Miguel Sternberg
@spookysquid.bsky.social
Game dev @ Spooky Squid Games.
linktr.ee/spookysquidgames
Russian Subway Dogs: Steam, Xbox, Playstation, PS Vita!
They Bleed Pixels: Steam and Switch!
Currently working on unnamed "Goblin Girl Game"
WIP feed: tinyurl.com/goblingg
(He/Him)
linktr.ee/spookysquidgames
Russian Subway Dogs: Steam, Xbox, Playstation, PS Vita!
They Bleed Pixels: Steam and Switch!
Currently working on unnamed "Goblin Girl Game"
WIP feed: tinyurl.com/goblingg
(He/Him)
Pinned
Miguel Sternberg
@spookysquid.bsky.social
· Oct 28
Past due for a proper intro here! I'm Miguel Sternberg and I create indie games with small teams under Spooky Squid Games, a micro studio in Toronto, Canada. Best known for They Bleed Pixels. Our latest release is Russian Subway Dogs!
More info on both games + video clips in replies!
#indiegames
More info on both games + video clips in replies!
#indiegames
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
gathered together some of my old games that had fallen off the internet
smestorp.itch.io/lots-of-mich...
smestorp.itch.io/lots-of-mich...
lots of michael brough games by Michael Brough
collection
smestorp.itch.io
November 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
gathered together some of my old games that had fallen off the internet
smestorp.itch.io/lots-of-mich...
smestorp.itch.io/lots-of-mich...
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
The most important thing about Josette's character design is that those hair clips are actually jumper cables and at the end of each in-game day they are plugged in to charge so she can enter sleep mode
November 25, 2025 at 3:36 AM
The most important thing about Josette's character design is that those hair clips are actually jumper cables and at the end of each in-game day they are plugged in to charge so she can enter sleep mode
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Heads up - usually after I put out this call I've had 200 emails already. This time, so far, it's just a handful!
While the grown ups at Kotaku are all off distracted thanking turkeys or whatever it is they do, I wanna promote as many unknown indies as I can!
While the grown ups at Kotaku are all off distracted thanking turkeys or whatever it is they do, I wanna promote as many unknown indies as I can!
Hello indies! It's almost Thanksgaming 2025!
If you have an unknown indie project in dev or just released, please could you email me at [email protected] with the subject "THANKSGAMING 2025", and a store page and YouTube link? I'll put as many as I can on Kotaku.
Rules next. Reposts appreciated!
If you have an unknown indie project in dev or just released, please could you email me at [email protected] with the subject "THANKSGAMING 2025", and a store page and YouTube link? I'll put as many as I can on Kotaku.
Rules next. Reposts appreciated!
November 25, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Heads up - usually after I put out this call I've had 200 emails already. This time, so far, it's just a handful!
While the grown ups at Kotaku are all off distracted thanking turkeys or whatever it is they do, I wanna promote as many unknown indies as I can!
While the grown ups at Kotaku are all off distracted thanking turkeys or whatever it is they do, I wanna promote as many unknown indies as I can!
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Canada is releasing a set of stamps celebrating the nation's graphic novelists.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
November 21, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Canada is releasing a set of stamps celebrating the nation's graphic novelists.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
These stamps feature Kate Beaton, Jimmy Beaulieu, Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, alongside some of their famous works.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
We did something different with the credits for Demonschool. We used this format: name, title, lengthy description of what they did. Often you see credits in games where you don't know what the credited developer was actually responsible for. We wanted to give people proper, actual credit.
November 24, 2025 at 10:23 PM
We did something different with the credits for Demonschool. We used this format: name, title, lengthy description of what they did. Often you see credits in games where you don't know what the credited developer was actually responsible for. We wanted to give people proper, actual credit.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
A while ago, I asked people on bluesky to tell me the name of the movie Koyaanisqatsi without looking up the spelling. I made a musical algorithm based on the answers.
I figure I owe you a demo of what it sounds like!
It's for my game Rhytm Doggo: store.steampowered.com/app/4090240/...
I figure I owe you a demo of what it sounds like!
It's for my game Rhytm Doggo: store.steampowered.com/app/4090240/...
November 23, 2025 at 4:31 PM
A while ago, I asked people on bluesky to tell me the name of the movie Koyaanisqatsi without looking up the spelling. I made a musical algorithm based on the answers.
I figure I owe you a demo of what it sounds like!
It's for my game Rhytm Doggo: store.steampowered.com/app/4090240/...
I figure I owe you a demo of what it sounds like!
It's for my game Rhytm Doggo: store.steampowered.com/app/4090240/...
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
This is still one of the best gags of all time and it's so era-specific
November 22, 2025 at 11:32 PM
This is still one of the best gags of all time and it's so era-specific
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Zero interruptions. Just open the game and the main menu explains the four main controls.
#indiegames #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
#indiegames #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
November 22, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Zero interruptions. Just open the game and the main menu explains the four main controls.
