iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 6h

Paper plane or black zeppelin? Which is your favorite? #GameDev

Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Didn’t you hear? We’ve got a release date! Soar Up the Charts will be available on Steam November 5th, 2026. And it’s FREE? Crank it up! #indiedev #gamedev #wishlistwednesday #indiemusic #indiegames

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Radiobots! Cute and dangerous, these guys carry their musical theming in every part of their design - from the sound blasters to the flags on their antenna. Check them when the game comes out later this year! #wishlistwednesday

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

What is Soar Up the Charts about? I’ll break it down in about a minute!

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

This early footage shows how we block out the levels—but more importantly—features how vocal or instrument tracks are used as power-ups to collect through the level! Wishlist Soar Up the Charts today and play for yourself soon! store.steampowered.com/app/2460020/... #wishlistwednesday

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Dan Whitehead @danwhitehead.net · 10/09/2026

The fact we have an executive class that doesn't know what to do with the Looney Tunes or The Muppets really sums up what a joyless, barren world they inhabit.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Screenshots?!? You bet your sweet cheeks we’ve got screenshots! #WishlistWednesday

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Aerial_Knight @aerialknight.com · 06/09/2026

I really appreciate all the love and support. Thanks everyone 🙏🏿 youtu.be/Qjr5JahD7g4?...

youtu.be

The two-week prototyping rule: Aerial_Knight’s game dev workflow

YouTube video by Unity

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

All ideas start somewhere, so write ‘em down! Get them out of your head and into the real world! Collaborate with others! Soar Up the Charts is a chill music/rhythm flight game, coming later in 2026. Wishlist it today on Steam!

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Aerial_Knight @aerialknight.com · 13/08/2026

Mr Freezy will be $5 at launch; for that $5, you'll be: - Getting a dope horror puzzle game - Supporting a small indie team without a publisher - Saying "Fuck You" to the gen AI games - Every wishlist and sale builds support for our next game **You can play the demo now!**

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Hank Shaw: Meet the Cast: Harold Buford A barfly with a heart of gold and a belly full of gin, can anything Hank trust anything he says?! @exit73games.bsky.social #indiegamedev #animation #madebyhand

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Hank Shaw: Animal Investigator! Meet The Cast Featuring: Ratsy #madebyhand Each NPC has hundreds of drawings that bring them to life! Ratsy was no exception!

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Fossillocator @fossillocator.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

I miss when the internet had Flash and there were so many websites you can just play little indie games on without having to download anything.

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Shawn Alexander Allen @shawndoublea.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

It's been heartening seeing the visibility afforded by the SGF Steam fest with the Black Voices in Gaming subsection. Seeing thousands of wishlists for an array of games. Beatdown City Survivors gained over 1K wishlists this week, which rules. Could definitely use more with launch upon us, lol.

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Aerial_Knight @aerialknight.com · 28/04/2026

I don't like this, as a developer I should have a say in this

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 179: Voiceover adds characterization & fills gaps. “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time." -Jean-Michel Basquiat (In this case, music = narration) Quantum Conundrum provided direction & world building by using V.O. work. #GameDesign #GameDev

Quantum Conundrum, a physics puzzle game with story.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 178: Player preference can beat design or innovation. It’s long debated. Do you prefer to find your crowd or design for an audience? Costume Quest hit a lot of the comedy/difficulty/mechanics that I personally really enjoy. #GameDesign #GameDev

Costume quest was enjoyable adventure/turn-based RPG that was a ton of fun to explore.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 177: Game economy 101: Sources = Sinks. Players need ‘sources’ of commodities AND places to ‘sink’ (spend) them. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare had limited ammunition, so it was a big decision to fire or give bullets away. #GameDesign #GameDev

Managing ammo in Red Dead Redemption meant sometimes needing to switch to an alternate weapon at pivotal moments.

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They Might Be Giants @tmbg.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

was once New Amsterdam.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 176: Don’t ask players to go a bridge too far. Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns simultaneously had too many & too few things to do. You could accomplish *almost* every task, or wander empty areas looking for random collectibles. #GameDesign #GameDev

Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns had a just a few more things to do per day than a player could reasonably handle. If it were fewer, they could do everything, if there were A LOT more options, players could focus their time on a subset of activities.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 175: Getting players to read is tricky. People read all the time. You’re reading right now! But you didn’t think “reading”, you thought “see what's happening”. I got players to stop & try Confines of the Law with costumes & cookies. #GameDesign #GameDev

Here I am, dressed like a cowboy. Oversized sheriff badge and everything!

