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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 16h

Game Idea 078: THE LONG WATCH
A text-based survival adventure designed specifically for smartwatches.
Decisions are binary (Path A or B, Risk or Rest).
Pacing is slow. New story segments arrive only when you reach a new destination (based on users steps)
#gamedev #100gameideas #indiedev

Critical AI Acknowledgement
The image was generated by an AI model. It is important to acknowledge two critical ethical concerns:
Stolen Art and IP: Generative models are trained on vast datasets scraped from the internet, which inevitably includes copyrighted and non-consensually used works. The resulting output exists within a complex ethical and legal space regarding artistic credit and intellectual property.
Environmental Impact: Training and operating large-scale AI models require significant computational resources, leading to substantial energy consumption and associated environmental costs (such as carbon emissions).
Alt Text (Image Description)
A clear, close-up mockup of a generic, rectangular smartwatch screen displaying a segment from the text-based adventure game, "The Long Watch."
The screen features white text on a black background for maximum readability:
The main text reads:
"Obstacle Reached: River Gorge"
Followed by the two binary decision options and their associated distances:
"[A] Follow the high, exposed ridge. (4.5 KM)"
"[B] Descend into the wet valley trail. (3.1 KM)"
A small icon at the bottom of the screen indicates current Supplies (e.g., a simple battery or water icon).

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 3d

Game Idea 077: SARDINE REVENGE
A brutal 90s-style boomer shooter where you play as Slick the Sardine, a survivor seeking revenge against the greedy, corporate Fishery Conglomerate.
#100gameideas #gamedev #indiedev

AI generated slop. I know... But helps when prototyping.

Image of a sardine shooting two humans with nets.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 4d

Picked up my #100gameideas challenge after a bit of a hiatus. Life got busy! Glad to be back at it!

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 4d

Hahaha yes. Now I want a tortoise mechanic game!

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 4d

Game Idea 076: WORM HUNTER
A peaceful bird simulator focused on the natural rhythm of life.
- Build a sturdy nest
- Collect worms and insects (forage minigames!)
- Raise and feed your hatchlings
- Defend your young
It's a chill, beautiful, life-cycle sim.
#100gameideas #gamedev #indiedev

Critical AI Acknowledgement
This image was created by a generative AI model. It is important to acknowledge that generative models are often trained on massive datasets scraped from the internet, which includes copyrighted and non-consensually used artistic works. The output, therefore, exists within a complex ethical space regarding stolen art and intellectual property.
Alt Text (Image Description)
A minimalistic 3D render depicting a moment from the "Worm Hunter" game concept. An Australian magpie, rendered with simple, blocky black and white shapes, is perched on a stylized brown tree branch. Its head is dipped toward a nest, which is a simple bowl of twig textures. Within the nest, two or three fledglings, represented by small, fluffy, gray shapes, have their beaks wide open to receive a minimalistic pink worm being offered by the adult magpie. The background is a flat, gradient of light blue, suggesting the sky, maintaining a clean and serene aesthetic.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · 5d

Game Idea 075: A tortoise racing game.
The core experience is slow, chill, and focused entirely on the unremarkable.
#100gameideas #indiedev #gamedev

Critical AI Acknowledgement
The image was created by a generative AI model based on the provided prompt ("Mode 7 type racer for snes where a series of tortoises at racing"). It is a non-functional, conceptual rendering intended to visualize the game idea's aesthetic.
Alt Text (Image Description)
A pixel-art screenshot depicting a SNES Mode 7-style racing game. The camera looks down a straight, pseudo-3D dirt track with a central strip of grass, stretching toward a low-resolution horizon. Four colorful tortoises (blue, red, green, and yellow) are racing neck-and-neck in the center of the screen, kicking up small dust trails.
The user interface features a retro SNES aesthetic:
Top Left: "SPEED 5 MPH" and "LAP 1/3".
Top Right: A mini-map showing the racers as colored dots on a simple track layout.
Bottom Right: A lettuce leaf icon is displayed with "500 PTS" below it, indicating a power-up or score.
The background shows a blue sky with one small white cloud and a continuous line of pixelated green trees and brown mountains flanking the track.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Aug 18

Here's another 8x8 animation for a upcoming project. A crab disappearing into the sand. #pixelart #spritedev #animation #gamedev #indiedev

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Aug 17

Oooo let me try as a video instead... blueskynoob

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Aug 17

Been doing some 8x8 pixel anim for a little game i'm working on. Cute little turtle in progress. Bunch of loops dumped in here.
#pixelart #gamedev #indiedev

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 24

I stand corrected I did get "Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I appreciate hearing the views of my constituents on the issues that matter to them.

