Jake Sones
@jakeson
Prinicpal Game Designer @ Formerly of WB Games, Sony, Blizzard, Insomniac
Hasbro made a couple of these in the 70s, but they were definitely more geared towards "project a target to shoot" rather than "this is how you check for monsters, also you're armed in case you find one." I like your framing better.
Played once when you first posted and forgot how to play in the meantime. Love the graph and came back to try it again. Fivefold #247 (Jul 15, 2026) fivefold.ca 🕒 5:37 🏆 0 hints
Something that would be a big help (but is unlikely to happen due to the cost to platform holders), is to have a more stringent review process for submission to stores (eShop, PS Store, Steam). A quality bar needs to exist. The amount of low effort games that exist on ALL platforms is STAGGERING.
Lookin good! I did spot an issue on iPhone 14 Pro (iOS 26.5) using Safari (maybe other devices/browsers). These two images are large enough that it allows the page to scroll horizontally and when using your right thumb to scroll upwards you can accidentally slide it left and have it stay there.
Huge congrats to @potipoti.studio on their Apple Design Award for "Is This Seat Taken?" Well deserved!
That table got me to finally set up a Stern Insider account. The machine has a camera to scan a QR code on your phone and will register lifetime catches of individual Pokémon so you can complete your Pokédex. Stern hasn't released the official version, but there's a homebrew: www.pinballdex.com
If anyone out there is looking for a super lightweight image browser on MacOS, Phoenix Slides has just been updated to better support transparent images, so now it's great for game dev textures. Also, it's free! blyt.net/phxslides/
Really enjoyed the demo for Luke Muscat's Normal Golf Game (store.steampowered.com/app/4663130/...). It's got QWOP controls for a THPS grinding balance meter which determines the accuracy of your shot... once you successfully hit a target with a cat you're swinging by the tail with your mouse.
Tell him to get on Bluesky. I need to whine at him about his demo not celebrating the most important hole in one.
At a dive bar that has The Mask on. Debating which came first between that and Ace Ventura. Turns out 1994 was just an INSANE year for Jim Carrey.
Procreate has native timelapse recording that could be a good jumping off point. That plus radial symmetry has strong Spirograph vibes. If your nephews are younger, might be more approachable than full anim. Result is cool! My partner captured her progress of making a bandana pattern for a client.
The Grail Diary is SUCH a good shout! It was the most natural form of copy protection. It felt so SO GOOD to encounter a puzzle in game that could only be solved by physically hunting through the supplemental IN FICTION documentation that shipped with the game. ESPECIALLY compared w/ that era's DRM.
I love how Yasuhara sketched him in design docs. forums.sonicretro.org/threads/soni...
Hopping on the #RandomGameSaturday train. GDC is still on my brain, I dug up my copy of Rhythm Heaven, a giveaway at the Iwata Keynote at GDC 2009 a couple weeks before the NA release. The talk focused on DSi & WiiWare, the 1st downloadable games on Nintendo platforms. The start of the indie era.
If folks at #GDC are looking for easy grab & go eats after a short walk (or a romantic streetcar ride), El Porteño in the Ferry Building has amaaaaaazing buttery, flaky empanadas with vegetarian options.
I'm helping w/ two sessions of portfolio reviews on Thurs at #GDC. If you know students or folks looking to break in, this is a super low stress opportunity to get feedback. Thanks, @igdafoundation.org & @unity.com 10am: schedule.gdconf.com/session/igda... 2pm: schedule.gdconf.com/session/igda...
Whelp, that worked better than I ever hoped! Just watched @shylilytwitch.bsky.social spend an hour gathering evidence and fastidiously scribbling on the notepad I made in #HighOnLife2 for the Murder Mystery that @andyvatter.bsky.social designed. [mystery spoilers, but only if you know what's up]
It's usually a good thing when UI goes unmentioned in a review, but occasionally there's a reason to highlight something specific in a positive light. Designing & implementing the notepad in #HighOnLife2 was a fun few days for me. Thanks for the shout out, @zackzwiezen.com (via @kotaku.com).
One of my favorite #HighOnLife2 reviews is from @gamerant.bsky.social. It's great to read when so many things land with someone. Like "Yes! That's what we were going for!" gamerant.com/high-on-life...
This is cooler than I realized. I dig the neighborhood labels that are being applied to this.