kod
@kod-dev.bsky.social
Reposted by kod
tl;dr: GenAI and game design concepts traditionally referred to as "AI" (enemy behaviors, pathfinding, etc.) are not the same thing, and I'm on my knees begging people to learn the difference, lest we see more bullshit claims like what The Escapist put out re: Blue Prince.
Weird weekend, huh? Took a crack at breaking down the whole Clair Obscur genAI situation, and its bizarre fallout, as best as possible. My main takeaway right now is that people really need to figure out exactly what they're criticizing or it's going to get messy. www.polygon.com/clair-obscur...
The debate over gen AI in games is about to get a lot messier in 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GOTY retraction signals the start of something huge
www.polygon.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:17 PM
tl;dr: GenAI and game design concepts traditionally referred to as "AI" (enemy behaviors, pathfinding, etc.) are not the same thing, and I'm on my knees begging people to learn the difference, lest we see more bullshit claims like what The Escapist put out re: Blue Prince.
Reposted by kod
Weird weekend, huh? Took a crack at breaking down the whole Clair Obscur genAI situation, and its bizarre fallout, as best as possible. My main takeaway right now is that people really need to figure out exactly what they're criticizing or it's going to get messy. www.polygon.com/clair-obscur...
The debate over gen AI in games is about to get a lot messier in 2026
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GOTY retraction signals the start of something huge
www.polygon.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Weird weekend, huh? Took a crack at breaking down the whole Clair Obscur genAI situation, and its bizarre fallout, as best as possible. My main takeaway right now is that people really need to figure out exactly what they're criticizing or it's going to get messy. www.polygon.com/clair-obscur...
Reposted by kod
idk man if your "autonomous" cars can't even limp to a parking spot when the internet goes down I'm going to be crying mechanical turk
December 22, 2025 at 2:23 PM
idk man if your "autonomous" cars can't even limp to a parking spot when the internet goes down I'm going to be crying mechanical turk
Reposted by kod
if you're not drafting your game design document on a pizza hut receipt with the fervor of Frankenstein building the monster what's the point, you can make everything without the killing the environment for incorrect answers machine!!!
As the backlash to generative AI in video games continues to pick up steam heading into 2026, it'll be fascinating to see what is considered "made with generative AI." Can a dev team say they're not using AI if they're writing design docs with Copilot or using chatGPT to make schedules and budgets?
December 21, 2025 at 9:49 PM
if you're not drafting your game design document on a pizza hut receipt with the fervor of Frankenstein building the monster what's the point, you can make everything without the killing the environment for incorrect answers machine!!!
Reposted by kod
If you need something light and fun to play during the holidays, my gardening minigolf arcade-ish game TRIMJOB is on sale on Steam for only $2,39!! [🔊Sound on!] Stay safe out there!
s.team/a/3910080
#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #minigolf #arcade #videogame #ost #cozy #steam
s.team/a/3910080
#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #minigolf #arcade #videogame #ost #cozy #steam
December 20, 2025 at 11:30 AM
If you need something light and fun to play during the holidays, my gardening minigolf arcade-ish game TRIMJOB is on sale on Steam for only $2,39!! [🔊Sound on!] Stay safe out there!
s.team/a/3910080
#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #minigolf #arcade #videogame #ost #cozy #steam
s.team/a/3910080
#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #minigolf #arcade #videogame #ost #cozy #steam
Reposted by kod
I'm still working on Encryptid - An FMV horror game about hunting and catching cryptids featuring footage caught exclusively via the Gameboy camera.
Hoping to release on PC and Gameboy and hopefully will have more to share soon 😘
#screenshotsaturday #summergamefest #gamedev #indiegame
Hoping to release on PC and Gameboy and hopefully will have more to share soon 😘
#screenshotsaturday #summergamefest #gamedev #indiegame
June 7, 2025 at 4:34 PM
I'm still working on Encryptid - An FMV horror game about hunting and catching cryptids featuring footage caught exclusively via the Gameboy camera.
