Simon
@slepkin.bsky.social
Chicago-based #gamedev. I like swarms and robots and unfortunately complex interlocking mechanics! Wishlist https://store.steampowered.com/app/3941030/SOLARFLARE/ before it releases on May 27! Studio: @swarmforge.bsky.social Gamejams: knaughts.itch.io/
I was so so pleased that I could grab a frog that was already holding a frog that was already holding a frog
Chris Wade@luckshotgames.com · 6d agoNews time! 🚨 On August 9th our Steam version will transform to become BIG HOPS TOGETHER. - Play the full adventure ONLINE with 8 players - Pick up and throw your friends - Tongue swing from other players - Steal items from each other's backpacks - Story and collection progress is shared
I've played a bunch of versions of Slumberland, and each version is even better/spookier than the last.
bigsirgames.bsky.social@bigsirgames.bsky.social · 2mo agoWe just released the demo (and this awesome trailer) for Escape from Slumberland! Go check it out on Steam - store.steampowered.com/app/3011520/...
It's been a long haul, and it's nowhere near what I envisioned, but I've finally been convinced by playtesters that it's a very good game. (especially for $4! that's less than a coffee!) Thanks to everyone in the #gamedev community who helped me get here: the QA, the advice, and the ❤️'s.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 2mo agoI pushed the button! Buy SOLARFLARE today, and tell me what difficulty you could clear, and how, so I can loudly congratulate you (and then maybe quietly nerf it a little bit). store.steampowered.com/app/3941030/... We have a cute #axolotl with goggles, maybe that helps? #pixelart #indiedev
why would a robot wear a scarf, their neck can't get cold
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 2mo agoWow, this will be my last post before release! As your weekly activity, settle a debate: Matt says this first guy is a #monster and the latter a #robot, and I think the opposite. Please side with me, I don't think he'll see this post. #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
All credit for the #axolotl #plushy goes to my wife, who is extremely awesome but prefers mysterious anonymity. TEN MORE DAYS TEN MORE DAYS CONSIDER WISHLISTING TODAY OR DON'T, I'M NOT YOUR DAD
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 3mo agoBubblegum the #axolotl has emerged into meatspace, to urge you to wishlist SOLARFLARE, which is *checks notes* a thrilling byte-sized #roguelike #autobattler in a sci-fi dystopia. Fight and die to unlock Upgrades, experiment to find broken builds, and obliterate the megacorp's #bots! Wishlist now!
bluesky isn't parsing that link for whatever reason so here it is! the game is sitting at 89% positive on steam which I am very thankful for, glad to see people resonating with an alternate kind of city builder. if you pick it up please give it a positive review so it can spread through the system
Amberspire on Steam
A science fantasy dice city builder. Construct buildings, manage resources, and build in harmony with an alien ecology. Beneath the glow of a gas giant, Amberspire will grow and prosper into a flouris...
s.team
Bithell Games@bithellgames.bsky.social · 3mo agoAmberspire is a city builder where you have influence as to how your settlement grows, but not absolute control. Have a patch of safe, open land? Residents will want to move there! Destroy an old building? The ground might become unstable. Amberspire is OUT NOW on Steam! 🌇 s.team/a/3350750
Big news! Coraroc is on sale! A very big discount to the hit game, "Coraroc". If you have been on the fence for Coraroc, now is your chance to jump into his adventure. You should tell your friends about the sale, too. It's only polite. BUY CORAROC: store.steampowered.com/app/3963120/...
Don't ask me how long it took to make this trailer, and especially don't ask me how long it took to get ONE PARTICULAR TRANSITION to look right (it took 45 minutes).
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 3mo agoIt is time! I have solemnly sworn to press "Release" on May 27, rain or snow, God help me. If you'd like to play a rebellious #axolotl obliterating megacorp #robots ~60K different ways, this one's for you. store.steampowered.com/app/3941030/... #roguelike #autobattle #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
The decision to move from co-op tactical RPG to solo #autobattle was a painful choice but the right one; credit to @aeiowu.com for pushing me on it. Maybe I'll write a devlog about the decision some day? We'll see how I feel about it in June.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 3mo agoIn other news, I've updated the build on @itch.io (swarmforge.itch.io/solarflare-p...) to match what I demoed at #cigs2025. The full release is on Steam (store.steampowered.com/app/3941030/...), but that older prototype will be free on itch forever. It's, um, VERY different.
