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Norbert Haacks

@norberthaacks.bsky.social
414 followers 1.3K following 126 posts

💼 Game Producer 📍 Berlin, Germany - - - Interested in Open Knowledge & Resources, Education, OSS, Public Domain, Tools & Technology, Art, Game Development, Stand-up Comedy and Soap. 🍃🖥️🎮🎞️📚🎭🧼

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Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur @games-stiftung.bsky.social · 47m
Event-Tipp: Vom 18. bis 21. November 2026 beschäftigt sich das @play-festival.bsky.social in #Hamburg unter dem Motto „Hey, listen! – Music & Emotion“ mit der Verbindung von #Games, #Musik und #Emotionen und eröffnet dabei neue Perspektiven auf digitale Spielkultur. 🎮🧠🎶 www.playfestival.de/de
playfestival.de
PLAY - Creative Gaming Festival
PLAY ist das weltweit erste und einzige Festival, das die Bereiche Medienkunst, Diskurs und Bildung mit der Kultur digitaler Spiele vereint. Wir spielen seit 2007 mit Spielen – Erfinden, Bauen, Bastel...
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G @gpatrick.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Sums up my feelings. 
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Darío @dariosamo.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I still see a lot of confusion about what decompilation, recompilation and ports are and what level of effort is involved in each type of project. It's important that people understand the difference, as recompilation took a drastically different meaning that when it was originally introduced.
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Edd Coates | Game UI Database @eddcoates.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yet again, the Game UI Database is being scraped to the point that it's getting knocked offline. Even Cloudflare's "I'm under attack" mode isn't working. I just wanted to create a resource for real designers. I'm getting so fucking sick of this.
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Kala Paint @kalapaint.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Kala Paint is out! I'm @olawson.bsky.social , professional artist for 15 years, then game dev, now wrote the painting software I wish I'd been using all this time. GPU-run creamy brushes, no subscription, no gen AI crap, hand-coded with ideas from artists in our Discord, and more added weekly!
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The Video Game Library 📚 @thevideogamelibrary.org · 25/09/2026
I'm so proud of how much this resource has grown 🥹 No matter where in the world you're from, I hope you've enjoyed it. If so, share this with others who love to read and play 🌎❤️📚🌎❤️📚🌎❤️📚🌎❤️📚🌎❤️📚🌎❤️📚
Cover of video game books in 40 different languages with labels for each language.
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Chris Wade @luckshotgames.com · 29/09/2026
Exciting day! TOEM 2 is out and there's a host of easter eggs including a wearable mask of your favorite frog. The game is a great expansion to TOEM in every way you'd hope for (and I'm personally digging the new platforming stuff)! store.steampowered.com/app/2900640/...
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Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW @molleindustria.org · 27/09/2026
Where is the 5th pig? Anti-Nazi folding puzzle at the Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam.
Illustration that shows 4 pigs and, when folded properly, Hitler's face. Resistance museum Amsterdam.
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Jan Willem Nijman @jwaaaap.com · 23/09/2026
if you’re a games company that wants to survive it has been proven over and over again you need to do whatever it takes to stay away from being publicly traded. you’ll be turned into wood chips the moment it’s convenient.
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Kenney @kenney.nl · 23/09/2026
Got positive reactions on my announcement of Pixross Remastered so decided to go the extra mile; you'll also now be able to create your own puzzle (packs), and share them online! (Add to wishlist to be notified, will come with launch discount: store.steampowered.com/app/1489680/...)
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Trezy @trezy.codes · 12/02/2025
If you're looking for a role in the #GameDev industry, check out the Game Jobs & Careers feed! It surfaces content for open roles and individuals looking for roles! Check out the feed description for info on getting your posts into the feed. 😉
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daniel bock, trip-maker @danielbockisover.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
happy #TrailerTuesday! BEAUTIFUL FREAKS OF THE DESERT is coming to a digital storefront near you before Christmas 2026. WISHLIST S'IL VOUS PLAIT! maybe you'll love it too! #GameDev #IndieDev #Godot #GodotEngine #LowPoly #FPS #BoomerShooter
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daniel bock, trip-maker @danielbockisover.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
super happy to announce my new game BEAUTIFUL FREAKS OF THE DESERT, a hyper-brutal speedrun-fps with a heart of gold. it requires lightning fast fingers and an even faster mind. plus: you can ride a bike! coming Q4 2026. store.steampowered.com/app/5095490/... #GameDev #IndieDev #Godot #GodotEngine
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Adriaan @adriaan.games · 16/09/2026
We optimized draw calls by 99% (lol) in Hidden Folks 2 by writing some tools to find all textures used in a level, generate a level-specific atlas, and replace individual texture references with atlas textures. Thread below 🧵👇🏼 #godotengine
Two side-by-side screenshots showing before and after we applied a texture atlas optimization to our game Hidden Folks two, the before showing 13318 draw calls and the after showing 113 draw calls
