Mary McKenzie
@marymck.bsky.social
Game developer and studio lead at Volcano Bean. Chaos queer #AuDHD she/they
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
I'm looking for a streamer who is open to recording a Let's Play style video of my indie roguelike game which I can use in marketing (paid although I do not have much money!). Where do I find somebody like that?
(pls 📈📈📈boost📈📈📈 so this little post can find streamers!)
(pls 📈📈📈boost📈📈📈 so this little post can find streamers!)
July 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I'm looking for a streamer who is open to recording a Let's Play style video of my indie roguelike game which I can use in marketing (paid although I do not have much money!). Where do I find somebody like that?
(pls 📈📈📈boost📈📈📈 so this little post can find streamers!)
(pls 📈📈📈boost📈📈📈 so this little post can find streamers!)
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
I turned my apartment into an escape room that only my friends can play. It ended up being an important lesson in art, creativity, and companionship.
The video on YouTube breaks down the idea, process and technology, gameplay and narrative, and lessons learned.
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
June 30, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I turned my apartment into an escape room that only my friends can play. It ended up being an important lesson in art, creativity, and companionship.
The video on YouTube breaks down the idea, process and technology, gameplay and narrative, and lessons learned.
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
Please share! youtu.be/ISbamI5ODNQ
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
I think it is important to understand that while the regime is very dangerous, you must always, always, always keep in mind that they are also incredibly bad at their jobs. Like wildly, inestimably bad at them.
i'm surprised by how low energy and farcical that whole military parade situation was. I was expecting Moscow 1945 and we got Spirit Halloween instead.
June 15, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I think it is important to understand that while the regime is very dangerous, you must always, always, always keep in mind that they are also incredibly bad at their jobs. Like wildly, inestimably bad at them.
My tepid take for the day: There aren't nearly enough puppets/animatronics/practical effects being used in media nowadays.
See if you can figure out what this ad from 1984 is selling before the reveal…
March 28, 2025 at 6:21 PM
My tepid take for the day: There aren't nearly enough puppets/animatronics/practical effects being used in media nowadays.
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
constantly thinking about this ominous sticky note drawing i saw in a boba shop
March 28, 2025 at 5:26 AM
constantly thinking about this ominous sticky note drawing i saw in a boba shop
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
I’m also seeing a big swing towards investors seeking out promising solo developers in this time.
Even if you find your unicorn, the idea that a single person (who has probably never shipped a game before) is going to produce your product reliably and on time, by themselves, is a WILD concept.
Even if you find your unicorn, the idea that a single person (who has probably never shipped a game before) is going to produce your product reliably and on time, by themselves, is a WILD concept.
The bigger problem is that in a year or less there will be no games to provide a ‘finishing fund’ for. You are starving your own artists out of making the games you want to fund. You will have to fight over one game with twenty other people
March 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
I’m also seeing a big swing towards investors seeking out promising solo developers in this time.
Even if you find your unicorn, the idea that a single person (who has probably never shipped a game before) is going to produce your product reliably and on time, by themselves, is a WILD concept.
Even if you find your unicorn, the idea that a single person (who has probably never shipped a game before) is going to produce your product reliably and on time, by themselves, is a WILD concept.
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
An E-bike battery burned my house down on the first day of GDC. Seeking mutual aid from financially stable colleagues.
gofund.me/47306b15
gofund.me/47306b15
March 19, 2025 at 3:38 AM
An E-bike battery burned my house down on the first day of GDC. Seeking mutual aid from financially stable colleagues.
gofund.me/47306b15
gofund.me/47306b15
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
An E-bike battery burned my house down on the first day of GDC. Seeking mutual aid from financially stable colleagues.
gofund.me/47306b15
gofund.me/47306b15
March 19, 2025 at 3:39 AM
An E-bike battery burned my house down on the first day of GDC. Seeking mutual aid from financially stable colleagues.
gofund.me/47306b15
gofund.me/47306b15
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
Greeted my hotel roomie @marymck.bsky.social this morning by running out of the bathroom while shouting “HEY WHATS UP I’M JOHNNY KNOXVILLE AND THIS IS INSATIONABLE CUCLE”
Hey yooo I made the GDC speaker deck this year, but somehow they managed to butcher my studio name “Insatiable Cycle” pretty atrociously.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
“Insationable Cucle” is going to be my new verbal stim whether I like it or not.
March 17, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Greeted my hotel roomie @marymck.bsky.social this morning by running out of the bathroom while shouting “HEY WHATS UP I’M JOHNNY KNOXVILLE AND THIS IS INSATIONABLE CUCLE”
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
What could be better for a Monday morning than a marketing talk? Come hang with us tomorrow and learn about marketing/game festivals!
I’m not usually a morning person (or a Monday person) so it could get… interesting.
I’m not usually a morning person (or a Monday person) so it could get… interesting.
What's that? You want to start your GDC with a marketing talk?
Come to the talk @dtrebella.bsky.social and I am giving on Monday at 10:50am in the West Hall room 2009.
Our talk is going to be the first in the hour!
Come to the talk @dtrebella.bsky.social and I am giving on Monday at 10:50am in the West Hall room 2009.
Our talk is going to be the first in the hour!
Independent Games Summit: A Marketing Double-Bill: Maximizing Your Game's Visibility with Online Festivals // Free During Development: An Unusual Marketing...
17th March, 2025 10:50am - 11:50am -
schedule.gdconf.com
March 17, 2025 at 4:11 AM
What could be better for a Monday morning than a marketing talk? Come hang with us tomorrow and learn about marketing/game festivals!
I’m not usually a morning person (or a Monday person) so it could get… interesting.
I’m not usually a morning person (or a Monday person) so it could get… interesting.
