The hottest Game Development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

A Detailed Review of Like 8% of Mewgenics

The Bottom Feeder • 581 implied HN points • 05 Mar 26
🎭️ Culture Game Development
  1. Mewgenics is a highly polished, addictive indie game that mixes cat-breeding meta-progression with grid-based tactical combat and roguelike-style mission runs. The design is huge and the soundtrack is excellent.
  2. The breeding system is the most novel part, but it’s opaque and the interface is clumsy, so managing and understanding cats feels frustrating and requires extra googling and grinding.
  3. A long development let the small team recombine proven indie ideas into a fresh, successful new IP, but the game is a big time-eater that won’t fit every player’s life.

Extending the demo: Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 20 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The DemoDemo disc contains a pre-final Motor Toon Grand Prix 2 build that hides most content behind menu and timer limits, but the game data for all characters, most modes, and an extra course is actually present.
  2. A small patch flips menu status bytes and removes the five‑minute demo timer, unlocking Single Race, Time Attack, Two‑Player Battle, seven extra characters, and the extra Toon Island II course so you can explore the prototype.
  3. The prototype differs from the final release in visible ways — different title screen, HUD layout, character names, lighting, handling, zoom levels, and messages — and it’s notable because one of the team members later went on to create Gran Turismo.

Under the microscope: Batman: Vengeance (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 101 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The PS2 build included debug symbols that revealed several cheat-related functions and a hidden "unlock all cinematics" routine.
  2. After starting a new game and returning to the Cinematics screen, holding the shoulder buttons and entering a specific L3/R3 press sequence (different but equivalent button sequences exist for GameCube and Xbox) triggers the secret.
  3. Instead of unlocking full FMVs, the sequence shows a quirky Easter-egg screen of developer photos and goofy nicknames that don’t clearly match publicly listed credits.

Extending the demo: Ridge Racer (PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 116 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. A prerelease Ridge Racer demo on the Japanese DemoDemo Vol. 1 disc contains almost a full build of the game. A patch can remove the demo limits so you can access menus, switch cars, and play other courses.
  2. The demo differs noticeably from the final release: missing or placeholder graphics and sounds, incomplete menus and name entry, different car models and records, and missing features like save/load, pause, and attract mode; debug options also reveal unused things like an overhead camera.
  3. Only a few small code changes (mode and camera values) are needed to unlock these parts, and file timestamps place the demo just weeks before the final build, offering a rare early look at PlayStation launch-era development.

Under the microscope: Unreal Tournament (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 06 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Memory inspection and static analysis were used to trace how the Dreamcast port records and handles cheat input, revealing the exact code path and buffers involved.
  2. Cheats are implemented as six-button sequences matched against stored arrays (Up=0x01, Down=0x02, Left=0x04, Right=0x08) which then execute named cheat commands; four public codes were known but the game checks six sequences.
  3. Two previously hidden codes were discovered: one unlocks all tournament modes and all levels across multiple modes, and the other raises the player/bot limit so you can add more bots.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Under the microscope: Roadsters (Dreamcast, PlayStation)

Rings of Saturn • 87 implied HN points • 28 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The same game uses completely different cheat systems on each platform, so the N64, Dreamcast, and PlayStation versions each have unique ways to unlock hidden features and content.
  2. On Dreamcast, pressing face buttons on the title screen fills a buffer and matching specific eight-button sequences triggers secrets; these unlock a Pong mini-game, extra goofy cars, a free-flight camera, five turbo boosts, the staff roll, and one sequence that appears to do nothing.
  3. On PlayStation, two distinct eight-button title-screen sequences give big rewards: one sets your Roadster Trophy cash to ten million and the other unlocks Category A/B cars, and entering both also marks several championship trophies as completed.

Under the microscope: Aero Elite: Combat Academy (PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. There’s a hidden secret-command system that’s triggered by disconnecting controller 1 and entering specific button combos on controller 2; the primary unlock code is hold L3+R3+Triangle and press X to enable cheat mode.
  2. Using the cheats unlocks every aircraft and emblem and activates an Alert Hangar menu option, and other codes enable features like a free camera (enter R2+L3+R3 then Triangle, use Square+Triangle to pause and L1/R1+D‑pad to move) and a replay cinematic bars effect.
  3. Reverse‑engineering with the game’s debug symbols revealed additional flag bits tied to fog, object scaling, and an unused bit that appear to be leftover developer features with no obvious in‑game effect.

