Richard Dare
@richardjdare.bsky.social
Programmer and writer. created indie games STARBLASTER and ANTIGEN. Long ago I wrote 'Games and the Imagination'. Currently working on 2 desktop apps: SLIDE and PROJECT RED HOOK. Likes books, ideas, dreams. Amiga, Common Lisp, Personal Computing
Reposted by Richard Dare
Apidya' Special - An authentic, 24-bit pixel remake of a classic Shoot 'em up is coming to Consoles/PC (2026), and boy does it look good! www.indieretronews.com/2025/08/apid... #retrogaming #amiga #pcgaming
August 19, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Apidya' Special - An authentic, 24-bit pixel remake of a classic Shoot 'em up is coming to Consoles/PC (2026), and boy does it look good! www.indieretronews.com/2025/08/apid... #retrogaming #amiga #pcgaming
Reposted by Richard Dare
A NEW unseen trailer for the banned 1995 title Forbidden Solitaire has surfaced...
Forbidden Solitaire is in the @yogscast.games #tinyteams2025 event, which starts today. If you encounter streamers in possession of a short demo build, exercise extreme caution.
#tinyteams2025 #TurnbasedThursday
Forbidden Solitaire is in the @yogscast.games #tinyteams2025 event, which starts today. If you encounter streamers in possession of a short demo build, exercise extreme caution.
#tinyteams2025 #TurnbasedThursday
August 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM
A NEW unseen trailer for the banned 1995 title Forbidden Solitaire has surfaced...
Forbidden Solitaire is in the @yogscast.games #tinyteams2025 event, which starts today. If you encounter streamers in possession of a short demo build, exercise extreme caution.
#tinyteams2025 #TurnbasedThursday
Forbidden Solitaire is in the @yogscast.games #tinyteams2025 event, which starts today. If you encounter streamers in possession of a short demo build, exercise extreme caution.
#tinyteams2025 #TurnbasedThursday
Reposted by Richard Dare
Wait.. what?😮
Roguecraft won an award for best modern #Amiga game at the Amiga/040 in Silicon Valley, yesterday!🥳🏆
From the live steam: youtube.com/live/GzfpEDI...
🎯Get it here: thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft
#screenshotsaturday #roguelike #indiedev #gamedev
Roguecraft won an award for best modern #Amiga game at the Amiga/040 in Silicon Valley, yesterday!🥳🏆
From the live steam: youtube.com/live/GzfpEDI...
🎯Get it here: thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft
#screenshotsaturday #roguelike #indiedev #gamedev
August 2, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Wait.. what?😮
Roguecraft won an award for best modern #Amiga game at the Amiga/040 in Silicon Valley, yesterday!🥳🏆
From the live steam: youtube.com/live/GzfpEDI...
🎯Get it here: thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft
#screenshotsaturday #roguelike #indiedev #gamedev
Roguecraft won an award for best modern #Amiga game at the Amiga/040 in Silicon Valley, yesterday!🥳🏆
From the live steam: youtube.com/live/GzfpEDI...
🎯Get it here: thalamusdigital.itch.io/roguecraft
#screenshotsaturday #roguelike #indiedev #gamedev
VR is amazing, but one of the problems with it is its being developed and pushed by Web giants who see users as statistics. VR design requires empathy, humanism and a sense of software authorship that has sadly declined in this era of giantism and mass computing.
July 31, 2025 at 6:03 AM
VR is amazing, but one of the problems with it is its being developed and pushed by Web giants who see users as statistics. VR design requires empathy, humanism and a sense of software authorship that has sadly declined in this era of giantism and mass computing.
Reposted by Richard Dare
Indie Retro News: Razing Core for the Sega Master System by Badcomputer looks very decent! (Alpha Demo) www.indieretronews.com/2025/07/razi... #retrogaming #gaming #games #sega
July 30, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Indie Retro News: Razing Core for the Sega Master System by Badcomputer looks very decent! (Alpha Demo) www.indieretronews.com/2025/07/razi... #retrogaming #gaming #games #sega
I wonder if British ISPs will start bundling with VPN providers now? Or would that be too on-the-nose? The online safety act has effectively added maybe a fiver a month to every savvy user's internet bill.
July 25, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I wonder if British ISPs will start bundling with VPN providers now? Or would that be too on-the-nose? The online safety act has effectively added maybe a fiver a month to every savvy user's internet bill.
