iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 2h

If you're interested in what the games industry was like in those halcyon days of the 1980s, feel free to drop by and read for free. Even better, subscribe to my Substack for the price of a Starbucks per month. stevewetherill.substack.com #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming #Memoir #1980s

030

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A rough-and-ready capture of the current build of Nodes of Yesod for Spectrum Next. Shh. Not meant to be a polished presentation (as you can tell when I keep forgetting where the munchable walls are), just showing a work in progress. #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming #SpectrumNext

1182

Reposted by Steve Wetherill

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Chapter 16 is up! The one where I meet a contemptible fellow on the tough streets of Liverpool 6. A shorter chapter this time, a 700-word snack between courses. #Memoir #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 16: The Twat

A divinity shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we may

031

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Chapter 16 is up! The one where I meet a contemptible fellow on the tough streets of Liverpool 6. A shorter chapter this time, a 700-word snack between courses. #Memoir #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 16: The Twat

A divinity shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we may

031

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I reconverted Fred Gray's SID source music for the #SpectrumNext using Arkos tracker to approximate the SID instruments. I’ve used up to 6 of the Next’s 9 channels leaving 3 for SFX. Attached is a WIP of the main Nodes Of Yesod theme tune. #RetroGaming #GameDev #AYMusic

0218

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Using LLMs for retro gaming projects. Here, Codex is producing charts showing platform reachability in the smooth scrolling Speccy Next version of Nodes of Yesod. #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #GenerativeAI #SpectrumNext

280

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Experimental parallax scrolling in Nodes for the Next.

6396

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It's 1990, Projectyle is released for the Amiga and ST, and Eldritch The Cat goes legit. What does that mean? Read about what we did next in chapter 15 of my serialized memoir! Here we're posed in front of the Liver Building in Liverpool's Albert Dock area. #Memoir #RetroGaming #GameDevelopmen

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 15: The Pride

My Publishers and Other Animals

041

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

In the end, I decided against the 'passthrough' platforms and chose to fix up the maps. Witness Nodes of Yesod Editor V0.01. It is very rudimentary. The platform you are on is the 'selected' platform, you can change selection and move each platform. It's already feature-creeping, though.

oldbytes.space

Steve Wetherill (@stevewetherill@oldbytes.space)

Attached: 1 video In the end, I decided against the 'passthrough' platforms and chose to fix up the maps. Witness Nodes of Yesod Editor V0.01. It is very rudimentary, letting you move each platform a...

020

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Nodes of Yesod tape image file -> Z80 disassembly -> Convert to C -> Compile to WASM. All Claude Code. You can play it here while it is still up. There may be bugs. :) claude.ai/code/artifac... #CodeArchaeology #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #GenerativeAI #ZXSpectrum

082

Reposted by Steve Wetherill

The Joy of Sticks @thejoyofsticks.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Projectyle was a ton of fun, Steve! I popped it on my Atari ST Hidden Gems video I did a while back: youtu.be/eW-vusq4XSY?... I was hooked from the first play. The 3-team, multi-arena design was really striking, and the power-ups add a nice bit of spice. I had a great time with it, so thank you!

youtu.be

Top Ten Atari ST Hidden Gems

YouTube video by The Joy of Sticks

111

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Chapter 14 of my serialized memoir is up! Building Projectyle for Electronic Arts. This photo is from an EA photo shoot for Projectyle. I dunno who that long-haired hooligan is, though. :) stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-14... #Memoir #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #NinetiesHairDontCare

041

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

1989: Eldritch The Cat, was off to a good start. My co-founder Marc on Astaroth for Hewson Consultants, me on Scrollerball (Projectyle) for Electronic Arts, on Amiga & Atari ST. Chapter 14 of my memoir drops Sunday! Subscribe to get it in your inbox. #RetroGaming #GameDev #Memoir #AtariST #Amiga

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 14: A Game of Three Halves

Train Your Squad With Dosh by the Wad

3195

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

How and why does the Salvador Dalí Theatre Museum crop up in my memoir? Find out in chapter 13. :) stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-13... My photo, captured in 1988. #Memoir #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #Dali #AtariST #Amiga

030

Reposted by Steve Wetherill

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Chapter 13 of my serialized memoir is now live! stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-13... #Memoir #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #AtariST #Amiga

ELDRITCH THE CAT was formed in April 1988 by Marc Dawson and Steve Wetherill in order to create original computer games software. Marc and Steve are both programmers with long track records in the computer games industry. Marc started his programming career in business software, writing such diverse applications as a bookmaking system and a radio linked information transfer system. From here Marc went on to join Imagine Software's team of programmers, where he was working on the third Imagine Mega Game. Steve's career started at the National Coal Board, where he learned 'Care and Maintenance of Hand Tools' - Shovelling muck, but this was far too technical, and his hair was far too long, so he did a career switch and became a games programmer.

