Tom Francis
@pentadact.com
Designer/writer/coder on Gunpoint, Heat Signature, and Tactical Breach Wizards. More on those and other things I write or do or be: https://www.pentadact.com/
I've been running an indie games studio for 15 years now, and it felt like a good time to boil down what I've learned into 4 pieces of advice:
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
January 8, 2026 at 6:02 PM
I've been running an indie games studio for 15 years now, and it felt like a good time to boil down what I've learned into 4 pieces of advice:
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
www.pentadact.com/2026-01-08-1...
I hope it's of use, not least because goddamn I forgot how long blog posts take to write.
Reposted by Tom Francis
My post-layoff professional hiatus has come to an end and I'm looking to rebuild my contact book. If you're in need of:
✏️ Fiction! Produced entirely by my human brain and hands!
🧙♂️ Narrative design, worldbuilding or creative direction!
🎺 Comms, bizdev or marketing support!
...then get in touch!
✏️ Fiction! Produced entirely by my human brain and hands!
🧙♂️ Narrative design, worldbuilding or creative direction!
🎺 Comms, bizdev or marketing support!
...then get in touch!
January 5, 2026 at 12:14 PM
My post-layoff professional hiatus has come to an end and I'm looking to rebuild my contact book. If you're in need of:
✏️ Fiction! Produced entirely by my human brain and hands!
🧙♂️ Narrative design, worldbuilding or creative direction!
🎺 Comms, bizdev or marketing support!
...then get in touch!
✏️ Fiction! Produced entirely by my human brain and hands!
🧙♂️ Narrative design, worldbuilding or creative direction!
🎺 Comms, bizdev or marketing support!
...then get in touch!
Goddamn, I only just saw the Resetera thread for @breachwizards.bsky.social has the best strap I've seen in all our coverage: www.resetera.com/threads/tact...
Rites in Tight Spaces.
Rites in Tight Spaces.
Tactical Breach Wizards |OT| Rites in Tight Spaces OT
Release Date: August 22, 2024
Developer: Suspicious Developments Inc
Publisher: Suspicious Developments
Platform: Steam (Demo available)
Steam Deck Compatibility: Playable
Price: $19.99
ABOUT
From th...
www.resetera.com
January 1, 2026 at 12:29 AM
Goddamn, I only just saw the Resetera thread for @breachwizards.bsky.social has the best strap I've seen in all our coverage: www.resetera.com/threads/tact...
Rites in Tight Spaces.
Rites in Tight Spaces.
Love this bit, when your Christmas License to Indulge has expired but your New Year's Obligation to Live Sensibly hasn't started yet.
Feels like a loophole.
Feels like a loophole.
December 31, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Love this bit, when your Christmas License to Indulge has expired but your New Year's Obligation to Live Sensibly hasn't started yet.
Feels like a loophole.
Feels like a loophole.
I'll add: if the other game is out, that's a gift.
You get to play a finished version of your idea, see how it feels, how it sold, and what everyone thought of it? That's incredibly powerful information to make something that builds on it.
You get to play a finished version of your idea, see how it feels, how it sold, and what everyone thought of it? That's incredibly powerful information to make something that builds on it.
Any time you work on anything, you are going to hit those "UH OH" moments where your stomach drops as you see a similar project that makes yours feel derivative and uninteresting and doomed to fail.
That's normal! Regroup, adapt, persevere! Your perspective has value!
That's normal! Regroup, adapt, persevere! Your perspective has value!
Reposting with alt text because I felt it too important no to share
December 22, 2025 at 7:21 AM
I'll add: if the other game is out, that's a gift.
You get to play a finished version of your idea, see how it feels, how it sold, and what everyone thought of it? That's incredibly powerful information to make something that builds on it.
You get to play a finished version of your idea, see how it feels, how it sold, and what everyone thought of it? That's incredibly powerful information to make something that builds on it.
Reposted by Tom Francis
This season, give yourself the gift of giving us less money:
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 35% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 35% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
Save 35% on Tactical Breach Wizards on Steam
In Tactical Breach Wizards, you lead a team of renegade wizards in kevlar through turn-based battles to unravel a modern conspiracy plot. Combine their unique spells in clever ways, or rewind time to ...
store.steampowered.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:13 PM
This season, give yourself the gift of giving us less money:
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 35% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 35% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 75% off!
store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
This is absolutely batshit, and I'm so glad I was able to capture the effect on video, because I was feeling completely insane. Full story in the alt text.
Anyone know what's going on here?
Anyone know what's going on here?
December 15, 2025 at 7:24 AM
This is absolutely batshit, and I'm so glad I was able to capture the effect on video, because I was feeling completely insane. Full story in the alt text.
Anyone know what's going on here?
Anyone know what's going on here?
