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Rob Stenzinger Games

@robstenzinger.bsky.social
473 followers 362 following 242 posts

Game and UX designer, teaching artist. Games: Word Turtle Island, Lexilotl, Guitar Fretter. Workshops: Paper Prototyping Game Design, UX for All, Game Construction Kit. Links to blog, games, contact at linktr.ee/robstenzinger

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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Lexilotl dev blog: another 9 day sprint and now it's live on Steam! Creative coding dev log: a tale of two very different feeling 9 day sprints. The first was so affirming, the second was an extra tough slog. Each had great outcomes I'm proud of. #indiegames #gamedeveloper #steam #godot #wordgames
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Lexilotl is coming soon to Steam - wishlist to be notified when it's there! store.steampowered.com/app/4735750/...
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Unless any new ones pop up, this year's tabling events wrapped up for me now that 2D Con 2026 is done. That was the biggest setup so far with 5 games and two as arcade cabinets. Two recent releases, two past releases, and one early prototype. In each case there's a lot to learn and all together
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This is the rebuilt early prototype and art test for the Doctor Baer Video Game To-Be-Named. Showed this on my table at 2D Con and folks were excited about Jerzy Drozd's artwork, the magical cuteness of the characters and intrigued to see more. #indiegames #doctorbaer #webcomics #2DCon
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Indie Island at 2D Con has a very special meaning to me, it's an event all about gaming, in my home town, and each time I come back it's a milestone of growth both for me and the indie other indie creators. #indiegames #2DCon #gamedeveloper
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Porting my games to Godot 4, first by laying a foundation, then Lexilotl and the Doctor Baer game-to-be-named prototype. Chose to use tiny sticky notes and foam board to visualize and manage the to do list. First board is what's todo, second one is what's done.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Game prototype progress: initial interactive animation and scene art of the Doctor Baer game-to-be-named. #indiegames #webcomics #kidlit #godot
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Do you like fun and creative science activities? This year Rob Stenzinger Games is bringing three to STEMFest 2026: game design exploration via arcade cabinets, human centered design w/Doodle Creatures Have Needs + a new hands on making a custom two-button keyboard. #stem #stemfest #artsintegration
Hand in the foreground holding the card and drawing design+encouragement game Doodle Creatures Have Needs, in the background is a Word Turtle Island tabletop arcade cabinet, at the U of Minnesota from last year's STEM FestMidwest Gaming Classic 2026 attendees enjoying the games Lexilotl and Word Turtle Island Collage showing three photos, upper left is showing the 3 card types of Doodle Creatures Have Needs, right side is the Lexilotl arcade cabinet advertising the game design activity, and lower left is a photo of the underside of the custom arcade button keyboard powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico mentioning the button keyboard explore activityOIC of America's official STEMFest 2026 flyer showing the even schedule, QR code for registration, and event sponsors
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Do you like fun and creative science activities? This year Rob Stenzinger Games is bringing three to STEMFest 2026: game design exploration via arcade cabinets, human centered design w/Doodle Creatures Have Needs + a new hands on making a custom two-button keyboard. #stem #stemfest #artsintegration
Hand in the foreground holding the card and drawing design+encouragement game Doodle Creatures Have Needs, in the background is a Word Turtle Island tabletop arcade cabinet, at the U of Minnesota from last year's STEM FestMidwest Gaming Classic 2026 attendees enjoying the games Lexilotl and Word Turtle Island Collage showing three photos, upper left is showing the 3 card types of Doodle Creatures Have Needs, right side is the Lexilotl arcade cabinet advertising the game design activity, and lower left is a photo of the underside of the custom arcade button keyboard powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico mentioning the button keyboard explore activityOIC of America's official STEMFest 2026 flyer showing the even schedule, QR code for registration, and event sponsors
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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Now is the time to make your thing. Stop motion with LEGO, webcomic, walking sim game, weird Halloween costume, backyard water feature, container garden. This is your sign. Make your thing. Stop waiting. Do it.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Setup to play at Protospiel day 2, played inventive games day 1 like Pirate Puzzle, Blocknomials. Also played the compelling Shape Up by the folks who make REMIX, recently funded on Kickstarter. Testing Doodle Creatures Have Needs: card, drawing, creativity, collaboration. #protospiel #cardgames
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
New video game collaboration news! Me and my friend Jerzy Drozd are making a game featuring Doctor Baer, the Wisps, and Jerzy's amazing art, story, and world of spooky adventure as seen in the awesome comics The Case of the Two-Faced Statue and The Case of the Mummy Express. #webcomics #indiegames
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Played Claim: Mine Rush! this weekend and we loved it. Elements of Carcassonne, building the mine, surprise events and trying your luck when you find a gold vein. Met this games's creator Ryan Juel at VGM Con, played it there and bought a copy from Speed Robo Games! #indiegames #vgmcon #protospiel
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Ruben Tipparach @rubentee.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
DEMO RELEASED!!! GO PLAY!!!! 🥳👾👽🚀🎉https://store.steampowered.com/app/4342510/Tom_Lander_The_Exiled_King/ #indiedev #indiegame #gamedev #solodev #flightsim #lowpoly
store.steampowered.com
Tom Lander: The Exiled King on Steam
Pilot wacky aerial vehicles with silly key-based controls through an epic action packed campaign. Struggle to stay airborne while performing deliveries, rescues, firefighting missions, bombing runs, a...