#indiegames #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
#indiegames #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
How is "Science Saru anime adaptation of the dystopian manga about Santa Claus by the creator of Beastars, with music by Fantastic Plastic Machine" both a real thing that exists and probably the best anime of the season?
November 22, 2025 at 6:54 PM
How is "Science Saru anime adaptation of the dystopian manga about Santa Claus by the creator of Beastars, with music by Fantastic Plastic Machine" both a real thing that exists and probably the best anime of the season?
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
BIG NEWS:
We are no longer Eggplant. We are, simply:
The Secret Lives of Games
AND ALSO:
We've launched the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long, one-a-month series exploring the work of @smestorp.bsky.social. Join us and play along!
secretlives.games/all-systems-...
We are no longer Eggplant. We are, simply:
The Secret Lives of Games
AND ALSO:
We've launched the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long, one-a-month series exploring the work of @smestorp.bsky.social. Join us and play along!
secretlives.games/all-systems-...
The Secret Lives of Games: All Systems Brough - Introduction
We're joined by Frank Lantz (Q-UP) and Mare Sheppard + Raigan Burns of Metanet (N++) for the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long exploration of the work of Michael Brough. We share our th...
secretlives.games
November 21, 2025 at 9:32 PM
BIG NEWS:
We are no longer Eggplant. We are, simply:
The Secret Lives of Games
AND ALSO:
We've launched the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long, one-a-month series exploring the work of @smestorp.bsky.social. Join us and play along!
secretlives.games/all-systems-...
We are no longer Eggplant. We are, simply:
The Secret Lives of Games
AND ALSO:
We've launched the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long, one-a-month series exploring the work of @smestorp.bsky.social. Join us and play along!
secretlives.games/all-systems-...
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
One day I woke up and decided I wanted to do a stop motion animation. So I animated a simple run cycle, printed each frame and stuck them around my city ✨️
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
November 21, 2025 at 6:55 PM
One day I woke up and decided I wanted to do a stop motion animation. So I animated a simple run cycle, printed each frame and stuck them around my city ✨️
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
(Which btw, I felt super guilty about)
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Me, ten years ago: "I love technology! It enables such incredible things, and it's only going to create more wonders in the future!"
Me, now:
Me, now:
November 20, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Me, ten years ago: "I love technology! It enables such incredible things, and it's only going to create more wonders in the future!"
Me, now:
Me, now:
Has anyone tested the Analogue 3D with Wonder Project J2? It's always been tricky to emulate, with a bug when you access the store, which even appears in the MiSTer core.
November 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Has anyone tested the Analogue 3D with Wonder Project J2? It's always been tricky to emulate, with a bug when you access the store, which even appears in the MiSTer core.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Mark your calendars, set your alarms. Tomorrow is a BIG DAY!
🕰️ Nov 21 @ 12pm EST.
1️⃣ Black Friday sale launches with some VoV titles going on sale!
2️⃣ Signalis CDs & limited Signalis Vinyl being restocked
3️⃣ MYSTERY RECORDS (1, 2, & 3LPs)
4️⃣ A NEW VoV release will be up for pre-order @ 7pm EST.
🕰️ Nov 21 @ 12pm EST.
1️⃣ Black Friday sale launches with some VoV titles going on sale!
2️⃣ Signalis CDs & limited Signalis Vinyl being restocked
3️⃣ MYSTERY RECORDS (1, 2, & 3LPs)
4️⃣ A NEW VoV release will be up for pre-order @ 7pm EST.
November 20, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Mark your calendars, set your alarms. Tomorrow is a BIG DAY!
🕰️ Nov 21 @ 12pm EST.
1️⃣ Black Friday sale launches with some VoV titles going on sale!
2️⃣ Signalis CDs & limited Signalis Vinyl being restocked
3️⃣ MYSTERY RECORDS (1, 2, & 3LPs)
4️⃣ A NEW VoV release will be up for pre-order @ 7pm EST.
🕰️ Nov 21 @ 12pm EST.
1️⃣ Black Friday sale launches with some VoV titles going on sale!
2️⃣ Signalis CDs & limited Signalis Vinyl being restocked
3️⃣ MYSTERY RECORDS (1, 2, & 3LPs)
4️⃣ A NEW VoV release will be up for pre-order @ 7pm EST.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
This thing took so much work, from so many people - RPGs have so many little working parts, and we did so much to try to make this world feel alive. The team is just vibrating right now, seeing how this all goes, but for now it's great to just have it out there, in people's hands.
Demonschool: Is OUT. It's out. Finally it is out. We hope you enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This thing took so much work, from so many people - RPGs have so many little working parts, and we did so much to try to make this world feel alive. The team is just vibrating right now, seeing how this all goes, but for now it's great to just have it out there, in people's hands.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Crystal Chronicles is high in the rankings of bastard FF stepchildren, yet I still would like to see more of the creepy yet lovable Yukes
November 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Crystal Chronicles is high in the rankings of bastard FF stepchildren, yet I still would like to see more of the creepy yet lovable Yukes
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Gaze into the fire and think of home...