How old is this newspaper?

Pea Bee • 183 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. PressGuessr is a game that asks players to guess the publication year of Indian Express front pages using visual and textual clues.
  2. The dataset has over 13,000 front pages from 1932–2025 gathered from Google News Archive and PressReader, with publication dates programmatically blurred and many modern full-page ads removed.
  3. Building the game was enjoyable and it’s more challenging to play than expected, and you can try it at pressguessr.com.

Coming Soon ... Avernum 4: Greed and Glory!

The Bottom Feeder • 824 implied HN points • 30 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Avernum 4: Greed and Glory is a new indie RPG set to release in October 2025. It continues a beloved series that has been around since 1994.
  2. The new game is a remaster of the 2005 title, aiming to improve on the original while telling fresh stories in its unique underworld setting.
  3. The developers are asking fans to wishlist the game on Steam, as it helps increase visibility and support for the upcoming release.

Formabble Prepares to Go Open Source

Formabble’s Substack • 2 HN points • 01 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Formabble is going open source soon, which will make it more accessible for developers. This shift aims to encourage transparency and collaboration in game development.
  2. The platform uses AI to help developers create games more easily. Its features include automating coding tasks and offering intelligent suggestions, making game design simpler and more creative.
  3. Formabble's new design promotes better teamwork, especially for multiplayer games. It allows players to sync their game data in real-time and even continue playing offline, improving the overall gaming experience.

Under the microscope: Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives & Ford vs. Chevy (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 03 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. You can uncover hidden cheat codes in old PS2 and Xbox games by inspecting runtime memory and controller input ring buffers with tools like Ghidra and runtime breakpoints; many games check a recent-input buffer each frame to match special sequences.
  2. In Ford Mustang: The Legend Lives, entering Up, Up, Up, Left, Down, Up, Right, Down, Down, Left, Right, Right, Up on the Profile screen unlocks all cars and all track variants on both PS2 and Xbox.
  3. In Ford vs. Chevy, pressing Up, Down, Left, Right at the main menu opens an Enter Cheat screen, and typing the word "POINTS" grants 625,000 points to buy cars; this cheat-buffer code is reused across multiple Eutechnyx games.

Under the microscope: Tarzan Untamed (GameCube, PlayStation 2)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 20 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Entering certain profile names unlocks hidden features: 'UBIPATCH' (PS2) or 'MDSTRUE' (GameCube) reveals a developer-faces minigame, and 'FRAMERATE' turns on an on-screen performance display.
  2. There are platform-specific cheats: on GameCube 'MDSGODS' lets you start any level and unlock all collectibles and cinematics, while on PS2 pressing L1+L2+R1+R2 then entering directional sequences grants unlimited spears or 99 lives.
  3. Reverse engineering shows these cheats are implemented as plain strings and input checks in memory, which explains why some codes are unusable on GameCube or left unused because a needed button input never updates.

Is the latest game subscription 'moral panic' justified?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 373 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. There is debate about whether the 'moral panic' around the latest game subscription services is justified.
  2. Subscription services like Game Pass are seen as gatekeeping and may impact the creation of creative first-party games.
  3. The market for games is evolving, with a mix of direct-to-market games, subscription services, and the importance of gamers owning their catalogs.

Under the microscope: Blues Brothers 2000 (Nintendo 64)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Previously unknown cheat codes were discovered in the N64 game Blues Brothers 2000, letting players trigger big‑head mode, gain extra lives, add money, become a mascot, view partial credits, and refill health.
  2. Reverse engineering located where controller input is stored and found a function that checks 17 cheat sequences held in an array of structs, which explains how the game detects and applies cheats.
  3. Many additional cheats are present but disabled or inert, and a routine appears to enable extra cheats if a save file is named 'marcus' or 'jawad!', implying developers left hidden features that weren’t activated in the retail release.

Under the microscope: Urban Chaos (Dreamcast)

Rings of Saturn • 58 implied HN points • 29 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The Dreamcast build has hidden "fast cheats" you unlock by holding L+R and entering a specific button sequence (stored backwards as "Y R R A B Y R R A B"). Once enabled, hold L+R+Start and press Up/Down/Left/Right to restore health, spawn guns, spawn ammo, or show the character's position.
  2. There are several other in-game codes: one (A,B,X,Y) shows a silly message, another completes the current stage, and another toggles draw distance which you adjust with the analog stick. A few strings referenced in the source (like LARALARA and BLADDUR) are present in code but don’t work in the final release.
  3. Access to the game's source code (and simple reverse-engineering) is what revealed these cheats and how they operate. The PlayStation version doesn’t appear to include the same in-game cheats, though it does have a separate "all levels" cheat available from the menu and shown in source snapshots.