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Jacques Nyemb @notsosuper.pub · 27/04/2026
As a tiny Indy publisher I think I made the right call to do more small Saturday events in my state. They’re a lot less stressful and I make way more when I’m at events that aren’t so niche. I’ve done one a month so far and I’ve made more profit with lower table costs while growing local awareness.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
The official trailer for Lexilotl, the new word puzzle game by Rob Stenzinger Games is here! Lexilotl is a letter guessing crossword puzzle where you see how many you can solve before three mistakes end your run. #indiegames #wordgames #crossword #axolotl
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Iron Spike @ironspike.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Decades ago, I played a game called "Sam & Max Hit the Road." Early on, one of the characters reaches into a cartoon-style mouse hole in the wall, and pulls out an item that's just a massive wad of cash. The item description was "It's more money than you'll ever need." More games should do that.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
Here's part 2 of me making 2 arcade cabinets, one for each of my recent indie games. Last year I made a prototype cabinet and fell further in love with making a physical game experience from my own indie game digital creations. #indiegames #arcade #wordgame #roguelite #rpg
youtube.com
Made 2 Arcade Cabinets for My Indie Games - Part 2
Here's part 2 of me making 2 arcade cabinets, one for each of my recent indie games. Last year I made a prototype cabinet and fell further in love with making a physical game experience from my own…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Quick demo of how I recorded sound effects for my game Lexilotl. The ingredients: a microphone, ruler, box of letter tiles, and big measuring cup half full of water. Recording while playing around with those elements, looking for interesting sounds. #indiegames #wordgame #behindthescenes #journal
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How I made sound effects for Lexilotl
Quick demo of how I recorded sound effects for my game Lexilotl. The ingredients: a microphone, ruler, box of letter tiles, and big measuring cup half full of water. Recording while playing around…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
This past month and a half I made 2 arcade cabinets, one for each of my recent indie games. Last year I made a prototype cabinet and fell further in love with making a physical game experience from my own indie game digital creations. #indiegames #arcade #wordgame #roguelite #rpg
youtube.com
Made 2 Arcade Cabinets for My Indie Games - Part 1
This past month and a half I made 2 arcade cabinets, one for each of my recent indie games. Last year I made a prototype cabinet and fell further in love with making a physical game experience from…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
New Polytechnicast: Understanding An Artist and Indie Game Developer's Business. Making Lexilotl, my game crossword puzzle run - you get a clue and three tries to solve a puzzle and can keep going 'til your tries run out. Planned on ad supported right away but then a roadblock and change in strategy
interactive-storyteller.com
Polytechnicast - Understanding An Artist and Indie Game Developer's Business — Blog of an Interactive Storyteller
Word Turtle Island - Word action, Gentle Rogue-lite - NOW AVAILABLE iOS, Android, Steam
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Playing Lexilotl again where you play a series of mini crossword puzzles. This time the clue is "trade". Smaller words and puzzles are easier in some ways if you get where the clue is leading but can also be extra challenging when the clue is a mystery. #indiegames #wordgame
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Lexilotl Play Session - Lose
Playing Lexilotl again where you play a series of mini crossword puzzles. This time the clue is "trade". Smaller words and puzzles are easier in some ways if you get where the clue is leading but…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Playing Lexilotl, crossword puzzle run. The clue is "rhyme". Along the way I think aloud how I choose my letters to guess, often informed by years of playing games like Scrabble and Words With Friends where you get a feel for what letters are safer to guess because they're more common. #indiegames
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Lexilotl Play Session - Win
Playing Lexilotl, crossword puzzle run. The clue is "rhyme". Along the way I think aloud how I choose my letters to guess, often informed by years of playing games like Scrabble and Words With…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Lexilotl, my new word puzzle crossword run game is now available Apple iPhone + iPad! It's a letter and word guessing puzzle where once you reveal all the words you get to continue onward to new clue and crossword. Three mistakes will end your puzzle run apps.apple.com/us/app/lexil... #indiegames
apps.apple.com
Lexilotl App - App Store
Download Lexilotl by Stenzinger Software LLC on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Lexilotl.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Ep 90: Role of Art in Hope, Resistance, Protest, Resilience. Kate and I return to the show at a heavy moment in our Minneapolis and wider Minnesota community. We talk about in any times and especially tough times how we build community and find resilience through learning, community, and making art.
