In the last few months, I made some changes to the website. The main thing of interest is the new games page. There was a separate website for a bunch of my games, which I broke so I just remade it here. Astute readers may notice the new Pico-8 game Birdy.

I took a trip to the Galloping Ghost arcade in the Chicago suburbs in April, and felt inspired to make a similar arcade game. Birdy is a pretty short game, just one level, but I had a fun time making it. I really like the Pico-8 console, and I’d like to learn more about it. Previously, I made games with TIC-80, which is similar virtual console. I found the sound/music editor with TIC-80 was easier to use than with Pico-8. One issue with TIC-80 is that you can use the full python language. The restrictions of Pico-8 make it easier to focus and limit game design.

Next, I’m looking into Picotron, which is a fantasy workstation (it mimics using a pre-web computer). It’s fun, and I have big (maybe too big) ideas for a game with it. Picotron is a lot less refined than Pico-8 right now, and the community is smaller. I was getting frustrated with how difficult some things are in Pico-8 due to the limited resolution and color options. Picotron is more flexible with these, but that introduces new challenges. For one, making good sprites is harder. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next with Picotron, and I hope to make some small games for it at least.

Additionally, I added a subscribe page to the website. Before RSS was the main way to follow updates on the blog. Now you can subscribe via Kit.com, which is a third-party newsletter service, just like substack or buttondown. Newsletters are everywhere these days, and it’s how most people expect updates. To provide a newsletter, and overcome issues with email laws and gatekeepers, a third-party is the most realistic option.

This summer I’m doing more biking and fishing. We took a trip to Wisconsin and stayed in a lighthouse along Lake Michigan. It was a very cool place to stay. I caught a couple fish there, mostly bluegill and one nice bass. Back in Chicago, I’ve been fishing the harbors mostly, but no luck. The lake has been really cold which hasn’t helped. I’ve biked a lot along the lakefront as well. I haven’t done long bike rides since college. The wind in Chicago always seems to make the second half of a ride rough.