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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar

@thauxanstudios.com
2.6K followers 246 following 532 posts

The Thauxan who does the things. Indie dev, modder, simulation enthusiast. Solo dev of Thauxan Studios; working on my flagship project Synthaar. Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/2846840 Itch-io: thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar

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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 23/08/2026
There were audio files that were too high fidelity for the purpose they provided. Many were compressed into MP3 with minimal loss in quality. One egregious instance was the sound for tailoring lasting 10 seconds and being a 10MB file. Files like this made up the bulk majority of the game's size.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 23/08/2026
I've just patched Synthaar to V0.4.1, which features a new grid, resolves an issue with burglars swarming your lot, and most notably reduces the game's file size to half without reducing any content. thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #unity3d #videogames
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.4.1 - Better Grid & Far Less Burglars
This is an update that was pushed a bit early due to the prolific attack of burglars that were occurring, and a bug that prevented your character from being woken up manually led to an unfortunate sce...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 13/08/2026
Crafting Milestone: Complete! Synthaar hits v0.4.0, featuring experimentation, factories, & more! Check out the dev log discussing the new features & the next steps of development here! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #dev #devlog #indiedev #games #indiegames #solodev #sologamedev
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Devlog 13 - Crafting Milestone: Completed
At last, the crafting experience is complete in Synthaar, with every system related to it finished up with this newest update that marks another milestone finished. Crafting is but one way to earn a l...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 08/08/2026
It's #ScreenshotSaturday and today I've got a showcase of the two gambling options present in Synthaar that are coming in 0.4.0, Roulette & Blackjack! These allow you to play with in-game currency using interactive minigames! #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart #lifesim
A game of blackjack in SynthaarA game of roulette in Synthaar
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 01/08/2026
Whew! For this week's #ScreenshotSaturday I have one of the largest models I've made for Synthaar to date; an oil refinery for your own backyard! #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart #voxelart #lifesim #videogames
An oil refinery on the planet Hycilix in Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 25/07/2026
Been doing more work on making 3 tiers for every utility building in Synthaar, and so for #ScreenshotSaturday today I thought I'd share some of that progress, featuring Wind & Solar, Batteries, as well as Water Pumps & Tanks #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart #voxelart
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 18/07/2026
Hello there, #ScreenshotSaturday! Today I'm showing off the new Tier 2 and 3 resource harvesters, prepping to conquer the Crafting Milestone as I push toward Synthaar's 0.4.0! Resource collection is key to starting your own industry. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart
From left to right, Tier 1, Tier 2, and a Tier 3 Chemical Harvester (primarily for crude oil) in the game Synthaar. From left to right, a Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 Gas Harvester for collecting gaseous resources in Synthaar.From left to right, a Tier 1, a Tier 2, and a Tier 3 Mineral harvester capable of collecting ore and metals from the planet surface in the game Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 01/07/2026
Synthaar is now at v0.3.1! Every milestone inevitably needs the follow-up fixes and polishes. Turns out characters couldn't use a toilet if it had water. Oops. Also, the game has a loading bar when starting up! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #unity3d
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.3.1 - One Loading Bar & Two Dozen Fixes
Hello there! Today's patch offers a bunch of fixes from the milestone update along with some quality of life changes and improvements to the UI. Most importantly though, due to the game lagging out fo...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 27/06/2026
It's #ScreenshotSaturday and this week I've got another planet to show off; Cresros, a frigid and sandy world but far from uninhabitable, with new foliage and rock formations, as well as a new city style. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart
An overhead shot of Ocoye, the primary city on Cresros, sitting near the coast of ice flats in the game Synthaar. One of the more common biomes of Cresros in Synthaar features spiked rocks, alien trees and a mixture of sand and snow. Looking at Cresros' planetary overview in the Galaxy map of Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 25/06/2026
Synthaar's Third Milestone is complete! Pushing the game to 0.3.0, featuring hardships like fires, burglars, dirt & cleaning, and repairing, as well as a new galaxy map and new species! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #dev #devlog #indiedev #games #indiegames #solodev #sologamedev
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Devlog 12 - The Dirty, Broken, and Burning Milestone
At last, I was getting a bit tired at looking at the '2' in the version number, and the third milestone has been accomplished! The Hardships milestone, featuring fires, object condition and repairing,...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 13/06/2026
It's #ScreenshotSaturday! Today I've got a new UI element that shows info on a planet, and a preview of the world. You can also see the demographics of a planet's population. Later this will have even more info and data to review. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart #ui
