iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Coming out of my Bluesky silence to say: why do people in the Labour Party think we like Wes Streeting more than Kier?? I can't think of someone I like less in that party than Wes Streeting...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

Also, very pleased with this year's Best of Play awards on Google Play! As always, it's been great to select the very deserving winners and to celebrate with them via videos and our award ceremonies around the world. You can see the winners here play.google.com/store/apps/e... #GooglePlay

play.google.com

The best games of 2025

Introducing Google Play’s Best Games of 2025. These winners, carefully selected by our editorial council, are this year’s must-play games. They’re the experiences pushing the boundaries, showcasing th...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

Something to warm you up as winter approaches! Google Play spoke with GAGEX.CO founder and CEO Kensuke Imura about the Hungry Hearts series and being a developer tapping into cosy, food-based fun. play.google.com/store/apps/e... #indie #indiegames #android #GooglePlay

play.google.com

Meet Kensuke Imura, CEO of Gagex

The indie studio showcasing authentic Japanese cuisine and heart-warming stories

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

This month on Google Play we speak to Lili Ibrahim, lead artist at @ustwogames.co.uk about building design-forward games and the latest entry into the Monument Valley series. play.google.com/store/apps/e... #indie #mobilegames #googleplay #interviews #indiegames #indiedeveloper #design

play.google.com

Meet Lili Ibrahim, lead artist at Ustwo Games

Unraveling Ustwo Games' design-forward process

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 22/09/2025

Another month, another spotlight on Google Play! This month we spoke to @landfall.se about their journey to bring TABS to #android with TABS Pocket Edition! play.google.com/store/apps/e... #indie #indeidevs #mobilegames #googleplay

play.google.com

Meet Kirsten and Rebecca, business leads at Landfall Games

The Swedish studio pioneering wacky physics and multiplayer mayhem

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Another month and another one of our developer interviews has gone live on Google Play. This time we speak to @rustylake.com co-founders Robin Ras and Maarten Looise about their adventures into the surreal. play.google.com/store/apps/e... #indie #indiedevs #googleplay #rustylake

play.google.com

Meet Robin and Maarten, co-founders of Rusty Lake

How a Dutch studio became an architect of puzzles and surrealism

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Other than for political posturing with a small (and probably more right-leaning) industry, I really don't understand why there's so much focus on fishing vs all the other UK industries that provide significant impact to the GDP which Brexit hit far harder than fishing was/would be...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

With the news of Raymond's departure from Sony, I do start to wonder at what point do you just decide to go do your own thing? Since launching Assassin's Creed, I don't believe she's seen anything else she's worked on get to release. Gotta be disheartening and tiring.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

I did not gel with Clair Obscur and when I read things like this I feel like I must have been playing something entirely different? I found that opening incredibly trite. Perhaps that's why I never saw value in any of the characters or their stories. search.app/iv7we

search.app

Clair Obscur gets it - a strong and simple hook goes a long way

How often does a game grab you from the very beginning?

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

End of an era. Although I lost direct access to my press account a while ago, it was still a joyous time when I had it.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

I've given up on COE33, I just don't gel with it and, unlike BG3 (which I also didn't gel with) I can't really see why people are gushing over it so much? Part of me thinks it's because it's a western-made JRPG and that's it really...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

I'll stick with Expedition 33 but, at the moment, I'm really not gelling with it. I know this is an issue of a lot of RPGs that only get going like 10-20 hours in (I presume this fits that description given it's basically a JRPG) but ATM it's giving me a lot of vibes I'm not into that much...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

At the Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen and this is a wild game choice to use to show off evolution of gaming software from the 90s to 00s...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 18/04/2025

Went on a walking tour of Victorian London the other day and as part of it passed by the epicenter of the Fire of London. I had no idea that 1666 is also written with all Roman numerals in descending order!