Sugar cookies in the shape of a cowboy hat, mustache, sheriff star, and cactus.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 174: Limit & pace spinning plates. A “decay” mechanic (where things get worse when the player doesn’t interact) could make a feature compelling - or an overwhelming chore. Middle Manager of Justice added districts (happiness meters) at a fine rate. #GameDesign #GameDev

Middle Manager of Justice was a mobile game by Double Fine Productions, where players had to keep various districts in a city happy and free from crime.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 173: Improve performance with LODs. Most players don’t notice the different Level Of Detail (LOD) 3D models shown at various distances. They may call out "texture popping", but overall performance would be worse with a single model. #GameDesign #GameDev

A low-detail model of of a Big Daddy in BioShock.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 172: Puzzle solutions should be one step from “normal”. 🥱 Easy: get key->open door 🔐 Player feels smart: improvise key->open door 😵 Convoluted: need key->get vegetable->do laundry->open door Beneath A Steel Sky had well balanced puzzles. #GameDesign #GameDev

Beneath a Steel Sky was a point-and-click adventure game released in 1994.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 171: The best power-ups let players achieve new goals. In Pokémon Picross, a benefit would have been to gain energy or earn bonus currency. The only bonuses makes puzzles easier, but… solving puzzles is what players are there for. #GameDesign #GameDev

Pokemon Picross for the 3DS was a puzzle game where you ended with various pokemon-themed pictures.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 170: Put a manageable cap on repeat actions. Players may love to collect things, they will hit a point where engaging with their backlog is overwhelming. Puzzle Swap was limited to 10 pieces a time, encouraging frequent check-ins. #GameDesign #GameDev

Puzzle Swap was a mini-game on the Nintendo 3DS that benefited from StreetPass system to collect pieces. Players could only collect a few puzzle pieces before needing to assign them to their respective puzzles.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 169: Continue talking until the plan is clear. Prepare to discuss your design with various disciplines & skill levels. You may be trying to solve different problems. I created Duals! as a teaching exercise for middle schoolers. #GameDesign #GameDev

Duals! was built using Microsoft Kodu Game Lab as part of a 2-day educational class in Atlantic City, NJ. Two robots face off trying to destroy the other before being destroyed.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 168: Connect the start & end of your game. Sounds simple, but think on it. Regardless of re-writes & cuts, your game is going to have a beginning and an endgame. Gone Home invites the players to make the unfamiliar seem like home. #GameDesign #GameDev

Gone Home feels like a space you understand and are familiar with by the end.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 167: Speed up tedious, repeating actions. Star Wars: Uprising had boxes to get gear. The pre-animation for 1 box was the same as opening 5. For veteran players, it was quicker to open 5 at once. This holds true for crafting too. #GameDesign #GameDev

Star Wars: Uprising had you collect gear to build a custom hero. It was a mobile game shut down in 2016.

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JuniperTheory @bimbo.city · 22/03/2026

i see so many little tiny game projects nowadays that look really cool but then have an AI disclaimer that's like "well i only used it for icons" or something you don't have to do that. here. game-icons.net 4000 free icons for your game. they all look fucking fantastic. don't use ai.

game-icons.net

4170 free SVG and PNG icons for your games or apps | Game-icons.net

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 166: You don’t need to be the best at your game. It is *paramount* you play your own game... you just don’t need to top the leaderboard. Your job is to know your systems & players. I knew DomiNations inside & out, but couldn’t always 5⭐️ a battle. #GameDesign #GameDev

DomiNations, the mobile strategy game by Big Huge Games.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 165: Everybody likes hats! 🤠 Cosmetics show off individually & can encourage players to stick with your game. Hungry Shark Evolution added in-game bonuses with equipped items; a smart move making the feature appealing to players. #GameDesign #GameDev

A megalodon wearing a sombrero, eye patch, gold chain, and ring piercing in the game Hungry Shark Evolution. Just as natured intended.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 164: Attacking and movement are linked. 👣 Do combatants plant their feet? ↕️ Follow along a pre-set course? 🕹️ Are move & attack independent controls? Tiny Troopers was click to move, but allowed you to fire at will in any direction. #GameDesign #GameDev

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 163: Write a post mortem. Rite to Flight: a Point-and-Cluck Adventure is a game I hold dear. I made it with friends: many who never made a game before. Writing a postmortem helped us—and other devs—to identify pitfall & success. #GameDesign #GameDev

Rite to Flight is a mixed-media point-and-click adventure game.