Reposted by Richard Dare
Our game Roguecraft is an award-winning dungeon crawler turn-based roguelike with retro roots and pixel-perfect turn-based action. Now coming to #steam 🎉
🎯Wishlist on Steam: thalamus.link/roguecraft
#turnbasedthursday #roguelike #indiedev #indiegamedev
🎯Wishlist on Steam: thalamus.link/roguecraft
#turnbasedthursday #roguelike #indiedev #indiegamedev
July 17, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Our game Roguecraft is an award-winning dungeon crawler turn-based roguelike with retro roots and pixel-perfect turn-based action. Now coming to #steam 🎉
🎯Wishlist on Steam: thalamus.link/roguecraft
#turnbasedthursday #roguelike #indiedev #indiegamedev
🎯Wishlist on Steam: thalamus.link/roguecraft
#turnbasedthursday #roguelike #indiedev #indiegamedev
Awesome. Yknow when younger people tell me how cool the 90s was, I have to tell em, many of us 90s youths only saw the cool stuff on TV and in magazines just like they're doing now.
Today I discovered that people have been uploading old stock photo CD-ROMs to the Internet Archive and now I'm obsessed with the mid-'90s business-core aesthetic.
May 22, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Awesome. Yknow when younger people tell me how cool the 90s was, I have to tell em, many of us 90s youths only saw the cool stuff on TV and in magazines just like they're doing now.
Reposted by Richard Dare
I have just published a new GitHub repository entitled 'ExileArchives'. This contains 9 pre-release versions of the BBC Mico game Exile. I recently re-archived these from the original disks that were sent to Superior Software BITD. Read more about their history here:-
github.com/KevEdwards/E...
github.com/KevEdwards/E...
GitHub - KevEdwards/ExileArchives: An archive of unreleased versions of Exile for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron
An archive of unreleased versions of Exile for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron - KevEdwards/ExileArchives
github.com
May 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
I have just published a new GitHub repository entitled 'ExileArchives'. This contains 9 pre-release versions of the BBC Mico game Exile. I recently re-archived these from the original disks that were sent to Superior Software BITD. Read more about their history here:-
github.com/KevEdwards/E...
github.com/KevEdwards/E...
Reposted by Richard Dare
Yo, this is pretty neat stuff recently released: EXO DEMOSCENE 2.0. A collection of over 2000 DOS demoscene prods and musicdisks from 1987 to 1998, all pre-organised in a Launchbox with emulators pre-configured for click-and-enjoy.
www.retro-exo.com/demoscene.html
www.retro-exo.com/demoscene.html
May 14, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Yo, this is pretty neat stuff recently released: EXO DEMOSCENE 2.0. A collection of over 2000 DOS demoscene prods and musicdisks from 1987 to 1998, all pre-organised in a Launchbox with emulators pre-configured for click-and-enjoy.
www.retro-exo.com/demoscene.html
www.retro-exo.com/demoscene.html
Reposted by Richard Dare
After years of hard work, our retro-inspired shooter Earthion finally has its own home online.
Dive into the world, watch the new trailer, and hear a track made entirely with the Megadrive’s YM2612 sound chip.
Now viewable in English and Portuguese:
earthiongame.com
Dive into the world, watch the new trailer, and hear a track made entirely with the Megadrive’s YM2612 sound chip.
Now viewable in English and Portuguese:
earthiongame.com
Earthion - Earthion
Return to the genesis of 16-bit gaming with Ancient's brand new shoot 'em up, Earthion!
earthiongame.com
May 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM
After years of hard work, our retro-inspired shooter Earthion finally has its own home online.
Dive into the world, watch the new trailer, and hear a track made entirely with the Megadrive’s YM2612 sound chip.
Now viewable in English and Portuguese:
earthiongame.com
Dive into the world, watch the new trailer, and hear a track made entirely with the Megadrive’s YM2612 sound chip.
Now viewable in English and Portuguese:
earthiongame.com
Reposted by Richard Dare
FAT TRACKS Vol. 10 from ARTSTATE is out
now for Amiga.
Grab it here... mega.nz/file/mzRREDA...
#Amiga
now for Amiga.
Grab it here... mega.nz/file/mzRREDA...
#Amiga
May 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
FAT TRACKS Vol. 10 from ARTSTATE is out
now for Amiga.
