iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

A snippet of the opening cutscene. I’m really lucky to be friends with Sonja von Marensdorff, a talented storyboard artist and amazing person! We had jam sessions to plan the cutscene, fill in some story gaps, and she drew gorgeous boards. Thank you for such a fun, smooth collab! #indiegamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Mole’s Best Friend is still in steady development! Lots of fun features have been added and every day I’m getting closer to releasing the demo. For now, here is a sneak peek at the planet on which our story takes place: Little Pebble! This was really fun and a bit intimidating to draw. #indiegamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

This sad little bee boy is so sad because he doesn’t have a name! Reply with a name suggestion and I’ll put it up to a vote - the winner will receive a cute Mole’s Best Friend sticker as their award! 🥇🐝 #indiegame #pointandclickadventure

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

THANK YOU for 100+ wishlists of Mole’s Best Friend in less than a week! Here is the big reveal of Topo’s next door neighbor… Don’t bee afraid, he’s sweet! #indiegame #cozygame #pointandclickadventure #characterdesign

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

The Mole’s Best Friend Steam page is up!! I would be so grateful if you could wishlist it and spread the word, and thank you so much for all of your support so far! #indiegame #indiegamedev #molesbestfriend #pointandclickadventure #cozygame

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Thrilled to announce that Mole’s Best Friend’s Steam page is officially up and you should add it to your wishlist RIGHT 👏🏼 FRICKIN’ 👏🏼 NOW 👏🏼 !!! Thank you SO MUCH for all of your support as I solo develop this cozy point and click adventure! #indiegamedev store.steampowered.com/app/4171890/...

store.steampowered.com

Mole's Best Friend on Steam

Mole's Best Friend is a cozy, hand-drawn point and click adventure about Topo, a routine-abiding mole, and his best friend Scrunch, a rebellious young beetle. But after an argument, Scrunch goes missi...

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

After much rendering, feedback from indie game dev discord communities, squinting, and rendering some more, here is the final draft of the Mole’s Best Friend capsule art. I am really happy with it! Now, I need to make a few different sizes for different parts of the Steam store! #gamedev #indiegame

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

First devlog since October, burn out sucks! In this one I tried to highlight my design process for my Steam capsule art and going to game dev communities for critique and help youtu.be/DVTNHzwhNvE #indiegamedev #steamcapsule

youtu.be

I avoided my Steam page for 2 months

YouTube video by Stay Sorta Positive Games

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Reposted by Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend

Victoria Tran ✨ @victoriatran.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

💵 MONEY for GAME? In 2026??? 💵 There have been more and more successful-game-devs-turned-game-funders popping up, so here's a lil' thread of some of the more recent ones I've seen. Hopefully this helps you get some $$$! 🔽

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

I’m nervous about the capsule art for my game’s Steam page. How do you make art that accurately represents ur game and attracts your target audience? I think I am getting closer to having something that might work. Plz tell me ur impressions of it so far, as always it’s a work in progress! #gamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Got a burst of creativity today and indulged myself by allowing a bit of scope creep. When I have demo’d my prototype, people are interested in checking out the beehive. I feel bad telling them you can’t go over there (yet) so I decided to start drawing the exterior so they can explore! #gamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Holidays got me feeling sleepy. Animated this snoozing Topo last night.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

GamerJax is back at it with more amazing Mole’s Best Friend 3D art - this time of the titular best friend Scrunch! I’m seriously loving these. I wish I could have made stuff like this when I was 10 years old. #3dart #molesbestfriend #gamerjax

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

3D render of Mole’s Best Friend’s main character, Topo, by the one and only GamerJax: a 10 year old game developer who I was lucky enough to meet at PAX West this year. This is the first Mole’s Best Friend fanart ever made! Look at that attention to detail! #indiegamedev #fanart #3dart #youthartist

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Spent the past couple nights working on this ominous fig bush. Solo game dev is hard but when you’re stressed about building your Steam page, you can busy yourself (procrasinate?) with assets. #gameart #backgroundart #sologamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Was mocking up an idea but then my toddler misplaced my Apple Pencil again, so I guess I will just think about my idea instead.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

The main character of my game is nocturnal, so there are a lot of nighttime backgrounds. It’s been interesting playing with light and shadow at night. I noticed that the dark sky felt very flat, so I added a gradient and it helped a lot. It’s nice when a small tweak adds depth! #indiegame #gameart

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Currently halfway through to the latest @aghotspot.bsky.social episode with @inklingwood.bsky.social and got chills. VERY inspiring and cool to hear about their journey as first time devs. And of course I’m always partial to hearing about mom devs who work on games with babies on their shoulders.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

October was a big month for me - I’m trying to get the Mole’s Best Friend Steam page up so you can wishlist it, met with my awesome storyboard artist friend Sonja to talk about an opening cutscene, and making lots of progress on my prototype to prepare for play testing! youtu.be/jPpRMc8bT7o?...

youtu.be

Confronting cutscenes, Steam, and play testing for my indie game

YouTube video by Stay Sorta Positive Games

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

I started drawing this pottery/ceramics studio background a year ago this week, but have procrastinated on finishing it because I want it to be gorgeous and true to the vibes I got from ceramics classes I was in when I was younger. Basically, perfectionism paralyzed me! I gotta get on it. #indiegame

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Half of the fun of point n click adventure games is investigating items in any given scene. I added names/descriptions to almost everything in Scrunch the beetle’s bedroom. She is a rebellious preteen who loves fiber art. My personal favorite item is the “fleur” lamp. Get it? Fleur, floor?

