David Stark - Zarkonnen
@zarkonnen.bsky.social
I make games about bad things happening to tiny simulated people and help run the Zurich gamedev community. He/him.
Website: https://zarkonnen.com/
Games: https://zarkonnen.itch.io/
Game Hub: https://www.swissgamehub.com/
Website: https://zarkonnen.com/
Games: https://zarkonnen.itch.io/
Game Hub: https://www.swissgamehub.com/
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
We're stoked to introduce the 'No Gen AI' seal for indie games!
Indie devs can use it on their game's store page to assure potential players that their game was made without the use of Generative AI.
You can grab it from the Polygon Treehouse website:-
www.polygon-treehouse.com/no-gen-ai-seal
Indie devs can use it on their game's store page to assure potential players that their game was made without the use of Generative AI.
You can grab it from the Polygon Treehouse website:-
www.polygon-treehouse.com/no-gen-ai-seal
February 15, 2025 at 1:29 PM
We're stoked to introduce the 'No Gen AI' seal for indie games!
Indie devs can use it on their game's store page to assure potential players that their game was made without the use of Generative AI.
You can grab it from the Polygon Treehouse website:-
www.polygon-treehouse.com/no-gen-ai-seal
Indie devs can use it on their game's store page to assure potential players that their game was made without the use of Generative AI.
You can grab it from the Polygon Treehouse website:-
www.polygon-treehouse.com/no-gen-ai-seal
Solium Infernum is currently 50% off on Steam and you should buy it because it's an amazing strategy game that just... fixes the major problems in the 4X genre, and it's never received the love it should have had: store.steampowered.com/app/1893810/...
Save 50% on Solium Infernum on Steam
Take the Infernal Throne in this hellish turn-based grand strategy game. The Prince of Darkness has vanished, leaving Archfiends to conspire: muster your legions while intoning dark sorceries, devilis...
store.steampowered.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Solium Infernum is currently 50% off on Steam and you should buy it because it's an amazing strategy game that just... fixes the major problems in the 4X genre, and it's never received the love it should have had: store.steampowered.com/app/1893810/...
Good morning
February 2, 2026 at 9:06 AM
Good morning
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
Well, no. You wouldn't.
They just *haven't booked*, mate.
They just *haven't booked*, mate.
GDC organiser says it "hasn't seen" any cancellations by international attendees following concerns over cost and US political situation www.gamesindustry.biz/gdc-organise...
January 29, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Well, no. You wouldn't.
They just *haven't booked*, mate.
They just *haven't booked*, mate.
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
“Do violent video games make you violent” as a moral panic was such a shame because it elided the position of violence in the narrative, which DOES have real implications. Playing DOOM does not make you violent, but playing COD does propagandize you into supporting the American imperial project
January 24, 2026 at 5:40 PM
“Do violent video games make you violent” as a moral panic was such a shame because it elided the position of violence in the narrative, which DOES have real implications. Playing DOOM does not make you violent, but playing COD does propagandize you into supporting the American imperial project
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
The US granted visas to Jews but only allowed 30,000 in from Germany a year. You had to wait for your number to come up.
Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵
Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵
January 21, 2026 at 12:52 PM
The US granted visas to Jews but only allowed 30,000 in from Germany a year. You had to wait for your number to come up.
Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵
Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵
Trying to make Kashmir pink chai and have ended up with a tea that's Pantone 448C AKA The World's Ugliest Color.
January 21, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Trying to make Kashmir pink chai and have ended up with a tea that's Pantone 448C AKA The World's Ugliest Color.
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
"Globally, excess-mortality modeling places the true pandemic death toll in the tens of millions, with central estimates near 27 million worldwide, far exceeding official counts." boingboing.net/2026/01/16/c...
COVID pandemic enters seventh year with no end in sight
It's strange to think that the COVID-19 pandemic, which sent the world into lockdown seven years ago never ended. It continues to kill and cripple us, to this day. We…
boingboing.net
January 18, 2026 at 2:40 PM
"Globally, excess-mortality modeling places the true pandemic death toll in the tens of millions, with central estimates near 27 million worldwide, far exceeding official counts." boingboing.net/2026/01/16/c...
