Dennispr
@dennis.videogameworkshop.com
I make games that might teach you a thing or two! Currently making cool stuff at www.videogameworkshop.com
I talk about designing developing and playing games + programming.
PhD, Speaker: LEGO, GDC, TEDx
Previous: Hero Elementary + Skillsville
I talk about designing developing and playing games + programming.
PhD, Speaker: LEGO, GDC, TEDx
Previous: Hero Elementary + Skillsville
Pinned
We made a PBS Kids game! If you've ever wondered how the web games you played as a kid were developed, check this episode out!
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames #podcast #edusky
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames #podcast #edusky
How We Made a PBS Kids Game: Sound It Out!
YouTube video by Videogame Workshop
youtu.be
In this episode we talked about the design of our PBS Kids educational game "Sound It Out!" If you want a behind the scenes look, check it out.
Reposted by Dennispr
I’ve never been prouder to be a Minnesotan.
January 27, 2026 at 12:36 AM
I’ve never been prouder to be a Minnesotan.
Soo... things are taking longer to compile these days...
Because of the recent changes to the code?
Nah, cause mercury is in retrograde.
Because of the recent changes to the code?
Nah, cause mercury is in retrograde.
someone built a Linux CPU scheduler that makes scheduling decisions based on planetary positions and zodiac signs
it actually works haha:
it actually works haha:
January 26, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Soo... things are taking longer to compile these days...
Because of the recent changes to the code?
Nah, cause mercury is in retrograde.
Because of the recent changes to the code?
Nah, cause mercury is in retrograde.
Well, living in Minnesota can't get much worse right?
Exploding... What??!?
Exploding... What??!?
January 23, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Well, living in Minnesota can't get much worse right?
Exploding... What??!?
Exploding... What??!?
Reposted by Dennispr
Geoguesser, but you’re shown code and asked which software it’s for.
“It’s React, but is it a desktop app??”
“It’s React, but is it a desktop app??”
January 22, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Geoguesser, but you’re shown code and asked which software it’s for.
“It’s React, but is it a desktop app??”
“It’s React, but is it a desktop app??”
Reposted by Dennispr
Play the weekly headliner! All clues are REAL headlines!
"Man Successfully Registers ____ as Silencer"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"Man Successfully Registers ____ as Silencer"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
HEADLINER
A crossword puzzle about ridiculous news in horrific times.
www.videogameworkshop.com
January 22, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Play the weekly headliner! All clues are REAL headlines!
"Man Successfully Registers ____ as Silencer"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"Man Successfully Registers ____ as Silencer"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
I think about making a game with an alt-controller, and then realize I don't particularly like playing with alt controllers.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
January 21, 2026 at 4:11 PM
I think about making a game with an alt-controller, and then realize I don't particularly like playing with alt controllers.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
If you turn off the office coffee machine before the workday is over, you're part of the problem.
January 16, 2026 at 7:28 PM
If you turn off the office coffee machine before the workday is over, you're part of the problem.
Reposted by Dennispr
How hard is it to make a good detective video game? The story behind the excellent The Seance of Blake Manor, whose developers were changing integral parts of the design six months before release, might help answer that question.
New column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
New column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Making a Great Detective Video Game Is Really Hard
The makers of ‘The Seance of Blake Manor’ say it took years of iteration for their game to work
www.bloomberg.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:15 PM
How hard is it to make a good detective video game? The story behind the excellent The Seance of Blake Manor, whose developers were changing integral parts of the design six months before release, might help answer that question.
New column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
New column: www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
Reposted by Dennispr
All crossword clues are REAL headlines from last week!
"In the Philippines a woman prayed to ____ instead of Buddha for four years"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"In the Philippines a woman prayed to ____ instead of Buddha for four years"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
HEADLINER
A crossword puzzle about ridiculous news in horrific times.
www.videogameworkshop.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:59 PM
All crossword clues are REAL headlines from last week!
"In the Philippines a woman prayed to ____ instead of Buddha for four years"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"In the Philippines a woman prayed to ____ instead of Buddha for four years"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Reposted by Dennispr
It's another #WishlistWednesday - what games you got? Share 'em here!
January 14, 2026 at 5:04 PM
It's another #WishlistWednesday - what games you got? Share 'em here!
There's evidence that people interpret numbers logarithmically, or, roughly, don't categorize amounts as different unless they're roughly double. Pricing is no exception.
January 12, 2026 at 4:47 PM
There's evidence that people interpret numbers logarithmically, or, roughly, don't categorize amounts as different unless they're roughly double. Pricing is no exception.
Reposted by Dennispr
Notepad is such a funny thing to run as administrator. Like shit is about to get real notepad, get ready.
January 6, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Notepad is such a funny thing to run as administrator. Like shit is about to get real notepad, get ready.
The fact that the corporation for public broadcasting voted to dissolve today does not feel real. It played such an important role in the lives of so many American kids.
January 6, 2026 at 12:59 AM
The fact that the corporation for public broadcasting voted to dissolve today does not feel real. It played such an important role in the lives of so many American kids.
Reposted by Dennispr
Last Headliner puzzle of the year is up now!
"$400K ____ shipment hijacked en route to Illinois Costco locations"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"$400K ____ shipment hijacked en route to Illinois Costco locations"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
HEADLINER
A crossword puzzle about ridiculous news in horrific times.
www.videogameworkshop.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Last Headliner puzzle of the year is up now!
