cain
@cmddx.itch.io
makes weird horror games
check out PROXIMATE
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2957800/PROXIMATE/
https://cmddx.itch.io/proximate
devlogs and early access content at https://www.patreon.com/cainmaddox
contact@cainmaddox.com
melbourne. he/him 🏳️⚧️
check out PROXIMATE
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2957800/PROXIMATE/
https://cmddx.itch.io/proximate
devlogs and early access content at https://www.patreon.com/cainmaddox
contact@cainmaddox.com
melbourne. he/him 🏳️⚧️
Pinned
cain
@cmddx.itch.io
· Nov 14
Save 15% on PROXIMATE on Steam
Congratulations, contractor! You've been approved to trial our cutting-edge AI visor. Use it to explore the Neuras lab and recover the staff's research. Your visor is safe, reliable, and up to 99% acc...
store.steampowered.com
first post on bsky, might as well plug my game?
a few days ago i released PROXIMATE, an indie horror game where you explore an abandoned deep sea lab but your only form of navigation is a shitty AI visor built by incompetent techbros
store.steampowered.com/app/2957800/...
cmddx.itch.io/proximate
a few days ago i released PROXIMATE, an indie horror game where you explore an abandoned deep sea lab but your only form of navigation is a shitty AI visor built by incompetent techbros
store.steampowered.com/app/2957800/...
cmddx.itch.io/proximate
nurse friend has informed me that using fake blood to make my game assets is "lame" and that she's going to "get me the good stuff." gently worried
spent my entire morning mixing fake blood and recording videos of me spinning it on a plate. love my job
November 19, 2025 at 12:21 AM
nurse friend has informed me that using fake blood to make my game assets is "lame" and that she's going to "get me the good stuff." gently worried
Reposted by cain
after a big fuckaround with paypal, my partner's finally set up a bandcamp release for the song they made for proximate! wow :) inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com/track/hole-i...
hole in your heart, by inkling citrus
track by inkling citrus
inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:21 PM
after a big fuckaround with paypal, my partner's finally set up a bandcamp release for the song they made for proximate! wow :) inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com/track/hole-i...
Reposted by cain
3 years ago today, Riot Games offered me a job making more money than I ever thought I’d make in my life. I had 19 interviews over 2.5 months to get it. Partner and I were moving to LA for it. I put in notice at my job and apartment.
2 weeks later they rescinded the offer due to “headcount issues”.
2 weeks later they rescinded the offer due to “headcount issues”.
November 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM
3 years ago today, Riot Games offered me a job making more money than I ever thought I’d make in my life. I had 19 interviews over 2.5 months to get it. Partner and I were moving to LA for it. I put in notice at my job and apartment.
2 weeks later they rescinded the offer due to “headcount issues”.
2 weeks later they rescinded the offer due to “headcount issues”.
Reposted by cain
when you understand that patriarchy views children as sexual property it all makes sense. there's no hypocrisy. exposure to queerness & transness threatens to "corrupt" the father's property, to "lead them astray" into self-determination, to taint their future sexual value. CSA is permissible as >
Thatcher's government did this with Section 28, banned the "promotion of homosexuality" as a danger to children, while actively protecting Jimmy Savile and who knows how many other pedophiles. It's the same damn playbook.
I cannot begin to properly articulate how upsetting it is to have had people baselessly accuse trans people of being groomers and pedophiles only for it to come out that they were deliberately doing this as part of a project to provide cover to actual groomers and pedophiles in positions of power
November 14, 2025 at 4:56 AM
when you understand that patriarchy views children as sexual property it all makes sense. there's no hypocrisy. exposure to queerness & transness threatens to "corrupt" the father's property, to "lead them astray" into self-determination, to taint their future sexual value. CSA is permissible as >
Reposted by cain
this is so cart-before-horse to me. i don't accept that people's attention spans are shorter in a way that has to matter. the problem is that we keep thinking that and "complying in advance" with the imagined boogieman of "people not paying attention nowadays". nothing done in that direction helps
You wanna know why we're having nag line discourse in 2025? Because developers know we're fighting an attention economy war we'll lose no matter what. Players don't read, have TikTok open next to them, god forbid we are scared you miss something and then blame us for not giving you all the info.
November 14, 2025 at 9:10 PM
this is so cart-before-horse to me. i don't accept that people's attention spans are shorter in a way that has to matter. the problem is that we keep thinking that and "complying in advance" with the imagined boogieman of "people not paying attention nowadays". nothing done in that direction helps
after a big fuckaround with paypal, my partner's finally set up a bandcamp release for the song they made for proximate! wow :) inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com/track/hole-i...
hole in your heart, by inkling citrus
track by inkling citrus
inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:21 PM
after a big fuckaround with paypal, my partner's finally set up a bandcamp release for the song they made for proximate! wow :) inklingcitrus.bandcamp.com/track/hole-i...
