iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

When sheep get what they want, they now say "thank you". Needed for a special thing I started building. Some people would call it feature creep, I call it "emergent game design". #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib #screenshotsaturday

A stylized isometric game scene shows a fluffy white sheep standing on a grassy ledge beside a blue device with a white one, with a pink heart icon floating above nearby bushes. Rocky terrain and a water shore edge frame the area.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 20h

Which sheep wins the race? They wait a random amount of time before moving one step ahead until they crash. While funny, I found a bug with bots and sheep crashing onto bridges that I had to test out ... and I just happen to have enough sheep to test all cases 😅 #gamedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

First step in introducing different difficulty lanes: Having 3 distinct difficulty markers. I need to create some branching now so higher difficulty routes are shorter (=have fewer nodes). #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A colorful top-down game map shows a forested island with many green, orange, and red trees, dotted paths, and star markers along the route. A small bridge crosses water at the lower right, and a house sits near the upper left.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I started setting up a website for my game. Just another task that is required but has little to do with making a game... Oh well, here it is: 8-bitbot.com Not great or fancy, but it exists. One step after another. #gamedev #solodev

8-bitbot.com

8-bitBot

8-bitBot is a programming puzzle game teaching functions, loops and conditionals through cute and clumsy robots

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A few weeks ago I added the tracking code and also a benchmark to my game. These numbers are from my phone and show the progress of optimizations. It is still far from perfect, but it is now at least running stable on a high-end phone. Have to test some older ones #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A table of benchmark results that show a steady increase in FPS with 49FPS with version 0.9.1253, ending with 60fps at version 0.9.1329.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I ignored performance a lot; but running the game on Android and browser reveals quite some bottlenecks. So I have to look into that. Not using an engine means this is up to me to take care of. Not that I am good at that, but at least I could improve a few things. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A screenshot of the game 8-bitBot with a large text overlay that outputs statistics on batching and draw calls.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Trying to get the game self test running... I want to see if I can test the release builds this way that the game is playing the first levels automatically to detect if anything strange has happened... I am not sure if this will pay off. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Builds are green and the binaries are running on the target platforms. All built on machines I physically own. Now I have to make the gitea server my primary repo and then I can begin deleting my github hosted repositories and cancel my subscription. #gamedev #raylib

Dark-themed workflow runs list showing “298 workflow runs” at top, with columns for Actor and Status and multiple recent runs marked with green check icons. Visible entries include “tech: moving linux build to WSL runner bc ARM linux version crashes,” “tech: Discord message containing now build version,” and “tech: fixing the crash upload,” plus a failed run at the bottom titled “tech: configuring steam uploader to run on wsl” with a red X.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Slowly, one by one, it is getting green; Once this all works I can switch to pushing to my own server (the machine sitting on a shelf here at home) primarily and see how it fares - before phasing out using github (and paying for it). #gamedev #gitea

Dark-themed CI/build history list showing multiple recent jobs on the main branch with status icons: green checks, red Xs, one yellow in-progress circle, and some empty circles. Visible entries include “tech: fixing windows build issue,” “tech: getting rid of central orchestrator to get around issues with gitea,” “tech: deactivating macos builds,” and “tech: more downgrades for more upgrades,” with timestamps and run durations on the right.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Ok, so the Android builds on my server running gitea succeeded, also the Linux builds. Now I reactivated an old notebook with windows 10 and added it as a runner and after much shouting and screaming, it compiles windows binaries and I can access it via RDP, too. #gamedev

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Accepting the license failed, so I guess ... just assume it accepted it anyway. I think that commit message is very inspirational for the bash command line. #gamedev

A Git GUI window shows a code diff with a command changing `sdkmanager --licenses >/dev/null` to `sdkmanager --licenses >/dev/null || true`, followed by package names like `"platform-tools"`, `"platforms;android-36"`, `"build-tools;36.0.0"`, and `"ndk;27.3.13750724"`. At the bottom, the Commit Message field contains `tech: Success is just attitude`

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Ran out of github actions for building my CI and burned through the extra 10$ budget I added. I need to set up the build pipeline on my own hardware. It is ridicules how much this little costs. I already have the server and gitea is also running. "Just" "a bit" of setup that's missing #gamedev

