iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 23/08/2026

CONFETTI!!! \o/ WOOOOO!!

Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 22/08/2026

I've been blown away by the reception of my #gamedev and #programming videos the past year! If you've watched or subscribed, big thanks for rejuvenating my dream to be a successful indie dev. :D I'M SO READY FOR CONFETTI

Zanzlanz sitting in front of his TV with a confetti launcher and party hat, waiting for his subscriber count to turn over

Screenshot of Zanzlanz's YouTube channel, featuring classics such: Making all game assets using just sine waves, hacking Math.random(), making a physics engine from scratch, and many more.

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 22/08/2026

Day 18 is done! I even submitted one to a game jam. I'm really proud of most of these games. But I've been VERY tired. I have a full-time job, y'know. But by the end, I hope to join @lou.cool in the very small club of devs who've survived the 30 games in 30 days #gamedev challenge. Wish me luck!

A collage of 18 various game screenshots surrounding the text "30 games in 30 days".

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 18/08/2026

I'm making 30 games in 30 days. #gamedev I design and code each one after work every day! Each one is based on a year of my life, and when I finish making the last one, I will turn 30 years old. 13 days in! Wish me luck making it to the end haha :D

A simple 3D third-person game with no anti-aliasing, with a pixelated floating platform containing colored collectables. There is a rather abstract waterfall in the background.

A simple 2D pixel art factory game, with mechanisms turning paper into envelopes for packaging.

A classic-style 3D maze game, with pixel art signs denoting the cardinal directions.

A simple puzzle game showing level 4, consisting of 5 ABC-blocks spelling "LOLLOPOP" by either being fully or partially rotated. The middle block is selected and can be rotated or moved.

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 15/08/2026

The mini-map in this game has a fancy radar feature, where it reveals where you can find the next letter to make your sign. The map uses hyperbolic tan projection to curve the visuals! Such a neat trick for 2D #gamedev. :)

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 15/08/2026

I made a game where all of the graphics, sound effects, and music were made using just sine waves! Check out my latest YouTube video to see how it was made. Game's called Crow Sign - you're a crow that flies banners for neighbors on different planets. #gamedev #indiedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 20/04/2026

The future is here! Pasting SVG in #AfterEffects \o/ A couple years ago, this is what I had to do: I made a Python script that converted SVG clipboard content to AE paths for pasting. A bit later someone made a paid plugin that did the same thing but better. But hey I was proud of my hodgepodgery:

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 02/01/2026

Can you add math symbols between the digits of 2026, to equal each number, 1 though 26? #mathsky #puzzles I love trying this each year! Here's my attempt:

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 20/12/2025

Here's my process gif of the above Thanator vs. Panther #pixelart from the #Avatar franchise. It's my biggest pixel art piece!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 20/12/2025

I just got back from #Avatar3 with my family! Here's my #pixelart of James Cameron's panther (a Thanator) meeting its real life counterpart: (Process gif in 🧵)

4x zoomed in version of previous image, on the strange face of the Thanator glaring at the panther. The different in size of their paws is rather notable at this size.

Another 4x closer from previous image on the panther. Its paw details are more readable at this scale.

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 15/12/2025

I apparently was very wrong! 3 days ago, before I uploaded this month's video, I told friends this one was going to be "mid". I've never been so thankful to be proven wrong! lol

A screenshot of YouTube creator dashboard showing my video "How hackers reverse Math.random()" with 250000 views (240.6k more than usual).

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 16/11/2025

The current world record speedrun is by MourningMist16 (on Twitch)! 29.34 seconds!??

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 16/11/2025

as a fan of @crypticsea.bsky.social's "Skate or Don't!", I had the burning question: "but what if skateboarding was an obstacle course?" (I recommend playing in Chrome, not FF) zanzlanz.com/game/SkaterW... #gamedev #indiegame #haxe

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 09/11/2025

I made my physics engine in 7 days, using only past experience, trial-and-error, and a whole lot of dot products 😅 5 of those days were spent struggling with rigidbody physics, haha

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 09/11/2025

New #gamedev skill unlocked: I made a physics engine from scratch!! I attempted it piece by piece 🧵

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 21/10/2025

@crypticsea.bsky.social Hi Alex! I was just wondering if I could connect with you some time. I sent you an email :)

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 09/10/2025

I turned Rock Paper Scissors into a SKILL game! 💥 Here's a clip where I challenged @someran.dev! Watch the full gamedev video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=83W7... #haxe #indiedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 20/09/2025

I animated these little emoji guys for the video! #aftereffects #2danimation They represent "autonomy", "competence", and "relatedness" in Psychology. They're kind of why we do what we do. Say hi:

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 20/09/2025

What exactly makes games fun?? In my latest monthly video, I explore the Philosophy, Psychology, and Physiology of "fun" in #gamedev! youtube.com/watch?v=aGFY...

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 24/08/2025

This month's video reached 100k views already! ❤️ I never received this much attention on a YouTube video before. I'm so happy people love the concept & editing!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 08/08/2025

To create the maze visualizations in my new video (see previous post in 🧵), I created a little physics solver with a bunch of animation controls! #haxe #gamedev Here was an early test of it:

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 08/07/2025

My first code was... kind of a bop! Written in AppleScript in 2006. #programming #gamedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 28/06/2025

To be in the credits of the first 3 videos, join on Patreon ASAP (before I upload episode 1): patreon.com/zanzlanz I'm hoping the last note at the very bottom is what convinces you :)

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 26/06/2025

Hi! I'm posting monthly videos about GameDev! First episode is next weeeeeek! :D Subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss this journey ^^

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 06/06/2025

Watch out, it's the tree snake!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 05/06/2025

This actually scared me!! I was working on physics simulation, and I coded nothing to move yet... it just started wiggling on its own #glursday #glitchthursday #gamedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 25/05/2025

I made a tiny game last night! ⚔️ But there's something VERY weird about how it was made. I'll reveal it in August! #gamedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 10/05/2025

One time, I stored functions in frame labels that control the position and state of a whole bunch of layers using eval(). Cursed, but fun!!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 24/04/2025

Wait..! why would the Cancel button not be in the same place as the Update button when you press it? why would the Uninstall button swap there instead?¿⸮ that's it, I'm revoking Google's #UIUX privileges for the day

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 17/04/2025

Guess they ran out of gas before they got to mine. I'm still surprised they're keeping the legacy site up after all these years, as it slowly crumples feature by feature.