I, or someone from my office, will be in touch to follow up on your enquiry.

Lisa Chesters MP
Federal Member for Bendigo"

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 24

Does anyone get a reply from their MP (In my case Lisa Chesters) when contacting them regarding issues? I think I've written approximately 5 letters and submitted online, without even getting a pre canned "thanks for your concern". Do physical letters get more traction? Any tips? #auspol

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 15

Game Idea 074: Shattered Veil
A puzzle adventure where mirrors and reflections reveal hidden clues, lurking dangers, and distorted realities. Shift angles, light, and surfaces to uncover the truth, solve puzzles, and survive the haunting spaces beyond the glass.
#100gameideas #IndieDev #gamdev

Alt text:
A pixel art mock-up of a 1990s-style point-and-click horror adventure game. The scene shows a grimy, dimly lit bathroom with cracked tiles, a broken mirror, and a punk girl protagonist standing in front of the sink. The player cursor hovers over the mirror’s reflection, where faintly glowing words are visible, hinting at a hidden message. At the bottom of the screen, an inventory bar displays odd items: a rusty key, torn diary page, bent spoon, cigarette lighter, and broken locket.

Critical AI acknowledgement:
This image was generated using AI tools, which raises complex ethical questions. While AI can help visualise creative ideas rapidly, it is built on massive datasets often scraped without consent, impacting artists and designers whose work makes up these datasets. AI should prioritise supporting human creativity and addressing real-world challenges, not accelerating the replacement of creative labour or contributing to exploitative tech practices.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 13

Game Idea 073: Wave Runner — Control a character racing across pulsing waveforms on an old-school LCD screen embedded in an imaginary sound system. Twist dials & sliders to shape the music and shift the environment. A music-driven continuous runner!
#100gameideas #IndieDev #gamedev

✅ Alt text:
A photorealistic top-down image of a vintage Hi-Fi audio system on a mid-century wooden table. The system has numerous sliders, knobs, and glowing meters, with a small monochrome LCD screen showing a pixel art runner character moving across waveform-like visuals.

⚠️ Critical AI acknowledgement:
This image was generated using AI tools that raise important concerns. While visually engaging, such outputs are produced without human artists, highlighting how generative AI can displace creative jobs and commercial opportunities. There’s an urgent need for society to rethink the priorities of deploying these technologies—not to flood markets with synthetic media or aesthetic noise, but to focus on human-benefiting innovations like healthcare, climate solutions, and scientific research.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 12

Baaaaahahaha I love this is a thing! Thanks for finding and sharing Braden!

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 12

Game Idea 072: Flesh Bridge
A haunting solo or online game where fallen characters become the bridge across deadly pits. To progress, others must die — or you will. Walk over the bodies of strangers or your own past attempts. Eerie, brutal, collaboratiivr.
#100gameideas #gamedev #IndieDev

Pixel art game screenshot showing a small protagonist crossing a pit filled with pixelated bodies. The environment is dark and moody, with jagged platforms, minimal UI, and a sense of eerie solitude, suggesting the sacrifice-based mechanic central to progression.
Critical AI acknowledgement:
This image was AI-generated. While it can spark creative brainstorming, it raises important concerns. Tools like this are built on vast datasets of human-made art, often without consent or fair credit. Instead of automating creative jobs, we should prioritise using AI to solve urgent global challenges—like health, education, and the climate crisis—not to exploit the arts.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 12

This blows my mind. Fav console meets my fav game 🤯

Shiny Quagsire @shinyquagsire.bowser.gay · Jul 12

thanks to the power of friendship (the DSi Mode Hacking discord) I've doubled my FPS, starting to look decently playable

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 10

Game Idea 071: Glowed. A control shifting lights to mix, match, and create target colours and shapes. Combine memory, speed, and technique as you master colour combos under pressure. Multiplayer 1 player per light. Weave the perfect spectrum!
#100gameideas #LightWeaver #PuzzleGame #IndieDev

A 3D-rendered game scene showing three floating coloured lights—red, blue, and yellow—glowing softly in a dark void. Dusty particles drift around them, creating a dreamy, atmospheric effect. A pixel art interface sits at the bottom, showing the player’s controls and colour-mixing progress.