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

I sure picked a hell of a time to make an adventure game. Started working on it 5 months postpartum and now I have an absolutely bonkers 1.5 yr old running around. But I will persevere! Game development can happen between naps, no matter how few and far between!

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Spent September animating, marketing with said animations, and realized you HAVE to have a growth mindset as a game dev (or anyone with a goal in life) youtu.be/HMV2IgBq04c?...

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Animation updates + game dev REQUIRES a growth mindset

YouTube video by Stay Sorta Positive Games

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Hyperventilating because I posted about Mole's Best Friend (with screenshots!) in the new Adventure Game Hotspot forum.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Small game dev win: I figured out action areas, aka the tadpoles emerge and submerge depending on if you are standing close enough to the creek! Not pictured: me giggling and kicking my feet as I click back and forth. #indiegamedev #pointandclickadventure #visionairestudio

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Animated this grouchy gecko gardener this week. She may look cute but she’s got a bad attitude. #animation #indiegamedev #molesbestfriend #adventuregame

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Post a mage! ✨ A sugar glider witch who loves the element of surprise.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

I do TikTok stuff and am enjoying the text to speech feature. Here’s an update on me tadpoles. #animation #indiegamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Game dev is a crash course in believing in yourself, wearing a million has, and harnessing a growth mindset. In the last 6 months I’ve done narrative design, puzzle design, animation, coding, marketing, formed an LLC, project management, collaborated with other creatives, and cried.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

I’m talking with a storyboard artist friend soon about doing some boards for the opening cutscene for the game. I am pumped. Also going to try to get the Steam page up this month. Full speed ahead!!

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Working on animating some tadpoles for the player character to cross the creek! #animation

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

I learned a ton at PAX, but came away with some questions that I need help answering. What’s my game’s hook? Why should anyone care about it? Is it worth starting a Discord for people to stay updated? #indiegamedev #devlog #paxwest

youtu.be

what I learned @ PAX West + why should anyone care about my game?

YouTube video by Stay Sorta Positive Games

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

We had fun at our first PAX West! Met so many great people, spread the word about Mole’s Best Friend, went to a couple mentorship sessions and played a lot of games. It was awesome to see the hard work of so many devs come to fruition (PAX Rising showcase especially!) and I feel so inspired.

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Backgrounds backgrounds and more backgrounds, feeling pride and like I am really worldbuilding here, who’da thunk it? #gameart #molesbestfriend #indiegame #gamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Working on a fun dragonfly pendulum clock. Trying my damnedest to lean into whimsy and cute bugs! #indiegame #gameart #wip #molesbestfriend

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Reposted by Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend

The Witch's Bakery - Sunny Lab @sunnylabgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Just make it exist first, you can make it good later ✨ #indiegames #cozygames

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Game dev is hard, especially when working solo. I am having trouble balancing art and tech, marketing and development, but I guess what matters is making progress at all. youtu.be/rfjQHxRgujg?...

youtu.be

Solo game dev woes

YouTube video by Larissa Akhmetova

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Plugged some of the updated backgrounds into the engine! Topo’s house is almost done. The art is a big part of Mole’s Best Friend and I am happy to see it shaping up into something beautiful, but I really gotta work on the mechanics. #gamedev #indiegame #pointandclickadventure #cozygame #gameart

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Scrunch is a (pre?)teen beetle who loves all things fiber art. I had a lot of fun designing her room and playing with mood lighting. However, I have a bajillion more backgrounds to draw so I’ll call this a decent stopping point. #gameart #backgroundary #gamedev #indiegame #pointandclickadventure

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

I began doing concept art for my game a year ago, but the whole idea for the story stems from a (very) short animation I did almost a decade ago. I’m inspired by the flora and fauna of Southeast Texas, with a hefty dose of magic and whimsy. #conceptart #characterdesign #indiegame #gamedev

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

Hi! I’m Larissa, and I’m an indie game developer, illustrator, and UX Designer. I am currently solo developing my first game, Mole’s Best Friend. I describe it as a blend of Monkey Island and Animal Crossing. I post devlogs on my YT: youtube.com/@lurissu Will be at PAX West handing out stickers!

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Stay Sorta Positive Games 💖 Mole’s Best Friend @staysortapositive.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Mole's Best Friend is a cozy point n click adventure game about a routine abiding mole named Topo and his best friend Scrunch, a rebellious young beetle. One day, they have an explosive argument and Scrunch goes missing. It is up to Topo to face his fears, track Scrunch down, and save the planet.

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