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 15/04/2025

Last night I had the sudden irreversible urge to make a blank Sudoku solver (in Haxe). I tried to make this in Flash when I was a kid, and ended up deleting it because it would just crash. Redemption! Y'ever solve a blank Sudoku? Look at it go! :)

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 06/04/2025

Fun coincidence: I ported 13 of 16 of my games from Adobe Flash so far: 81%! That's 65877 out of 81415 lines of code: ...ALSO 81%!?‽ #haxe #indiedev

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 01/01/2025

Last year, for the first time, I ran a Patreon! I used it as a behind-the-scenes resource with daily devlogs. The highlights paint a great picture of my year honestly!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 15/12/2024

My GitHub summary, over-analyzed! Reply-post your charts, #gamedev programmers! Just use postspark.app/github-contr...

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 13/12/2024

Here's a weird problem I had to solve! I wanted the 1-bit mode to sound correct both in stereo and mono 🎧 At first I just averaged the signals, but notice below how the sounds cancel out, so it's no longer 1-bit! The trick was to alternate each bit :D #audioprogramming

Two versions of an algorithm that generates a combined signal from a Left and Right audio signal, which are both 1-bit waveforms (the output is either 1 or -1). The first version is titled: "Take the average". The second version is titled: Alternate RNG.

The "take the average" approach averages the bits to combine the signals. It is apparent that it is no longer 1-bit. If the Left speaker has a signal of -1, and the Right speaker has a signal of 1, they cancel out.

The Alternate RNG approach combined the signals by zippering them together - choosing the bit from the Left signal first, then the Right signal, and so on. No averaging takes place, so the final wave form is 1-bit as well.

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 12/12/2024

Starts with just a video of a rotating flash drive.. but if I make the left side of the screen in the past, and the right side in the future, it TWISTS 🤯 Flash drive? more like floppy drive! hoh! #aftereffects

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 12/12/2024

Gotta make sure the internals are all modeled properly too! Very importan't. #b3d #3dcg

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 10/12/2024

I created a flash drive! It was fun making silly decals! All these assets will surely make sense together, right? :D #b3d

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 09/12/2024

How about this! (music is all unreleased tracks made with Grumbler) I'm thinking a big part of Blender is just about adding depth of field, fog volumes, and fun focal lengths 😅 #b3d #vgm #chiptune

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 08/12/2024

4/3 - Bonus results!! Fences with cursed proportions :) #Blender #b3d #3DCG

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 07/12/2024

3/3 - Here's how it looks in my simple scene!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 07/12/2024

2/3 - Protip: set custom properties up to the array modifiers! Infinite fences WOOO

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 07/12/2024

🧵1/3 - Here's my way to make a fence in #Blender! (I'm making an intro for the "Grumbler" video) 1. Add 3 simple Bezier points 2. Add vertical, horizontal, and diagonal array modifiers 3. Add 5 more Bezier points for the top part 4. Then do everything else!

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 06/12/2024

I'm fascinated by unnecessary 3D renderings of software. Plugin companies do this allll the time! So I'm doing it too! Learning #Blender :D

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 06/12/2024

When someone plays your game better than you or does something amazing with your game.. that's when they become the motivation, inspiration, and reason to #gamedev My target audience is myself, but my favorite part is when people turn my games into their creative outlet ❤️ ft. @strufel.bsky.social

A screenshot of a post from a player, with a Discord screenshot attached.

The post by Strufel's says "I just found out that Zanz created Scavenger Hunt with me in mind because I'm better at speedrunning than him. I almost cried." Translated from Spanish.

The screenshot is a public Discord message from Zanzlanz: "Strufel is absolutely better than me at speedrunning. I basically made the gamemode with him in mind for real"

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 05/12/2024

The same thing, but the rest of the band joined in! Grumbler is great for adding percussion and texture, so it pairs really well with smooth triangle/duty-cycle waveforms, sub bass, and samples 🎸 #vgm #chiptune #fakebit

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 04/12/2024

As promised, a song only using 4 instances of my plugin! It was a bit like making a song using only a guitar... but it was a fun exercise! Next I'll add a variety of instruments to make it more full :D #vgm #chiptune

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 03/12/2024

This is how Grumbler sounds now! Tomorrow I'll put 4 of them together, in a very Grumblery track! I added: - A stereo slider - "1-bit" mode - An ADSR envelope I also support portamento, channels, automation, per-note volume, bitrates -- the stuff I wished ALL VSTs always had! #musicproduction #vgm

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 02/12/2024

Here's a demonstration of "Dubnia Studio" and the "Grumbler" instrument back then! 🔉 It might not look pretty lol but this all made it *incredibly* easy for me to code audio tools! It was made in Flash 😅 Note length-based portamento and fading are features totally unique to my DAW. #chiptune #vgm

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Zanzlanz @zanzlanz.com · 01/12/2024

I relied on this sound (using my own DAW) to make "Hexagon and On" in 2017, below! ⬣ There's an upload limit - the full version is here: youtu.be/juZUdf_A3lM #chiptune #8bit #vgm #videogamemusic

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