iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Fascinating #godot glitch. These true low-poly cabinets have a series of quads with +/-U flips for the textures but they turn into collapsed smears on import. Splitting the geo up didn't fix it. Turning off LOD generation solved it. #lowpoly #pixelart #blender

Screenshot of a low-def kitchen environment where some of the cabinet doors seem to have had their UVs collapsed resulting in stretched textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

It's time for a payday sale! My Doomed Dimension texture pack is 40% off for the next couple of days, so you can pick up 170+ commercial use textures for under $5. itch.io/s/202437/doo... #indiedev #gamedev #texturetuesday #quake #salespost

Screenshot of a retro-styled fantasy game environment demonstrating a custom texture set.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Some progression shots for #TextureTuesday showing how the pixel mess on this incredibly simple wall heater model developed. #indiedev #gamedev #gameart #pixelart

A blocky model of a wall-mounted storage heater with the first stage of texturing done, blocking in the main different areas of colour.

The same heater model with a first pass on detailing and textures, and adding the VCS 2600 style printed woodgrain.

Finalised texture refining the highlights, adding the bottom trim and slight shading to make the top and bottom parts look more like raised features.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I've been trying out some stuff in an intentionally naïve low-def art style and true low-poly environments for my current game. Posting some blinds in isolation here. Just a Blender grab not in-game. How exciting! #textureTuesday #gamedev #indiedev #pixelart #homedecor

Closely cropped screenshot of extremely low poly environment with a set of vertical slat blinds fully covering a window.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Date yourself with a snap of your first ever computer.

An image of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum microcomputer in the original version with the rubber membrane keyboard.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I'm having a payday sale on my texture packs. I know not everyone gets paid at the end of the month but work with me here OK? itch.io/s/199816/pay... Active for ONE DAY ONLY, sorta. Finishes midnight GMT at the end of Sept 1st. Do it now. You'll forget! #indiedev #gamedev #buymystuff #salespost

Screenshot of the 25% off sale on my game dev texture packs.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Nothing new for #textureTuesday this week, just a reminder that there is a sales goal running to fund a small expansion to the Brutal Base pack on my @itch.io page. If you want to see more of this sort of thing you know what to do! #indiedev #gamedev #pixelart #lowpoly #fps

Some example textures from the Brutal Base pack.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

While we wait to see if the promo on Brutal Base kicks off, I'm overdue to mention my newest texture set release Ultra Urban. It's still grimy! shallowthinking.itch.io/ultra-urban-... #indiedev #gamedev #boomershooter #retrogaming #madeinkrita #leveldesign

Screenshot of a simple urban back-alley game environment in a retro-style engine, made using original textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Additionally, donations can now gain access to a small set of pre-made texture atlases. I mainly put these in to make it easy to set up the goal without locking any entirely new bits behind payments. #retrofps #boomershooter #leveldesign

The text "Brutal Base Texture Atlas Update" emblazoned across a layout sheet of retro-style game textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I love making oldschool game textures and I have a few packs out now which you can get on my @itch.io or @ko-fi.com stores, including the popular free pack Brutal Base. shallowthinking.itch.io ko-fi.com/shallowthink... #indiedev #gamedev #lowpoly #gameassets #noai #pinnedpost #salespost

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

A fascinating side-effect of my ko-fi store is you can just give me money! Any amount of money! Or not! That's obviously fine! There's even free stuff. ko-fi.com/shallowthink... Mostly I look at it as a different way of buying things besides my itch page though. shallowthinking.itch.io #fypm

Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movie series, in an image macro that adds text for the famous "ONE MILLION DOLLARS" line except the "million" is under a black censor bar, leaving only "ONE _______ DOLLARS" and creating enormous hilarity that sadly cannot possibly be adequately conveyed in a text description.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I hid this away in a reply yesterday, but all my texture packs are now available on my ko-fi page if you're more into that than itch for whatever reason. ko-fi.com/shallowthink... #indiedev #textures #assetpack #pixelart #noai #buymystuff

Screenshot of a shop web page showing various texture packs for sale.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

It's #textureTuesday so I get to plug Ultra-Urban again for all you promo post enthusiasts! 100+ retro-style photo-sourced textures for your game worlds or, "Other interactive applications." Whatever that means. shallowthinking.itch.io/ultra-urban-... #indiedev #gamedev #urban #noai #lowpoly

Screenshot of a simple game environment of a back alley with retro-style diffuse only textures. Except with different lighting to previous appearances.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Couple of screens from the demo level for my most recent urban-themed retro texture set. If you want to make some exteriors of grotty alleyways, dismal little offices, awful flats or workshops, I got you covered. shallowthinking.itch.io/ultra-urban-... #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiedev #quake