041

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

1988: Co-founded a games studio named after my cat. Sold my BBC Micro for a trip to Spain, got sunstroke, and deliriously demanded Thomas the Tank Engine stories. By Christmas we signed with EA. New memoir chapter out Sunday. Subscribe (free) to get it in your inbox! #Memoir #GameDev #RetroGaming

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 13: The Computer, the Costa Brava, and the Contract

Founding Eldritch The Cat, a broke summer in Spain, and a first deal with Electronic Arts

391

Reposted by Steve Wetherill

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy for the Amstrad CPC, the first two video games I worked on professionally, forty-two years ago in 1984. Actual photo of my actual hands holding actual physical cassette tapes! Jet Set Willy is still shrink-wrapped, never opened! #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment

Two hands holding two physical cassette tape cases for retro video games against a white background with soft shadows.

Left Case: Displays the cover art for "Manic Miner" published by Software Projects. The illustration features a large, green, stylized monster with multiple eyes, a large mouth, and its tongue hanging out. A yellow triangle in the bottom right corner indicates the game is for the Amstrad CPC 464.

Right Case: Displays the cover art for "Jet Set Willy", also published by Software Projects, with a "Final Frontier" banner across the middle. The illustration depicts a chaotic room scene with a cartoon character sprawled on the floor holding a green bottle. A matching yellow triangle in the bottom right corner indicates it is also for the Amstrad CPC 464.

1131

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

1131

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Liverpool, 1988. Skint, overworked, about to be fired. Chapter 12 is now free for everyone: my chaotic stint at Denton Designs, and the company I founded from the wreckage. stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-12... #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #ZXSpectrum #Memoir

010

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

David Rowe was one of the defining illustrators of British gaming's golden age: Ant Attack, The Way of the Exploding Fist, Populous, and the atmospheric Knightmare TV backdrops. He also painted the Crosswize cover. He's selling prints now, and I might just pick one up 🙂 #RetroGaming #CoverArt

davidrowe.net

Crosswize - David Rowe Retro Artwork

011

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Liverpool, 1988. I start at Denton Designs, get fired within months, lose my cat, and juggle three games at once. Out of the wreckage, a new company emerges. Live now for paid subscribers, with a sneak peek for everyone. Free for all this Sunday 👇 #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #AtariST #Memoir

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 12: The Confrontation and the Cat

A reckoning in London, too many projects at once, and the company born from the wreckage

020

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Crosswize (ZX Spectrum, 1988). I talk about making it in Chapter 11 of my serialized memoir. Evidently, I was keen on space shrimps back then. :) Free to read, link in bio. #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum

040

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

A couple of shots I took in 1999 showing the in-progress demolition of Canning Place in Liverpool. The Canning Place office block was home to Odin Computer Graphics, where we created games such as Nodes of Yesod, Robin of the Wood, Heartland, etc. #RetroGaming #Liverpool #Demolition

A panoramic photograph showing an urban demolition site at Canning Place in Liverpool in 1999. A wide black construction fence separates a foreground of green grass from the active site. Behind the fence lie large mounds of pale rubble and dirt where yellow excavators are operating. On the right side of the site stands a partially demolished concrete structure draped with green netting. In the background to the far left, the large dark tower of Liverpool Cathedral is visible on the skyline. A tall brown brick office building dominates the center background under a cloudy blue sky.

