Nicholas O / Essay Games
@essaygames.bsky.social
Bundle of Joy is OUT NOW:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3138370/Bundle_of_Joy/
Founder of Essay Games (he/him)
https://essay-games.com/
https://essaygames.itch.io
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3138370/Bundle_of_Joy/
Founder of Essay Games (he/him)
https://essay-games.com/
https://essaygames.itch.io
Pinned
Save 15% on Bundle of Joy on Steam
Bundle of Joy is a lighthearted, story-rich, minigame romp about becoming a parent during the pandemic. Complete all your child-rearing tasks, manage your stress, find time to rest, survive the day,…
store.steampowered.com
Bundle of Joy is OUT NOW!
🎉 🎉 🎉
I can't believe it. I don't really know what to say. What a day.
Please go check it out on #Steam and @itch.io
store.steampowered.com/app/3138370/...
essaygames.itch.io/bundle-of-joy
#indiegames #godot
🎉 🎉 🎉
I can't believe it. I don't really know what to say. What a day.
Please go check it out on #Steam and @itch.io
store.steampowered.com/app/3138370/...
essaygames.itch.io/bundle-of-joy
#indiegames #godot
OH heck yes! Can't wait to get a chance to check this out!
Announcing Bog Bodies from Dreamfeel!
A "short hike”-alike 3d adventure set in a far future Ireland populated only by radioactive talking cats.
Players explore a late 19th c inspired landscape full of strange characters and stories...
A "short hike”-alike 3d adventure set in a far future Ireland populated only by radioactive talking cats.
Players explore a late 19th c inspired landscape full of strange characters and stories...
January 27, 2026 at 10:17 PM
OH heck yes! Can't wait to get a chance to check this out!
Maybe it's time...
I have put together a short video that might help you switch from Windows to Linux as a game developer.
Check it out and send it to fellow gamedevs!
I'm not a youtuber so I hope I'm making sense here. Let me know if you have any questions or need help! Cheers!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKtN...
Check it out and send it to fellow gamedevs!
I'm not a youtuber so I hope I'm making sense here. Let me know if you have any questions or need help! Cheers!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKtN...
How to switch to Linux as a game developer?
YouTube video by Sos Sosowski
www.youtube.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Maybe it's time...
*Opening all my in-progress project repos to update*
#Godot 4.6 is out, and all about your flow!
This release puts you and your workflow first with a new theme, flexible docks, and dozens of UX improvements. And Jolt Physics by default, revamped IK, better reflections, and more.
Less wrestling with UI. More making games.
godotengine.org/releases/4.6
This release puts you and your workflow first with a new theme, flexible docks, and dozens of UX improvements. And Jolt Physics by default, revamped IK, better reflections, and more.
Less wrestling with UI. More making games.
godotengine.org/releases/4.6
Godot 4.6 Release: It's all about your flow
With the stability gained over the past five releases, it's time for polish and quality of life improvements for everyday development.
godotengine.org
January 27, 2026 at 12:47 AM
*Opening all my in-progress project repos to update*
Reposted by Nicholas O / Essay Games
As a gentle reminder, Bundle of Joy only has 15 reviews!!! :)
Small, free act you can do to bring some good in this world: add positive reviews to ALL you Steam games, especially the small indies. You don't need to write anything smart, just "game good" is enough. Every positive steam review tips the algorithm and helps your fav artists get more sales
January 26, 2026 at 1:18 PM
As a gentle reminder, Bundle of Joy only has 15 reviews!!! :)
As a gentle reminder, Bundle of Joy only has 15 reviews!!! :)
Small, free act you can do to bring some good in this world: add positive reviews to ALL you Steam games, especially the small indies. You don't need to write anything smart, just "game good" is enough. Every positive steam review tips the algorithm and helps your fav artists get more sales
January 26, 2026 at 1:18 PM
As a gentle reminder, Bundle of Joy only has 15 reviews!!! :)
This looks really cool, looking forward to trying this out!