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Testing out new instructions: Path finding and location finding. The location finder can look for bots/sheep that can be loaded or for locations where unloading bots is possible. So fairly complex instructions that are organized here to bring back all sheep. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I notice I didn't announce this: The demo version of 8-bitBot is available on steam: store.steampowered.c... It is available for Windows and Linux. If you decide to give a try, I am grateful for any feedback that you may have :) #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

store.steampowered.com

8-bitBot Demo on Steam

8-bitBot is a programming puzzle game where you place simple instructions in a program to make your bots transport objects in a factory environment.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In order to figure out more about ongoing performance issues on different devices, I added a benchmark that can be triggered and that will send some stats to my telemetry server. Maybe it turns out to be helpful, who knows! #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Ok, this is going to be interesting; I have a rough idea HOW this should work, but the details are totally unclear to me. I want to make this look funny... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib #blender

A 3D modeling viewport shows a cartoon sheep with white wool standing beside a blue vehicle with 4 large wheels and long gray turret-like arms aimed across the sheep. The scene is displayed on a dark grid floor with object outlines visible, suggesting an in-progress model.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Exploring puzzle ideas with sheep. Making a sheep run away from a bot is not difficult. But how will players use this to make them move into a pen? I don't like the predefined code for fixed movements. That is not programming... But maybe this is too difficult? #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Trying to improve the chapter transition: I think some people don't realize there are more levels (only one player made the followup levels AFAIK). So this is now happening when the chapter's last level is finished. I tried to find fitting sounds and make a few of my own. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Modifying the wait-instruction: it used to only check the forward path until it is free. New: wait until any neighbor is blocked or free. And it can specify a random timeout. Here, 3 bots wait 0 to 5 turns before moving. And the sheep reacts on the impacts. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

The sheep are coming to 8-bitBot. And they are going through the same testing procedures as the bots did. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Making and using animations imported from Blender. First time doing that 🙈. So far, I only animated via code or own tools... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib #blender

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

These sheep are electrical! I will have to figure out how to animate them properly. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I hope the style of this sheep now will fit into my game. Unlike everything else in 8-bitBot, I think I have to animate this one in blender. Wish me luck 😵‍💫 #blender #gamedev

A stylized 3D sheep with a fluffy white body, brown face, and four brown legs stands against a dark gray background.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I need sheeps. For some purpose. In my game. If it works, it should be fun... #blender #gamedev

A low-poly white sheep with a brown face stands on a dark gray 3D grid workspace in Blender.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A design I have began working on end of last year, still haven't found time to embed it. I tried different things, from round eyes to digital eyes on a screen. What I still like about this design: The facial expression is almost purely driven by mechanically rotating the sockets. #blender #gamedev

Five small blue wheeled robot vehicles are arranged on a dark gray background, each with a face-like front display and a number 3 on top. Their eyes have different expressions, presenting five variants of the same robot design.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

A player pointed out that these bots have no names. This never occurred to me to be even a question; What names would you give them? #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

An isometric factory-style puzzle layout shows conveyor belts, gray machine blocks, and small colored carts or robots: blue, green, and orange, ready to move through an assembly line.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Trying to get the demo version release of 8-bitBot done today, but I keep finding problems 😭 Steamdeck refused to launch it (fixed) Then I noticed it doesn't launch in fullscreen A bunch of problems with gamepad not working on some screens. Rewards not cloud synced. Most relatively minor. Sigh.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Looking for stuff to delete I stumbled over a log file on my VPS that, as it turns out, is a failed login log. Nearly 200MB. Well. Now I disabled password logins and hope this will avoid cluttering my log data.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Working on something else, I introduced a general time-slow factor. And for the first time, I am seeing the whole animation in very slow animation - at 1/20th of realtime. I think it's actually looking neat :) #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

I struggled with balancing the level rewards - and realized that this is due to not having a good overview. So here it comes: A dedicated reward overview; and hopefully soon: Also a balancing editor. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

