GBGames 🍊
gbgames.com
GBGames 🍊
@gbgames.com
Gianfranco Berardi is an indie game developer ( #GameDev #IndieGameDev #SoloDev ), #Agile Software enthusiast, blogger, Gnu/Linux user, amateur gardener ( #GardeningFeed 🌱 ), and OJ drinker. he/him/his

https://www.gbgames.com
Pinned
Hi! I encourage curiosity and support creativity through my #IndieGameDev company GBGames.

- a very part-time #SoloDev
- was full-time briefly before running out of money and going back on "corporate welfare"
- slowly trying to get back to full-time
- been blogging about the adventure since 2005.
It's over $89,000 now. Wow!

itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...
February 10, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Get Toytles: Leaf Raking and Fight Authoritarianism at the Same Time

As of this posting, this bundle has raised over $67,000 for the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota!

www.gbgames.com/2026/02/10/g...

#Games #IndieGame #NoIce #ICEOut
Get Toytles: Leaf Raking and Fight Authoritarianism at the Same Time | GBGames
www.gbgames.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:38 PM
You can get my leaf-raking business strategy game Toytles: Leaf Raking and over 1,400 other games, tools, books, comics, and soundtracks in the No Ice in Minnesota Bundle today, and you'll support a community under occupation by an unaccountable, authoritarian force.

#NoIce #IceOut
The No ICE in Minnesota Charity Bundle has officially LAUNCHED!

There are 1,439 games to discover for a $10+ donation to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota!

Purchase the bundle here: itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...
February 9, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
The No ICE in Minnesota Charity Bundle has officially LAUNCHED!

There are 1,439 games to discover for a $10+ donation to Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota!

Purchase the bundle here: itch.io/b/3484/no-ic...
February 9, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Freshly Squeezed Progress Report: Trying to Make Release a Non-Event www.gbgames.com/2026/02/09/f...

#GameDev #IndieGameDev #SoloDev #PixelArt
Freshly Squeezed Progress Report: Trying to Make Release a Non-Event | GBGames
www.gbgames.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:56 PM
The Tiger's Claw from Wing Commander is my first love. I cobbled together this from the first game's manual and framed it for my wall.
February 9, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
Bad Bunny with an exceptional choice of jersey number
February 9, 2026 at 1:23 AM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
Sneak peek at my piece for the Tim Curry pop up art show at First Sip Cafe in Uptown. Tonight! Go grab some fun drinks, buy some cool art and hang out with some cool artists!
February 7, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
Folks, you really gotta move your newsletters off Substack
February 7, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
The olympics should have an indie game jam competition
February 7, 2026 at 5:21 PM
I'm tired of manually grabbing metrics from App Store Connect and Google Play.

I've done API/JWT stuff for the day job in C#/python/Javascript, but my home computers are mainly setup for C++ dev. I could setup Node or Python, but there would be onboarding...

I'm going to write a C++ app. Stop me.
February 7, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Tomorrow morning I will send out the next GBGames Curiosities newsletter, and this one will talk about some of the early history of the leaf-raking business simulation strategy game Toytles: Leaf Raking, which turns 10 years old this year.

Curious? Sign up today! www.gbgames.com/get-the-gbga...
Get the GBGames Curiosities Newsletter | GBGames
www.gbgames.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Freshly Squeezed Progress Report: Finally Finished with SDL3 Upgrade www.gbgames.com/2026/02/02/f...

#GameDev #IndieGameDev #SoloDev
Freshly Squeezed Progress Report: Finally Finished with SDL3 Upgrade | GBGames
www.gbgames.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:47 PM
And now it is a lot snappier, but support had no answers for what was going on. My suspicion is that their VPS hosting is somehow more connected to the shared hosting, because it was slow when they were experiencing issues with their VPS and is not slow now that it is resolved.
For some reason, my website (GBGames.com) is incredibly slow to load. My browser's networking debugging says it takes anywhere from a few seconds to a minute of "waiting" and that's way too long, even on a shared hosting plan, right?

I'm got a support ticket into Dreamhost.
GBGames
Encouraging curiosity and supporting creativity
GBGames.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:30 PM
For some reason, my website (GBGames.com) is incredibly slow to load. My browser's networking debugging says it takes anywhere from a few seconds to a minute of "waiting" and that's way too long, even on a shared hosting plan, right?

I'm got a support ticket into Dreamhost.
GBGames
Encouraging curiosity and supporting creativity
GBGames.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:14 PM
There's suddenly a really strange smell here in Des Moines. I live near the airport, and it seemed to be emanating from there about 15, 20 minutes ago?

Like, decay? Death? I don't know.
January 27, 2026 at 8:22 PM
I think "choices matter" is an unnecessary descriptor that would apply to pretty much any game.
January 23, 2026 at 11:29 PM
How many solo dev starter packs is too many?!

We know the answer is not six. More science is needed.

#SoloDev
Hey everyone, remember starter packs? If anyone wants to follow some solo devs, I have SIX starter packs full of them. LMK if you want added, and plz check if you're already on one

go.bsky.app/J9yPvq8
go.bsky.app/GVJ31Ju
go.bsky.app/Fh2ra2T
go.bsky.app/NZU2h86
go.bsky.app/SBG6VaU
go.bsky.app/hUWyjU
January 20, 2026 at 6:11 PM
I finally wrote up my annual review and preview for GBGames.

www.gbgames.com/2026/01/19/t...

#GameDev #IndieGameDev #SoloDev
The Mixed Bag of 2025 & Planning 2026 | GBGames
www.gbgames.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
The No ICE in Minnesota charity bundle submission period is now open: itch.io/jam/no-ice-i...

All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome

Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February
January 7, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Decided to replace my free webmail I've had for ages.

Out of curiosity, based on something a colleague said, do you still get emails from real people you know, or do you find that it is mostly newsletters and upselling and promotion?

How useful or annoying do you find your inbox these days?
January 17, 2026 at 3:59 PM
I can feel my face get outwardly disappointed when it is clear someone is trying to take up my time, attention, and energy with something they didn't bother to invest their own time, attention, and energy into.
January 14, 2026 at 4:22 PM
First book I finished reading for 2026 is The Obelisk Gate by @nkjemisin.bsky.social.

Looking it up, I realize that this book is now 10 years old, and I couldn't tell reading it.
a man and a woman are standing next to each other and the man is wearing a sweater with the number 9 on it .
Alt: Scene from It's A Wonderful Life: "What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down."
media.tenor.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by GBGames 🍊
Apropos of nothing, it's a good time to make your own games and release them to the world right now. Just do it.
January 4, 2026 at 1:30 AM
About to see the FNAF sequel with my son, but I just saw the trailer for Simu Liu's new show and I wish I was watching that instead...
January 3, 2026 at 10:42 PM