Hello. I built another thing. Remember Dink, my extensions to Ink to add a bit more support for dialogue? This is Dinky an editor/IDE for writing in Dink, mostly written to make my life easier. Yes, my naming conventions need work.
wildwinter.medium.com/dinky-an-edi...
wildwinter.medium.com/dinky-an-edi...
Dinky: An Editor for Dialogue-Heavy Ink Games
TL;DR: I wrote an editor for Dink, my expanded Ink syntax. It’s called Dinky and you can find it here: https://github.com/wildwinter/dinky/
wildwinter.medium.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:36 PM
This looks really cool, looking forward to trying this out!
Reposted by Nicholas O / Essay Games
It makes absolute total sense to me that Jonathan Blow lives in Boulder, Colorado.
No, I will not elaborate.
No, I will not elaborate.
January 23, 2026 at 2:53 PM
It makes absolute total sense to me that Jonathan Blow lives in Boulder, Colorado.
No, I will not elaborate.
No, I will not elaborate.
I’m going through my backlog rn and am slowly catching up on games before the semester starts and I wish I had played Many Nights a Whisper before writing about minigames being my “theme of 2025”
January 22, 2026 at 10:06 PM
I’m going through my backlog rn and am slowly catching up on games before the semester starts and I wish I had played Many Nights a Whisper before writing about minigames being my “theme of 2025”
I spent way too long trying to get an old Raspberry Pi hosting a music server, but I finally cracked it this evening and am finally feeling on my way to fulfilling my first intention of the year: DELETING SPOTIFY.
I followed the guides provided by this great resource:
delete-spotify.neocities.org
I followed the guides provided by this great resource:
delete-spotify.neocities.org
DELETE SPOTIFY -- WHY & HOW
delete-spotify.neocities.org
January 22, 2026 at 2:31 AM
I spent way too long trying to get an old Raspberry Pi hosting a music server, but I finally cracked it this evening and am finally feeling on my way to fulfilling my first intention of the year: DELETING SPOTIFY.
I followed the guides provided by this great resource:
delete-spotify.neocities.org
I followed the guides provided by this great resource:
delete-spotify.neocities.org
‘sudo apt update’ is sending me rn
January 20, 2026 at 7:19 PM
‘sudo apt update’ is sending me rn
I really wanted to go see Paris, Texas at Metrograph this Friday but just saw its sold out.
I’m pretty crushed tbh…
I’m pretty crushed tbh…
January 20, 2026 at 12:56 AM
I really wanted to go see Paris, Texas at Metrograph this Friday but just saw its sold out.
I’m pretty crushed tbh…
I’m pretty crushed tbh…
Reposted by Nicholas O / Essay Games
Generally speaking if you hated group projects in school perhaps game dev is not for you.
January 19, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Generally speaking if you hated group projects in school perhaps game dev is not for you.
Loved checking out this game at MAGFest, looking forward to watching it develop!
❄️⛸️❄️It was amazing to show the first peek of the game to people at @mivsmagfest.bsky.social ❄️⛸️❄️
January 19, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Loved checking out this game at MAGFest, looking forward to watching it develop!
I’m considering showing this to my professional development game arts class in a couple of weeks as a way of setting the stage for “state of the industry” discussions.
Harrowing, but necessary, watch!
Harrowing, but necessary, watch!
NEW VIDEO ALERT:
230 games came out on Steam the first week of 2026. I looked at every page to see what I could learn about the state of Steam. It made me feel like I was dying.
youtu.be/Yjf-GPp3n5k
230 games came out on Steam the first week of 2026. I looked at every page to see what I could learn about the state of Steam. It made me feel like I was dying.
youtu.be/Yjf-GPp3n5k
January 17, 2026 at 9:44 PM
I’m considering showing this to my professional development game arts class in a couple of weeks as a way of setting the stage for “state of the industry” discussions.