A photograph displaying a weathered construction information board mounted on a green wooden hoarding at a demolition site. The main heading on the sign reads NATIONAL DISCOVERY PARK. The left side features a red background with white text stating Phase I Demolition of Canning Place. Below this, it notes that demolition is due for completion in June 1999, is supported by a grant from English Partnerships, and lists a contact telephone number. The right side of the sign shows an architectural rendering of a large, modern curved glass building with fountains and pedestrians. The surface of the sign has vertical white streaks from weather exposure. A row of sponsor logos including BT runs along the bottom edge. In the background above the sign, a dark brick building and twisted metal rebar from the demolition are visible. The numbers 010801 are printed on the top right edge of the green sign frame.

010

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Sometimes the magic works. Sometimes it's knowing when to stop. Chapter 11 of my memoir is up! I sign away Crosswize, meet my future wife, and see America for the first time. (Shirt: Maryland Renaissance Festival, 1987.) stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-11... #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #Memoir

020

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Chapter 11 drops Sunday. It's 1987. Odin is gone, I'm broke. Colin and I sign with Firebird for Crosswize, the Sidewize sequel. That September I meet my future wife (she has a VIC-20) and visit the USA for the first time. Subscribe free to get it in your inbox 👇 #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #Memoir

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 11: Sometimes the Magic Works

The contract, the VIC-20, and the getaway car

000

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Sidewize features in chapter 10 of my serialized memoir. You can read it here: stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-10... #RetroGaming #GameDev #Memoir #ZXSpectrum

180

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Canning Place in Liverpool, 90s demolition vs today. 1 and 2 mark the old Odin Computer Graphics office locations. A Hilton Hotel now sits exactly where Odin used to be. stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-10... #Liverpool #ThenAndNow #Memoir #RetroGaming #History

030

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

As 1986 rolls into 1987, things aren't looking good for Odin. Chapter 10 is up! stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-10... This is a 1987 shot of me in Liverpool from a DIY Sidewize photoshoot for Sinclair User. #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #Memoir #80sHairDontCare

A photograph from 1987 of Steve Wetherill, with long, wavy blonde hair, smiling slightly at the camera. He is wearing a brown leather jacket over a black t-shirt and blue jeans. He stands with his arms crossed, leaning back against a textured grey stone wall. A digital watch with a brown strap is visible on his left wrist. To his left, a portion of an oxidized green bronze plaque with raised lettering is mounted on the stone.

130

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Chapter 10 of my serialized memoir drops Sunday: Odin's "10 games in 12 months" deal with Firebird falls apart, Sidewize ships, and the studio goes dark, but not without a fight. Subscribe for free at the link below (paid optional) to get chapter 10 in your inbox! #RetroGaming #Memoir #ZXSpectrum

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 10: The Future That Never Was

Chasing the raster, glimpsing the future, and a critical disagreement.

030

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Scenes from Heartland on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum from Odin Computer Graphics in 1986. #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #8Bit #VideoGames

An 8-bit pixel art scene on a black background with a white castle outline and a blue moon above a green tree line. In the foreground, Bertie Big Boy stands near a small creature on a textured yellow ground, flanked by four blue unicorn statues mounted on white pedestals.

An 8-bit pixel art scene on a black background where a character in a space suit walks on a yellow platform near large blue pipes on the left, while Bertie Big Boy floats in the air near a thick red vertical pipe and a white doorway structure on the right.

An 8-bit pixel art scene on a black background featuring Bertie Big Boy jumping between two green topiary arches. A white pedestal with a clock face and a green potted plant sits to the right, and a blue and green planet is visible in the top left corner.

An 8-bit pixel art scene showing the main sprite, a human named Bertie Big Boy wearing a top hat and top coat, standing inside a yellow and blue elevator cage. The elevator is suspended by red cables against a black background and flanked by vertical green textured walls.

040

Reposted by Steve Wetherill

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

In Chapter 9 of my serialized memoir, it's 1986, Heartland for the ZX Spectrum ships, and the reality of shipping 10 games in a year for Firebird/Telecomsoft means our brand new Amiga 1000s have to be set aside in favor of cranking out points for the contract. #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #Memoir

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 9: The Firebird Factory

Ten games in twelve months, Bertie Big Boy, and the Forbidden Amigas.

251

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 9: The Firebird Factory

Ten games in twelve months, Bertie Big Boy, and the Forbidden Amigas.