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
Publisher bizdev people at events like GDC and Dice trying to sign "the next balatro" should realize that, statistically, the developer of "the next Balatro" you need to be talking to isn't at GDC or Dice talking to bizdev guys seeking 2m+ in funding
March 11, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Publisher bizdev people at events like GDC and Dice trying to sign "the next balatro" should realize that, statistically, the developer of "the next Balatro" you need to be talking to isn't at GDC or Dice talking to bizdev guys seeking 2m+ in funding
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
SECRET PROJECT REVEAL! Introducing my latest project, "Play With Your Own Junk" — a collection of earth-friendly party games that you can play with stuff you already own. Think of it sort of like a recipe website, but for games.
playwithyourownjunk.com
playwithyourownjunk.com
March 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
SECRET PROJECT REVEAL! Introducing my latest project, "Play With Your Own Junk" — a collection of earth-friendly party games that you can play with stuff you already own. Think of it sort of like a recipe website, but for games.
playwithyourownjunk.com
playwithyourownjunk.com
As someone who runs this brand of indie studio and managed to ship a console game, it’s possible but you will pay with time what you can’t pay in money. And sustaining any sort of team over that period of time with little to no resources takes a larger emotional toll than most people realize
I get really irked when I see people post “indies will save us” or “the laid off devs should go indie” THERE IS NO MONEY publishers are cancelling contracts, angel investors/venture capital don’t want small returns. I think they mean hobbyists with a day job working doubletime & that is a rough ask
February 25, 2025 at 11:55 PM
As someone who runs this brand of indie studio and managed to ship a console game, it’s possible but you will pay with time what you can’t pay in money. And sustaining any sort of team over that period of time with little to no resources takes a larger emotional toll than most people realize
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
It’s 2025, I have no patience for people mindlessly fearposting. I’m not keeping my head in the sand, I’m staying aware enough to act when I need to, and I also don’t have the nervous system leeway to let a random “we’re fucked” tweet send me into an anxiety spiral. Take that elsewhere.
January 20, 2025 at 6:33 PM
It’s 2025, I have no patience for people mindlessly fearposting. I’m not keeping my head in the sand, I’m staying aware enough to act when I need to, and I also don’t have the nervous system leeway to let a random “we’re fucked” tweet send me into an anxiety spiral. Take that elsewhere.
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
btw if you've never read Roger Ebert's review of The Mummy it's so good it changed me as a person
December 19, 2024 at 5:39 PM
btw if you've never read Roger Ebert's review of The Mummy it's so good it changed me as a person
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
I have slots for Pax Unplugged!
If you're a newbie game designer looking for insight into Mass Market publishers, need a playtester, need advice on breaking into the industry. I want to prioritize poc, disabled, and lgbtqia folks.
calendly.com/marygeorgesc...
If you're a newbie game designer looking for insight into Mass Market publishers, need a playtester, need advice on breaking into the industry. I want to prioritize poc, disabled, and lgbtqia folks.
calendly.com/marygeorgesc...
Pax Unplugged Coffee Chats - Mary Georgescu
calendly.com
November 22, 2024 at 3:14 AM
I have slots for Pax Unplugged!
If you're a newbie game designer looking for insight into Mass Market publishers, need a playtester, need advice on breaking into the industry. I want to prioritize poc, disabled, and lgbtqia folks.
calendly.com/marygeorgesc...
If you're a newbie game designer looking for insight into Mass Market publishers, need a playtester, need advice on breaking into the industry. I want to prioritize poc, disabled, and lgbtqia folks.
calendly.com/marygeorgesc...
Reposted by Mary McKenzie
oh well I made the experimental game dev starter pack. blsky was really stressing when I tried to search to add more people so please @ me for more people to add go.bsky.app/CWmf15W
November 18, 2024 at 9:20 PM
oh well I made the experimental game dev starter pack. blsky was really stressing when I tried to search to add more people so please @ me for more people to add go.bsky.app/CWmf15W
Worked on a project over the last week to channel my nervous energy before and wild grief after this election. It’s a strange comfort knowing the only thing I can control is myself and the work I create. Especially while it feels like everything is crumbling.
November 7, 2024 at 3:53 PM
Worked on a project over the last week to channel my nervous energy before and wild grief after this election. It’s a strange comfort knowing the only thing I can control is myself and the work I create. Especially while it feels like everything is crumbling.
I like to think I’m not dramatic, but I just had to bootcamp into windows for work and said out loud “How do people live like this?!?”
April 2, 2024 at 9:54 PM
I like to think I’m not dramatic, but I just had to bootcamp into windows for work and said out loud “How do people live like this?!?”
Had a great week at GDC remembering why I want to make games. But very ready to get home and sleep. Catch ya next year San Francisco!
March 23, 2024 at 3:51 PM
Had a great week at GDC remembering why I want to make games. But very ready to get home and sleep. Catch ya next year San Francisco!
Just fished My Best Friend’s Exorcism tonight and if you’re into horror definitely recommend! Just don’t make the mistake I did and follow it up by watching the Amazon movie adaptation. Don’t know that I have ever had such media whiplash
August 23, 2023 at 3:24 AM
Just fished My Best Friend’s Exorcism tonight and if you’re into horror definitely recommend! Just don’t make the mistake I did and follow it up by watching the Amazon movie adaptation. Don’t know that I have ever had such media whiplash
The existential dread of creating short form vertical content is too much for her kitty heart
August 3, 2023 at 10:19 PM
The existential dread of creating short form vertical content is too much for her kitty heart
We finally announced a launch date for BattleCakes on Steam! I am both so excited and absolutely horrified with how quickly the next three months are going to go
August 1, 2023 at 12:56 AM
We finally announced a launch date for BattleCakes on Steam! I am both so excited and absolutely horrified with how quickly the next three months are going to go