Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 2h

Calling all #gamers and #mystery lovers! We're looking for testers for our new puzzle #indiegame titled #SecondStab! 🗡 🗡
If you've ever dreamed of saying the words "I've gathered you all here this evening..." then come sign up for our #playtest!
#cozymystery #murdermystery

discord.gg/UEdRat5B3U

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Reposted by Eric Hamel

Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou @kanaratron.bsky.social · Feb 15

We're stoked to introduce the 'No Gen AI' seal for indie games!

Indie devs can use it on their game's store page to assure potential players that their game was made without the use of Generative AI.

You can grab it from the Polygon Treehouse website:-

www.polygon-treehouse.com/no-gen-ai-seal

A graphical asset in the shape of a cog. It contains the following text 'This developer assures that NO GEN AI' was used in this indie game

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Polygon @polygon.com · 11h

And it's a timeless message

Red Dead Redemption 2 is still Rockstar's best attempt at satirizing the American Dream

And it's a timeless message

www.polygon.com

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 22h

I swung by my favorite used bookshop in #Boston on the way home from No King's today. I picked up a copy of "Crooked House" by #AgathaChristie. The irony is not lost on me.

Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 22h

Our next detective is the youngest of the troop. He is the Chess Prodigy:

If years of world-class competitive chess have taught the grand Master anything, it’s how to stay two moves ahead of your average murderer.

Join us on the Discord, sign up for our #playtest! #indiegames
discord.gg/UEdRat5B3U

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 22h

Today's detectives featured detectives in #SecondStab are among the most underestimated of the bunch. First up is the Renegade Nun:

Don’t let the flawless wimple fool you— a sharp mind and bold heart lurk beneath the modest veneer. ##cozymystery #murdermystery #indiegame

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Mike Bithell @mikebithell.bsky.social · 1d

Look, it’s really straightforward to get a publisher as a new name indie in 2025. Simply do 95% of the work making and marketing your game, and if your metrics are trending towards almost certain success, a publisher will swoop in to promise the remaining 5%, deliver 3%, and collect 75%

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 2d

For any folks who love games and a #cozymystery, we are gearing up for another #playtest of our puzzle mystery #whodunit A Matter of Murder: Second Stab! Come join the Discord and solve a murder or two! discord.gg/UEdRat5B3U

Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 2d

The next detective avatar in our #whodunit #indiegame is the Forensic Psychologist:

She’s built a career on her shrewd understanding of the complexities of the human mind. Now she’s turning her skills to unmasking the evil in our midst.
#SecondStab #mysterygame

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 2d

Another one of our more playful detectives in our #indiegame #SecondStab is the Eccentric Lawyer:

What the unconventionally sartorial Barrister lacks in social skills he more than makes up for with a scalpel-sharp intellect and impeccable instincts. #murdermystery

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 3d

The next detective avatar in #SecondStab is the Mystery Writer:

Murder may be her stock-in-trade, but that doesn’t mean she has to like the way death seems to dog her every move. But solve the crime she must.

#indiegame #murdermystery

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 3d

I'm excited to share the detective avatars in our puzzle mystery #indiegame Second Stab! First up, the Reformed Conman:

After a glittering career as a society impersonator, the murder of the Viscount’s sister spurred him to make amends and devote his talents to foiling his former peers. #SecondStab

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Francisco González - ROSEWATER OUT NOW! @grundislav.games · 3d

If you like:

🤠 Point & click adventures
🤠 Games where choices actually matter
🤠 Fun dialogue with great voice acting

Then you should get ROSEWATER, currently 20% off on Steam!

store.steampowered.com/app/1226670/...

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 3d

Hello, folks! Our team is gearing up for another #playtest! If you like murder mystery puzzle games, pop into our Discord, join our budding community and sign up to play A Matter of Murder: Second Stab!#indiegames
discord.gg/UEdRat5B3U

A Matter of Murder: SECOND STAB. Three suspects stand in front of stylized wallpaper. Thr man on the left is well dressed carrying rolls of documents, the woman in the center carries a crystal ball, the suspect on the right wears an apron and carries a decanter of red liquid.

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Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · 8d

If you look closely, you can see signs of GOP lawmakers fearing the long-term political consequences of paying more attention to Trump's demands than to the voices of their own constituents - or consciences.