It was only a few months in, but our next game was feeling like it might be a long, hard, and not super fun road to make.
So I started tinkering with something else, and it clicked much faster, and we like it more, so we're switching!
More thoughts, and a little glimpse:
youtu.be/GYJGmX5iGbw .
So I started tinkering with something else, and it clicked much faster, and we like it more, so we're switching!
More thoughts, and a little glimpse:
youtu.be/GYJGmX5iGbw .
Why we're switching projects
YouTube video by Tom Francis
youtu.be
December 12, 2025 at 5:56 PM
It was only a few months in, but our next game was feeling like it might be a long, hard, and not super fun road to make.
So I started tinkering with something else, and it clicked much faster, and we like it more, so we're switching!
More thoughts, and a little glimpse:
youtu.be/GYJGmX5iGbw .
So I started tinkering with something else, and it clicked much faster, and we like it more, so we're switching!
More thoughts, and a little glimpse:
youtu.be/GYJGmX5iGbw .
Apps are always asking me 'mute? block? report? don't recommend? downvote?' when the only option I want or need is "Imagine I am your grand vizier and I have yelled "ENOUGH!" without explanation."
November 29, 2025 at 7:33 AM
Apps are always asking me 'mute? block? report? don't recommend? downvote?' when the only option I want or need is "Imagine I am your grand vizier and I have yelled "ENOUGH!" without explanation."
Omw to tell the headstrong protagonist to drop it, he's out of his depth. Reckon that should do the trick.
November 19, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Omw to tell the headstrong protagonist to drop it, he's out of his depth. Reckon that should do the trick.
Dug into the buildcraft of Slice & Dice - what works about it and what's weird:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Eh... .
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Eh... .
Buildcraft in Slice & Dice
YouTube video by Tom Francis
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Dug into the buildcraft of Slice & Dice - what works about it and what's weird:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Eh... .
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Eh... .
Turning up Rain Sounds For Sleep 10 Hours so I can hear it over the rain outside.
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Turning up Rain Sounds For Sleep 10 Hours so I can hear it over the rain outside.
For about another 21 hours all our games are suspiciously cheap:
🕵️ Gunpoint is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
Save 40% on Tactical Breach Wizards on Steam
In Tactical Breach Wizards, you lead a team of renegade wizards in kevlar through turn-based battles to unravel a modern conspiracy plot. Combine their unique spells in clever ways, or rewind time to ...
store.steampowered.com
November 8, 2025 at 8:59 PM
For about another 21 hours all our games are suspiciously cheap:
🕵️ Gunpoint is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
🕵️ Gunpoint is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/206190/G...
🚀 Heat Signature is 80% off! store.steampowered.com/app/268130/H...
🧙♂️ Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off! store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/...
Reposted by Tom Francis
It’s time for this starship to take flight - Generation Exile has launched in Steam Early Access and is available right now!
store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
November 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It’s time for this starship to take flight - Generation Exile has launched in Steam Early Access and is available right now!
store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
Reposted by Tom Francis
Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off in today's Daily Deal! The cheapest the wizards have ever allowed us to price them.
To celebrate, we've added a community missions pack, featuring some great ones players have made since launch.
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
To celebrate, we've added a community missions pack, featuring some great ones players have made since launch.
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
Save 40% on Tactical Breach Wizards on Steam
In Tactical Breach Wizards, you lead a team of renegade wizards in kevlar through turn-based battles to unravel a modern conspiracy plot. Combine their unique spells in clever ways, or rewind time to ...
store.steampowered.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Tactical Breach Wizards is 40% off in today's Daily Deal! The cheapest the wizards have ever allowed us to price them.
To celebrate, we've added a community missions pack, featuring some great ones players have made since launch.
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
To celebrate, we've added a community missions pack, featuring some great ones players have made since launch.
store.steampowered.com/app/1043810/... .
Reposted by Tom Francis
I almost can't believe this but the game we've been working on for a, uh, frightening long time now is launching into Steam Early Access NEXT WEEK!
November 4th, 9am PT
Wishlistin' plz and thank: store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
November 4th, 9am PT
Wishlistin' plz and thank: store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
Generation Exile on Steam
You are aboard humanity’s first and final generation ship, a last-chance expedition now teetering on the rim of collapse. One step at a time you must rebuild society and the ship’s fragile ecosystems ...
store.steampowered.com
October 31, 2025 at 7:36 PM
I almost can't believe this but the game we've been working on for a, uh, frightening long time now is launching into Steam Early Access NEXT WEEK!
November 4th, 9am PT
Wishlistin' plz and thank: store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
November 4th, 9am PT
Wishlistin' plz and thank: store.steampowered.com/app/2963240/...