Grab it here... mega.nz/file/mzRREDA...
#Amiga
now for Amiga.
Grab it here... mega.nz/file/mzRREDA...
#Amiga
Reposted by Richard Dare
OOO EEE AHHH OOH 🍌
Go bananas and play as Monkey in the upcoming FREE demo for Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, May 8-11!
🐒 Wishlist: store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/
Go bananas and play as Monkey in the upcoming FREE demo for Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, May 8-11!
🐒 Wishlist: store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/
May 2, 2025 at 5:24 PM
OOO EEE AHHH OOH 🍌
Go bananas and play as Monkey in the upcoming FREE demo for Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, May 8-11!
🐒 Wishlist: store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/
Go bananas and play as Monkey in the upcoming FREE demo for Ultimate Sheep Raccoon, May 8-11!
🐒 Wishlist: store.steampowered.com/app/2923350/Ultimate_Sheep_Raccoon/
Reposted by Richard Dare
If you prefer screenshots to logos, then here is one from my next game, appropriately called Ridiculous Space Battles. You can read all about it (and even wishlist it) here: www.positech.co.uk/ridiculoussp...
April 30, 2025 at 5:25 PM
If you prefer screenshots to logos, then here is one from my next game, appropriately called Ridiculous Space Battles. You can read all about it (and even wishlist it) here: www.positech.co.uk/ridiculoussp...
Reposted by Richard Dare
You know what is probably rarer than indies who have made hit games? Indies surviving 20 years and NOT having a hit game.
I just finished this talk btw.
I just finished this talk btw.
Woah! I'm doing this talk TODAY at 5pm UK time for Shris Zukowski's (HTMAG) Staying Inside Conference 2025.
Here's a link with a coupon code. You can also watch it later on the "vault":
www.progamemarketing.com/p/inside-con...
Here's a link with a coupon code. You can also watch it later on the "vault":
www.progamemarketing.com/p/inside-con...
April 29, 2025 at 6:21 PM
You know what is probably rarer than indies who have made hit games? Indies surviving 20 years and NOT having a hit game.
I just finished this talk btw.
I just finished this talk btw.
I want to play Atomfall, but the British Post-apocalypse game in my head looks more like Protect and Survive, Threads, where the wind blows and public information film horror than it looks like fallout. I'd probably set it in 1979-80 and make the protagonists a group of children
March 27, 2025 at 8:38 AM
I want to play Atomfall, but the British Post-apocalypse game in my head looks more like Protect and Survive, Threads, where the wind blows and public information film horror than it looks like fallout. I'd probably set it in 1979-80 and make the protagonists a group of children
One of the hardest things in programming is when you've been working on something original for a long time, then someone else releases something similar, but not quite as good. And the other guy was so much better placed than you to ship it. Now you look like an also-ran copycat with your own idea.
March 21, 2025 at 10:15 PM
One of the hardest things in programming is when you've been working on something original for a long time, then someone else releases something similar, but not quite as good. And the other guy was so much better placed than you to ship it. Now you look like an also-ran copycat with your own idea.
Reposted by Richard Dare
Happy Friday!
We wanted to show some behind the scenes stuff on how we created a few of the background screens in Roguecraft.
It was 3D modelled in 3DS Max before pixellated in Photoshop palette.
This might be fun to see, and also debunk doubts about this being AI, which we strongly oppose :-)
We wanted to show some behind the scenes stuff on how we created a few of the background screens in Roguecraft.
It was 3D modelled in 3DS Max before pixellated in Photoshop palette.
This might be fun to see, and also debunk doubts about this being AI, which we strongly oppose :-)
March 14, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Happy Friday!
We wanted to show some behind the scenes stuff on how we created a few of the background screens in Roguecraft.
It was 3D modelled in 3DS Max before pixellated in Photoshop palette.
This might be fun to see, and also debunk doubts about this being AI, which we strongly oppose :-)
We wanted to show some behind the scenes stuff on how we created a few of the background screens in Roguecraft.
It was 3D modelled in 3DS Max before pixellated in Photoshop palette.
This might be fun to see, and also debunk doubts about this being AI, which we strongly oppose :-)
Reposted by Richard Dare
How I optimised the Forbidden Solitaire FMV code.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4gg...
This is a pretty nerdy video in which I explain how I made some code 3x faster with a bunch of old skool tricks.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4gg...