The team behind Rite to Flight showing the game off at a demo night hosted by the NJ chapter of the IGDA.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 162: Balance encounters by mixing enemy types. Robert Gallerani had a great GDC talk about balance. 🍿🍿🍿 The term ‘popcorn’ (enemies destroyed with just 1 hit) works so well as something fun to sprinkle in among other enemies. #GameDesign #GameDev

Skylanders had entertaining encounters for players of all ages.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 161: Make replayability evident. Players get 2 moments: 🛠️ getting the upgrade ✅ using the upgrade. LEGO Jurassic World (like all LEGO games) does great at highlighting where tools can be used - even if not currently at the player’s disposal. #GameDesign #GameDev

the LEGO game series has "Story Mode" and "Freeplay Mode" where different abilities can be used.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 160: Whole numbers are easier than decimals to understand. Put a zero in the ones or tens place for balance flexibility. Dealing 10 DMG vs 100 HP feels BETTER than 1 DMG vs 10 HP. I enjoyed balancing the ticket economy for Candystand.com #GameDesign #GameDev

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 159: Return to normal play between power-ups. While PAC-MAN 256 had many power-ups, players could only use one at a time. If one is active, places where power-up options occur are replaced with time extensions to the current power. #GameDesign #GameDev

PAC-MAN 256 was a neat take on endless play of the classic Pac-Man mechanic.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 158: Players don’t know what’s under the hood. Games *appear* as infinite possibility machines-but are really just cascading if-then statements. The Stanley Parable Demonstration’s narration had the appearance more *could* happen. #GameDesign #GameDev

A screenshot from The Stanley Parable Demonstration. It has a wall of buttons, inviting the player to choose just one.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 157: There is an experience happening above the controller. I first heard this from Frank Lantz at an NYU event, but it’s the core part of Press X to Be Okay. The stress isn’t on the screen, it’s in the input. And the stress is real. #GameDesign #GameDev

In the game 'Press X to be okay' you need to be pushing that x button.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 156: It’s OK to have an experience comprised of mini-games. The “party game” genre is big on this but isn’t the only way. Professor Layton and the Last Specter ties the experience together with mini-game/puzzles placed in context. #GameDesign #GameDev

A puzzle from Professor Layton and the Last Specter.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 155: Have rules for the boundary. Harbor Rescue had lots of obstacles in play: 💀I didn’t want to kill players for hitting the wall. 🧗I also didn’t want a “hold” where they could plan ahead. 🌊Instead, there’s a current pushing around the edge. #GameDesign #GameDev

In Harbor Rescue, you collect the buoys and avoid the hurricanes. The only problem? New hurricanes appear where a collected buoy was.

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Deck Docked Niche Games @deckdockedniche.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

#BLUD by Exit 73 Studios - Maintains 120FPS with few occasional dips to 110FPS. Runs perfectly smooth. Gamepad Supported. - Steam Deck LCD Docked 1440p 120hz Steam Page 👇 store.steampowered.com/app/1921480/... My Curator Page 👇 store.steampowered.com/curator/4594...

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 154: Introduce concepts in context. Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Special Demo had a segment on capturing Pokémon. To illustrate only wild Pokémon can be caught, they had ONE segment of grass with 100% encounter rate. Frugal! #GameDesign #GameDev

A single grass piece for 100% encounter rate in this Pokemon game.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 153: You can’t force a flow state. And you *especially* can’t force it on new players by telling them to be quick AND accurate. Flow is when play happens without thinking; it’s when players are relaxed & familiar with the mechanic. #GameDesign #GameDev

Instructions telling players to be both quick and precise, while trying to introduce flow.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 152: Provide reminders between sessions. It’s hard for players to pick up after a long absence. Pre-written journal updates (like in RDR2) work for this. Sudoku Deluxe allowed you to note guesses (in the margins) & pick up where you left off. #GameDesign #GameDev

Sudoku Deluxe was a well-designed early mobile game where players could leave notes for themselves without committing to completing the puzzle.

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Greg/Tin Heart Interactive @tinheartint.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 151: Devote resources to your unique points. Tired: Regular Simulator Inspired: Animal Simulator If you game’s fantasy is something that players can’t get anywhere else, you’re likely to get eyeballs. #GameDesign #GameDev

I played Doggy Caesarean Birth because it sounded like a trainwreck of a title.

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