As some of you may know, I started working on a little game last year [tentatively] called Nana Soup.

The cover I made for Nana Soup last year. Unfortunately, it may have to change if I decide to change the title...

It actually started out as the prototype for a really ambitious project I've called Anachronic (working title), but when "Finish Your Game" Jam (FYGJ) came around last year, I thought I'd simplify the concept and make a much shorter game. I thought I'd do that, and yet here we are. lol

Heyo!

It's fall! Go jump in a nice crunchy pile of leaves for me!

There aren't any big trees in my neighborhood. ):

I've been on somewhat of a gamedev hiatus--just busy with work and social stuff-- but when I saw Toy Jam, I knew I had to jump into it. It's a jam where the aim is not to make a "game" but a "toy" (distinguished in the jam's statement as something with no win or loss state).

You can go check it out here on my itch. It's for download windows but is also playable in your web browser as long as you have a keyboard or controller!

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It's been a long time since I made something small and fun just because I wanted to. Also the first time I've really completed one of my little toys in Godot engine. I have a few others in the works, but keep putting them down for various reasons. My old code doodling program of choice was Processing (which I've been meaning to get back into, as a matter of fact). I have quite a few little interactive doodles trapped in some old code that I'll maybe port over one day...

I'm hoping to get around to finishing the animations for this little toy some time soon (but I've already spent too much time on it this week). Aside from that, I have a couple other little features in mind that I think would be cute, but I won't mention them here and curse you guys with thoughts of what could've been in the (admittedly likely) case that I don't finish them. >_>;

Anyways, I'll probably see y'all again soon, since I think Finish Your Game Jam is likely ready to jumpscare me around any corner. Maybe I'll make some good progress on Nana Soup (title pending) this year.

Stay fresh!

As you've probably noticed, it's 👻 spooky month 👻, y'all!!

I love October. I'm not sure why, but it always seems to be a busy month. It's host to some of my favorite online events of the year (in no particular order):

In addition to all of that, it's just fun to cozy up in a blanket in a dark room and read or watch or play something spooky, so here are a few recommendations for spooky stuff I've enjoyed this year:

A lot of things are happening in October! It's a busy busy month. I had kinda been struggling to find something interesting to write about, thinking that I'd try to write at least one blog post a week, and then October hit and now there's too much stuff to talk about. Haha

Shortbox Comics Fair 2024 is here! It's one of my favorite comic events of the year (aside from my beloved SPX), and runs from October 1st-31st. It's a curated event which debuts of over 100 new comics every year. (There are 117 this year! Wow!) It's run by just one person--which is kind of amazing--and is full to the brim with talent.

The comics featured vary in style, genre, and length. There are mysteries, ghost stories, slice of life, romance, trans-humanist stories, 16 page reads, 200 page epics, wordless comics, and much much more! Basically anything you could think of. There's a particular showing of "what if i was a robot and fell in love" and "what if i fell in love with a robot" or "what if a robot fell in love with me" themed stories this year, which I think is interesting.

As usual, there are far more comics that I want to read than I have money to buy. Hopefully, by the end of October, I'll have saved up enough pocket change to return and grab a few more.

Anyways, if you're into comics (or even if you're not) go give it a look! You'll probably find something cool and interesting!

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Also, looking at all of those comics has really excited my comics brain and I almost immediately ran to start writing a short one. So maybe? Expect that? In the future??? Or something... If it doesn't happen in the next year, just give me a nudge.

So yesterday was the annual re-opening of one of my favorite little virtual spooky season traditions:

The Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival!

made and maintained by adamgryu on itch.io

It's a little virtual ghost town where the main attraction is carving pumpkins! As far as I know, you can carve as many as you want and place them around the town and see other people's pumpkins. You can also bump into anyone else currently active on the server as ghosts and play little games together, go on the haunted hay ride, solve the haunted maze, and take pictures!

Me and my friends gathering to take a quick selfie at the top of the tower at the end of the maze during last year's festival. It's honestly a very cute and wholesome little tradition that's pretty near and dear to my heart, and people make some pretty amazing pumpkins!! Anyways, if you're bored and have a few minutes to spare, I'd highly suggest checking it out and maybe even bringing along a couple friends. :)

The pumpkin festival is open until some time in November, so check it out while you can!

"What is a fun blog," I hear nobody ask.

Yes. Thank you for noticing. The original intent actually has nothing to do with actual english language concept of "fun," but we can all pretend it does.

Funwalker is my social media handle everywhere that I can get away with it. It's my very clever way of not having to fight 6 other people on the internet for the coveted "funambulist" handle.

You see, it all started long ago, when I was a wee Sydney...