Screenshot of a simple game environment of a back alley with retro-style diffuse only textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Did you know, you can put a slideshow animation on the doors in your game, if there's something not right with you? I'm just providing the door textures though. You have to do the animation yourself. shallowthinking.itch.io/ultra-urban-... #indiedev #gamedev #animation #stupidJokePost #leveldesign

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

On track for a new textures day tomorrow, as is tradition. New urban set, natch! The new stuff is in the same style as, and designed to be mega compatible with shallowthinking.itch.io/downtown-dys... but fully self-contained, and a bit more backways/alleys. #indiedev #gamedev #gameart #gamedesign

Screenshot of an urban environment under construction in 3D editing software using original textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

For those that loved the caulk, check out this SHADER IMAGE MISSING! (This is an improvement on the first version of the won't-be-in-the-pack-anyway placeholder Q3 sky shader, which had mismatched curly braces because of how smart and constantly tired I am IRL!)

Screenshot of a prototype urban game environment in editing software. Many custom textures are visible on the structures, but the dominating feature is a red and black chequerboard pattern with the legend SHADER IMAGE MISSING where the sky should be.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Getting this weird Krita save error again, on a file created a couple of weeks back in the version. I've add new layers today but not touched these existing layers at all. Of course I forgot to make a copy of the busted file 🙃

Screenshot of an error dialogue saying that the file could not be saved due to instances of "The metadata backend failed to save the metadata for..." on multiple layers in the document.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I should wrap this lot up and get them out. Does need another floor/ground or two for utility. #indiedev #gamedev #madeinkrita #textures #noai

Screenshot of a video game textures folder showing a selection of slightly grimy looking urban textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Snapped this for street furniture reference and no other reason.

Photo of a typical UK dark green fibre internet routing cabinet at the side of a street. Various stickers and posters have been fixed to it and torn off again at different times. A trans pride flag sticker is still nearly intact and someone has written "🤍 Local Puppy girls" in white paint just below that.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I snapped this throwaway shot with some sort of idea about it being symbolic of the decline of the Post Office, but now I'm looking at it all I see is those paving slabs. It just make me want to pop back here on a nicely overcast day and pace out a grid of photos to make a big ol' texture out of.

A slightly dismal looking plaza with rough concrete paving slabs in front of a convenience store in Sheffield. There is a line of three different dropbox lockers for parcel deliveries at the edge of the plaza. Part of Sheffield Hallam University is visible in the distance.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Yeah I usually watermark anything bigger than a thumbnail. Or slap it on some planes and render it which is like rotating it but 3D 😆

Demo render of some delightfully 2D textures on dashingly 3D planes.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

A wise man once said, "The hard part about promoting your textures is that you can't just post the textures because then people have the textures already." Dunno who it was, but it is a deep and fundamental truth. Behold, a folder! #indiedev #indiegame #pixelart #gamedev #customlevel #madeinkrita

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

If you wanted any of my texture packs while they are in the @itch.io summer sale, you have only got TWO HOURS LEFT! shallowthinking.itch.io Downtown Dystopia - 20% off! Rivets n Rust - 25% off! Doomed Dimension - 13% off! #indiedev #gamedev #textures #lowpoly #pixelart

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

It's #TextureTuesday and my popular Downtown Dystopia texture set is also in the @itch.io Summer Sale! shallowthinking.itch.io/downtown-dys... If you were holding out at $5, it's a measly $4 now. The complete pack is 20% off too. #indiedev #gamedev #pixelart #noai #brutalist

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Showing off the pleasingly rusty orange version of some of this texture pack for #screenshotSaturday and noting that there's a sale discount right now that gives you just over a buck off an already low price. shallowthinking.itch.io/doomed-dimen... #gamedev #indiedev #summersale #pixelart #quake

A gothic fantasy game environment with greenish stones and orangey brown rusted bracing. Additional context: This was made using netRadiant and screenshot in Quake 3 because that's actually a pretty quick way of doing this kind of demo environment.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

What sort of dork would put their newest texture pack in itch's summer sale? It's -13% which is pretty cursed, but more than one whole $ off. And you can still pay more than that if you're smart and handsome. shallowthinking.itch.io/doomed-dimen... #lowpoly #gameart #indiedev #retrogame #pixelart

It says "-13%" in big letters. Well big numbers technically I guess.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

This month's fancy new texture set, Doomed Dimension, can be grabbed from my itch page. Can be used for fantasy both high and low, and equally good for disturbing technogothic settings. shallowthinking.itch.io/doomed-dimen... #ScreenshotSaturday #fantasyart #indiedev #gamedev #dungeons

Screenshot of a test environment demoing a new game texture pack with a dark fantasy vibe.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Building a test level for screens, and finding possible areas where I can add to my imminent texture set release. I went for a Quake vibe but there's not any specific icons or symbols. It'll be good for all sorts of dungeons and castles and the like. #ScreenshotSaturday #indiedev #gamedev #lowpoly