⚠️ Critical AI acknowledgement:
This image was generated using AI tools that simulate visual creativity but do not possess genuine understanding or artistic intent. While it produces evocative and polished visuals, it risks undervaluing human designers, artists, and cultural labour. We should prioritise using these technologies for meaningful, ethical applications—especially in domains like accessibility, climate solutions, and public good—rather than accelerating the replacement of creative jobs or flooding culture with synthetic media without care or credit.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 10

Great one from DT!
open.substack.com/pub/designth...

(DT! comic) Gamifying Tech Bros

DTQ! for today

open.substack.com

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 9

inspired by The Simpsons

a cartoon of a crab crawling out of a can of buzz cola

ALT: a cartoon of a crab crawling out of a can of buzz cola

media.tenor.com

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 9

Game Idea 070: Shellter
Play as an alien hermit crab on a post-human Earth. Start life in a tin can, upgrade your shell to a whole crumbling building. Slow, cosy, and Tamagotchi-like, a game about growth, scavenging, and finding home in forgotten places.
#100gameideas #gamedev #indiedev

🧠 Critical AI Acknowledgement:
This image was generated using AI tools based on the creative prompt provided by the user. It does not depict a real product or photograph, but instead visualises an imaginative concept in a style inspired by retro virtual pet devices. While the visuals were generated by AI, the concept and creative direction are original and human-led.

🖼️ Alt Text:
A digital render of a vintage-style Tamagotchi-like virtual pet device in pale blue. The screen displays a black-and-white pixelated alien hermit crab creature with a large, dilapidated building as its shell. The device has simple interface buttons below the screen and a chain loop on top. The background is softly lit and neutral, allowing the nostalgic design to stand out.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 8

Been enjoying Mario Kart World, but wanted more out of the free roam! Triggered this idea.

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 8

Game Idea 69: Humble Drive
You're a tiny Japanese autonomous car in a post-apocalyptic world, rescuing animals and doing small, kind missions across abandoned landscapes. No combat—just care.
#100gameideas #gamedev #indiedev

Alt Text:
A black-and-white manga-style ink illustration of a retro-futurist autonomous microcar screeching across the page, kicking up dramatic clouds of dust. A small crab scuttles in front of the car, escaping from three aggressive robots with clawed arms in pursuit. The car appears to be saving the crab as it speeds by. The scene is rendered in a dynamic, 1980s-inspired comic aesthetic with speed lines, high-contrast shading, and no text.

AI Image Acknowledgment and Critical Note:
This image was generated using an AI model trained on massive datasets that likely include manga and comic-style artworks created by human illustrators—often without their permission. While the image itself is novel in composition, it borrows heavily from stylistic conventions developed through years of human artistry. These AI systems mimic distinctive styles without recognizing or crediting the artists who originated them, raising ongoing ethical concerns around consent, creative ownership, and labor rights. Until systems for transparent sourcing, fair attribution, and equitable compensation are implemented, it’s essential to view such outputs with a critical awareness of the cultural and creative exploitation embedded in their creation.

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 7

This looks like so much fun! 🎨👨‍🎨

Sloppy Forgeries @sloppyforgeries.bsky.social · May 17

Gearing up for a big dev push on Sloppy Forgeries, the two-mouse game about copying famous paintings as quickly and accurately as possible. Coming Q3/4 2025.

#screenshotsaturday #gamedev #indiegame #art #digitalart #games #videogames

✨ Wishlist ✨ ⇢ bit.ly/sloppy-bs

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Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 7

I was reading Old Bear to my son and inspired!

Dan Steen @dsteen.bsky.social · Jul 7

Game Idea 068: Duck, Duck, Save!
Play a clumsy duck with a huge heart and tiny wings. Rescue stranded bears from treetops, rooftops and cliffs. Glide, flap, crash. Master goofy flight physics and lift every bear to safety.
#100gameideas #gamedev #indiedev

A minimalist, low-poly 3D-style digital illustration of a mallard duck standing at the edge of a steep cliff, grasping the paw of a brown bear that is dangling precariously below. The duck’s expression is stoic and heroic, while the bear clings to the cliffside with its other paw. The scene uses flat shading and angular geometry with earth-tone colors against a soft blue sky.

AI Image Acknowledgment and Critical Note:
This image was generated using an AI model trained on vast datasets that may include unlicensed artwork scraped from the internet. While the resulting style is original and algorithmically composed, the model’s training process can reflect and reproduce visual techniques developed by artists without consent or credit. This raises ongoing ethical questions around authorship, creative labor, and the exploitation of artistic communities. Until proper consent, attribution, and compensation frameworks exist, it's important to treat AI-generated visuals with critical awareness of these underlying issues.

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