Looking at the information of the planet Alpharos through the new Planet Overview window in Synthaar.Looking at the information of the planet Sotolus through the new Planet Overview window in Synthaar.Looking at the information of the planet Borokene through the new Planet Overview window in Synthaar.Looking at the information of the planet Rauren through the new Planet Overview window in Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 06/06/2026
Last week for #ScreenshotSaturday I showed some pictures of the new species, but on a new planet. Today, I'm able to show off Sotolus, a new planet with pink trees and teal grass, with a new building style with onyx skyscrapers. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart
The planetary view of Sotolus and Volau City in the game Synthaar.A domicile on the planet Sotolus in the game Synthaar.An inside look of a Eudaci's house on Sotolus in the game Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
You'll have a need for personal interaction with objects, people, family, etc. Balancing power & responsibility with personal needs & connections is a reflection of how real leaders have to balance those two sides, & the drama that can create. Synthaar is not just a life sim, but a Space Opera sim.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
No idea, off the top of my head. I'll have to check!
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
The loading of assets happens once at the start of the game and remains on 1 thread. However, I declare the settings to use US English as an internal schema for any & all parsing of strings coming from the user's PC. If I didn't, it would default to the user's language settings which causes issues.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
Well, unlike Spore, every layer of play remains in effect and important. It's a multilayer galactic simulation, whereas Spore focused only on the level of evolution you had currently achieved. The people living day-to-day are just as important to the simulation as the mayors, presidents and emperors
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
Fortunately, using Unity with C# let's me just configure string parsing and such to force one culture when reading. It takes care of any potential edge cases without needing to make sure every possible language is manually supported. That's work for the OS to figure out, not Synthaar =D
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/06/2026
Well, when I say depth, it's more about how the game can scale from being characters in their home, to managing colonies as a leader, to spreading your influence and power on a galactic level. It should be do-able to show video of how this plays out by showing a slice of every "tier" of gameplay.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
I think a lot of Life Sims out there go for a wide variety of interactions with characters and objects. While I do want to have a good set of interactions, the bigger focus with Synthaar is building up to do more grandiose things and affect the world as a whole with your legacy.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
Partially string parsing and partially XML parsing, which I had to make sure every XML was the correct schema and force it to read the numbers and parse them in the language I expected. It was quite confusing for a while why the issue persisted but once it was fixed it was a huge relief.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
Primarily bug fixes, and a few QoL features. The biggest bug found by someone was a discovery that in some languages that use a comma instead of a period for decimal numbers was causing the math in the game to go haywire. This was partially a side effect of how the game loads assets for moddability.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
I believe so! A lot of the basic features of a Life Sim are present, from making money, friends, and the building system is pretty fleshed out. The only things not present right now are some of the higher concept stuff you might get into in mid to late game, like governing and entrepreneurship.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
Reminds me of that traumatizing scene in RoboCop 2 where one of the prototypes rips his own head off.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
@yesboxstudios.bsky.social Metropolis 1998 is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time and I cannot wait to play the full game when it comes out. I am personally in awe of how smooth it runs even with so much going on. This is exactly the kind of SimCity successor I've been waiting for.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
A lot of the work has been building the underlying framework for the simulation, but I have a strong vision of all the features the game needs and have it locked down to prevent overscope. However, I always look forward to more feedback to refine & polish that vision to make it the best it can be.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
I had a very basic version of the core loop functioning before going EA on Itch two years ago. I've not had much exposure, but the few who have played have been invaluable help. Since then, I've been adding more and more. I intend to have every major point of gameplay implemented before EA on Steam.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
I've prioritized planet designs low primarily because they're a bit easy to make, but also because I want to spend time fleshing out features & gameplay. The most effort in designing planets comes from modeling new props like rocks and trees, but a lot can be reused with procedural color swapping.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 02/06/2026
A bit of both! The planets can be procedural but also hand crafted. The lots where you can build on are procedural, each has their own biome. The galaxy map is placed by hand, as well as the governments, naming, etc. Most of the effort from me comes from designing planets and building pre-made lots.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 01/06/2026