artsciencepunks.fireside.fm
Role of Art in Hope, Resistance, Protest, Resilience
This week Kate and Rob return to the show at a heavy moment in our Minneapolis and wider Minnesota community. We talk about in how in any times and especially in tough times how we build community…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Show and tell about making the word puzzle game Lexilotl as followup to my word action game Word Turtle Island. See a whole puzzle round play out as I ask myself why I made a word action game before making a word puzzle game. #indiegames #gamedeveloper #journal #wordgame
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Game prototyping show and tell - Lexilotl - a new word puzzle game
Show and tell about making the word puzzle game Lexilotl as followup to my word action game Word Turtle Island. See a whole puzzle round play out as I ask myself why I made a word action game before…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Received this token as a way to celebrate publishing a game in 2025. Word Turtle Island reached 1.0 this August and is on: Steam, Itch, Google Play, and Apple App Store. Reminds me that it's important to show up and share and even repeat sharing in a variety of ways.
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Acknowledgement for publishing Word Turtle Island in 2025
Received this token as a way to celebrate publishing a game in 2025. Word Turtle Island reached 1.0 this August and is published to four places so far: Steam, Itch, Google Play, and Apple App Store.…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
How many hats do solo game creators wear? And why is it 20 jillion? It's part of the endeavor that I love but also get a bit overbooked switching between them all - business, marketing, coding, art, music, publishing, and support. I'm lucky that Godot published version 3.6.2 with new build templates
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How many hats do solo game creators wear? And why is it 20 jillion?
How many hats do solo game creators wear? And why is it 20 jillion? It's part of the endeavor that I love but also get a bit overbooked switching between them all - business, marketing, coding, art,…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Start of a poster I've yet to finish, based on my take on the story of DragonBall Z. Quirky flawed characters who seek to improve and are a sort of found family which all that I enjoy immensely. Lots of messages one can take from DBZ, for me it's: "let's make one another as strong as possible".
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Asking Psyduck what's up. This little guy I bought from a discount bin at a cool toy shop in Columbus OH called Big Fun. It had drained batteries and a broken speaker. Took a speaker from an old laptop and little repair later Psyduck is a delightful voice reacting fun creature.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
What’s next for the WTI arcade cabinet? This past 10 months this prototype has been on the road and I’ve learned a lot watching people play. What should be in the next version? #arcade #indiegames #gamedeveloper #typing #wordturtleisland
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
How do you value your creative experiments? Lately I've been posting both still and animated colorful rectangle landscapes evocative of 8bit video game background art. I don't have a specific plan for these, only to follow my want to play and explore yet I can also see I'm learning. #creativity #art
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
Some examples of drawing with rectangles: simple outlines and filled are two different yet fun paths to sketch and play visually. My robot/mecha series is one of my favorites yet I have a bunch more. Often I do these as a relaxing thing at the end of the day. #illustration #journaling
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
My favorite kind of stick figure placeholder art: H+BALL characters! Quick demo of how to create cartoony, fun, easy to draw characters primarily made of two shapes. youtube.com/shorts/_JVS0...
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Spell's Spelling helps folks practice spelling words. Made this playful way to practice spelling words, the HTML version is playable anytime in your browser and a purchasable Mac and Windows version. youtube.com/shorts/ZRNgd...
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Do you play guitar and or like guitar themed action-puzzle games? A while back I made a game called Guitar Fretter which features 4 and 5 string bass and 6 and 7 string electric guitar where you match notes to survive waves of creatures trying to take your confidence. youtube.com/shorts/_seLd...