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
For non-German speakers:
“Dear media, I can’t stand the headline "No agreement between the US and Denmark” any longer. If an armed man storms a bank, you don't run the headline: "Robber and cashier can't reach an agreement on money transfer." Stop framing imperial aggression as normal diplomacy.”
“Dear media, I can’t stand the headline "No agreement between the US and Denmark” any longer. If an armed man storms a bank, you don't run the headline: "Robber and cashier can't reach an agreement on money transfer." Stop framing imperial aggression as normal diplomacy.”
Liebe Medien, ich kann die Schlagzeile "Keine Einigung zwischen USA und Dänemark" nicht mehr sehen. Wenn ein Bewaffneter eine Bank stürmt, titelt ihr doch auch nicht: "Räuber und Kassiererin finden keinen Konsens über Geldübergabe." Hört auf, imperiale Aggression als normale Diplomatie zu framen.
January 15, 2026 at 11:11 AM
For non-German speakers:
“Dear media, I can’t stand the headline "No agreement between the US and Denmark” any longer. If an armed man storms a bank, you don't run the headline: "Robber and cashier can't reach an agreement on money transfer." Stop framing imperial aggression as normal diplomacy.”
“Dear media, I can’t stand the headline "No agreement between the US and Denmark” any longer. If an armed man storms a bank, you don't run the headline: "Robber and cashier can't reach an agreement on money transfer." Stop framing imperial aggression as normal diplomacy.”
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
I am seeing folks still planning travel to the US for events.
So a reminder that this was what they were doing to White travelers last year before they'd really ramped up the ICE/CBP kidnapping/torture/murder machine.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/05/09/n...
So a reminder that this was what they were doing to White travelers last year before they'd really ramped up the ICE/CBP kidnapping/torture/murder machine.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/05/09/n...
I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped
I was stuck in a freezing cell without explanation despite eventually having lawyers and media attention. Yet, compared with others, I was lucky
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:50 AM
I am seeing folks still planning travel to the US for events.
So a reminder that this was what they were doing to White travelers last year before they'd really ramped up the ICE/CBP kidnapping/torture/murder machine.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/05/09/n...
So a reminder that this was what they were doing to White travelers last year before they'd really ramped up the ICE/CBP kidnapping/torture/murder machine.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/05/09/n...
Indie #gamedev would be perfect if I could avoid these moments, 1/x:
You suspect that parts of your game aren't good enough, but you don't know which. You'll rebuild a perfectly OK feature while leaving in something show-stoppingly bad.
You suspect that parts of your game aren't good enough, but you don't know which. You'll rebuild a perfectly OK feature while leaving in something show-stoppingly bad.
January 13, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Indie #gamedev would be perfect if I could avoid these moments, 1/x:
You suspect that parts of your game aren't good enough, but you don't know which. You'll rebuild a perfectly OK feature while leaving in something show-stoppingly bad.
You suspect that parts of your game aren't good enough, but you don't know which. You'll rebuild a perfectly OK feature while leaving in something show-stoppingly bad.
Every time I see hyaluronic acid mentioned, I imagine a hyaluron as an especially gormless-looking proto-mammal.
January 13, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Every time I see hyaluronic acid mentioned, I imagine a hyaluron as an especially gormless-looking proto-mammal.
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
BREAKING: Staggering scenes as brave Iranians stand up to their illegitimate government in Tehran... um, hang on, I'm being told this is actually Minneapolis. Forget I said anything...
January 11, 2026 at 11:54 AM
BREAKING: Staggering scenes as brave Iranians stand up to their illegitimate government in Tehran... um, hang on, I'm being told this is actually Minneapolis. Forget I said anything...