In the process of replacing the strings with icons of the boxes... makes it easier to use and display in different place. The icons are also rendered dynamically, so I don't need to pre-render anything into sprites. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A game editor screen shows a “Win Conditions:” list with “# <= 3 in [0 0 -> 3 4],” “Consumption >= 1,” and the highlighted “Load on 1.” On the right, “Selected win condition: Load on 1” appears above “Box type:” icons and a “Bot:” selector with 1 selected. The important part here is, that all the cargo boxes are depicted with icons.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Expanding on the idea of the previous level, I made now this level: 6 types of boxes that need to be brought to the right places. The program has 35 instructions. The smaller level program uses 29. I think I could improve that one... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I managed to randomize the production queues a bit, so now it is essential to check what a bot has loaded. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I think I like this puzzle, too. Currently the box spawning is too regular; it needs to be somewhat randomized so the bots have to decide which path to take. The bots already do this, but as deterministic as it currently is, it would not be needed. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I think an elephant designed this level. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I think I like that level. What do you think? #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Trying to come up with a new level puzzle that takes advantages of the new mechanics I've added and this here made lol. It was so unexpected. I need a lot more such puzzles... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Part of what I do alongside is to refine 3D objects. There are still some from one year ago when I started working on this and these look sometimes almost broken. Over the course of this project, I think got better to use gradients and to me, this looks now substantially better. #blender #gamedev

Isometric grid of floating grassy tiles with blue water or void around the edges, several large gray and brown boulders (rather dull looking), and bright yellow-orange arrow markers on the right side.

Isometric game-style scene of floating grassy tiles arranged in a grid, with three large gray boulders sitting on different sections. The boulders have nuanced gradients that suggest concave surface features. Blue background and brown dirt sides are visible along the edges of the raised terrain.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The demo version of 8-bitBot was approved by Steam! So I can release it on time; I just need to add ... a lot more things. The last days I added tracking (opt-in) so I can see how long a player needs for each level. I currently have no idea how far players get. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A white consent dialog asks, “Do you consent sharing your anonymous play and performance stats? This would help me a great deal! Review or change this anytime in Settings > Data.” Two blue buttons at the bottom say “Dismiss” and “Sure, I’d love to help.”

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Several new instructions and modes to make more complex puzzles run smoother: * A turbo mode allows the bot to execute up to 16 non-moving instructions per turn * The sensor can be configured to check multiple directions * New: Conditional calls+returns #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Particle systems can define now to spawn on the ground, enabling these water splash effect from the rain. Captures my current mood quiet well. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

No programming process is complete without some form of copy and paste. This context menu should close this gap. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

A grid-based editor interface is shown with a context menu open over empty numbered rows and lettered columns a–e. The menu options read Copy, Paste, Delete, and Shift, with a submenu listing Entire program, Selected + below, and Selected + above; playback controls and a 3.0x speed indicator appear at the top.

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Reposted by Eike

Daniel J. Menezes @danjohnston.uk · 05/09/2026

Creating this no-ai indie games starter pack is one of the best things I ever did on BlueSky. Lots of great developers in here, making things with their own hands, some of whom I might not have found otherwise!! go.bsky.app/78u8M6Y

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Just testing the elevated conveyor belt system. Next: Testing out if bridges over conveyors work. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Was about time to make conveyor belts work at different height levels... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

8-bitBot, my programming puzzle game, was rejected for Steam's Programming Fest. This is obviously quite a downer, but I guess there is not much I can do about it. If you like such puzzle games, I'd appreciate if you wishlisted it: store.steampowered.c... #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

store.steampowered.com

8-bitBot on Steam

8-bitBot is a programming puzzle game where you place simple instructions in a program to make your bots transport objects in a factory environment.

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Eike @zet23t.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Trying to finish some lose ends for the demo release - including having a message for the end of content. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #raylib

Game dialog titled “End of Demo Version Content” with a purple panel showing a small isometric scene of trees, a streetlamp, crates, and robot-like cubes; the message says, “Thank you for playing the 8-bitBot Demo. You have reached the end of content of the Demo version. If you enjoyed it, please wishlisting the final version.” Buttons at the bottom read “Wishlist on Steam” and “Close.”

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