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Austin Wintory @awintory.bsky.social · 9d

Friends! Courtesy of the The SCL, Monday evening
@darrenkorb.bsky.social and I are going to a stream / playthru of Sword of the Sea and talk about its production, the interactivity of the music, development etc. I'll probably make him tell Hades 2 stories also :)

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Reposted by Eric Hamel

A Sound Effect @asoundeffect.bsky.social · 10d

How ALIEN: EARTH's astounding audio was made - huge new sound team interview! https://www.asoundeffect.com/alien-earth-sound/ #sounddesign #soundeffects #gameaudio #gamedev #indiedev #filmsound #filmmaking #audiopost #postproduction #alienearth #scifi

Crafting ALIEN: EARTH's Astounding Sound – with Lee Gilmore, Brad North, Nolan McNaughton, and Justin Davey | A Sound Effect

Find out how the audio team designed sounds for new alien species, corporation-specific technologies, eerie ship environments, facilities, and labs + what Tasmanian Devil screams have to do with an evil sheep & tons more:

www.asoundeffect.com

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Reposted by Eric Hamel

The Game Audio Diversity Alliance @gameaudiodiversity.bsky.social · 13d

Introducing GADA #GameSoundCon scholar Xiaomeng (Susan) Zhong! 🎧

Susan Zhong is a sound designer and audio artist with a passion for creating immersive experiences in games and multimedia. Her experience includes designing custom sound effects, audio implementation, foley, and [1/3]
#GameAudio

Portrait of Susan Zhong, a sound designer and audio artist, standing in front of water.

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Reposted by Eric Hamel

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 13d

This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.

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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 15d

So this is really it. We’re very close to a line being crossed that is going to be clarifying for a lot of people who have either not been paying attention or who have been in denial.

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 15d

This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

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Michael @michaelklamerus.bsky.social · 16d

I watched this many times as a kid and I bet it was the first look at what making a game was like for so many people

Cyan Worlds @cyan.com · 17d

Check out this amazing remastered (at 4k!) version of "The Making of Myst" mini-doc! Originally included on the Myst CD-ROM in 1993, this version has been carefully recreated by Ted Sase using footage preserved by the VGHF!
https://youtu.be/xBtLZDPnYlM

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Eric Hamel @erichamel.bsky.social · 17d

Very glad to see this. Jane Fonda leads hundreds to re-launch a McCarthy-era committee to defend free speech : NPR share.google/SXFXbNztATlw...

Hundreds of celebrities relaunch a McCarthy-era committee to defend free speech

The Committee for the First Amendment first launched in the 1940s, when the House Un-American Activities Committee accused Hollywood actors, directors and writers of being communists or sympathizers.

share.google

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Kendra "Gloom is My Beat" Pierre-Louis @kendrawrites.com · 17d

I appreciate how this article highlights this is illegal, that nobody is holding the administration accountable to the fact that it is committing crimes, and that in committing crimes they're lying in other people's names.

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 17d

Education Department employees surprised to find their email automatically changed to blame Democrats for shutdown

@natashakorecki.bsky.social + @aterkel.bsky.social + Monica Alba + Matt Dixon:

www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...

Education Department employees surprised to find their email automatically changed to blame Democrats for shutdown

Five furloughed employees told NBC News they had put up nonpartisan out-of-office messages, only to see they were changed — without their permission — to partisan ones.

www.nbcnews.com

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Jon Ingold @jon.inkle.co · 19d

You can pretty much do this using itch.io right now but unfortunately bizdev makes me want to read vogon poetry

Download the latest indie games

itch.io is a simple way to find, download and distribute indie games online. Whether you're a developer looking to upload your game or just someone looking for something new to play itch.io has you co...

itch.io

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Reposted by Eric Hamel

Francisco González - ROSEWATER OUT NOW! @grundislav.games · 19d

Explore the alternate history steampunk-ish 19th century World of Vespuccia!

Solve 5 mysteries in the dark alleys of Lamplight City

Set off across the wild western frontier from the town of Rosewater

Grab both adventure games for less than $20!

store.steampowered.com/bundle/50641...

Save 29% on World of Vespuccia Bundle on Steam

store.steampowered.com

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