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
hi! i'm co-founding a new gaming website with my former polygon colleague @zoehhannah.com. it's called mothership.blog. i made it for someone like me... the kind of website i always wished we had in our space. watch the video to learn more :D
It's time to board the Mothership.
www.youtube.com/shorts/iEw90...
www.youtube.com/shorts/iEw90...
Board the Mothership.
YouTube video by Mothership Media LLC
www.youtube.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:04 PM
hi! i'm co-founding a new gaming website with my former polygon colleague @zoehhannah.com. it's called mothership.blog. i made it for someone like me... the kind of website i always wished we had in our space. watch the video to learn more :D
Cocktail concept:
- Passion fruit liqueur
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Hot water
➡️ Thot Toddy
- Passion fruit liqueur
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Hot water
➡️ Thot Toddy
January 10, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Cocktail concept:
- Passion fruit liqueur
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Hot water
➡️ Thot Toddy
- Passion fruit liqueur
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Hot water
➡️ Thot Toddy
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
How to tell if a game has commercial appeal before investing years in its development? @zarkonnen.bsky.social has gone through a super interesting project mockup validation approach over the past few months and I highly recommend reading his findings 👇
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
Choosing my next game project using mockups
Last year, I posted a series of mockups on social media to determine my next game project, working together with the publisher/marketing company Metaroot. This is an in-depth post describing our motiv...
zarkonnen.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:45 PM
How to tell if a game has commercial appeal before investing years in its development? @zarkonnen.bsky.social has gone through a super interesting project mockup validation approach over the past few months and I highly recommend reading his findings 👇
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
An in-depth post on how I used a series of mockups posted to social media together with @metaroot.bsky.social to pick my next game project, Biomechanoid Repair Shop.
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
#gamedev
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
#gamedev
Choosing my next game project using mockups
Last year, I posted a series of mockups on social media to determine my next game project, working together with the publisher/marketing company Metaroot. This is an in-depth post describing our motiv...
zarkonnen.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:17 PM
An in-depth post on how I used a series of mockups posted to social media together with @metaroot.bsky.social to pick my next game project, Biomechanoid Repair Shop.
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
#gamedev
zarkonnen.com/mockup_valid...
#gamedev
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
"international law must be followed" is european for "thoughts and prayers"
January 3, 2026 at 2:08 PM
"international law must be followed" is european for "thoughts and prayers"
Billionaires' vast wealth acts like a fleet in being - the mere threat of them using it to influence politics means that they get to influence politics for free.
December 29, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Billionaires' vast wealth acts like a fleet in being - the mere threat of them using it to influence politics means that they get to influence politics for free.
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
Mods are asleep, post blobby Qing dynasty cats
December 28, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Mods are asleep, post blobby Qing dynasty cats
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
Reposted by David Stark - Zarkonnen
Von Schattenrätseln bis zum Almauftrieb-Adventure, vom Hexen-Roguelite bis zur Natursimulation:
2025 hat die #Schweizer #Games-Branche etliche spannende Indie-Titel hervorgebracht, die ganz unterschiedliche Genres abdecken.
🎥 youtu.be/TVxwN1Hv9tc?...
#SwissGames #SwissIndies
2025 hat die #Schweizer #Games-Branche etliche spannende Indie-Titel hervorgebracht, die ganz unterschiedliche Genres abdecken.
🎥 youtu.be/TVxwN1Hv9tc?...
#SwissGames #SwissIndies
December 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Von Schattenrätseln bis zum Almauftrieb-Adventure, vom Hexen-Roguelite bis zur Natursimulation:
2025 hat die #Schweizer #Games-Branche etliche spannende Indie-Titel hervorgebracht, die ganz unterschiedliche Genres abdecken.
🎥 youtu.be/TVxwN1Hv9tc?...
#SwissGames #SwissIndies
2025 hat die #Schweizer #Games-Branche etliche spannende Indie-Titel hervorgebracht, die ganz unterschiedliche Genres abdecken.
🎥 youtu.be/TVxwN1Hv9tc?...
#SwissGames #SwissIndies