Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mike Piontek

@robotspacer.online

2.5K followers 550 following 530 posts

I stream adventure games at http://twitch.tv/robotspacer, I make apps at https://junecloud.com, and I’m making an adventure game for classic Macintosh and Playdate. He/him. You can also find me on Mastodon, YouTube, and elsewhere: http://robotspacer.online

twitch.tv

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · Nov 4

I’m making an adventure game named Transfer Point, created in World Builder (1986) and MacPaint, for classic Macintosh computers. It uses both point-and-click and text parser commands. You’ll be able to play it in your web browser, an emulator, or on an actual classic Mac!

A monochrome pixel art drawing of an old house with a path leading up to it. It’s in a window labeled “Totally Normal House.” A text window on the side reads, “You’re at the top of a small hill leading up to a totally normal house. There’s a walkway north to the porch. A path winds west around the side of the house. Search. You don’t find anything unusual.”

A monochrome pixel art drawing of a building with a vending machine in front. An egret is on the side of the building. The vending machine has 90s graphics on it, made of basic shapes and squiggles. The window is titled “Storefront.” A text window on the side reads, “You’re outside a store. There’s a vending machine here. To the right side of the building, an egret is standing over a nest. Paths lead off to the north and west.”

A monochrome pixel art drawing of an electronic device, close up, showing an email interface. The text “email” is in a whimsical font, and there’s a mascot girl at the bottom. The window is titled “Lil Sweetie Emails.” The screen shows emails titled “I’m sorry” and “Where are you?” both dated May 17. The last email has the subject “Please” and is dated May 18. All of them are from someone named Tessa. A text window on the side reads, “The Lil Sweetie is showing a list of email messages. An adorable mascot girl rests her chin on her hand at the bottom of the screen.”

A monochrome pixel art drawing of a woman looking at herself in a cracked mirror. She has short hair and dark eyebrows. The window is titled “Mirror.” A text window on the side reads, “It’s you, more or less. The cracked and dirty mirror reflects your weary face back at you. You look as tired as you feel, but it’s comforting to see that you’re still you. Status. You’re tired, but otherwise you seem to be fine.”

5 22 94

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Vampaya Chemist @papayachemist.bsky.social · 3h

I bet this already exists somewhere, but: give me a game starring an "archaeologist" where the gameplay involves actually doing archaeology. I'm talking the really granular stuff: finding dig sites, digging them up, cleaning dirt off of things, figuring out what they are, cataloguing them, etc.

1 2 8

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Blippo+ @blippo.plus · 3h

Planet Blip is a real place & we brought it to Earth for one night only at the magical Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles!

The stars were out, the video wall was massive, costumes & props were on display, and the party cam was rolling on the red carpet!

Where will Planet Blip appear next?

7 28

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 3h

My complete Maupiti Island playthrough is now on YouTube! This is a long, difficult game, but it’s one of the most interesting detective mystery games I’ve played. Friend of the stream Dronon made chapter markers so you can skip to the most exciting bits if you like. robotspacer.tv/archive/maup...

Maupiti Island

Maupiti Island is a point-and-click detective mystery game, and a sequel to Mortville Manor. It was originally released for Amiga in 1990, then for DOS and Atari ST in 1991, along with updated…

robotspacer.tv

1 3

Reposted by Mike Piontek

OneShortEye @oneshorteye.bsky.social · 6h

It is done.

This took about two years from research to release, and I doubt I’ll ever make something of this scope ever again. I’m so thankful to everyone who supported me.

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, curl up in a cozy space, and enjoy.

youtu.be/nSODB1CRez0

Why (almost) No One Solves this Game

YouTube video by OneShortEye

youtu.be

5 17 33

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Michael @michaelklamerus.bsky.social · 22h

Found the collection of 160 games made in world builder on the ScummVM website and this is all I will be talking about this month
www.scummvm.org/games/#games...

That 2nd game, Pirate Attack, has a really nice story from the designer from two years ago
www.macintoshrepository.org/19772-pirate...

image from Mountain of Mayhem of a smiling bartender and text describing him and the bar

image of a pirate in the game Pirate Attack and text describing him attacking you

a game called The Thompson Kids Meet the Swamp Witch of the faces of two kids and a haunted house at night

screenshot from a game called Fortune Teller of a black and white illustration of a fortune teller

2 3 23

Reposted by Mike Piontek

DAERHYK @daerhyk.blacksky.app · 1d

In tears over this ‘How to’

youtu.be/hbO1z13WP8o?...

