iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I'm still not 100% happy with my grass tiles. But I think this is starting to look like something someone somewhere will want to play...somewhat. #gamedev #solodev #pixelart

A screenshot of my game, Five Arcade, showing the main character, Ve, in a field with red roses shaped as game themed flowers. Space station in background

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

🎶 🎶 🎶 Somebody told me, Making games was easy but that was in February of this year, now it's October, And I thought it over, and realized that somebody sucks. #gamedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

So I did another fall today and had to be carried to bed. (All fine now, only slight leg pain remaining 😀) I'm getting better at not feeling like a complete burden to everyone when incidents like this happen. Instead of feeling guilty, I shall play Fire Emblem

Me waving from bed after a pretty bad fall. I'm smiling and waving ☺️

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I love how adding this little 8x8px 10 frame animation has made a massive improvement to the confetti explosion at the end of the level 😁 #gamedev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Oooohhh dear, I envision a new obsession coming up 😁

Sheet music book for final fantasy pieces

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I cannot explain how happy this whole segment of gameplay makes me. The amount of fun things happening behind the scenes is so much fun. Nodes, animations, state machines all working together to make a big green line 😂 #gamedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Anime themes are the best thing about life 😁

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This is how not to end a song. My journey to Anime guitar enlightenment continues.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Welcome to Five Arcade. A World inspired by Gaming History. Shoot to Move. Battles on ground and in Space. Switching gravity, adapting backgrounds, asteroids, tennis, tanks, bugs, weapons, shoot, fly, glide, win. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #screenshotsaturday

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Updated my Steam Page gifs! Look how shiny they are 😁 #gamedev

A screenshot of the new gifs on the Steam Page for Five Arcade

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

After many years of intensive finger training (I didn't like that sentence) I can finally play the first few seconds of Green Hill Zone. Now I can finally rest my fingers.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

New fancy doors 😀 That took much longer than I care to admit to make 😂 I think this is the fourth iteration of this door. Old one on the right, new one on the left. Five Arcade: The only game ever made with doors in it. #gamedev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It's a good sign when you smile wide when listening to the music for your game 😃 I'm quite proud of the music for this. I hope you like it. Demo Dropping Soon! #gamedev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I've been playing Fire Emblem and making notes. While making the notes I discovered I couldn't ink water very well, so I couldn't glyph note the Seas or rivers in the game. So I had to do an art tutorial on inking and doodling so I could play the game again... Am I having fun correctly?

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Painting characters that make me smile. Sasha Braus from Attack on Titan 😁 May your potatoes always be warm 🙂 #art #watercolour

Watercolour painting of Sasha Braus from AoT

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Devil Trigger. If I learn this and the song from Doom, I shall become powerful enough to fight demonic forces from the comfort of my wheelchair 😁

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Making music for games is very fun. Sorry for so many videos, trying to build confidence so I can maybe make some helpful solo game dev stuff once Five Arcade is out 😁

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Finding that perfect sound is one of the joys of game dev 😁 Unfortunately this sound is perfect, but not for my game 😭

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Vivi would make a good penguin 🐧 I was quite sad and so decided to try and feel better by drawing something cute 🥰 (It worked)

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I will hear no questions about the end of this rendition, it is exactly as I remember it from the Doom slayer, in his pineapple...under the sea.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fairy Fountain song after a day of sickness inspired delirium. I'm sure you'll agree that it's perfect and I can now go to sleep? Also, what song should I learn if this fails, I'm thinking of a change in tactics and going for something from Doom 😁

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This fever is giving me spectacular ideas! What if playing the theme isn't enough?! What if I must also...draw the theme!! It all makes sense now.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Phase one of my mission to learn Fairy Fountain song from Zelda is complete! Now I must turn this abomination into something that is listenable too. I've been very nervous about making videos so I made one when I'm at my absolute worst so it can only get better from here... probably.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