#screenshotsaturday #GoblinGirlGame
#indiedev #gamemaker #pixelart #ドット絵
#screenshotsaturday #GoblinGirlGame
#indiedev #gamemaker #pixelart #ドット絵
November 15, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Gaze into the fire and think of home...
#screenshotsaturday #GoblinGirlGame
#indiedev #gamemaker #pixelart #ドット絵
#screenshotsaturday #GoblinGirlGame
#indiedev #gamemaker #pixelart #ドット絵
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
Little behind the scenes on how Duncan did the camera move on our end slate - almost set up like it would be in a game engine!
On some recent trailers I've been using Davinci Resolve to do fancy end slates with 3d camera moves. Here's a behind the scenes from Demonschool with art by @einzbern.bsky.social. Notice how the date at the end is in LESS THAN TWO DAYS!!
November 17, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Little behind the scenes on how Duncan did the camera move on our end slate - almost set up like it would be in a game engine!
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
exceedingly late for Amuro's birthday but this was still fun to make <3
November 17, 2025 at 6:07 PM
exceedingly late for Amuro's birthday but this was still fun to make <3
Looks like Bookwalker paid attention to my complaint last month. They finally updated the Manga Taisho section to include more recent winners/nominees. It now includes 99 series instead of only 28!
Somehow I have still read 1/2 of them (though not all to completion). I read a lot of manga I guess😅
Somehow I have still read 1/2 of them (though not all to completion). I read a lot of manga I guess😅
@bookwalker-gl.bsky.social desperately needs to add some customization to their store page. I have to scroll through endless isekai dominated categories to hit the single one that's close to my reading habits, the manga Taisho winners: only 28 titles and I've already read at least half of them.
November 17, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Looks like Bookwalker paid attention to my complaint last month. They finally updated the Manga Taisho section to include more recent winners/nominees. It now includes 99 series instead of only 28!
Somehow I have still read 1/2 of them (though not all to completion). I read a lot of manga I guess😅
Somehow I have still read 1/2 of them (though not all to completion). I read a lot of manga I guess😅
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
While there's a minority of players who do want this, the rediscovery of having to pay attention that the Souls games represented was effectively a counter-culture movement. Games that didn't hold your hand became vogue with those who rebelled against games not even letting you think.
November 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
While there's a minority of players who do want this, the rediscovery of having to pay attention that the Souls games represented was effectively a counter-culture movement. Games that didn't hold your hand became vogue with those who rebelled against games not even letting you think.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
As a game dev and designer, this rant aligns with what we saw from players nearly twenty years ago; people don't want to have to think while being entertained. Asking them to pay attention, or remember something, or apply even the tiniest bit of problem solving became unviable.
The People Using ChatGPT to Cheat at Their Hobbies
Why are so many of us letting AI have all the fun?
www.thecut.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:20 PM
As a game dev and designer, this rant aligns with what we saw from players nearly twenty years ago; people don't want to have to think while being entertained. Asking them to pay attention, or remember something, or apply even the tiniest bit of problem solving became unviable.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
A reminder that for every billion dollars made on PC gaming, Newell pockets $300m.
He keeps out of the public eye better than some billionaires, but he is still a libertarian billionaire, and billionaires should not exist.
He keeps out of the public eye better than some billionaires, but he is still a libertarian billionaire, and billionaires should not exist.
Gabe Newell Just Bought a New $500 Million Yacht With a Basketball Court and '15 Gaming Stations'
insider-gaming.com/gabe-newell-...
insider-gaming.com/gabe-newell-...
Gabe Newell Just Bought a New $500 Million Yacht With a Basketball Court and '15 Gaming Stations'
Gabe Newell, the co-founder of Valve, just took receipt of a $500 million yacht with a staggering amount of equipment on board.
insider-gaming.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:43 PM
A reminder that for every billion dollars made on PC gaming, Newell pockets $300m.
He keeps out of the public eye better than some billionaires, but he is still a libertarian billionaire, and billionaires should not exist.
He keeps out of the public eye better than some billionaires, but he is still a libertarian billionaire, and billionaires should not exist.
Reposted by Miguel Sternberg
One more week to submit games to the Pico-8 arcade residency! Application deadline is 11/23 at midnight
We're now accepting submissions for our Pico-8 Arcade Cabinet residency until November 23! The selected game will be featured from Dec 1 - March 1 on a custom 2P cabinet. Apply here!
www.wonderville.nyc/pico8-cabine...
Here's a list of past Pico-8 residents:
wondervilleprojects.org/programs/res...
www.wonderville.nyc/pico8-cabine...
Here's a list of past Pico-8 residents:
wondervilleprojects.org/programs/res...
November 16, 2025 at 5:03 PM
One more week to submit games to the Pico-8 arcade residency! Application deadline is 11/23 at midnight