These Conduit guys are really scary early-game, and really scary if you don't have bots, but kinda easy if you have bots.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 3mo agoContinuing baby steps with #DaVinciResolve this week. Last week we saw lots of characters dying, so this week let's see them winning! #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
I pray that, with experience, I will learn to put together an 11 second clip in less than *checks watch* 5 hours. 🫠 @hatsproductions.bsky.social I blame you for encouraging this suffering.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 3mo agoThis week, we're wrestling with #DaVinciResolve! So please enjoy this montage of player characters being obliterated in a variety of methods and locations. #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
Judging this art is how I learned that I really like scarves. Aesthetically only, though! They always fall off my face when I try to wear them during the winter.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 4mo agoContinuing the series of bots from last week, we have this quite-sharp Cyberninja. TBH with the armor I'm not sure if he's made of meat, and I'm afraid to ask. Art by @wurmfud.itch.io #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #ninja #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
I called it a Tank in my notes, but then I told @wurmfud.itch.io it pushes people around and it became an evil bulldozer. I should probably rename it, huh.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 4mo agoEveryone stop what you are doing, I have a fresh shipment of vicious robots to peruse. This is the Tank! He chases and pushed you around the map painfully. Maybe too painfully actually, I just died, nerfs inc. Art by @wurmfud.itch.io #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #gamedev #screenshotsaturday
Now that I look at it from a distance, that tooltip is annoyingly wide.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 4mo agoAs a player, I'm never happy to receive incomplete information. But if a game tells you everything in advance, it feels front-loaded and hollow. So, now I'm telling you less about future locations. You're welcome! #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
He also wrote three different tracks, for three different biomes, as subtle variations on a shared motif! And all of those also had high/low intensity layers!
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 5mo ago🔊Help I can't stop dragging the slider back and forth to change the layered track from high-intensity to low-.🔊 www.instagram.com/mkgameaudio/ knocked this out of the park, you should hire him too. #vgm #roguelike #autobattle #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
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You gave him a BELLY BUTTON?! This is revisionism, @metroixer.bsky.social's lawyers will be in touch.
nattie ✨ vaaasm@vaaasm.com · 5mo agoCORAROC IS CORAROC!! Fanart for @metroixer.bsky.social's little guy, CORAROC!!! Play it now on Steam and follow at @coraroc.bsky.social Coraroc is squishy and a friend. He will not eat you if you get too close 🩵🤍🩷 #pixelart #gamedev
Man this game is SO EASY (when you turn on God Mode so you can record videos fast).
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 5mo agoHere's a new retro-Final-Fantasy-style death animation, for your viewing enjoyment. Now that I see it in context, I see I'll need to speed the rotation up just a smidge, OH WELL, SENDING IT. #roguelike #autobattle #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday
Oh man this has grown so much since I saw it at CIGS two years ago! Why is his little antenna is so murderous, though.
@coraroc.bsky.social · 5mo agoCORAROC IS OUT NOW ON STEAM! You can get Coraroc. You can play Coraroc. Now go! Go play Coraroc! store.steampowered.com/app/3963120/...
Excellent speech from @schatz.bsky.social Schatz on the importance of fixing anti-build-to-rent provision in the ROAD to Housing Act (h/t @pewilliams.bsky.social) (1/3)
I read it as "Oh no, oh NO, the Moksha! (of Dreaming)"
Ulfsire@ulfsire.bsky.social · 5mo agothe special name generator for these guys got messed up
Awhile ago I wanted to tell a car in front of me their blinker was on so I made Shout Screen. It's completely free, no ads. Check it out, I had a lot of fun taking a little break to make it last month. shoutscreen.app
Of course, now I have to balance TEN DIFFERENT DIFFICULTIES, oh well.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 5mo agoI've been annoyed that, while trying to balance SOLARFLARE, it was always either too hard for newbies or too easy for veterans. I'm embarrassed that it took me this long to remember the obvious solution: a Difficulty setting. #roguelike #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday #autobattle
Is the logo repeated across the middle column a⚡, or an S? We may never know.
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 8mo agoAnother new biome: the Tower. I like the blue lines in the background but I'll be honest, I don't actually know what they are. Other towers? An elevator shaft? Extremely slow laser beams? Art by @fervirgames.bsky.social. #roguelike #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday #autobattle
It me. I also have a frustratingly narrow band between "too much socialization, need to recharge" and "too isolated, need to see people".
Megan Carnes@magmacranes.bsky.social · 8mo agoTbh it’s a major design flaw that I’m a huge introvert who needs a lot of time alone to recharge after every time I leave the house to socialize and also am someone who has a lot of people who I love and cherish and want to spend time with and also live in an awesome city with so many activities
I love this new tileset, but @wurmfud.itch.io pointed out that the tiles now feel kinda *thin*. Should we add some depth to them?
Swarmforge@swarmforge.bsky.social · 8mo agoImplemented a new biome this week: The Station™™™. The transparent panes of glass, and the scrolling background, were both last-minute additions; do they work for you? Art assets courtesy of @fervirgames.bsky.social. #roguelike #pixelart #gamedev #indiedev #screenshotsaturday #autobattle