"How to Orchid" by Telepathic Instruments

YouTube video by Telepathic Instruments

youtu.be

2 4 11

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 1d

Today I learned there are multiple paintings of King Graham in Minecraft

Princess Pearl @princess-pearl.bsky.social · 1d

I was watching a Minecraft YouTuber earlier today. They were talking about this painting and referred to it as "the Pinocchio one." Put some respect on King Graham's name!

The Minecraft painting that shows a sprite of King Graham used in King's Quest 1 and 2.

2 10

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Francisco González - ROSEWATER OUT NOW! @grundislav.games · 1d

I had the privilege of directing and editing the voiceover for this game. I can tell you this: it’s going to be a good one.

Foolish Mortals Point & Click Adventure Game @inklingwood.bsky.social · 1d

Our hand-drawn, full-length, fully voiced point & click adventure game Foolish Mortals releases November 5, 2025! 👻 www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0rN...

A wedding... vanished. A treasure... lost. A heart... broken.

Wishlist us now! store.steampowered.com/app/1848440/...

Foolish Mortals Release Date Trailer - November 5, 2025

YouTube video by Inklingwood Studios

www.youtube.com

6 34

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 1d

Happy Tuesday! Let’s play The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow by @shaunaitcheson.bsky.social. Definitely nothing weird is going to happen. www.twitch.tv/robotspacer #Twitch

Screenshot of the game’s title screen, showing a woman looking out of a train car window while writing in a notebook. In the distance is what is presumably the titular barrow. On the right side are inset images of me, looking mildly concerned, and an overhead view of my desk, showing a keyboard, notebook, and pen.

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Detective Instinct: Farewell, My Beloved (ADV/VN) @traindetective.bsky.social · 2d

A lot has changed since we started developing our game over 3 years ago...

Nintendo made a new Famicom Detective Club. Every Ace Attorney game is now in English. Another Code was revived, fueling desire for Kyle Hyde remakes.

People want ADV games, and we want to make them 👍 #gamedev #indiegame

4 54 210

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Ethan Marcotte @ethanmarcotte.com · 2d

🦊

IN WHICH ONE AUTHOR tried to file a claim in the Anthropic copyright case, failed, got frustrated, then blogged about it while still pretty hot under the collar.

(it’s me; i’m author)

ethanmarcotte.com/wrote/a-righ...

A right to copy. — ethanmarcotte.com

This is one author’s short, failed journey to file a claim in Anthropic’s copyright lawsuit. (Oops. Spoilers, sorry.)

ethanmarcotte.com

1 14 30

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Misty De Méo @cdrom.ca · 2d

A REQUEST: If you own a French CD-ROM computer game called "Pop Anim'", please let me know. I could use it for some research but haven't been able to find a circulating copy yet. (It's at the BnF but I can't get there right now.)

6 83 55

Reposted by Mike Piontek

They Might Be Giants @tmbg.bsky.social · 2d

The John Henry hypercard stack is back. Enjoy. jonuleis.com/jh/ (big big h/t to our hero Jon Uleis)

TMBG John Henry HyperCard Sampler

They Might Be Giants has just completed a new album, John Henry, which will be in the stores this August, but you don't have to wait until then to experience the twenty new songs (interpretive snippet...

jonuleis.com

6 46 130

Reposted by Mike Piontek

WaveyGames @waveygames.bsky.social · 2d

I'll declare this now or never...

Pepper Odyssey is COMING OUT in NOVEMBER 2025!!! 🎉

youtu.be/fKBulyJdlHw

#indiegame #rpg #MajorUpdate #release #turn-based #trailertuesday #indiedev

Pepper Odyssey OUT NOVEMBER 2025!!!

YouTube video by Wavey Games

youtu.be

6 19

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Francisco González - ROSEWATER OUT NOW! @grundislav.games · 2d

So I’ve been working on my next adventure game. This is the first background image I’m sharing.

I figured I might as well earn the inevitable comparison to Monkey Island 😈

A brick cabin on a beach with several old boxes and barrels around it. In the background is a lighthouse.

19 30 250

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 2d

That makes sense! If I’d known there was a card game I think that would have been easy to guess.

1 2

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Cormac @cormacos.bsky.social · 2d

A giant 1980s style Macintosh computer towers like a temple ruin amongst a jungle canopy, all rendered in black and white pixel art.