This is a pretty nerdy video in which I explain how I made some code 3x faster with a bunch of old skool tricks.
How I optimised the Forbidden Solitaire FMV code
YouTube video by Jake Birkett
www.youtube.com
March 8, 2025 at 9:12 PM
How I optimised the Forbidden Solitaire FMV code.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4gg...
This is a pretty nerdy video in which I explain how I made some code 3x faster with a bunch of old skool tricks.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4gg...
This is a pretty nerdy video in which I explain how I made some code 3x faster with a bunch of old skool tricks.
Reposted by Richard Dare
Eight years old this autumn, the video by Motion of Artstate to remember 25 years since the end of the Amiga demoteam ANARCHY, and publication of the story of the group in Fusion's 'Amiga in Pixels' book.
Music by 4MAT. Logo by Kingfisher of Bitfellas.
youtu.be/df9wfdSyIQw?...
Music by 4MAT. Logo by Kingfisher of Bitfellas.
youtu.be/df9wfdSyIQw?...
ANARCHY and the DEMOSCENE · FUSION RETRO BOOKS · 𝑨𝑴𝑰𝑮𝑨
YouTube video by Artstate Digital
youtu.be
March 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Eight years old this autumn, the video by Motion of Artstate to remember 25 years since the end of the Amiga demoteam ANARCHY, and publication of the story of the group in Fusion's 'Amiga in Pixels' book.
Music by 4MAT. Logo by Kingfisher of Bitfellas.
youtu.be/df9wfdSyIQw?...
Music by 4MAT. Logo by Kingfisher of Bitfellas.
youtu.be/df9wfdSyIQw?...
Reposted by Richard Dare
Indie Retro News: OutRun Arcade - A vastly superior version of a classic racer is coming to an Amiga near you via Reassembler www.indieretronews.com/2025/02/outr... #retrogaming #gaming #amiga #commodoreamiga (Full Video in link)
February 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Indie Retro News: OutRun Arcade - A vastly superior version of a classic racer is coming to an Amiga near you via Reassembler www.indieretronews.com/2025/02/outr... #retrogaming #gaming #amiga #commodoreamiga (Full Video in link)
Reposted by Richard Dare
We're pleased to be supporting the NSPCC as part of this special sale on Steam. Please take a look at the games and have a great weekend!
store.steampowered.com/publisher/sk...
store.steampowered.com/publisher/sk...
February 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM
We're pleased to be supporting the NSPCC as part of this special sale on Steam. Please take a look at the games and have a great weekend!
store.steampowered.com/publisher/sk...
store.steampowered.com/publisher/sk...
Urgh, I often get the urge to take a Unix kernel and build my own highly integrated desktop and user land on top of it. Must resist...
Increasing death drive to make a linux distro.
Mind you, I have no clue how to.
Mind you, I have no clue how to.
February 26, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Urgh, I often get the urge to take a Unix kernel and build my own highly integrated desktop and user land on top of it. Must resist...
Tech industry is so dystopian now. I find myself going back to the more humanistic scene of the 70s,80s,90s when I want to dream of a better future. The projects I'm working on could be considered alternative-history futurism. They skip the last 20 years and ask what if things had gone differently?
Apple communities were much more fun to hang out in when Apple was building innovative products, rather than shipping one rent-seeking app after another to pad their services revenue.
February 26, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Tech industry is so dystopian now. I find myself going back to the more humanistic scene of the 70s,80s,90s when I want to dream of a better future. The projects I'm working on could be considered alternative-history futurism. They skip the last 20 years and ask what if things had gone differently?
Reposted by Richard Dare
A must read for anyone in the UK who loved Mastertronic games even the ones that sucked!
You may be aware that Mastertronic sold a considerable number of games over the years. But which sold the most, and on which format? Those are answered with the first deep dive into the sales stats, with our thanks to Anthony Guter for all the info.
mastertronic.co.uk/mastertronic...
mastertronic.co.uk/mastertronic...
Mastertronic Collectors Archive - They Sold Millions - Mastertronic Collectors Archive
We take an in-depth look at the sales figures for some of the most popular games released by Mastertronic and how all the different formats compared.
mastertronic.co.uk
February 25, 2025 at 9:34 PM
A must read for anyone in the UK who loved Mastertronic games even the ones that sucked!