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The Triple-i Initiative @iii-initiative.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Triple-i Initiative showcase is back! 45 minutes of pure back-to-back game announcements with zero fluff. World premieres. Gameplay reveals. Release dates. Demos. No hosts. No ads. Just games. Be there - October 8th - 9am PDT / noon EDT / 6pm CEST.
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Matt Bors @mattbors.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It was exactly ten years ago today, on my 33rd birthday, that I posted this comic online.
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SEGA SATURN, SHIRO! @segasaturnshiro.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Developer, @pvthinge.bsky.social (creator of the action-platformer, Scarf of Embers on Steam), has been fast at work on a 3D Saturn software development tool built on top of Johannes Fetz' Jo Engine, to make the Saturn development process both fun and easy! www.segasaturnshiro.com/2026/09/11/f...
segasaturnshiro.com
Feature-Rich & User-Friendly ‘Saturn Workshop’ in The Works
Developer, Hinges (creator of the action-platformer, Scarf of Embers on Steam), appears to be well underway with the rapid-fire creation of a user-friendly 3D game development tool for Sega Saturn.…
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Johan Peitz - Icy Tower is coming soon! @johanpeitz.com · 12/09/2026
picoCAD 2 is lowpoly modeling, texturing, and animation on easy mode! * retro aesthetic * restricted and limited by design * fun to use #screenshotSaturday #pixelart #3d
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Crisppyboat @crisppyboat.ca · 09/09/2026
The World Beyond
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Anatoly Shashkin💾 @dosnostalgic.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
It's always a good time for a little bit of Popcorn. 🍿
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ILLBRAD 🔞 @blasternation.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
CHANGE MY PIK UP SMACK MY BULB ORP
Edited screenshot of red Pikmin but with the Prodigy: The Fat of the Land album logo on it.
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たきび @takibisoramame.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
金工作家の塩見亮介さん作、白銀角鴟面附白絲縅兜袖。超かっこよかった。
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Devolver Digital @devolverdigital.com · 04/09/2026
Desecrate. Contemplate. Rinse. Repeat. Tune in to the PC Gaming Show: Tokyo Direct on September 20th for a never-before-seen look at Virtue and a Sledgehammer. It’s going to bring the house down. @PCGamer.com #PCGamingShow
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Double Fine @doublefine.com · 02/09/2026
WE DID IT! 🎉🎉🥳 Fully funded in just over 72 hours! Your support means so much to us, thank you to everyone who got us over the finish line 🥹🧡 But we're not done yet! There's an entire game jam to be had, and some amazing new stretch goals coming to the campaign. Stay tuned!
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 04/09/2026
Technology being everywhere doesn’t mean it belongs everywhere. The tech industry wants us to believe that AI in early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We don't see it that way. This week, we announced a moratorium on generative AI for public school students in 2-K to 8th grade.
We’re eliminating AI use for students in 2-K through 8th grade for the upcoming school year.
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 04/09/2026
“Someone who worked closely with Elon told me, ‘He’s the most miserable man I’ve ever met.’ So he’s inflicting his misery on everyone else.”
hollywoodreporter.com
Elon Musk Unmasked in Alex Gibney Documentary: “Insane a Person This Chaotic Has So Much Power”
He is the richest man on earth. An explosive new film from the Oscar-winning director suggests he also may be among the most dangerous.
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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 02/09/2026
Just launched Teams 101 - the most complex course among the eight. It covers everything from hiring to firing, motivation and trust, leadership and conflict resolution - it's a lot, dense, and sadly a course that many indie studios could benefit from their founders, directors, and leads taking.
courses.ramiismail.com
Teams 101 - Levelling the Playing Field
The healthy way to lead a small team, from giving good feedback to handling the conflicts you'd rather avoid.
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Trevor Heywood @metroscapes.ca · 31/08/2026
Had a close call visiting a local establishment's website yesterday. A CloudFlare dialogue came up, and after clicking to confirm that 'I was not a robot', it prompted me to: * Press Windows+R (opening a run command window * Paste something from my keyboard and press enter Don't ever do this.
A scam CloudFlare box stating "Additional Verification Required", and then providing instructions that install malware on your computer.
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Kenney @kenney.nl · 31/08/2026
I've been releasing public domain game assets for 16 years now (this message is for everyone that told me I wouldn't be able to keep doing it)
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Jan Willem Nijman @jwaaaap.com · 25/08/2026
the thing about indie games is that if someone designs one single game I love, I’ll get whatever they make for the rest of their lives and pretty much always have a good time. people are so attached to ip but imo you really gotta know the creators.
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Double Fine @doublefine.com · 27/08/2026