3 74 290

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 2d

…: you can talk to this character
!: has important info, maybe quest related
bag: shop, has items for sale
last one: I’m not sure

I think it’s OK if someone doesn’t immediately know what an icon is. As long as they can find out easily and it’s distinct enough to remember next time.

1 2

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 2d

Montaigne’s album Glorious Heights is just… no longer available in the US?? Apple Music just says “no longer available” and it seems to be gone from YouTube, Spotify, and even SoundCloud. This might turn me into a guy that refuses to use streaming music services

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Julia Minamata @juliaminamata.bsky.social · 3d

Pixem the ice-cream-cone-headed-alien may or may not have been inspired by Michael Douglas' performance in Falling Down. 😀

Strange Scaffold @strangescaffold.bsky.social · 3d

"...you'll see where I cashed out midway through. This baby rode the lightning at critical health for half its lifespan."

- A recent post by a dev in our internal Discord.

Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator is out in 2026!

An alien child, green with large dark green eyes, has multiple alien creatures wearing suits scrambling up its head. Atop the babies head, where all the other aliens are reaching, is one alien holding a briefcase of cash. "Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator" is written next to the baby. Behind that text is a stock ticker arrow that has moved up and down but, at the end of it, is pointing up.

A furry looking baby floats in space. Beside them , text reads...

1 Pursued Night School
2 Survived a Suicide Mission
3 Punched Commanding Officer
4 Re-Drafted Into Service
5. Failed to defuse exposive

To the right of the baby is a stock chart, showing a good trend of growth on the investments made. Text by this chart reads

Baby Value
Invested Stock

Avg. Stock Price: 278
Avg. Sale Price: 335

Below it shows that after trading stocks on this baby the investory made 1427 and are now invited to continue.

Most of the screen is taken up by a line graph, charting the rise and fall in stock price of a babies life. At this point, thay are 46 and the line has had a big dip. Above the graph in red text in a box with arrows pointing down it says "Bitten by Horse". Which is, what has happened to the baby at this point of its life. The baby is called "Pollo" and the extra information to the right of this chart tells us they are "unwell". Which adds up, having being bitten by a horse. Who among us could claim to be at their peak post-horse bite? You? Well, honestly, I want to know your story. Did you develop powers? Did the collected germs in the horses mouth actually counteract some viral agent that had just recently hit your veins? Or were you just having such a bad time that the horse biting you was actually the best part of your day? Seriously, let me know!

2 1 6

Mike Piontek @robotspacer.online · 3d

Every time you post about this situation I feel like it surely must be a long running joke, but I know you’ve been very clear that it is really happening, and I feel my brain start to shut down because it doesn’t know how to process this. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live through it

1 2

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Edmundo Ruiz Ghanem @edmundito.com · 3d

The cat's out of the bag! I've been working on this (through my tiny company @clickpulp.com) for the past year, creating a new port for #AdventureGameStudio for Nintendo Switch, and designing a new controller scheme that feels more natural for gamepads while maintaining the point-and-click gameplay.

CLICKPULP @clickpulp.com · 3d

An English Haunting launches on Nintendo Switch next week!

Designed by @postmodernadv.bsky.social, we have adapted this critically acclaimed point-and-click horror mystery to a new edition with console-optimized controls.

www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...

#AdventureGames #NintendoSwitch

An English Haunting for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site

Buy An English Haunting and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store.

www.nintendo.com

1 4

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Postmodern Adventures @postmodernadv.bsky.social · 3d

📢BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📢

An English Haunting is coming to Nintendo Switch NEXT WEEK by @clickpulp.com!

▶️nintendo.com/us/store/products/an-english-haunting-switch

1 4 22

Reposted by Mike Piontek

stain of memory @shirokumahi.me · 3d

god the NANA Vivienne Westwood collab cover is so good. immediately ordered a copy (books a million exclusive in the US just on their website)

2 36 100

Reposted by Mike Piontek

Meredith Gran @meredithgran.com · 3d

The updated demo for Perfect Tides: Station to Station is available now ahead of Steam Next Fest! We're getting ever closer to the full release in January! store.steampowered.com/app/2088810/...

Perfect Tides: Station to Station on Steam

A point n' click sequel to Perfect Tides about the momentum and whiplash of young adulthood. Explore the big city through 18-year-old Mara's eyes. Collect items, nurture ideas, and experience complex ...

store.steampowered.com

49 130