The plan has been ~75 planets since the start, and with a mixture of handcrafting + procedural generation I've got them mapped out. The upcoming patch will have 6 planets fully visitable, but with every update I'll add a bit more to that until they are all visitable. I have tools to make it easy.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 01/06/2026
It's time for a progress report, and I've written a dev log for Synthaar about what has been added, what will be added, and the next steps of the journey. Check out the new galaxy map! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #dev #devlog #indiedev #games #indiegames #solodev #sologamedev
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Devlog 11 - Progress Report
Hello there! It's been some time since the last update to Synthaar, and the reason for that has been my desire to try and finally push into the next milestone and create the cascading effect of having...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 31/05/2026
It's #ScreenshotSaturday and for today, Synthaar has quite a few new aliens on the way to play! From avians to fish, from big lizards to Human offshoots, Synthaar's galaxy has never been so diverse! #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart
A group of aliens in Synthaar loitering on a street corner. The new aliens include the Fish-like Palmoquan, the crustacean Ajivod and Eudaci, the bulky Sylithans, the avian Vyseri, and the enigmatic Hymnyk and Drolox, as well as the furless canines called Pravakli. From left to right, a Palmoquan, a Droloxan, a Vyseri and a Sylithan, travel down a street on the planet Sotolus in Synthaar. From left to right, top to bottom, a Pravakli, a Hymnyk, a Eudaci and an Ajivod have a conversation on a street corner in Synthaar.Showcasing the Palmoquan in the newly updated character creator, which also features all of the currently available species to play in Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 07/02/2026
I want to give a shoutout to @polytoots.bsky.social for their amazing Jet Engine VFX Shader tutorial with Amplify to create this beautiful thruster effect that I've used for the ships in Synthaar. I recommend checking out their YouTube channel! #gameart #gamedev #indiedev
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 07/02/2026
For today's #ScreenshotSaturday I want to introduce Synthaar's very first Starship! This will be the first of many, and is a first step in exploring the galaxy. This ship is a small one-seater starfighter. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming
A Starfighter sits on a landing pad on Alpharos in the game Synthaar.A Starfighter sits on a landing pad on Alpharos in the game Synthaar.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 31/01/2026
Good Morning and Happy #ScreenshotSaturday! Today I've got a preview of the Emblem Creator in Synthaar, where you will be able to create emblems for your legacy, as well as any governments you might one day take over! #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming
An emblem is created by matching a background with a chosen icon, and then selecting up to three colors.An emblem is created by matching a background with a chosen icon, and then selecting up to three colors.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 24/01/2026
Hello everyone! I've got something cool for today's #ScreenshotSaturday! I've been working on expanding and fleshing out the galaxy, and improving the galaxy map in Synthaar. This is showing the territory maps as colored regions. #gameart #gamedev #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming
A view of a WIP Galaxy Map update for Synthaar, featuring new positions for planets, as well as region display with colored sectors.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 10/01/2026
Starting off this year with a new patch that fixes some issues revolving around task cancelling, some quality of life updates, and reduced save game sizes! Check out Synthaar V0.2.8! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #videogames #patch #update #unity3d
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.2.8 - Fixed Tasks & Quality of Life Additions
Hello there! This patch comes today to address an issue with tasks getting stuck in a never-ending loop if you cancel them, as well as some new options to set a custom resolution and more. This update...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 04/01/2026
I've made a guide on the various commands available in Synthaar, for the use of cheating or testing. As I add more commands through development, I'll update this post. If you have an idea for a good command, let me know! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #lifesim #indiedev #games
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Cheats & Debug Commands
Hello! In this post, I'll be going over the currently available cheats and debug commands available, for the sake of testing, having some wild fun, or whatever you might need. As of this writing, this...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 31/12/2025
I've written a Dev log on my progress thus far, and how I am going to be reorganizing my Dev plan and roadmap. Here's to a productive 2026 for Synthaar! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #devlog #indiedev #indiegames #gamedev #itchio #videogames #games #lifesim #simulation #indiegamedev
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Devlog 10 - Reorganizing Development
Hello! As the year 2025 concludes, I wanted to write this Dev log reviewing the development thus far and some changes I've made to the roadmap and the organization of Synthaar's development as we marc...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 23/12/2025
Introducing version 0.2.7! - Memory Leak Fix & New Objects! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #videogames #patch #indiegamedev #update #unity3d
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.2.7 - Memory Leak Fix & New Objects
Hello there and Happy Holidays! This update comes to patch a very nasty memory leak issue that was discovered during playtesting, while also sharing some new items that have been made for the game sin...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 27/10/2025
Synthaar is 50% off for Itch's Halloween Sale! Happy Halloween! (The best holiday) itch.io/s/164412/hal...