Reposted by cain
What a line-up of incredible ANZ nominees! 🤩
@dave.powerhoof.com
@deepfieldgames.bsky.social
@witchbeam.com.au
@teamcherry.bsky.social
@ianmaclarty.com
@cmddx.itch.io
Don't miss the @indiegameawards.gg on December 19th ANZ local time! 10:30am AEDT / 12:30pm NZDT
@dave.powerhoof.com
@deepfieldgames.bsky.social
@witchbeam.com.au
@teamcherry.bsky.social
@ianmaclarty.com
@cmddx.itch.io
Don't miss the @indiegameawards.gg on December 19th ANZ local time! 10:30am AEDT / 12:30pm NZDT
November 13, 2025 at 9:17 PM
What a line-up of incredible ANZ nominees! 🤩
@dave.powerhoof.com
@deepfieldgames.bsky.social
@witchbeam.com.au
@teamcherry.bsky.social
@ianmaclarty.com
@cmddx.itch.io
Don't miss the @indiegameawards.gg on December 19th ANZ local time! 10:30am AEDT / 12:30pm NZDT
@dave.powerhoof.com
@deepfieldgames.bsky.social
@witchbeam.com.au
@teamcherry.bsky.social
@ianmaclarty.com
@cmddx.itch.io
Don't miss the @indiegameawards.gg on December 19th ANZ local time! 10:30am AEDT / 12:30pm NZDT
Reposted by cain
If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
If you aren't seeing skeets from some of your fave people, they might have been labeled "Rude" by bsky mods. Idk what they are thinking, I don't need a mommy to tell me who to be buddies with. Anyway, go into Settings > moderation > bluesky moderation (advanced) and turn Rude off.
love to be a trans person writing games about trans people and getting negative reviews from cis people calling me transphobic for not writing trans people the way they like
November 1, 2025 at 4:42 AM
love to be a trans person writing games about trans people and getting negative reviews from cis people calling me transphobic for not writing trans people the way they like
Reposted by cain
every friend group has a Coıdemt, a Lergevhtiepsappe, a Guwht dade, and a Jalvodnre... if u don't know which one is the Jalvodnre... it's u 😂😂😂🤣
October 24, 2025 at 4:33 PM
every friend group has a Coıdemt, a Lergevhtiepsappe, a Guwht dade, and a Jalvodnre... if u don't know which one is the Jalvodnre... it's u 😂😂😂🤣
Reposted by cain
still thinking about this article today. so many societal ills are caused by people white-washing what actually happens. it's awful to see games do it too.
can't wait for cozy domestic violence simulator or cozy kkk simulator
can't wait for cozy domestic violence simulator or cozy kkk simulator
a wholesome plane has hit the second cozy tower
more like no thoughts to declare
blog.giovanh.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
still thinking about this article today. so many societal ills are caused by people white-washing what actually happens. it's awful to see games do it too.
can't wait for cozy domestic violence simulator or cozy kkk simulator
can't wait for cozy domestic violence simulator or cozy kkk simulator
solo dev award photos are so funny. me & my four meters of empty space
October 24, 2025 at 2:44 AM
solo dev award photos are so funny. me & my four meters of empty space
Reposted by cain
LETS FUCKING GAUUUUURRRRR!!!!
ITS OUT NOW YOU CAN PLAY IT RIGHT NOW IN IT'S FULL GLORY!!!
ITS OUT NOW YOU CAN PLAY IT RIGHT NOW IN IT'S FULL GLORY!!!
🔥 Malys is OUT NOW in 1.0! 🔥
For a game about demons, you've all been absolute angels - thank you for your support along the way & we're so happy to share Malys' full release with you 🖤
Check out the launch trailer and then get exorcising below!
For a game about demons, you've all been absolute angels - thank you for your support along the way & we're so happy to share Malys' full release with you 🖤
Check out the launch trailer and then get exorcising below!
Malys 1.0 Launch Trailer
Malys is OUT NOW on Steam!Play the game via bit.ly/playmalysExorcise the infernal and exact vengeance in this unholy roguelite deckbuilder from David Gaider ...
www.youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 11:03 PM
LETS FUCKING GAUUUUURRRRR!!!!
ITS OUT NOW YOU CAN PLAY IT RIGHT NOW IN IT'S FULL GLORY!!!
ITS OUT NOW YOU CAN PLAY IT RIGHT NOW IN IT'S FULL GLORY!!!
Reposted by cain
every day I come on here ready to make my pitch for why you should support No Escape on patreon and every day I am met with some kind of dumb goddamn discourse that sucks my attention and confidence away instead.
Anyway. I'm only covering indie games in 2026. And I want to hire more writers
Anyway. I'm only covering indie games in 2026. And I want to hire more writers
No Escape | Patreon
A blog about digital culture and its discontents
patreon.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:07 PM
every day I come on here ready to make my pitch for why you should support No Escape on patreon and every day I am met with some kind of dumb goddamn discourse that sucks my attention and confidence away instead.