Hoping to release on PC and Gameboy and hopefully will have more to share soon 😘
#screenshotsaturday #summergamefest #gamedev #indiegame
Hoping to release on PC and Gameboy and hopefully will have more to share soon 😘
#screenshotsaturday #summergamefest #gamedev #indiegame
Reposted by kod
Reminder that Basilisk 2000 is a fantastic game that everyone missed in 2023 because it's not on Steam. Made by KIRA, who also did Lunacid (and a million other cool projects):
akuma-kira.itch.io/basilisk-2000
You don't need a Steam sale, it costs only $2 (unless you want/can pay more)
akuma-kira.itch.io/basilisk-2000
You don't need a Steam sale, it costs only $2 (unless you want/can pay more)
Basilisk - 2000 by KIRA
Available for Windows
akuma-kira.itch.io
December 21, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Reminder that Basilisk 2000 is a fantastic game that everyone missed in 2023 because it's not on Steam. Made by KIRA, who also did Lunacid (and a million other cool projects):
akuma-kira.itch.io/basilisk-2000
You don't need a Steam sale, it costs only $2 (unless you want/can pay more)
akuma-kira.itch.io/basilisk-2000
You don't need a Steam sale, it costs only $2 (unless you want/can pay more)
Reposted by kod
smugpire.itch.io/atomic-lance
You are a Black Project, a cybernetic monster. An ATOMIC LANCE.
ATOMIC LANCE is an anime mecha first person shooter where you play as a devastating cyborg bristling with guns and powered by a nuclear reactor.
v0.3 released
#gamedev #indiegame #mecha
You are a Black Project, a cybernetic monster. An ATOMIC LANCE.
ATOMIC LANCE is an anime mecha first person shooter where you play as a devastating cyborg bristling with guns and powered by a nuclear reactor.
v0.3 released
#gamedev #indiegame #mecha
ATOMIC LANCE by Smugpire
You are a black project, a nuclear demon.
smugpire.itch.io
October 31, 2025 at 2:56 PM
smugpire.itch.io/atomic-lance
You are a Black Project, a cybernetic monster. An ATOMIC LANCE.
ATOMIC LANCE is an anime mecha first person shooter where you play as a devastating cyborg bristling with guns and powered by a nuclear reactor.
v0.3 released
#gamedev #indiegame #mecha
You are a Black Project, a cybernetic monster. An ATOMIC LANCE.
ATOMIC LANCE is an anime mecha first person shooter where you play as a devastating cyborg bristling with guns and powered by a nuclear reactor.
v0.3 released
#gamedev #indiegame #mecha
Reposted by kod
📰Unity introduces a new set of fees for enterprise customers. Game studios that made 25M the previous year need to pay Unity at least $250'000 per year or face license termination. The fees max out at 2 Million USD per year.
www.gamesindustry.biz/unity-report... #unity #unity3D #gamedev #gameengine
www.gamesindustry.biz/unity-report... #unity #unity3D #gamedev #gameengine
Unity reportedly introduces $250K+ "minimum contribution" for its biggest customers
Unity is allegedly introducing a new annual fee for its largest Enterprise users, requiring a "minimum commitment" of $…
www.gamesindustry.biz
December 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
📰Unity introduces a new set of fees for enterprise customers. Game studios that made 25M the previous year need to pay Unity at least $250'000 per year or face license termination. The fees max out at 2 Million USD per year.
www.gamesindustry.biz/unity-report... #unity #unity3D #gamedev #gameengine
www.gamesindustry.biz/unity-report... #unity #unity3D #gamedev #gameengine
Reposted by kod
December 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by kod
Hear me out: a Katamari game where the levels are based on other video games. You could roll up nurses in Silent Hill, demolish a frontier town in Red Dead Redemption, make a ball of Baldur’s Gate etc
December 20, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Hear me out: a Katamari game where the levels are based on other video games. You could roll up nurses in Silent Hill, demolish a frontier town in Red Dead Redemption, make a ball of Baldur’s Gate etc
Reposted by kod
GET EVERY STRANGE SCAFFOLD GAME FOR LESS THAN $60 BUCKS IN THE STEAM WINTER SALE
*13* DANG GAMES OF WILD VARIETY AND AMBITION--AND DISCOUNTS ON EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO GOING FORWARD
MAYBE CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S A WILD DEAL???
store.steampowered.com/bundle/35090...