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 17/04/2025

The third indie dev interview with Google Play is live! This month we speak to @bartbonte.bsky.social, a wonderful solo dev who pushes the boundaries of play through colour, curiosity, and fun! play.google.com/store/apps/e...

play.google.com

Meet Bart Bonte, the solo dev with a colorful journey

How a puzzle enthusiast from Belgium captivated millions

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

There's something quietly depressing about seeing all of the fixtures and fittings of the Game warehouse up for sale on am auction site. bidonline.ncmauctions.co.uk/auctions/924...

bidonline.ncmauctions.co.uk

NCM Auctions | Clearance On Behalf Of GAME Warehouse-Due To Closure- NO RESERVE- To Inc Kitchen Equipment, Office Furniture, Homewares & Much More

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Wonder if we'll still need to buy that overpriced horse armour in the Oblivion remake...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the Switch 2 you know... Especially as some of the easy wins feel like a bit of a fumble. Why pay for that "game" about the Switch 2? Also wondering how much these Switch 2 Edition upgrades are on titles you already own...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Nintendo Switch 2 powered by Google Meet 😂

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

The best thing Ireland should do as retaliation is properly tax all the American companies that use Ireland as a tax haven in Europe. That'll certainly put pressure on Trump to rethink if all these billionaires get pissed at him. search.app/M7xri

search.app

Trump tariffs: Ireland expected to be among hardest hit countries

EU goods are expected to face a tariff of around 20% when entering the United States.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

The second of our indie dev interviews has just landed on Google Play. This month we're talking to @blacksaltgames.com's 3D Artist Michael Bastiaens about their journey into dark depths and cosmic dread with their first game DREDGE play.google.com/store/apps/e...

play.google.com

Meet Michael Bastiaens, 3D artist at Black Salt Games

A New Zealand indie’s journey into dark depths and cosmic dread

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Pleased with a new series we've launched on Play where we interview some excellent indie devs from around the world. Kicking us off is @jakubamanita.bsky.social from @amanita-design.net! play.google.com/store/apps/e...

play.google.com

Meet Jakub Dvorský, founder of Amanita Design

Sound, art, and plenty of puzzles: how this Czech indie made its mark

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Started playing Avowed this evening. Enjoyable but there's something very TES Oblivion about it. I'm unsure if I mean that as a compliment or not. It's fun but definitely feels like an Xbox 360 RPG (aside from its legit excellent visuals and art style).

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

Idk if I'm being unreasonable, but can someone explain to me why it's a big deal that Grenfell will be demolished? Surely that's the only sensible option. Nobody would live in that place if it was renovated, the cost to renovate is probably more than demolition and rebuild (1/2)

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Given that SV is nowhere near San Francisco or any actually interesting parts of California, it's not surprising that Croydon is a better fit than Old St but it's still a bit too close to London Croydon ‘transforming into UK’s new Silicon Valley’, data shows www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

standard.co.uk

Croydon ‘transforming into UK’s new Silicon Valley’, data shows

Research by GoDaddy suggests town is leaving the rest of London in its wake

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

To celebrate the launch of trading in Pokémon TCG Pocket, I spoke to two of its creators about what it means to bring Pokémon trading cards to the digital realm play.google.com/store/apps/e...

play.google.com

Meet TCG Pocket developers Ryo Tsujikawa and Satoru Nagaya

Since its launch, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has reignited our passion for collecting and battling beautiful cards.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Great to see that they're pushing through on the final part. I'm almost certain it'll end up being called "Reunion" and I'd L O V E it if they did a follow up compilation where you play 1-3 in a near seamless manner. That'd mean 7R3 needs to be on PS5 though... www.eurogamer.net/final-fantas...

eurogamer.net

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3's story completed, producer "very satisfied" as development continues without delay

The scenario for the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is now complete.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Seem loads of pieces about 30 years of Playstation but I don't think I've seen a single one talk about Net Yaroze. For me, that was my first introduction to "indie" games. So many amazing titles that I got to play via the OMP demo disc! Anyone else remember it?

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

What an utterly bizarre article... but I suppose bad takes are expected from the Spectator...: How Gen Z ruined Guinness www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-...

spectator.co.uk

How Gen Z ruined Guinness

Guinness is enjoying a bizarre resurgence thanks to Gen Z, TikTok, and social media trends like the tilt test and splitting the G.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Bit of an awkward ad there, @playstation.com. Also, why a full stop but not a comma?