Harrowing, but necessary, watch!
Harrowing, but necessary, watch!
Good gravy!
January 17, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Good gravy!
Ash is one of the few consistent go-to voices in games journalism.
I find it hard to imagine she won't land on her feet very soon, but if you're looking for some PR/Marketing help or critical writing, book her ASAP.
I find it hard to imagine she won't land on her feet very soon, but if you're looking for some PR/Marketing help or critical writing, book her ASAP.
Breaks my heart to share this, but today is my last day at The Verge and I am looking for work! I'd really like to stay in video games, preferably in some kind of journalistic capacity but I can do PR/Marketing and maybe even a lil Narrative Design. Please get in touch!
www.ashparrish.com
www.ashparrish.com
Ash Parrish
www.ashparrish.com
January 16, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Ash is one of the few consistent go-to voices in games journalism.
I find it hard to imagine she won't land on her feet very soon, but if you're looking for some PR/Marketing help or critical writing, book her ASAP.
I find it hard to imagine she won't land on her feet very soon, but if you're looking for some PR/Marketing help or critical writing, book her ASAP.
Reposted by Nicholas O / Essay Games
My dear beloved kindergartner child just 6-7’d me and I’m shook.
January 15, 2026 at 1:09 PM
My dear beloved kindergartner child just 6-7’d me and I’m shook.
Pinkalicious arguably has a much worse underlying message than Paw Patrol.
January 14, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Pinkalicious arguably has a much worse underlying message than Paw Patrol.
Ethan did all of the soundtrack and sound design for Bundle of Joy and he absolutely crushed it at Chip Rave at MAGFest over the weekend.
He is an incredible collaborator and musician with very indie friendly rates.
Cannot recommend him enough!
He is an incredible collaborator and musician with very indie friendly rates.
Cannot recommend him enough!
#PortfolioDay hello! I'm Ethan aka DonutShoes! I make music and game audio, and I have tons of availability this year if you need music or sound effects for your game, podcast, stream, film, art project, or anything else!
Check out my website for more of my portfolio! ethandesautels.com
Check out my website for more of my portfolio! ethandesautels.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Ethan did all of the soundtrack and sound design for Bundle of Joy and he absolutely crushed it at Chip Rave at MAGFest over the weekend.
He is an incredible collaborator and musician with very indie friendly rates.
Cannot recommend him enough!
He is an incredible collaborator and musician with very indie friendly rates.
Cannot recommend him enough!
This optometrist office is playing late 90s / early 00s radio r&b with low quality AI-generated video of vacation destinations and women standing in front of barns with a bad camcorder HUD overlay and it’s very strange.
January 12, 2026 at 7:39 PM
This optometrist office is playing late 90s / early 00s radio r&b with low quality AI-generated video of vacation destinations and women standing in front of barns with a bad camcorder HUD overlay and it’s very strange.
One of my all time fav artists.
Years of Fear by Matta, 1941
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137917
https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137917
January 12, 2026 at 1:41 AM
One of my all time fav artists.
Last day of #MAGFest and I'm doing the Sunday morning routine of playing all the indies that I haven't had a chance to sit with yet.
It's been an amazing weekend and am eternally grateful to the @mivsmagfest.bsky.social staff for being so kind to the Pratt Game Arts devs boothing this year.
It's been an amazing weekend and am eternally grateful to the @mivsmagfest.bsky.social staff for being so kind to the Pratt Game Arts devs boothing this year.
January 11, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Last day of #MAGFest and I'm doing the Sunday morning routine of playing all the indies that I haven't had a chance to sit with yet.
It's been an amazing weekend and am eternally grateful to the @mivsmagfest.bsky.social staff for being so kind to the Pratt Game Arts devs boothing this year.
It's been an amazing weekend and am eternally grateful to the @mivsmagfest.bsky.social staff for being so kind to the Pratt Game Arts devs boothing this year.