"$400K ____ shipment hijacked en route to Illinois Costco locations"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"$400K ____ shipment hijacked en route to Illinois Costco locations"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
Reposted by Dennispr
Like most RPGs, Pokémon has a lot of menus. The funny thing is, there could be A LOT more. Pokémon cleverly hides it's menus inside the game’s world.
#gamedev #indiegamedev #gamedesign
#gamedev #indiegamedev #gamedesign
Diegetic Menus in Pokémon
Pokémon cleverly hides menus inside the game’s world.
open.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Like most RPGs, Pokémon has a lot of menus. The funny thing is, there could be A LOT more. Pokémon cleverly hides it's menus inside the game’s world.
#gamedev #indiegamedev #gamedesign
#gamedev #indiegamedev #gamedesign
Need a silly christmas eve puzzle with the weird and wacky headlines from last week? Check out this week’s Headliner!
Weekly Headliner puzzle up now!
"Washington state officials warn of toilet ____ after floods: ‘Try to stay calm’"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
"Washington state officials warn of toilet ____ after floods: ‘Try to stay calm’"
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames
HEADLINER
A crossword puzzle about ridiculous news in horrific times.
www.videogameworkshop.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Need a silly christmas eve puzzle with the weird and wacky headlines from last week? Check out this week’s Headliner!
Traveling for the holidays? Charlie and I talked about travel in games!
Fast-time, Real-time, Hub-and-spoke, Over-world, and Level-select. There are many ways to travel in games! We're chatting about great uses of each type, and why you might choose one over another.
#gamedev #indiegamedev #podcast
#gamedev #indiegamedev #podcast
Travel Mechanics in Games
YouTube video by Videogame Workshop
youtu.be
December 22, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Traveling for the holidays? Charlie and I talked about travel in games!
When playtesters say the puzzle is too hard, but you're already out of beta.
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign
December 19, 2025 at 3:57 PM
When playtesters say the puzzle is too hard, but you're already out of beta.
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign
#gamedev #indiedev #gamedesign
Every dev should have a tweening library ready to go. Don't have one? Take a look at this? Don't know what tweening is? Check out this video: youtu.be/Fy0aCDmgnxg?... tweening takes a small amount of time but really adds juice!
#Gamedev #indiedev #gamefeel
#Gamedev #indiedev #gamefeel
December 8, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Every dev should have a tweening library ready to go. Don't have one? Take a look at this? Don't know what tweening is? Check out this video: youtu.be/Fy0aCDmgnxg?... tweening takes a small amount of time but really adds juice!
#Gamedev #indiedev #gamefeel
#Gamedev #indiedev #gamefeel
Alien: Isolation is still my #1 movie to game adaptation. It's strange how many adaptations miss the mark because standard action / shooter mechanics don't mesh with the actual tone of the movie but they do it anyway cause they appeal to mass market.
#gamedesign
#gamedesign
There are a few main problems games based on movies tend to struggle with, giving the whole sub-genera a bad rep.
#GameDev #IndieGameDev #GameDesign
#GameDev #IndieGameDev #GameDesign
Games Based on Movies Are Hard To Make | Videogame Workshop
Get more from Videogame Workshop on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Alien: Isolation is still my #1 movie to game adaptation. It's strange how many adaptations miss the mark because standard action / shooter mechanics don't mesh with the actual tone of the movie but they do it anyway cause they appeal to mass market.
#gamedesign
#gamedesign
In this episode we talked about the design of our PBS Kids educational game "Sound It Out!" If you want a behind the scenes look, check it out.
We made a PBS Kids game! If you've ever wondered how the web games you played as a kid were developed, check this episode out!
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames #podcast #edusky
#gamedev #indiegamedev #indiegames #podcast #edusky
How We Made a PBS Kids Game: Sound It Out!
YouTube video by Videogame Workshop
youtu.be
December 3, 2025 at 1:55 PM
In this episode we talked about the design of our PBS Kids educational game "Sound It Out!" If you want a behind the scenes look, check it out.
Why did I randomly think about Chess AI and how humans react to it today? Because I don’t think modern devs understand how demoralizing it is for AI systems to automatically reject appliations. Especially if there is no feedback about why.
December 2, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Why did I randomly think about Chess AI and how humans react to it today? Because I don’t think modern devs understand how demoralizing it is for AI systems to automatically reject appliations. Especially if there is no feedback about why.
When the first Chess game with AI released, devs learned a lot about human egos. Mainly, if a person spends a long time thinking about a move it’s demoralizing if the AI instanly counters.
The fix? Devs added an artifical snooze to the AI to simulate thinking.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
The fix? Devs added an artifical snooze to the AI to simulate thinking.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
December 2, 2025 at 4:41 PM
When the first Chess game with AI released, devs learned a lot about human egos. Mainly, if a person spends a long time thinking about a move it’s demoralizing if the AI instanly counters.
The fix? Devs added an artifical snooze to the AI to simulate thinking.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
The fix? Devs added an artifical snooze to the AI to simulate thinking.
#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev
I said Ludo Narrative Dissonance. Once. Unironically.
December 1, 2025 at 6:11 PM
I said Ludo Narrative Dissonance. Once. Unironically.