*13* DANG GAMES OF WILD VARIETY AND AMBITION--AND DISCOUNTS ON EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO GOING FORWARD
MAYBE CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S A WILD DEAL???
store.steampowered.com/bundle/35090...
December 18, 2025 at 7:27 PM
GET EVERY STRANGE SCAFFOLD GAME FOR LESS THAN $60 BUCKS IN THE STEAM WINTER SALE
*13* DANG GAMES OF WILD VARIETY AND AMBITION--AND DISCOUNTS ON EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO GOING FORWARD
MAYBE CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S A WILD DEAL???
store.steampowered.com/bundle/35090...
*13* DANG GAMES OF WILD VARIETY AND AMBITION--AND DISCOUNTS ON EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO GOING FORWARD
MAYBE CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE THAT'S A WILD DEAL???
store.steampowered.com/bundle/35090...
Reposted by kod
The Xbox Boycott (Still) Matters
YouTube video by People Make Games
www.youtube.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Reposted by kod
"they don't know how to express the idea" here's rian johnson's storyboard for knives out
pick up a pencil and a napkin
pick up a pencil and a napkin
December 18, 2025 at 4:58 PM
"they don't know how to express the idea" here's rian johnson's storyboard for knives out
pick up a pencil and a napkin
pick up a pencil and a napkin
Reposted by kod
not to mention: cutting out busywork or junior work is the most short sighted shit i have ever heard anyone say. we always need to be raising up the next generation of creatives. this "i got mine" attitude in games and tech needs to End.
December 18, 2025 at 3:31 PM
not to mention: cutting out busywork or junior work is the most short sighted shit i have ever heard anyone say. we always need to be raising up the next generation of creatives. this "i got mine" attitude in games and tech needs to End.
Reposted by kod
NEW: For the last seven weeks, Naughty Dog has enacted mandatory overtime for staff to finish an internal demo of their next game, Intergalactic. The game won't be out until 2027, leaving some staff wondering: If they're crunching now, what will next year be like? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Naughty Dog Studio Orders Employee Overtime for ‘Intergalactic’
The Sony-owned gamemakers have been racing to hit a December deadline
www.bloomberg.com
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
NEW: For the last seven weeks, Naughty Dog has enacted mandatory overtime for staff to finish an internal demo of their next game, Intergalactic. The game won't be out until 2027, leaving some staff wondering: If they're crunching now, what will next year be like? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by kod
Anyway, all designers should paper prototype at least once in their life, that’s the hill I’ll die on.
December 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Anyway, all designers should paper prototype at least once in their life, that’s the hill I’ll die on.
Reposted by kod
Did a deep dive on what makes an ethical game loop by looking into balatro! youtu.be/SOIkuyfUnJk
#indiegamedev #gamedesugn
#indiegamedev #gamedesugn
Why Balatro Is Ethical Gambling (And Casinos Aren’t)
YouTube video by DeveloperEzra
youtu.be
December 16, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Did a deep dive on what makes an ethical game loop by looking into balatro! youtu.be/SOIkuyfUnJk
#indiegamedev #gamedesugn
#indiegamedev #gamedesugn
Reposted by kod
For yrs I've pondered a paradox:
1) The fact that crunch is poisonous to creative work
2) The fact that many of my favorite games were made with crunch
My answer:
Crunch allows a team to naively reach a crucial creative state, at high personal cost.
It can be reached w/o crunch
#GameDesign🧵
1) The fact that crunch is poisonous to creative work
2) The fact that many of my favorite games were made with crunch
My answer:
Crunch allows a team to naively reach a crucial creative state, at high personal cost.