To honor Tim Curry's memory, we are making Brütal Legend FREE on Itch.io, for 666 minutes: itch.io/s/199277/the...
itch.io
Brütal Legend | The Tainted Coil shall rule forever! by Double Fine Productions
A sale by Double Fine Productions, 100% off Brütal Legend
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I appreciate that Dolly Parton refused to participate in "dress respectability" and, by her own account, modeled her aesthetic after a town "tramp," who she thought was beautiful. She separated aesthetics from character and understood "classiness" to be about how you treat people, not how you dress.
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Jaybee @jayb33.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Cole Dröws, with permission from the rights holder, released the unpublished UK English version of Blackout. Blackout is a 1997 non-linear point-and-click psychological horror game filmed on Beta with hand crafted sets and stop motion puppets. coledrows.itch.io/blackout
coledrows.itch.io
Blackout 97 by Cole Dröws
Escape your fate - if you can
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Goomboo @maplegecko.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Let’s celebrate the upcoming release of #Asemulator with a giveaway!🎁 5 winners will receive an @aseprite.org key + an Asemulator template bundle key. How to participate: Like, repost, and follow this account! Winners will be picked on release day, August 28th 🎉
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Valentina Birke @violencia.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
📢 Public service announcement: gamescom is a work event. Women there are working, not looking for a date. If you can’t handle being around a woman without making it weird, stay home. Thanks for coming to my annual TED talk.
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Tuta @tuta.com · 12/08/2026
Have you #DeGoogled your search? Let us know which is your favourite. While many alternative search engines to Google still reply on Google or Bing's search index, it's still worth making the switch. Find out why 👉 tuta.com/blog/alterna... @ecosiasearch.bsky.social @kagi.com
Table comparing the Google Search alternatives: Ecosia, Qwant, Kagi, StartPage, DuckDuckGo in terms of search quality, own search index, main search source, ads, price, AI, has a browser, based in.
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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 13/08/2026
I get asked this a lot so as a reminder: if you're new to Bluesky and looking to get your feed up to speed on game dev, do check out my "background radiation" starter pack - it basically adds 150 hand-picked accounts to your follow list from every games discipline & every perspective on game dev.
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game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche e.V. @gameverband.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
41,2 Millionen Menschen in Deutschland spielen #Games, rund die Hälfte davon Frauen. Wie sich diese Community und der deutsche Games-Markt entwickeln, zeigt unser Jahresreport 2026. 10 Kapitel zu Spielenden, Markt & Standort, dazu drei Interviews. Kostenlos, Deutsch & Englisch: jahresreport.game.de
Jahresreport der deutschen Games-Branche 2026
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Blender Studio @studio.blender.org · 11/08/2026
Production knowledge in action: enjoy this co-op asset editing for the OVERGROWN trailer 🦔 Join Blender Studio today so we can finish the Asset Pipeline add-on and build more open tools for everyone: studio.blender.org/join/ #b3d #BlenderStudio
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Nifflas @nifflas.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Knytt has been faitfully recreated by @bitkidgames.com to run on current operating systems and was just released on Steam and GOG, completely free Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2656050/...
store.steampowered.com
Knytt Classic on Steam
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the indie freeware classic, rebuilt for modern machines! Explore a maze-like planet as the Knytt, a peaceful being abducted by aliens, find your missing ship parts, a...
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Inbal Breda @greyannis.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Might as well post it here! A magical girl animation I've been slowly chipping at over the weekends for ages.
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Saganism @sagan.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
"It's clear that there's a rampant dumbing down in progress in which not knowing things is considered a virtue. I don't throw my hands up in despair, but I do try to indicate that it's a very serious problem." - Carl Sagan
Sagan in a suit speaking on a microphone.
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Game Maker's Toolkit @gamemakerstoolkit.com · 27/07/2026
Well, it finally happened! After 9 years of Unity dominance, Godot was the most used game engine for GMTK Game Jam 2026 submissions. 🤖 Godot - 47% 🎮 Unity - 34% 🛠️GameMaker - 5% 🚀 Unreal Engine - 3% ✨ Other - 11%
Pie chart showing game engines used to create 10,511 GMTK Game Jam games in 2026. Godot has the largest slice with 47%. Then Unity with 34%. Other with 11%. Game Maker with 5%. And Unreal Engine with 3%.
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Leiracal @leiracal.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
This concept was introduced to me as "run the dishwasher twice" and was an important part of my executive functioning recovery as well as my path to self-acceptance.
When I was at one of my lowest (mental) points in life, I couldn't get out of bed some days. I had no energy or motivation and was barely getting by.

