeople always say stuff like that in RPGs."

180

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Nintendo still had Super Mario 64 on the brain when they made Luigi's Mansion, didn't they? Explore a large building. Tons of locked doors. Paintings play a key role... oh and there's TOADS. EVERYWHERE. #LuigisMansion

140

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

#HelensMysteriousCastle is a $2 game with a unique combat system. All items have a wait time, which you must gauge against your opponent's wait times to strike when they're vulnerable and defend when they attack. It's clever and forces you to stop and do math, er, think. #indiegames #gaming

1143

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Aaaand #Zelda: Oracle of Seasons is now done too! IMO it's best to play Ages first. You get a heartfelt resolution to some Ages backstory in Seasons and it's nice to see. With Seasons first...the "crossover" subplot feels sorta tacked on. It's fine but...eh. Regardless, both are great games! ❤️

A screenshot of the ending of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons' linked game. Link appears in a boat against a blue sea and cloudy blue sky. It says "The End" in gold letters.

180

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

IMO either can work. I guess it depends on your needs. My game is mostly grass with narrow dirt paths, so I put the dirt on the inside. Only 1 tile wide (not 3) makes it easier to do lots of zigzags and curves. Only outlier is shortline so I only need ~1 animated water tile rather than ~16+ 😁

Pixel tilesets: Dirt, tall grass, shorelines, and puzzles.

110

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Spent 3 days consolidating a loooooot of #GameDev notes files. And moving things into AFFiNE (offline, woohoo!). It's a lot easier to know what to keep once you've finally ironed out a lot of the problems. Everything's very categorized and all in one place now. Very happy with it. #MayGame

A screenshot of the AFFiNE drawing board application. The left sidebar shows several documents such as "Vision and World" and "Level Design" with one called "Mechanics" highlighted. An indicator points to this sidebar with the caption "Even more drawing boards." The right side is an open document, with about two dozen rectangles filled with text, grouped into two large groups, but too small to read. The left one is captioned "Core important stuff. Basically done." The right group is captioned "Work in Progress."

2130

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

If I have any criticisms of this game, it's that the dungeon music loops are way too short. Could have have more dungeon-themed puzzle elements too. And there's a single spot on the map you can ONLY reach in the linked game. Map completionists mourn. This is the best you can do.😭

A screenshot of a world minimap, with a single tile in the south un-explored.

140

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Finished #Zelda: Oracle of Ages. Next, Seasons! Amazing, beautiful, colorful game. ❤️ Fun fact: Hidemaro Fujibayashi directed this and 3 other Game Boy Zelda games while working at Capcom under Nintendo's supervision. Then he switched to work for Nintendo. He's the director for BOTW and TOTK too.

The final screen for The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. It says "The End". Behind it is a golden sky and trees, with the sun just emerging from behind the trees. There is also a flock of birds. The entire image only uses 6 shades of orange and brown.

190

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

The best critique of object-oriented programming I've ever heard. 😁 #programming

An image of text which says "why program while looking at objects?"

040

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

It's amazing how just a tiny change to color saturation can make things look so much better. Area felt way too gray. Now it feels warm. #gamedev #MayGame

Two side-by-size images of a pixel character standing in the same cave. The left side shows a grayer cave coloring. The right side has higher saturation and feels warmer.

2224

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Making a spreadsheet of enemies, obstacles, and puzzle mechanics and which areas they'll go in took way too much time... 😪 Anyways, I think I've got a good idea what the tutorial area will need to teach and rough draft of a map layout, so I'll begin that next. #MayGame #gamedev

A zoomed-out image of an excel file with all text too small to read.

192

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

hmmmm 🤔 insecthive.com/bees-that-do...

A screenshot from an article about bees that don't live in a hive. It reads:

Living alone might seem lonely to us social creatures, but for solitary bees, it’s the perfect lifestyle. Without the complex social structures of hives, these bees can focus entirely on their own survival and reproduction. They don’t need to communicate with nestmates, defend a large colony, or produce honey for winter storage.

This independence comes with some remarkable advantages. Solitary bees are incredibly efficient at what they do because they don’t waste energy on social activities. They’re also much more resilient to diseases and parasites that can devastate entire hives of social bees.

the line about "Solitary bees are incredibly efficient at what they do because they don’t waste energy on social activities." is highlighted.

130

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

During my trip I kept a small scratchpad for notes and ideas for my game. Finally typed it all into my PC today. 270 lines of text, holy hell! That took way too long. 🫠 I should really look into a better solution. Writing+typing it all twice is so inefficient. #gamedev

A picture of a small notepad showing text on the first page, and two later pages with a hand holding up ~two dozen pages in-between.

1101

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

The strangest thing I saw during my trip to #Poland is... What's with all the #Stitch merchandise? Seriously, like, there's more Stitch plushies/ than Pikachus. 😵‍💫 Lots of X-624 "Angel"s too (his pink female counterpart). I asked around but nobody could explain it. 🤷

A photograph of a street vendor shop in Poland featuring lots of plushies, including several of Stitch.

150

MicalPixel @micalpixel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Dzień dobry! (Good day!) I'm back from visiting #Poland! 🇵🇱 Such a beautiful country. LOTS of construction going on. Lots of preservation and history too. Saw the farm where my grandma grew up. Also met relatives I've never seen before. Don't travel much but very happy able to make this trip. 🥲

A photograph of a street in Warsaw, Poland. A road goes down the middle with few cars, with people and shops on either side. There is a blue sky above.

180