It can be reached w/o crunch
#GameDesign🧵
December 16, 2025 at 6:58 PM
For yrs I've pondered a paradox:
1) The fact that crunch is poisonous to creative work
2) The fact that many of my favorite games were made with crunch
My answer:
Crunch allows a team to naively reach a crucial creative state, at high personal cost.
It can be reached w/o crunch
#GameDesign🧵
1) The fact that crunch is poisonous to creative work
2) The fact that many of my favorite games were made with crunch
My answer:
Crunch allows a team to naively reach a crucial creative state, at high personal cost.
It can be reached w/o crunch
#GameDesign🧵
Reposted by kod
‘I wish I had the Katamari IP’: Designer Keita Takahashi has returned to Japan due to disappointing sales of his most recent original game, and suggested that his future in games is unclear.
vgc.news/news/i-wish-...
vgc.news/news/i-wish-...
‘I wish I had the Katamari IP’: Creator forced to leave the US after struggling to find success | VGC
Keita Takahashi says he has ideas for new Katamari Damacy games…
vgc.news
December 15, 2025 at 1:03 PM
‘I wish I had the Katamari IP’: Designer Keita Takahashi has returned to Japan due to disappointing sales of his most recent original game, and suggested that his future in games is unclear.
vgc.news/news/i-wish-...
vgc.news/news/i-wish-...
Reposted by kod
GAME DEVS. I got tired of mind maps spaghetti, so I built a game design tool that lets me see exactly what I need to see. It lets you scrub dependency depth: see only direct connections, or expand the chain when you need it.
This is for people who design games, let me know what you think 👀
This is for people who design games, let me know what you think 👀
December 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
GAME DEVS. I got tired of mind maps spaghetti, so I built a game design tool that lets me see exactly what I need to see. It lets you scrub dependency depth: see only direct connections, or expand the chain when you need it.
This is for people who design games, let me know what you think 👀
This is for people who design games, let me know what you think 👀
Reposted by kod
BALL x PIT has made it onto BAFTA Games Awards longlist for Game Design and New IP categories!
Woah!
Woah!
December 9, 2025 at 7:06 PM
BALL x PIT has made it onto BAFTA Games Awards longlist for Game Design and New IP categories!
Woah!
Woah!
Reposted by kod
there's an inherent tension in commercial art in that commercial pursuits are one of the only ways to fund large, multi-year, team projects (since we don't do patronage anymore and the US doesn't do arts grants at scale) but that project does eventually have to make money. working through —
December 9, 2025 at 12:56 AM
there's an inherent tension in commercial art in that commercial pursuits are one of the only ways to fund large, multi-year, team projects (since we don't do patronage anymore and the US doesn't do arts grants at scale) but that project does eventually have to make money. working through —
Reposted by kod
For me, one of the hardest parts of developing a new game is finding the right design and color combination for the UI. 🎨🖥️
What do you spend most of your time on at the beginning of development? 🤔🚀
#indiedev #gamedev #gamedesign #UE5
What do you spend most of your time on at the beginning of development? 🤔🚀
#indiedev #gamedev #gamedesign #UE5
December 8, 2025 at 9:13 PM
For me, one of the hardest parts of developing a new game is finding the right design and color combination for the UI. 🎨🖥️
What do you spend most of your time on at the beginning of development? 🤔🚀
#indiedev #gamedev #gamedesign #UE5
What do you spend most of your time on at the beginning of development? 🤔🚀
#indiedev #gamedev #gamedesign #UE5
Reposted by kod
Apparently there's some resurgent formalist game design debate going on? On whether games could/should/have/are/will be stories?
I cannot imagine anything I want to engage with less.
I cannot imagine anything I want to engage with less.
December 5, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Apparently there's some resurgent formalist game design debate going on? On whether games could/should/have/are/will be stories?
I cannot imagine anything I want to engage with less.
I cannot imagine anything I want to engage with less.