251

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Chapter 9 of my serialized memoir drops Sunday. It's 1986. Heartland ships on the ZX Spectrum, the reality of shipping 10 games in a year for Firebird sinks in, and Odin acquires the forbidden Amiga 1000s. Subscribe for free (paid optional) to get it in your inbox! #RetroGaming #GameDev #Memoir

stevewetherill.substack.com

Chapter 9: The Firebird Factory

Ten games in twelve months, Bertie Big Boy, and the Forbidden Amigas.

0100

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Great interview with Colin Porch about Return to Blacktooth, the Head Over Heels sequel, which Colin began in 1989 and has finally completed 37 years later! [reposting to remove tracking link] youtu.be/DhliI-I9aGQ #RetroGaming #GameDev

youtu.be

The Game That Took 37 Years to Finish: Ocean Software’s Colin Porch

YouTube video by The Retro Hour (Retro Gaming Podcast)

040

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

"Robin was bigger than Nodes had been: not just in rooms, but in the cast of characters the player encountered. The witch, the Ent, the Sheriff of Nottingham, the hermit, the bishop, and more." An excerpt from Chapter 8 of my serialized memoir, link in thread. #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #GameDev

1104

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Chapter 8 of my serialized memoir is up. Maybe I should do an audio version? open.substack.com/pub/stevewet... #Memoir #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #Podcast

030

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Sharing the latest video trailer from Steve Tall for his indie game Thrice Entombed, coming soon on Steam! Steve is an old friend of mine and one of the main developers of the original Command & Conquer series. Direct link in thread. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvlk... #GameDev #Steam #IndieGames

youtube.com

Thrice Entombed Gold Trailer

Indie game trailer for my Roguelite block pushing game, Thrice Entombed. https://store.steampowered.com/app/4076860/Thrice_Entombed/

2111

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

My neighbor came across this matchbook, I think from the 70s. "EXPERIENCED MEN EARN $7,000 to $12,000 PER YEAR." "all you need is ambition, average intelligence, and a high school diploma" Definitely "of its time". #Matchbook #1970s #ComputerProgrammer

This image shows the other outer side of the vintage matchbook. The top folded flap reads MAIL COUPON INSIDE. The main yellow cover features the black text TRAIN AT HOME BE A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER. Below this is a red rectangular box containing white text that says EXPERIENCED MEN EARN $7,000 to $12,000 PER YEAR. A dark gray match striking pad is visible at the very bottom.

This image shows a close up of a vintage yellow matchbook resting on a wooden surface. The cover features black text at the top reading 500,000 NEW JOBS OPENING IN AUTOMATION. Below this is a black and white illustration of a woman and man looking at a document, with large reel to reel computer tape drives in the background. Red text at the bottom reads HIGH SCHOOL GRADS WANTED!

This image shows the inside of the opened matchbook lying flat. On the right side is a row of unused matches with black cardboard stems and pink heads. On the left is a printed form acting as a mail in coupon. A red arrow pointing left contains the text BECOME A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER. The main text reads MAIL COUPON TODAY FOR FREE BOOKLET followed by a paragraph explaining that you can train for a top pay career as a computer programmer right in your own home. It states that all you need is ambition, average intelligence, and a high school diploma, and notes that both men and women are eligible. It lists LA SALLE EXTENSION UNIVERSITY, 733 Third Ave., Dept. 80-466, New York, N.Y. 10017. Below this are blank lines to fill in Name, Age, Address, Apt., City, State, and Zip.

010

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I spent 40 years making games. Manic Miner/Jet Set Willy on the CPC464, Nodes of Yesod, later Command & Conquer and Red Alert. Now I'm writing it all down as a memoir. A taste, from 1985: the time three police cars chased me through a tunnel for breaking into my own house. #RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum

161

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 27/05/2023

Release of the Max app on LG TVs has rendered the Apple TV pretty much obsolete. It was the final holdout.

000

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 26/05/2023

A blast from the past! “Who’s Buying” was a Unity game we developed at Jet Set Games back in 2009 for iOS. This was early days for Unity on iOS, in the days of the Unitron text editor, no IDE, debugger, etc. Long since vanished from the App Store, but working on this old iPad I came across today.

010

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 29/04/2023

Hello Bluesky. Here’s an old Speccy game.

Animated GIF of Crosswize game for the ZX Speccy

261