An advert for PlayStation that shows artwork from Concord, their closed and failed multiplayer shooter. The text on the image says "Buy Now at Playstation Store. Browse the newest game titles released & downloadable content on playstation.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Caught up on TGAs. Love the look of that new Naughty Dog game, obviously keen for Witcher 4 (although I hope it's more than just Witcher 3 with Ciri), and gimmie more of that Ueda-san magic too. Surprised there was no Kojima announcement though...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

It's nice to see that Apple also awarded AFK Journey Best Game on iOS. Given we awarded it out Best Game back in November as well, it's nice to see Lilith getting recognition for their efforts. I spoke with its producer Jiangyuan He to see how they did it. play.google.com/store/apps/e...

play.google.com

Celebrating AFK Journey, our Best Game of 2024

AFK Journey enchanted us with its exceptional visuals, breathtaking animation, and rich fantasy world. We loved it so much that it took home our Best Game of 2024 award. To celebrate this achievement,...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Honestly, I'm not in the leeast bit surprised. As anyone who's had to work with game IP holders will know, nobody can suck the joy out of an IP faster than the partnerships team at a game developer. www.theverge.com/24313309/sec...

theverge.com

Amazon’s Secret Level is a hollow anthology of video game cutscenes

A confusing mess.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

While Bluesky is much nicer to use than Threads, the influx of new people does mean I'm now seeing a lot more "threads"- like posts of engagement bait and lists of things people do/like/hate etc. Still, it seems to be keeping pleasant for now and I'm finally starting to use it more regularly.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Do y'all say Blue Sky or Blue Ski? Having worked around SV tech peeps I'm inclined to believe the platform is actually pronounced "blue ski", which would make "skeets" make more sense as a term too.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Is it just me or does anyone else dislike hardbacks? I'd love it if they sold new books as paperbacks as well, I just find them so much more cumbersome to read. I'd also settle for hardbacks in the form factor size of a paperback...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

To test how image galleries work here, enjoy a smattering of photos of my dog.

Whippet dog sat begging with paws visible over my leg. Her eyes are fixated on food that's just off camera.

Whippet dog viewed from behind sat staring out of a window at a grey squirrel visible in the garden minding it's own business

Whippet asleep on her side on a sofa. Her head resting peacefully on a cushion while her arms are outstretched infront of her

Whippet sleeping on side, close up shot of her face with her little teeth showing while she sleeps

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Nice to see an influx of people here. Perhaps I'll start posting more. If only the algo was better at surfacing content I was interested in, I'd probably spend more time on here.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

It's official, the US is fucked now Musk is in charge of "efficiency".

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 06/11/2024

Aight so I was sort of into Black Ops 6's campaign until this whole zombie shit and boss fights nonsense. I know I've not played a CoD game since Advanced Warfare but what the hell has happened. Give me CoD 2 any day over this shite.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 28/10/2024

Black Ops 6 is the first CoD game I've played since Advanced Warfare and it's clear tech has improved massively but why is the lip syncing like a bad PS3 game? Also, what's up with that horrendous CoD hub launcher system. It's like booting up Windows 8 to play your game each time.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 24/09/2024

The most refreshing thing about playing The Plucky Squire is that it's clearly set in the UK. Books are priced in £. There's some loose change on the table in the form of 2p, 5p, and 10p (that I've seen) and the word "mum" not "mom" is in a birthday card. Love it.

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 01/03/2024

Is it just me or is there a noted rise in The Internet being tired of how American the internet is? I see so many Reddit posts (more than usual) dunking on Americans (some fairly, many not), TikTok memes (including from Americans), etc...

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Vaughn Highfield @starfox118.bsky.social · 29/02/2024

Is it just me or are so many op-ed features about games these days just really negative? I see a few that celebrate things but mostly it's "why didn't they do this" or "xyz sucks" etc. Just super tired of the negativity. I certainly see it from certain outlets more than others too...

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