This is great to read. Letting players turn off permadeath in Heat Signature was sacrilege, design-wise, but trivial effort-wise - so we did it.
Hearing how much it let someone truly click with the game really shows the value of letting people engage with your stuff on their own terms.
Hearing how much it let someone truly click with the game really shows the value of letting people engage with your stuff on their own terms.
With huge apologies to @pentadact.com , I have written about #heatsignature , the best space heist stealth murder gadget hacking tactical puzzle game ever made:
open.substack.com/pub/affectio...
open.substack.com/pub/affectio...
Heat Signature: The Definitive Review
Always. Be. Crashbeaming. Glitchtrapping. Shotgunning. Wrenching. Subverting (extreme range, self-charging)
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
This is great to read. Letting players turn off permadeath in Heat Signature was sacrilege, design-wise, but trivial effort-wise - so we did it.
Hearing how much it let someone truly click with the game really shows the value of letting people engage with your stuff on their own terms.
Hearing how much it let someone truly click with the game really shows the value of letting people engage with your stuff on their own terms.
Aw, very kind! 🙏
And yeah, undo is so useful at dev time too. Check if the crazy thing you just saw was a bug or just a counter-intuitive rules interaction - and either way, study it in captivity.
And yeah, undo is so useful at dev time too. Check if the crazy thing you just saw was a bug or just a counter-intuitive rules interaction - and either way, study it in captivity.
Us channeling @pentadact.com - the design GOAT in respecting players’ time, including the hypothetical time / pre-commit experimentation phase.
✨⌛️🔄⌛️✨
For us, a turn’s end is the commit action. I hope we’ll see many other games embrace undo by degrees, gradually making save-crawling less appealing.
✨⌛️🔄⌛️✨
For us, a turn’s end is the commit action. I hope we’ll see many other games embrace undo by degrees, gradually making save-crawling less appealing.
When we were refining the card battle interactions for The Killing Stone, we needed an undo button so we could test out various card combos. We loved the results so much, we made it a feature of the game. Here's how to optimize Undo in battle, and put those demons in their place. #indiegames
October 21, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Aw, very kind! 🙏
And yeah, undo is so useful at dev time too. Check if the crazy thing you just saw was a bug or just a counter-intuitive rules interaction - and either way, study it in captivity.
And yeah, undo is so useful at dev time too. Check if the crazy thing you just saw was a bug or just a counter-intuitive rules interaction - and either way, study it in captivity.
Just an absolute cat pretzel. At my *funeral* I won't be this relaxed.
October 16, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Just an absolute cat pretzel. At my *funeral* I won't be this relaxed.
Reposted by Tom Francis
Looks like I'm looking for work. If anyone out there happens to have a lead or principal level design gig in Austin or remote, I'm all ears.
October 7, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Looks like I'm looking for work. If anyone out there happens to have a lead or principal level design gig in Austin or remote, I'm all ears.
"OK, we've got nothing to brag about on quality or price, so what's our selling point?"
...
...
"Well, if you're standing right outside..."
...
...
"Well, if you're standing right outside..."
October 2, 2025 at 4:22 AM
"OK, we've got nothing to brag about on quality or price, so what's our selling point?"
...
...
"Well, if you're standing right outside..."
...
...
"Well, if you're standing right outside..."
In this Columbo ep, he hassles a chess champ enough for the guy to lose one of his 10 simultaneous games. Fair enough, happens to the best of us when we done a bad murder.
On closer inspection though, he lost in 2 moves, the literal worst moves possible in chess, and a comedy own-goal.
On closer inspection though, he lost in 2 moves, the literal worst moves possible in chess, and a comedy own-goal.
September 28, 2025 at 3:12 PM
In this Columbo ep, he hassles a chess champ enough for the guy to lose one of his 10 simultaneous games. Fair enough, happens to the best of us when we done a bad murder.
On closer inspection though, he lost in 2 moves, the literal worst moves possible in chess, and a comedy own-goal.
On closer inspection though, he lost in 2 moves, the literal worst moves possible in chess, and a comedy own-goal.
Reposted by Tom Francis
Ever wake up and dice a whole bird's eye chilli into your hot chocolate?
If not, I may have discovered why not.
If not, I may have discovered why not.
September 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Ever wake up and dice a whole bird's eye chilli into your hot chocolate?
If not, I may have discovered why not.
If not, I may have discovered why not.
Don't give me the One Ring cos if either of my cats reaches out to me with a paw, all logic leaves my brain and I give them whatever I'm holding.
Similar guidance applies to firearms.
Similar guidance applies to firearms.
September 20, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Don't give me the One Ring cos if either of my cats reaches out to me with a paw, all logic leaves my brain and I give them whatever I'm holding.
Similar guidance applies to firearms.
Similar guidance applies to firearms.