john 🌼
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metajarra.bsky.social
john 🌼
@metajarra.bsky.social
(he/him) toronto indie gamedev and artist
articles in Into the Spine and Unwinnable
new games always at http://metajarra.itch.io
Reposted by john 🌼
Yesterday, the Epic Games Store decided at the last minute not to distribute the game, after having previously approved a release build. HORSES is otherwise now available on GOG, Itch, and Humble for $4.99. www.horses.wtf
December 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
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Since our fucking government isn’t observing World AIDS Day, I will. In 1990, I started taking care of people in the last stages of AIDS in their homes. I did this for nearly two years. The home care company I worked for had meetings for those of us who solely (or nearly solely) took care of PWAs.
December 1, 2025 at 12:16 PM
mediterranea inferno was such an important game to me, and it's devastating to see Santa Ragione create another work of art only to get banned from steam :(. if you can, please buy this on another site next week and support a wonderful studio
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
November 26, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Reposted by john 🌼
Steam intentionally killing an old, respected, and beloved decade old indie game studio through bullshit policy is fucking wild
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
November 26, 2025 at 1:08 AM
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Announcing my new project, Rigmarole! 💙🐈✨

A point-and-click adventure visual novel about a NY-Italian gyaru and her fruity mahjong buddies driving across the country to go snatch back her Nonna's cat from her gay homophobe rock star cousin!

priro.itch.io/rigmarole
This one's gonna be a wild ride.
November 19, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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maybe we could use another splash screen.
November 12, 2025 at 6:47 AM
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if we talking about the game awards can we talk about their silly games for impact category aka the diversity award. its so silly they will put queer games and games with poc leads (all indie btw) in that category but never nominate them in anything else
November 6, 2025 at 8:27 PM
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once again, Bluesky has deleted Sama'a's account in spite of its minimal activity and strict observance of the site's rules.
Sama'a and her husband often go without so that their girls can eat. I have watched them grow thinner and thinner, and I beg you to join me in giving them a little comfort.

gofund.me/db56c7ce3
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 PM
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Well! There we are! Me and Val! The handsomest men to ever grace the Indie game scene!

It's an absolute honor to say Parfum Nostalgique has been featured on @polygon.com . I'm gonna go scream now.

www.polygon.com/steam-adult-...
As Steam cracks down on adult games, one dev urges taking back control
Game developers fear for the future of games with LGBTQ themes, which is leading some to pursue alternate (and way cooler) forms of distribution
www.polygon.com
October 12, 2025 at 4:11 PM
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“She was not the only developer who reported the company singling out yuri content.”

Games journalists really dropped the ball on itchio targeting yuri content, both SFW and NSFW

The censorship of Toxic Yuri Game Jam hasn’t gotten any coverage from the games press
August 11, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by john 🌼
On itch io, payment processors, and the developers and creatives affected

I wrote about the itch deindexing, stripe, a religious group & a call to action + shared amazing words from 25 affected creators who took their time to write me.

🔁 RTs Appreciated 🔁
#itch #indiedev #visualnovel #comic #novel
On itch.io, payment processors, and the developers and creatives affected - Press SPACE to Jump
Itch.io deindexed adult, LGBTQIA+ and Furry media en masse across their site on July 23 due to pressure from payment processors, so creators are speaking up.
pressspacetojump.com
July 26, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Reposted by john 🌼
you can be frustrated with how itch handled the situation but you also have Got to focus on the actual source of the problem. i for one am going to call some credit card companies today.
July 24, 2025 at 11:25 AM
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i worked with our director RJ to put together a web page compiling phone numbers, emails, and petitions where you can make your voice heard - protect queer artists and sex workers and tell payment processing companies to end their awful policies harming safe spaces for creative art
July 24, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by john 🌼
BREAKING: President Trump signed an executive order directing states to criminalize and institutionalize people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health disabilities.
July 24, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by john 🌼
📢 ISO of Devs Affected by Itch 📢

If your game got:
• Deindexed
• Removed
• Payouts turned off

Especially if you make Adult &/or LGBTQ+ #IndieGame or #VisualNovel, I want to talk to you.

🗣️ Please reply below with how you were affected. This is for a #Journalism piece.

🔁 RTs Appreciated 🔁
July 24, 2025 at 7:02 AM
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if you are an indie game dev and the art you want to make is being censored, don't let these fucking websites take away your creativity.
do not depend on them for your audience. talk to each other. we will get through this if we fully internalize that we are developers responsible for our own work
July 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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Mercury, planet of bureaucracy

#art
June 30, 2025 at 1:12 PM
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Come celebrate the beginning of Toronto Games Week outdoors at the waterfront! Meet some new folks and get hyped for the big event at sundown: a massive playable projection of Toronto-related games on the historic Canada Malting Silos! #TGW25

🗓️ Thursday, June 12th 8-11pm
🎟️ FREE!
June 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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My feelings covering Summer Game Fest, in LA, as the daughter of a Mexican immigrant.
pentopixels.com/article/summ...
June 11, 2025 at 2:31 PM
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cis people: a trans care ban is not just "oh they can't get surgeries". a trans care ban is taking away life-saving care. both mentally and physically life-saving.
May 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
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Please read. We hoped that one of the many members of the Bluesky community from Gaza could be first to share this letter, but we were worried that their account would get taken down if they did. This letter is for
@moderation.bsky.app, Bluesky leadership, and the wider community here. Thanks!
Open Letter to the Bluesky Team About Their Treatment of Palestinians in Gaza
[CLICK here if you would like your name added to this letter] النسخة العربية من هذه الرسالة متاحة أدناه. Open Letter to the Bluesky Team About Their Treatment of Palestinians in Gaza The signatories...
docs.google.com
May 24, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by john 🌼
a decade ago, when i started writing about games as a hobby, someone asked me where i'd like to work someday. polygon was my immediate answer.

i pitched them 12 times until i got my first commission. i've done over 100 stories for them since, and my editors shaped me into the writer I am today.
May 1, 2025 at 3:49 PM
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'tuna hake's underwater' now available on PC.

"you are a fish who does tricks"

store.steampowered.com/app/3521300/...
April 25, 2025 at 6:20 PM
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AAA is fucked. AAAA is fucked. AA is fucked. Indie is fucked. It's all fucked. I've never seen more across-the-board devastation in this industry in the decade-and-a-half I've been here.
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 26, 2025 at 12:03 AM
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This is my third game, about a small delivery robot in a ruined city. I wanted to explore things like: more descriptive text, game over states, inventories, cutscenes, etc. while telling a simpler story.

Music by @laurentds.bsky.social!

DELIVERY: treelet.itch.io/delivery
#bitsy #interactivefiction
December 31, 2024 at 3:43 AM