Anyway. I'm only covering indie games in 2026. And I want to hire more writers
Anyway. I'm only covering indie games in 2026. And I want to hire more writers
spent my entire morning mixing fake blood and recording videos of me spinning it on a plate. love my job
October 23, 2025 at 9:12 AM
spent my entire morning mixing fake blood and recording videos of me spinning it on a plate. love my job
Reposted by cain
QUEER GAME OF THE MONTH: October 2025 - PROXIMATE
Given the moment it's been having lately, the wonderful PROXIMATE by @cmddx.itch.io is our highlight this month.
checkpointgaming.net/features/202...
Given the moment it's been having lately, the wonderful PROXIMATE by @cmddx.itch.io is our highlight this month.
checkpointgaming.net/features/202...
Checkpoint's Queer Game of the Month: October 2025 - PROXIMATE
The Australian-made horror game PROXIMATE by Cain Maddox is Checkpoint's Queer Game of the Month for October 2025.
checkpointgaming.net
October 22, 2025 at 11:58 AM
QUEER GAME OF THE MONTH: October 2025 - PROXIMATE
Given the moment it's been having lately, the wonderful PROXIMATE by @cmddx.itch.io is our highlight this month.
checkpointgaming.net/features/202...
Given the moment it's been having lately, the wonderful PROXIMATE by @cmddx.itch.io is our highlight this month.
checkpointgaming.net/features/202...
saltwrack is so good!!!
3183.play.ifcomp.org/content/Salt...
3183.play.ifcomp.org/content/Salt...
Saltwrack
3183.play.ifcomp.org
October 22, 2025 at 1:29 AM
saltwrack is so good!!!
3183.play.ifcomp.org/content/Salt...
3183.play.ifcomp.org/content/Salt...
Reposted by cain
the key to game design is to imagine the target audience for your game and then imagine how you would make them the most upset
October 21, 2025 at 10:32 PM
the key to game design is to imagine the target audience for your game and then imagine how you would make them the most upset
i only do the parts of game development that i enjoy. if there's something that i don't want to work on or feel bored by, i figure out how to change that part of the game so that i'm more excited to make it. i'm always prioritizing having a good time and i think it absolutely results in better games
What's your number one personal game design principle? And even better - does it have a cool name?
October 21, 2025 at 9:58 PM
i only do the parts of game development that i enjoy. if there's something that i don't want to work on or feel bored by, i figure out how to change that part of the game so that i'm more excited to make it. i'm always prioritizing having a good time and i think it absolutely results in better games
Reposted by cain
PROXIMATE
October 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM
PROXIMATE
spent two hours today deciding where in my UI i should put the health bar. kinda settled on a spot for now but not very sold on it. probably going to spend another two hours moving it around tomorrow
October 21, 2025 at 1:29 AM
spent two hours today deciding where in my UI i should put the health bar. kinda settled on a spot for now but not very sold on it. probably going to spend another two hours moving it around tomorrow
Reposted by cain
I wrote a thing about... writing?
neighbourhoodsnake.com/2025/10/20/d...
#gamedev? #indiedev? #keyfairy!
neighbourhoodsnake.com/2025/10/20/d...
#gamedev? #indiedev? #keyfairy!
Dialogue Dialogue?
How I’ve tried to approach writing dialogue in Key Fairy, as someone who don’t word good.
neighbourhoodsnake.com
October 20, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I wrote a thing about... writing?
neighbourhoodsnake.com/2025/10/20/d...
#gamedev? #indiedev? #keyfairy!
neighbourhoodsnake.com/2025/10/20/d...
#gamedev? #indiedev? #keyfairy!
wish i could be more into ball x pit because the gameplay's pretty neat, but feeling a bit put off by the fact that so far out of all the characters i've unlocked only two of them seem to be women, and their special talents are "has a lot of children" and "doesn't have any children"
October 20, 2025 at 6:21 AM
wish i could be more into ball x pit because the gameplay's pretty neat, but feeling a bit put off by the fact that so far out of all the characters i've unlocked only two of them seem to be women, and their special talents are "has a lot of children" and "doesn't have any children"
does anyone have examples of games they would describe as "hardcore", but *without* any death / loss conditions? i want dead zone to feel brutal to play without actually allowing the player to die or lose in any way and i'm struggling to find examples of other games doing this
October 17, 2025 at 8:01 AM
does anyone have examples of games they would describe as "hardcore", but *without* any death / loss conditions? i want dead zone to feel brutal to play without actually allowing the player to die or lose in any way and i'm struggling to find examples of other games doing this
got a message from the peabody awards saying i should submit proximate and like. a peabody nomination would be kinda cool. but the submission fee is $350 usd??? i'm weighing up how worthwhile that'd be
October 15, 2025 at 6:45 AM
got a message from the peabody awards saying i should submit proximate and like. a peabody nomination would be kinda cool. but the submission fee is $350 usd??? i'm weighing up how worthwhile that'd be