itch.io
Synthaar | Halloween Sale 2025 by Thauxan Studios
A sale by Thauxan Studios, 50% off Synthaar
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 06/10/2025
Introducing V0.2.6 for Synthaar! This is a big polishing update, which intended to have more, but it was critical to get the Unity Security Update published ASAP. Enjoy! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #videogames #patch #indiegamedev #update #unity3d
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.2.6 - Unity Security Update, Polishing, & More
This update is a big one, mostly focusing on polishing the game and eliminating a lot of the tech debt I've accumulated through development. Though even with that said, I had a few more things planned...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 04/10/2025
Maybe I'm a bit dumb but it was rather confusing trying to figure out how to update Unity to patch out the security issue. It's a shame that the Unity Hub seemingly doesn't have a feature to automatically recommend the best new version and download it automatically. #gamedev #unity3d #unity
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 03/10/2025
Had an amusing bug in Synthaar where if your character was unemployed, and you met another character who was unemployed, then it registered you both as coworkers. I guess that's... technically true? Co..unworkers? #gamedev
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 29/09/2025
I'm so glad you're back to making content. Your tutorials were a significant help in learning Amplify Shader and pulling off some cool tricks that I've put to good use. I had just been thinking about getting better with Blender, and I look forward to following your new tutorials!
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 25/08/2025
Synthaar has been updated to V0.2.5! In this update, previews for crafting and governments make their debut, as well as two new species, keybinding, and bug fixes! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #videogames #patch #indiegamedev #update
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.2.5 - Crafting, Governments, and New Species!
This update for Synthaar brings in quite a few big features, from crafting, to governments, and new species to join the galaxy! Crafting and Governments can be considered a preview of what is to come....
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 12/08/2025
Check out the Dev log I've written on Synthaar's crafting system! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #devlog #crafting #indiedev #indiegames #gamedev #itchio #videogames #games #lifesim #simulation
thauxan-studios.itch.io
Devlog 9 - The Crafting System
For today's Dev log, I'll be talking about the crafting system in Synthaar. Crafting is a critical part of getting your foot in the door in the trade business within the galaxy. Most items that your c...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 01/06/2025
Synthaar has been updated to V0.2.4! This update features a fair few fixes and an overhaul to eating and meal prep. We're also getting closer to finishing this next milestone! thauxan-studios.itch.io/synthaar/dev... #gamedev #indiedev #indiegames #games #videogames #patch #indiegamedev #update
thauxan-studios.itch.io
V0.2.4 - Cooking & Eating Improvements
This update brings a variety of fixes, objects, and an overhaul of cooking in the game. There's been a bit of a delay between this update and the last one, with a lot of work going into setting up fou...
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 31/05/2025
Good morning, #ScreenshotSaturday! I've been working on overhauling eating and meal prep in Synthaar, and I finally have the characters put their meals on the table, and show their progress on finishing their meals! #gameart #gamedev #art #dev #indiegames #indiedev #gaming #pixelart #voxelart
Two characters in Synthaar enjoy a meal together, with their plates on the table.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 24/05/2025
Thank you! I try to aim for a consistent pixel density across all textures in the game so everything lines up.
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Borrie BoBaka | Synthaar @thauxanstudios.com · 24/05/2025
Hurray, it's #ScreenshotSaturday! For this week, I've finally implemented corner pieces for counters, that will auto-convert when it detects a corner. I'm really happy to finally have this done! #gameart #gamedev #art #dev #indiegames #indiedev #indiegamedev #gaming #pixelart #voxelart #ui
Two types of counters display their corner pieces in the game Synthaar.
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