Test environment for a forthcoming texture set. Some might say it's dark, I'd say moodily lightmapped.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Got about 140 files in the exports folder right now and started doing the preview sheets, although there are still a few colour-ways to finalise and save out. Aiming for Tuesday, as is tradition. #indiedev #gamedev #gameart #textureart #quake #noai

Collage sheet of a selection of game textures in various green, grey, and rusty hues.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

It's the end of the month and it'd be nice to round it out with a few more sales if you fancy some nice commercial-use textures for your projects! Rivets n Rust evokes 90s base maps, Downtown Dystopia's a bit more modern urban. shallowthinking.itch.io #gamedev #indiedev #lowpoly #texturepack #noai

Textures from the Downtown Dystopia texture pack in use in a simple loading bay environment.

Textures from the Rivets n Rust pack in use in a rugged-looking retro base environment.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

I would accuse you of following me around but this isn't the same sign, although it might be at the same pond 😆

A sign saying "FISHING IS NOT ALLOWED AFTER DUSK" standing in a wooded environment. At some point the "NOT" was painted over, but it has been mostly cleaned off again.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Hit a minor sales milestone on itch. I'm celebrating with a little update to the free Brutal Base texture pack which will be uploaded later. You can follow for updates in the meantime: shallowthinking.itch.io/brutalbasepack #TextureTuesday #pixelart #lowpoly #gameassets #gamedev #indiedev

Preview of the new textures being added to the Brutal Base texture pack.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Got up to a third iteration of logo design yesterday and I don't hate it, but I'm wondering if I should simplify even further.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Get an authentic retro feeling in your environments with Rivets n Rust. 300+ gritty textures including a commercial use license. shallowthinking.itch.io/rivets-n-rus... #gamedev #indiedev #assetpack #quake3 #lightmaps

Screenshot of a retro-style base FPS level with chunky architecture and textures. Alarmingly green slime is visible through and around a floor grating.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

HMRC has decided that they messed up and overpaid on a refund they gave for the tax 24/25 year so it's a great time to remind remind everyone that I have some texture packs for sale! shallowthinking.itch.io #gameart #pixelart #gamedev #indiedevelopers #gamedev

Promotional render for Downtown Dystopia Texture Pack showing a slightly grimy urban loading bay environment.

Promotional render for the Rivets n Rust Texture Pack showing a rugged Quake-style base environment.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

My account is mostly about making video games so I want to move off the photo of a kitbashed ork battlewagon PFP. But. I do kinda like it 😉 Mucked about with some quick geometry and I think from here I'll render it then see how much simpler I can make it in vectors. #screenshotsaturday #blender

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

The Rivets n Rust textures are now available to download for casual or commercial use. 300+ tileable textures for rugged retro installations presented in a might 24 bits (or 32 with alphas) shallowthinking.itch.io/rivets-n-rus... #indiedev #gamedev #gamedevelopment #textures #homebrew #gameart

A screenshot of a rugged grey base map environment.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Another upcycled texture release is imminent! Heavily inspired by the base maps of yore, Rivets n Rust releases tomorrow! If you're enthusiastic about impatiently refreshing pages or reading this in a far future time: shallowthinking.itch.io #indiedev #gamedev #gamedevelopment #textures #retrofps

Screenshot of a retrogame style future base with a new texture set.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I've dug through the archives once again and have been tidying up and expanding another set of authentic oldschool textures for release. This set includes at least two distinct shades of brown! #indiedev #quake #gamedev #texturepack (Editors note: It's not all brown.)

Screenshot of an in-game future base environment with overwhelmingly brown textures.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

I love making oldschool textures and I have a couple of packs out now: Downtown Dystopia is 100+ assets for low-def urban levels. Concrete/brick/floors/doors and more. And Brutal Base is FREE for all your grimly concreted needs! shallowthinking.itch.io #indiedev #gamedev #lowpoly #gameassets

Promo image of a loading bay environment 3D render bearing the legend "Downtown Dystopia texture pack"

Layout image showing many of the images contained in the Downtown Dystopia texture asset pack. Suited for building contemporary structures that you see in the horrors of day to day city life.

Promo image of a dimly lit concrete environment with the legend BRUTAL BASE TEXTURE PACK

Layout image showing all the textures contained in the Brutal Base texture asset pack. 80 authentically 90s/00s diffuse textures plus extra FX stuff great for retro stylings.

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Tom Waters - Shallow Thinking Games @shallowthinking.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Presenting a baffling carousel. (Love to make a joke that doesn't work on an out of date app, nor on desktop where for once I'm glad we don't have feature parity.)

Stupid closeup of a a retro style game texture with pleasing pixelly graininess.

Another stupid closeup of a a retro style game texture with pleasing pixelly graininess.

A third stupid closeup of a a retro style game texture with pleasing pixelly graininess.

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