Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · 3d

An unforgiving world still need a FEW cute things, as a treat. Like, look at this adorable little servo skull from Warhammer 40k!

Floating skull with laser eye carrying a long scroll

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · 3d

Zoomed-in 16x16 icons are kinda hard to read unless you roll your chair way away from your desk

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · 3d

oops here's the less distorted version

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · 18d

(Thanks to Ian at www.instagram.com/bigsirgames for playtesting, and making the looping gif, and pointing out Yet Another Design Problem)

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · 18d

I'm playing around with an #autobattle version of SOLARFLARE, and I guess this is why Backpack Battles has Fatigue.

#roguelike #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · 24d

Seriously the number of great suggestions I heard was overwhelming. I'm tempted to just roll a die every morning to decide what to work on, instead of trying to sift through all this.

Thanks (again) to @indiecitygames.org for organizing!

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · 24d

Showing SOLARFLARE off at #CIGS2025 was validating and all, but the collective effort of 100 playtesters have generated, let's see, about 10000 Trello cards.

Thanks anyways! See you guys at #CIGS2026, and maybe also #CIGS2027 and #CIGS2028, probably.

Two people at a table, playing SOLARFLARE. A sign between them says "CO-OP | TURN-BASED | ROGUELIKE".

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Reposted by Simon

Mastafran @mastafran.com · Sep 8

Over the weekend, I went to the Chicago Indie Game Showcase and played a fine collection of upcoming games developed in Chicago, Illinois!

My Time at Chicago Indie Games Showcase 2025 - MastaFran Comics

Over the weekend, I went to the Chicago Indie Game Showcase and played a fine collection of upcoming games developed in Chicago, Illinois!

www.mastafran.com

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Sep 5

I already snagged one to put on my sticker board, so there are only 49 left, sorry. Find me at CIGS, and ask me why roguelikes are the perfect form-factor for online co-op!

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Sep 5

Bubblegum generously volunteered to be featured on a sticker. Drop by our booth at #CIGS2025 tomorrow, play one run, and take them home with you!

Oh, but Bubblegum says not buy more than 2 ranks of Sniper, that's a rookie mistake.

#axolotl #roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Aug 17

The surgeon general cautions against dreaming about Escape From Slumberland, unless you have a LOT of spare moonbeams.

Indie City Games @indiecitygames.org · Aug 10

27 days!!! I’ll be dreaming about Escape From Slumberland until then #chicago #indie #game #showcase #cigs25

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Aug 17

I made a sign for the table and everything! Well, Liz made a sign, and I nitpicked about it.

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Aug 17

If you're wondering why I'm editing a trailer, it's because SOLARFLARE will have a booth at Chicago Indie Game Showcase (CIGS), hosted by @indiecitygames.org, on 9/6!

Stop by, fight robots with a friend, and tell me which character is your favorite (it's Bubblegum) and why (they're an #axolotl).

Flyer for Chicago Indie Game Showcase, listing all the games and sponsors.

Bubblegum the axolotl is only murderous when they need to be, which is frequently.

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Aug 9

Incidentally, Fox was the first character we added to the game! Wait, no, there was also a human, but who wants to play a HUMAN, I do that in real life.

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Aug 9

This is Fox (no relation). He made equipment for the big armory corp, until SOLARFLARE raided it and he left with them. He likes talking about philosophy, even though his team stopped listening about an hour ago.

#foxes #roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

Pixel art fox with wrench and goggles, standing on a shore

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Aug 2

I'm not sure if she looks more like a golem or a lobster.

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Aug 2

This is . She was a subject of the big bioengineering corp, until SOLARFLARE shut the lab down. She is very shy, but knows a lot of jokes.

#golem #roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Aug 2

Excited to see this again at CIGS!

Slaps @s1aps.bsky.social · Aug 2

Ported a bunch of mech parts to the new customization system.
#screenshotsaturday #driftshell #mecha #psx #lowpoly #gamedev #indiegame

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jul 26

It found the scarf in a box, but it made the gloves itself!

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jul 26

This is Ed. It was created by the big #robot corp, but they left a security vulnerability in its code that it exploited (oops!), so it left. It sometimes stares at people for a long time, with its massive unblinking iris.

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

A robot with yellow gloves and a long red scarf, standing on a hex grid.

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jul 19

If you DON'T like detailed statblocks, what are you doing playing this genre?!