So the C chord is the first chord shape you learn as a guitar playing person, you think to yerself "this is easy" but I warn you that the shape will be plotting it's elaborate revenge and before you know it, yer hand is doing this.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Am currently reading Crippled by Frances Ryan. It's weird reading about things you know are happening. When I have these thoughts (about demonising disabled people), I just assume I'm wrong, or an idiot. But hearing it from someone smarter than I am makes it hit hard.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Look, here's another one of the guy from the spooky holiday. Mickey Mikers the 3rd. Watch out, he's probably behind you. Ooooohhhhhhhhh

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I'm a tad sick and bed ridden so I pulled out the ole sketch pad and pencil thingy, I liked this one. It reminds me of the thing it is. 😁 Sorry for all the posts, I'm in a weird mood. I'll post more stuff so this apology is pretty meaningless. What smells like blue? #art

Futurama drawing in pencil. Zap Branagan, Kif, Fry, Leela and Bender standing side by side

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I can't grow a beard for some reason so I thought I'd draw one...maybe now my facial hair can evolve past a mild fur 🤔

A pencil sketch of The Punisher (Jon Bernthal)

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I've seen a scary amount of people giving up art because AI is "Better" (I need much bigger quotation marks for that). Fuck that. Keep drawing! Remember to tie yer shoes for as not to fall over. Vivi knows best.

Vivi from Final Fantasy 9 tying his boots in long grass. Plain blue background

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Working on some new music for my game. This song is called Breaking Out Space. Next step is to update the Steam page with better gifs and a nicer trailer. I hope you like it because I probably wont be shutting up about it for a while 😅 #gamedev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

So instead of working on the actual UI, I got an idea to make Ve wave to the player before you can move on. Is this a good idea? Probably not. But is this a good idea? I think so. The joy of solo dev games is no one is around to make sensible decisions. #gamedev #screenshotsaturday

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

As someone who very much doesn't like UI code, I'm absolutely certain this is 100% complete. There is no more needed to be added. Press A to restart, Press A to continue, Press V to make Time happen. No camera rendering because cameras aren't needed for anything. Job done. #gamedev

Boilerplate Level End Screen with missing buttons, no animations.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I felt the shooting in my game was a little too aggressive sounding so I've made everything more musical and full of whimsy (I think that's a word) 😁 Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been absolutely obsessed with writing music and making sfx. Major updates on the way 😀 #gamedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I felt my Battle Scenes needed some flair so I did this. The guitar is absolutely overkill, out of place, and completely awesome so I'm very confused. Still needs some work but we're getting closer. #gamedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Thank you 😊 And Behold! Spikes! I have gained at least 3 more handsome and confident points 😁

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Enough of this self conscious nonsense! Here's a walkthrough of the tutorial level with narration by me. If you pretend to be a handsome and confident developer then that is what you become! I read that in a notepad txt file that I wrote so it must be true. #gamedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I discovered in my journeys that no game has ever dared to be set in the deep void of Space! I will change that! Five Arcade: The only game made entirely from denial. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

The real reason we don't go to space is because of rouge bats in bat spaceships. #gamedev #solodev

A scene from Five Arcade, Ve is floating in space and a bat in a space ship flys past

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Just finalized the music for my upcoming demo 😁 I can't wait for you to hear it.

a screenshot of a pc folder showing the song tracks for my upcoming demo

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I am getting far too excited about this game. I should probably wait to show these when there's more polish but I have a more professional account for that, and I'm too excitable 😂 (There's also a new song) 😁 So here is a bat in a spaceship chasing Ve in his spaceship #gamedev #solodev #indiedev

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Why should you play Five Arcade? Because there are bats in spaceships 😁 They are quite aggressive, prepare yerself. #solodev #indiedev #pixelart

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Aww no, I used this book in Uni to help write some awesome enemy behavior. I needed to look up something today to help with some enemy chase math. Remember when these two words used to be rather awesome?! Can techwanks stop ruining once cool stuff please and thank you. #gamedev

An awesome book called Artificial Intelligence for Games. It's not the AI we talk about today, but really cool enemy behaviour patterns written by humans who are actually good at stuff.

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Michael_Game_Developer @poeticprogrammer.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

It is of absolute importance to keep a sketch book by your desk in case of sudden urges to draw xenomorphs. Not enough educational books mention this.

A bust of a xenomorph sketched in pencil

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