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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 1d

Here are three posters I designed, each featuring robot(s)/mecha creatures. One of my designs I keep refining and need to make some prints of someday.

#posters
#lineart
#mecha
#scifi
#robots
#illustration

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 1d

Word puzzle game prototype progress! It's a bit backwards but also kind of fun to make the words hide instead of showing. Maybe that will be in the game on purpose as I evolve the prototype and land on my design goals for this game.

#gamedeveloper
#devjournal
#wordgame
#prototyping
#creativecoding

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 5d

The land of conceptual can be so fun and creative a place to visit, I'm glad when I feel ready to make a prototype so I don't get stuck in all the secondary research, planning, ideas exploring expressed only as concept. A prototype makes it more real not just for people to try but for me as well.

Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 5d

Any and all of those can get help with my game concept on paper.

Any project I work on I do like to make some sort of prototype as soon as it feels right. Then I can to move out of the debate cycle of ideas and concepts into something more tangible.

#gamedeveloper
#productstrategy
#prototyping

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 5d

How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct? youtube.com/shorts/ZYbq7...

Market driven works for some folks, choosing something based on what's selling. Instinct and rolling with things works too. Or going with your own taste and inspirations at the moment.

#indiegames

How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct?

How to choose what game to make next? Market driven? Your own instinct? What kind of game should I make? How should I or what can I use to help to choose what kind of game to make next? Market…

youtube.com

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

If this helps anyone, I am grateful for it so others avoid missing out on Next Fest. Word Turtle Island is the game I'm talking about. It's out on 4 platforms now and I'm working on getting better at how to get the word out. linktr.ee/robstenzinger

#steam
#selfpublishing
#learning
#wordturtleisland

linktr.ee

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

What seems like a better plan that I'll be sure to do next time: first start with the game's page and promote it. Then publish a demo. Which then lets you join Next Fest. Then later as it fits your update schedule, publish the full game. All along the way doing promotion in any manner that works4u.

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

More or less I published the game's store page, right away in early access, and with the full game at an early access supporter price. That's the recipe I don't recommend as it prevented me from joining the Steam Next Fest.

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

Sharing this to help other indie game creators hopefully not repeat my Steam publishing mistakes. From what I can tell so far I did it all in the wrong order.

youtube.com/shorts/C1oh5...

#indiegames
#gamedeveloper

Things I learned publishing my game to Steam in the perfectly wrong order of steps

Sharing this to help other indie game creators hopefully not repeat my Steam publishing mistakes. From what I can tell so far I did it all in the wrong order. More or less I published the game's…

youtube.com

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

And what are you doing to promote your game? I'd love to hear your ideas, experiments, anything you're learning so far.

#gamedeveloper
#steam
#selfpublishing
#learning
#wordturtleisland

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · 21d

Things I'm trying to market my game Word Turtle Island. And what kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game? In the spirit of we're all contributing to this industry and I wish to see us all to succeed in not only creating our games but also as creative business endeavors.

#indiegames

What kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game?

Things I'm trying to market my game Word Turtle Island. And what kinds of things are you doing to market your indie game? In the spirit of we're all contributing to this industry and I wish to see…

youtube.com

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 11

A Godzilla-like force-of-nature mystery. Hope we meet again at another indie video game event in the near future!

Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 11

Thankful that often during the 2D Con, there was a few folks in line playing the arcade machine of Word Turtle Island. One moment the red dinosaur from Dino-Might was there, the next, was off to other adventures.
#indiegames
#gamedeveloper
#2dcon
#wordturtleisland
#dinomight

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 9

Food for thought for video game making, especially as an indie.

Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 9

If you can imagine that then you can invite people into what you made by giving it that context. Quirky art style, abstract, could be your title screen, banner art, introduction slides that set up the player to jump into the world of your prototype.

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 9

Ever see an Atari 2600 game vs its cover art? Imagine and invite game
players into your prototype. What is a reason to make sense of the interactions? What could give it a little touch of narrative or drama?

www.youtube.com/shorts/4L3qh...

#indiegames
#gamedeveloper
#prototyping
#gamedesign

Like Atari 2600 game vs its cover art - Imagine and invite game players into your prototype

Ever see an Atari 2600 game vs its cover art? Imagine and invite game players into your prototype. What is a reason to make sense of the interactions? What could give it a little touch of narrative…

www.youtube.com

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 9

Listen in your favorite pod catcher or here: www.interactive-storyteller.com/polytechnica... #podcast
#journal
#indiegames
#gamedeveloper
#wordturtleisland

Polytechnicast - Word Turtle Island 1.0 and Winning an Award at 2D Con — Blog of an Interactive Storyteller

Word Turtle Island - Word action, Gentle Rogue-lite - NOW AVAILABLE iOS, Android, Steam

www.interactive-storyteller.com

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 9

New art/game dev journal posted. Polytechnicast - Word Turtle Island 1.0 and Winning an Award at 2D Con. I share what it's like now with it officially the full version, things I would and wouldn't recommend doing again looking back at the development path of WTI, and about my next game prototype.

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 4

Word Turtle Island is on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Steam: linktr.ee/robstenzinger.

linktr.ee

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Sep 4

Gallery (photo dump) of tabling at 2D Con for my game Word Turtle Island. Photo dump isn't my favorite term, but I do think it's a widely known way to say "here's a bunch of images from an event". Includes Indie Island room, the Indie Q and A Panel, closing ceremony
#indiegames
#gamedeveloper
#2Dcon

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 26

What a wild fun surprise and I really appreciate it, thank you 2D Con community! Word Turtle Island won an award, voted by attendees of 2D Con. The Indie Island developer showcase art direction award (digital category)! 😍 🏆 🎮 #indiegames
#2dcon #gamedeveloper #wordturtleisland

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 22

For a few years I partially set aside making games and focused on visual storytelling via comics. Art Geek Zoo was my main project, a story about a talented penguin guitarist named Pick who had major challenges with stage fright and his grumpy mystic guitar friend named Crunchy.

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Reposted by Rob Stenzinger

Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 21

Word Turtle Island a few weeks into development vs what it looks like now. From placeholder art to my own art, from only typing action to now word action whether you type, use a game controller, touch screen or mouse. From no story to a narrative about saving the most awesome library in the galaxy

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 21

Word Turtle Island a few weeks into development vs what it looks like now. From placeholder art to my own art, from only typing action to now word action whether you type, use a game controller, touch screen or mouse. From no story to a narrative about saving the most awesome library in the galaxy

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Rob Stenzinger @robstenzinger.bsky.social · Aug 11

Celebrating the official 1.0 release of Word Turtle Island tomorrow 8/12. So many events this year showing the game and new arcade cabinet. Midwest Gaming Classic, VGM Con, Minnebar, STEM Fest, 2D Con Summer Pop-up at MOA. 4 years in the making, now/soon at Steam, Google Play, Apple

#indiegames

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