Let there be light! On this video: default -> dark -> lights on. I think it does always as much to the scene as SFX did. And yeah once again amazed with how differently things work in 2D. #indie #gamedev

It's the little things, isn't it? At least that's what I like to tell myself. Shadows work differently in a 2D environment. So the way shadow grows bigger when you lift a card is not a given - but it looks damn good when implemented. #indie #gamedev

In attempt to simplify the demo case, I've designed it flat. You'd have the exact same set of clues every time. A talk with a friend reminded me I'm "forgetting the face of my father" and this simplification IS what's wrong with the case. That changes a lot. #indie #gamedev

I'm a bit ahead of what I'm posting - if you could call being stuck on writing the demo case for a couple of weeks "ahead". Who could ever tell that writing crime mysteries with several possible conclusions, each backed up by some evidence, is in fact hard? #indie #gamedev #detective

Inevitably following the main menu - in-game menu. Minimalist on purpose; just making everything run is more important than looks for now. Stopping the music was a surprising source of struggle here - it would always do the half-second "blip" when exiting to the main menu. Fixed. #indie #gamedev

Second one up. Mostly contains what I already posted here, with about 20% more clever puns. Dev Log #2 - Larger Than Screen - "Detective Game" drzhirobys.itch.io/detective-ga... #gamedev #indie

Dev Log #2 - Larger Than Screen

Discovery Phase Previously on: https://drzhirobys.itch.io/detective-game/devlog/1578687/dev-log-1-all-aboard Right, so the basics were settled in the previous post - but we all know the first 80% take...

drzhirobys.itch.io

You know shit just got real when your game gets a main menu. It's barebones, not pretty, but I'll be damn, this is my menu of my very own game. Crazy to think about. #indie #gamedev

Wishlisting a game I helped make on Steam isn't enough! Support your game dev friends by getting a tramp stamp of their video game

You will not even see this next improvement. You gotta hear it. Magnet thump. Paper rustle. Marker squeak. Sponge rub. And of course, background jazz. It's amazing how real it feels now that you can hear it. #gamedev #indie

Phew. After just five weeks of limbo due to spam filter misfire, my itch.io page is finally live. It's not much to look at, but all in due time. Even published the first post! A bit outdated as it was written a month ago, gotta write another one. drzhirobys.itch.io/detective-game #gamedev #indie

I never liked the perfect connection lines, knew they were temporary. Now it's an actual, imperfect marker-drawn line, and it's literally endless. #gamedev #indie

Honest question. Can you spot the difference between the two? To me, this tiniest difference changes completely how it reads. But maybe I'm biased. #gamedev #indie

How some of y'all be when faced with a tutorial

People shouldn’t keep peeves as pets.

The farther I go, the smaller the improvements appear. But I believe players notice these things. I know I do. Markers & sponge now scale with the board's zoom level. No longer will you hold a marker that dwarves a Polaroid picture. #indie #gamedev #investigation

Another polishing update I've made is fully dynamic note height. The amount of text doesn't matter; the note will adjust automatically, and the notebook page stripes will always look right. Another good use for NinePatchRect. Looking forward to having a proper texture. #indie #gamedev #detective

With the main stuff done, I'm starting a polishing pass: even a tech demo needs to look&feel good. Introducing cards tactile feedback: the interactive ones now lift slightly on hover, as if saying, "Go on, interact with me". Also you need to hold for .5s to lift a card. #indie #gamedev #detective

This board was never intended not to have a "whodunnit?" zone. There's a ton of logic behind that modestly looking certainty percentage refresh. You'll have several solutions, and your certainty in each will depend on the set of clues on your hands and on connections between them. #indie #gamedev

Godot: - is free & yours to modify - isn’t run by shareholders with a different agenda - doesn’t support genAI - is easy to transition to - is very capable - has its own quirks - exports to desktop & mobile, and to console through 3rd party services (for now) lmk if you need help transition to it

@bestofdyingtwit.bsky.social I never used Twitter until starting a dev diary a few weeks ago. Then, I signed up both here and there and cross-posted. Not much engagement here - but on Twitter it's exactly nil. This looks like the explanation. #Twitterisdead

The board just got FRAMED! 😱 Now we have edges, zooming, and traversing, all in preparation for full-sized investigations. Thanks to NinePatchRect, I can have it as large as I need and the assets (background + edges) will follow. #gamedev #indie #godot

Hey Monsieur Noir looks just like Dr. Zhiroby!

Kettle@kittenstrudel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Elena Polishchuk, Monsieur Noir and the Red Teapot, oil on canvas, 2026

Is "Murder Mystery Monday" a thing? We can make it one anyway. Between board sessions in "Detective Game" you will collect clues that have to end up on the board somehow. Each board session will start with "distribution phase". Look at those smooth magnets. #indie #gamedev #murdermysterymonday

Hmm, our board is getting a bit messy. Time to unleash that sponge. #gamedev #indie #godot #detective

me when my family enter the room: hey me when the cat enters the room: well hello there! hi! how are you? what a delight to see you. what are you up to? what are you up to? what's going on, eh? oh really, is that so? busy day eh? delightful. how delightful to see you. delightful, yes. absolutely de

And now that we have a handful of cards on the board, the logical next step is to connect them with each other. Good thing we've got a sharpie at the ready. #gamedev #indie #godot #detective

CATS SITTING! To get the FREE monthly How to THINK When You draw digital MAGAZINE, (including NEW tutorials, a YEAR before they appear online) just tap the link in the bio HERE: @etheringtonbros.bsky.social #anime #manga #comicart #conceptart #gamedev

MOUTHS TALKING! To get the FREE monthly How to THINK When You draw digital MAGAZINE, (including NEW tutorials, a YEAR before they appear online) just tap the link in the bio HERE: @etheringtonbros.bsky.social #anime #manga #comicart #conceptart #gamedev

What's the most important part of the investigation board? Victim card, of course. This very special card took its place in the top center of the board. It can't be moved, and it's always on top (unlike other cards that can be stacked any way the player wants). #gamedev #indie #godot #detective

So, the Detective Game. Obviously the most important mechanic for that kind of game is the board, so I tackle it first. In this game I plan three types of clues: people, evidence and testimony. It's coming together nicely. See deets in 🧵. #gamedev #indiegamedev #godot #detective