iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 28/05/2026

I have been rolling over so many ideas for Remember Your Oath over the last year or so. My new job is a combination of satisfying and keeping me busy (a rare privilege I am grateful for) so progress has been slow but I've settled in and work is beginning to progress faster.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 24/05/2026

One (of many) things I will always praise Bulwark Studios (Creators of the 40k Mechancius games, as well as Ixion) is their dialog direction and design. How they not only coax excellent performances, but also distort those voices in such a way to give them a sense of presence. 10/10 sound design.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 11/04/2026

The more I play #CrimsonDesert the more I realize you could, almost frame by frame, reconstruct the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launch trailer in Crimson Desert. I am amazed this hasn't happened yet.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 21/03/2026

You know what #CrimsonDesert kind of feels like? It feels like the older Ultima games. Same kind of light ImSim, Light RPG, Explore this living breathing world vibe and I am here for it.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 15/03/2026

Someone: "I feel like you'd like #CavesofQud." Me: "Okay, I guess I'll give it a try." Sadly the next time the gang would see Matt would be when his face started turning up on milk cartons.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 21/11/2025

The way I work right now I am on three day weekends. The strange structure of my current working conditions mean that I am often mentally exhausted after work. So (at least) one day on my weekend is now devoted to Gamedev. Devday!

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 13/11/2025

Building a specialized dice roller for a prototype. The result of this rollers architecture means I can essentially entirely custom-build dice of any size, shape, or non-Euclidean dimension. Roll a D1, for example. #gamedev #indiedev #hobbyist

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 12/11/2025

So I have had a lot of stuff going on, but that time has given me a lot of thought-time when it comes to game dev. Life is calmed down now, so I am going to start dedicating one day a week (and of course, any other time I have the motivation) to working on prototypes. #Gamedev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 27/10/2025

Dear Games Workshop; Big fan of your Horus Heresy 3.0 game, but you have given my legion (The Iron Warriors) a detachment that is super on brand, that contains slots specifically reserved for an Arquitor Bombard. Can I please have a plastic kit for this tank so I don't spend $230 on a Resin brick?

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 18/09/2025

I've got to say, #Borderlands4 has the best inventory management system out of any modern "Looter Shooter" games. Filters, multiple levels of organization, a robust tagging system. Just, please, allow me to set a different default sort order than "Manufacturer".

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 17/09/2025

I remember when, early in #Hallowknight, people complained that all the bosses dealt two damage instead of one. I've met the bosses that deal one damage per hit. I get it now. Anyone using that mod that cuts early boss damage to one is in for something I can only describe as a challenge cliff.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 16/09/2025

Randy Pitchford, your team has released a great game. #Borderlands4 is fun, the best in a very long time, I'd argue my favorite since the original. So please, as a fan, who wants the success of this game to speak for itself, I beg of you. Shut the fuck up.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 08/09/2025

Listen, I am not going to spoil anything, but there is a particular moment in Hallow Knight: Silksong, and to the wonderful people at Team Cherry, and I mean this in the most reverent and respectful way possible. Bravo on some incredible misdirection. Also fuck you. If you know you know.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 06/09/2025

Ludonarrative is realizing that the reason that Saturnine Dreadnoughts/Terminators in #Warhammer Horus Heresy don't make it to #Warhammer40k, is that almost every single weapon you can slap on them, including their entire default profiles, has the "Overload" keyword and can therefore blow itself up.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 28/08/2025

So let me get this straight, No Mans Sky appears to have just cribbed Starfield's ship-build system, which has, in effect, entirely invalidated the existence of Starfield. 10/10.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 19/07/2025

I had a nightmare about Quest 64 last night, which has resulted in me waking up with the deep and intense motivation to rebuild that game's rather unique turn based combat system. #gamedev #solodev #indiedev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 17/07/2025

After a long string of harrowing life events, it is officially time to get back on the horse. Game updates coming!

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 02/07/2025

Hot Take: #DuneAwakening is just the Division with thirst and a base building mechanic. Please note this is not an insult to Dune Awakening.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 02/07/2025

The decision to use music from the 90s Dune games as music on the radio stations in #DuneAwakening was inspired. It lends a sense of musical coherency that almost rivals that of Fallout's modern radio stations. IMO

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 03/06/2025

Nothing is quite so painful as going on a trip for work, arriving at the destination, and realizing I failed to pack a mouse with my laptop. So much for getting some #Blender work in. #Gamedev #Solodev #Indiedev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 23/05/2025

SEAF Soldiers have to be the best addition to #Helldivers2 to come out of this update. They manage to make your average Helldivers 2 squad look like the super-soldiers they are sold as, by being somehow even more comically incompetent then the Helldivers. #Gaming

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 20/05/2025

There are two goblins in my brain. One demands I code everything by hand as much as possible, IE: Not making use of Unity physics, character controller, etc. The other wants to ship a game inside of my lifetime. They are at a stalemate. #Gamedev #Indiedev #Solodev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 16/05/2025

