iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

It’s like the 80s again. Except for, y’know, everything. :)

Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Heads up! No new chapter on Sunday. Regular service will resume as soon as possible. stevewetherill.substack.com #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming #Memoir

Quick note: there won't be a new chapter on Sunday. This is a temporary delay, and things will return to their regular two-week cadence as soon as possible. Sometimes life happens, and it’s been happening a bit over here. :)

My goal is to publish the next chapter, which deals with Eldritch's demise, within the next couple of weeks.

The good news: I've written the next five chapters, taking us to chapter 21, the last chapter in volume 1 of my memoirs! I still plan to publish this work as a book, and I have some work ahead of me compiling and editing the material into book form. For example, on Substack, each chapter stands alone, so it tends to reintroduce characters each time, which would be repetitive in a book, and I still have a number of new photos to integrate.

After chapter 21, I still have another 30-odd years in the game industry to talk about, so I have plenty of material. In particular, the next 10 years, 1994 to 2003, cover my time at Westwood Studios in Las Vegas, where I worked on Command & Conquer, among many other things.

If you think that sounds like it is a long way from Grimethorpe Colliery, you'd be right.

There are 16.5 chapters already published. You can read about everything from coal mining to industrial-sized house flies to explosive materials in a school chemistry lab, and even a bit about the 1980s game industry from an insider’s perspective.

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

A little Z80 brainstorming with Codex while trying to squeeze Crosswize into a single-load 48K Spectrum release. Optimizing Z80 sprite draw routines in 2026. #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming #GenerativeAI

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Nodes of Yesod for the ZX Spectrum Next main menu. The to-do list is getting shorter. #RetroGaming #GameDevelopment #ZXSpectrumNext

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Projectyle for the Spectrum Next? Why not! Codex Astra plus the Claude Code disassemblies of the ST and Amiga versions I made previously created this in a day. Gameplay is mostly complete. Hit me up in the comments for technical details. #GameDevelopment #RetroGaming #GenerativeAI #SpectrumNext

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Forgot to include this in my Eldritch The Cat recollections. Ca. 1990 L–R: Dave Collins, Mark McCubbin, Stefan Walker, Marc Wilding, and me, in our Brunswick Dock office. I’m clearly having a very real phone call on our very fancy phone system while drinking coffee and taking a photo. #RetroGaming

A group photo of the Eldritch The Cat team in 1990. Left to right: Dave Collins, Mark McCubbin, Stefan Walker, Marc Wilding, Steve Wetherill.

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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

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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

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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

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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

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

Experimental parallax scrolling in Nodes for the Next.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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Steve Wetherill @stevewetherill.bsky.social · 02/05/2023

Here’s a couple. Ukranian Speccy clone and Romanian Speccy clone.

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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

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