I had therapy once per week, and on this particular week I didn't have much to 'bring' to the session. He asked how my week was and I really had nothing to say.

'What are you struggling with?' he asked.

I gestured around me and said 'I dunno man. Life.'

Not satisfied with my answer, he said 'No, what exactly are you worried about right now? What feels overwhelming? When you go home after this session, what issue will be staring at you?'

I knew the answer, but it was so ridiculous that I didn't want to say it. I wanted to have something more substantial.
Something more profound.

But I didn't.

So I told him, 'Honestly? The dishes. It's stupid, I know, but the more I look at them the more I CAN'T do them because I'll have to scrub them before I put them in the dishwasher, because the dishwasher sucks, and I just can't stand and scrub the dishes.'

I felt like an idiot even saying it.

What kind of grown ass woman is undone by a stack of dishes? There are people out there with *actual* problems, and I'm whining to my therapist about dishes?

But he nodded in understanding and then said:

'RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.'I began to tell him that you're not supposed to, but he stopped me.

'Why the hell aren't you supposed to? If you don't want to scrub the dishes and your dishwasher sucks, run it twice. Run it three times, who cares?! Rules do not exist.'

It blew my mind in a way that I don't think I can properly express.

That day, I went home and tossed my smelly dishes haphazardly into the dishwasher and ran it three times.

I felt like I had conquered a dragon.

The next day, I took a shower lying down.

A few days later. I folded my laundry and put them wherever the fuck they fit.

There were no longer arbitrary rules I had to follow, and it gave me the freedom to make accomplishments again.

Now that I'm in a healthier place, I rinse off my dishes and put them in the dishwasher properly. I shower standing up. I sort my laundry.

But at a time when living was a struggle instead of a blessing, I learned an incredibly important lesson:

THERE ARE NO RULES. RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE!!!"
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 22/07/2026
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.
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Freya Holmér @freya.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
movement in non-euclidean quaternionic space
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Stephen Collins @stephencollins.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
My Guardian comic from yesterday #odyssey
[Scene is at sea - we see Odysseus’s ship sailing past an island]

NARRATOR:
And next on his Odyssey

Sir Christopher Nolan led his followers

[We see that instead of Odysseus it is CHRIS NOLAN captaining the ship]

Past the Island of X

Inhabited by People Who Criticise Films From Just Watching The Trailer

[Show a load of guys on the rocks of the island, all tapping away on their phones]

They were led by their King, 

the Musk.

The Musk stayed up all night in his cave

[Show a giant Elon Musk hunched over his computer at night in a cave, tapping away]

Posting comments about how he thinks Lupita Nyong’o is the wrong colour to be Helen of Troy, who wasn’t real

But Sir Christopher was immune to the song of the people of X 

because he famously didn’t have a smartphone.

NOLAN [at the front of his ship, bellowing into the storm and waving his Nokia brick phone]:

I DON’T EVEN HAVE EMAAAAIL

[Narrator again]:

And he turned to his followers

NOLAN [turning to all the guys on his ship, all Nolanbro types, looking at their phones]

MEN!

Put down your mobile telephones! Do not listen to the sirens of X!

[Intense, Nolan-style close up on Nolan’s big, serious face]

NOLAN:
Some people will not like my big serious film…

But some people will like it... 

and that’s fine.

[Ship sailing into the distance]:

MEN:
Hurrah!

[Ends]
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Ryan Hill @ryanhillart.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
St. Jimothy of Ballard, oil on canvas, 16"× 20" #WIP
Oil painting of Jimothy the raccoon of Seattle in progress
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Aftermath @aftermath.site · 17/07/2026
Netflix, just pay people to make video games, you are making this needlessly complicated aftermath.site/netflix-video-...
Netflix
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