#RememberYourOath proving ground animation testing is going... Well. This game is now about Yoga. #Gamedev #Indiedev #Solodev #Rigging #Animation #Help

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 15/05/2025

Thoughts on how #RememberYourOath is going to handle first person melee combat. -Animation Locks: Commit to an attack and your feet are planted (or tied to the attack, maybe a bit of a forward dash). -Cancellable with a Dodge, you can escape the lock, but only by consuming stamina to dodge.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 12/05/2025

Updates on #Gamedev stuff. Been quiet for a week or two, been a difficult May so far. 10/60(90?120? Who knows, lets call it 10/Whenever). games have stalled as I have had a huge amount of motivation regarding #RememberYourOath. Nothing to show yet but soon, a lot of good stuff happening.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 11/05/2025

I swear to god the attacks in #ClairObscurExpedition33 have what I can only describe as "Coyote Frames". IE: When you attempt to parry (or I guess dodge) an attack, there will be a certain number of frames after the attack hits visually, but before it kills you, that lets you register a late parry.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 10/05/2025

After watching the recent Connor Conquer's video on #Rimworld, I have returned to the game after a long time. It is going well. #Gaming #Games #ColonySim #Nearlykickedtodeathbyahorse

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 09/05/2025

Unity Programmers of Bluesky, I have a question on composition. Is it a good or otherwise okay architecture practice to break up entity components through interfaces? See screenshot for examples of how I am doing this. Any pitfalls I should be aware of? #Gamedev #Indiedev #Programming #Unity

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 02/05/2025

The newest member of the office, Lord Denning, performing a code review on some refactored character controller code. #gamedev #indiedev #birddev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 01/05/2025

Completing my bi-monthly clean up my main HDD to clear space so I can install NVidia Driver Updates turned up 6.97 gigs... Of Total War Warhammer save games. Dating back to 2016. I might have a problem. #Gaming #TotalWar #Games #AhugenumberofthemwereBelegarIronhammer

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 30/04/2025

I can feel my programming skills change as I grow more proficient. Over the past few years, when I didn't really put in the time to learn and understand, I always focused on something I could show off. Now, the show-piece can wait, I need to code a complex system for tracking entities in a level.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 28/04/2025

I realize that the system I outlined earlier for #RememberYourOath is kind of an immersive sim nightmare but fuck it a man can dream. Will RYO look like that? Well I damn hope it will but I am not expecting it to for a long time. #Gamedev #Indiedev #Solodev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 28/04/2025

#RememberYourOath 's core mechanic is a narrative system in which a player discovers something, say a strange Altar, and then describes it. They can then use connections to other areas of the game to try to find the story behind it. I've scoped the mechanic to 3 levels (replies) #Gamedev #Indiedev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 27/04/2025

[Serious Thread] I am not a spiritual person, I tend to believe in the universe as it is, and not as I wish it was. A lot of people will take that as not believing in things like miracles. I think that's reductive. I believe that every day we navigate a billion causes and effects.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 26/04/2025

10/90 lesson: Walk into making a game with a plan, even a barebones one. 10/90 game 2 wasn't decided on in advance and because of that I've been delayed just prototyping bullhit. So, I'm going to set the genre of each 10/90 game now, and then push myself into that constraint.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 25/04/2025

How the fuck did Oblivion Remastered, a game I've wanted remastered for for a decade, get shadow dropped, and yet it's still being overshadowed by not one, but TWO releases that have completely captured me (Blue Prince and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33). #Gaming #Holyshitwhatamonth

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 24/04/2025

My original plan to produce 10 microgames between April 3rd and June 3rd is probably dead at this point. So I am changing gears to the 10/90 project. 10 games, before July 3rd. #Gamedev #Solodev #Indiedev #Scopecreephasruinedme.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 24/04/2025

There is a certain point in Vampire Survivor where the game just kind of falls away, and you’re left with a collage of colours and numbers. The game ceases to really be interactive and becomes a visual dopamine explosion. 10/10

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 23/04/2025

Oblivion, for me at least, was one of those games that pops up and is just transformative for how someone perceives games. Like I was obsessed with Morrowind, and that game still has it beat in terms of complexity and simulation, but Oblivion. Games were not the same after Oblivion. #Gaming #TES4

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 22/04/2025

Todd Howard, buddy, please, don't Shadow-drop this Oblivion remake. I need to get shit done this week.

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 22/04/2025

I've reviewed the stats and it turns out that the Tuesday after a 4-day long weekend has the highest occurrence, by far, of me wanting so badly to quit my job and flee into the woods to make games in a small isolated cabin (with broadband). #Gamedev #Indiedev #Solodev

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 21/04/2025

Blue Prince is both amazing and the reason that despite having a new art tablet speeding up the process, I have no new substantive updates for the new 10/60 game today. #gamedev #indiedev #blueprince #gaming

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Matthew @theorangehatter.itch.io · 20/04/2025

Wandering through a field. 10/60 game 2 is shaping up now that I have a bit of art on the field. #Gamedev #Indiedev #Solodev

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