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jul 19

It's time for SOLARFLARE's July update! I hope you enjoy characters, lore, and detailed statblocks.

Details here: swarmforge.itch.io/solarflare-p...

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

A character sheet with a bunch of different abilities and stats.

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jul 19

Fair callout. But do you think it was conscious, or unconscious?

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Reposted by Simon

BATTLE SUIT ACES OUT NOW 🤖 @team.trinketstudios.com · Jul 17

HAVE YOU 🫵 PLAYED OUR DEMO YET?

If you like
🌌space opera
🤖mecha
📺retro anime vibes
🫂warm found family narratives
🃏deckbuilding elements

our hybrid visual novel-deckbuilder is available on Steam for a limited time! play NOW! store.steampowered.com/app/3408070/...

Battle Suit Aces Demo on Steam

Battle Suit Aces is a charming card-battling RPG. You'll recruit, befriend, and upgrade your mech pilots on a heartfelt hunt for fabled alien superweapons: the Relic Suits. Command them across monster-infested galactic wilds through danger, tragedy, and comedic sci-fi shenanigans.

store.steampowered.com

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jul 12

Or maybe we should just set his noggin on fire?

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jul 12

Goggles make it tough to convey expression! We were aiming for 😱 on the Tech-Fox but this (pic #1) looks a bit like 😀. Do sweat-drops (#2) or dizzy-eyes (#3) help?

#conceptart by www.instagram.com/maeribee/

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

A fox wearing overalls and goggles, looking excited

A fox wearing overalls and goggles, looking anxious(?)

A fox wearing overalls and goggles, looking dizzy(?)

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jul 5

Yesssss, the character building is strong with this one.

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Reposted by Simon

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jul 5

Working on UI clarity this week! I needed a white outline to indicate whose turn it is, which surprisingly required #shaders, so... I kinda learned HLSL.

There's an unannounced art asset that snuck in, oh well, don't tell anyone.

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jun 29

😡😡😡

Reposted by Simon

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jun 29

OK, I guess you guys really liked this little guy's #conceptart, so here they are in RESPLENDENT COLOR #pixelart, courtesy of @wurmfud.itch.io.

Any suggestions for their name? Currently thinking Bubblegum, for um obvious reasons.

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #axolotl #gamedev #screenshotsaturday

Pink axolotl with goggles faces off against robots on a grid, in pixel art.

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jun 23

Someone PLEASE HELP ME NAME HIM, he can't be The Rock Guy forever.

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jun 23

A teeny-tiny fragment of www.instagram.com/maeribee 's #concept-art for SolarFlare's key art. Here, we witness an annoyed lithoid demonstrating the business end of their plasma sword to a very mean #robot.

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday

An annoyed lithoid demonstrates the business end of their plasma sword to a very mean robot with wheels.

Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jun 15

I feel like there's a grisly story about the drill at the end of his arm, and I'm not sure I want to hear it.

Swarmforge @swarmforge.bsky.social · Jun 15

This cutie didn't make it in as one of the starter characters... but they'll be unlockable.

#axolotl #conceptart by www.instagram.com/maeribee

#roguelike #turnbased #coop #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday #OrIsItSunday?

Axolotl wearing a scifi headband, concept art

Reposted by Simon

Lost Gator Collective @lostgatorco.bsky.social · Jun 11

Guess what day it is, [EMPLOYEES] ⁉️
That's right, 🐫 🐫 🐫 HUMP DAAAY 🐫 🐫 🐫
#steamnextfest | #indiegames | #gamedev

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Simon @slepkin.bsky.social · Jun 9

This is my JAM.

Now, have you considered Talent Trees?

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Reposted by Simon

Lost Gator Collective @lostgatorco.bsky.social · Jun 9

🚀 STEAM NEXT FEST IS HERE! 🚀

Join us today at #SteamNextFest with our latest demo of our game, 📺 That Time I Got Trapped In An Office Dungeon 📺 — A 2nd-person horror comedy puzzle game!

store.steampowered.com/app/3424620/...

#steamnextfest | #indiegames | #gamedev

poster for Steam Next Fest for the game That Time I Got Trapped In An Office Dungeon, by Lost Gator Collective. Steam Fest runs from June 9th-16th starting at 10AM PT! Picture on the ride side shows a close up of a person's face, and in the reflectio of their eye you can see 9 glowing squares to indicate the 9 screens you look at in game. title above it reads 'That Time i Got Trapped In An Office Dungeon'

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