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Sketches from the big update to Guitar Fretter
Do you play guitar and or like guitar themed action-puzzle games? A while back I made a game called Guitar Fretter which features 4 and 5 string bass and 6 and 7 string electric guitar where you…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Are you into word puzzle games? Check out this prototype word game I'm making. It's getting to the point where the basic things like input and layout and succeeding or failing at solving the puzzle are all in place. youtube.com/shorts/AaICV... #gamedeveloper #indiegames #wordpuzzle #wordgame
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Are you into word puzzle games? Check out this prototype!
Are you into word puzzle games? Check out this prototype word game I'm making. It's getting to the point where the basic things like input and layout and succeeding or failing at solving the puzzle…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Made these two posters to guide level design in my game Word Turtle Island. youtube.com/shorts/6194P... #indiegames #gamedeveloper #gamedesign #journal #posters #creativity
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Made posters to guide level design in my game Word Turtle Island
Made these two posters to guide level design in my game Word Turtle Island. What helps you focus when you're building a game feature that takes a while to create? Sometimes I'll make posters to be…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Here are three posters I designed, each featuring robot(s)/mecha creatures. One of my designs I keep refining and need to make some prints of someday. #posters #lineart #mecha #scifi #robots #illustration
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Word puzzle game prototype progress! It's a bit backwards but also kind of fun to make the words hide instead of showing. Maybe that will be in the game on purpose as I evolve the prototype and land on my design goals for this game. #gamedeveloper #devjournal #wordgame #prototyping #creativecoding
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct? youtube.com/shorts/ZYbq7... Market driven works for some folks, choosing something based on what's selling. Instinct and rolling with things works too. Or going with your own taste and inspirations at the moment. #indiegames
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How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct?
How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct? What kind of game should I make? How should I or what can I use to help to choose what kind of game to make next? Market…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Sharing this to help other indie game creators hopefully not repeat my Steam publishing mistakes. From what I can tell so far I did it all in the wrong order. youtube.com/shorts/C1oh5... #indiegames #gamedeveloper
youtube.com
Things I learned publishing my game to Steam in the perfectly wrong order of steps
Sharing this to help other indie game creators hopefully not repeat my Steam publishing mistakes. From what I can tell so far I did it all in the wrong order. More or less I published the game's…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Things I'm trying to market my game Word Turtle Island. And what kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game? In the spirit of we're all contributing to this industry and I wish to see us all to succeed in not only creating our games but also as creative business endeavors. #indiegames
youtube.com
What kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game?
Things I'm trying to market my game Word Turtle Island. And what kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game? In the spirit of we're all contributing to this industry and I wish to see…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Thankful that often during the 2D Con, there was a few folks in line playing the arcade machine of Word Turtle Island. One moment the red dinosaur from Dino-Might was there, the next, was off to other adventures. #indiegames #gamedeveloper #2dcon #wordturtleisland #dinomight
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Ever see an Atari 2600 game vs its cover art? Imagine and invite game players into your prototype. What is a reason to make sense of the interactions? What could give it a little touch of narrative or drama? www.youtube.com/shorts/4L3qh... #indiegames #gamedeveloper #prototyping #gamedesign
youtube.com
Like Atari 2600 game vs its cover art - Imagine and invite game players into your prototype
Ever see an Atari 2600 game vs its cover art? Imagine and invite game players into your prototype. What is a reason to make sense of the interactions? What could give it a little touch of narrative…
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
New art/game dev journal posted. Polytechnicast - Word Turtle Island 1.0 and Winning an Award at 2D Con. I share what it's like now with it officially the full version, things I would and wouldn't recommend doing again looking back at the development path of WTI, and about my next game prototype.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Gallery (photo dump) of tabling at 2D Con for my game Word Turtle Island. Photo dump isn't my favorite term, but I do think it's a widely known way to say "here's a bunch of images from an event". Includes Indie Island room, the Indie Q and A Panel, closing ceremony #indiegames #gamedeveloper #2Dcon
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
What a wild fun surprise and I really appreciate it, thank you 2D Con community! Word Turtle Island won an award, voted by attendees of 2D Con. The Indie Island developer showcase art direction award (digital category)! 😍 🏆 🎮 #indiegames #2dcon #gamedeveloper #wordturtleisland
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
For a few years I partially set aside making games and focused on visual storytelling via comics. Art Geek Zoo was my main project, a story about a talented penguin guitarist named Pick who had major challenges with stage fright and his grumpy mystic guitar friend named Crunchy.
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Rob Stenzinger Games @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Word Turtle Island a few weeks into development vs what it looks like now. From placeholder art to my own art, from only typing action to now word action whether you type, use a game controller, touch screen or mouse. From no story to a narrative about saving the most awesome library in the galaxy
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