Why do some great PC/console games fail to 'go big'?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 294 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Some great PC/console games may struggle to become popular despite positive ratings and marketing efforts.
  2. The genre of a game, such as 'Metroidvania', can impact its success due to market saturation and competition from existing popular titles.
  3. Publishers should focus on understanding player behavior, adapting marketing strategies, and fostering organic excitement to improve game reach and success.

Who's top of Steam Next Fest for October 2023?

The GameDiscoverCo newsletter • 255 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The top games at Steam Next Fest for October 2023 were a diverse mix of genres and styles, with a focus on deep building and crafting mechanics.
  2. There is a discussion about the existence of an 'indie games bubble,' highlighting challenges in funding new games and market saturation.
  3. Game discovery news includes updates on Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Sony testing PC trophies for PSN, and Epic Games Store's new features.

The Origins S11 Preseason is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 414 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The Origins S11 Preseason has started, allowing players to try new features like the Haunted House and Axie Delegation. Get ready for exciting gameplay and rewards!
  2. Players can earn extra rewards by entering the Haunted House battles and testing upgraded Runes. Winning can give you a chance for cool prizes!
  3. Three special tournaments are coming up, giving players a chance to test their skills. Be prepared to compete for prizes in the Preseason Era Cups!

GM Shaders: Mipmaps

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 117 implied HN points • 20 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Mipmapping helps to downsample textures for improved visual quality and performance.
  2. Enable mipmapping in GameMaker games to enhance texture filtering with different filter options.
  3. Consider factors like memory usage, texture sizes, and avoiding seams when utilizing mipmapping in game development.

GM Shaders Guest: GI

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 137 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Global Illumination in 2D can be achieved using Radiosity based GI for real-time per-pixel lighting in video games.
  2. Raymarching is a technique that accelerates scene rendering by approximating the distance to the nearest surface, often using Image-Based Distance Fields.
  3. Using Blue Noise and implementing implicit ray bouncing can enhance the quality of Global Illumination in games by providing uniform noise and consistent lighting across frames.

one year in

button mash • 176 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Starting to learn something new can be challenging but rewarding.
  2. Choosing the right tools, like game engines and coding approaches, is important for beginners in game development.
  3. Seeking out tutorials, teachers, and communities can help in the learning process and provide valuable support.

10 simple internal tools any EM can build in under 2 hours

Leading Developers • 65 implied HN points • 19 Aug 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Engineering managers can build simple internal tools in just a couple of hours. This helps solve problems for their teams and boosts productivity.
  2. There are various tool ideas like a demo-data preparator or a kudos board that can enhance team engagement and streamline processes.
  3. Using platforms like Base44 or Cursor can make developing these tools easier and more efficient, even for non-technical managers.

GM Shaders Guest: Gaming Engineer

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 137 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Noah Pauw discusses creating advanced 3D graphics in GameMaker using shaders for real-time lighting and PBR materials.
  2. Game Maker is favored by Noah despite advice to switch to Unity or Unreal for photorealistic 3D games.
  3. Noah shares insights on using Blender for 3D modeling, creating lighting shaders, implementing PBR materials, and drawing 3D environments in Game Maker.

GM Shaders: WebGPU

GM Shaders Mini Tuts • 58 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. WebGPU is the new standard for accelerated graphics and compute, set to replace WebGL. It offers more features, deeper low-level access, and enhanced security, making it exciting for developers.
  2. WebGPU provides cross-platform support, allowing for better control over GPU resources, and introduces compute shaders for handling diverse data types efficiently.
  3. WGSL, the shading language of WebGPU, is stricter than GLSL with similarities to Rust or Swift. It offers optimizations and consistent results across different hardware configurations.

Ex-Riot developers are making “Breath of the Wild with friends”

Updater, Shannon Liao's gaming newsletter • 117 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Former Riot developers are creating an open-world game similar to 'Breath of the Wild' with a focus on playing with friends
  2. The game studio secured $55 million in funding and aims to create a world characterized by optimism and worth fighting for
  3. The developers emphasize creating a rich player experience and aspire to build a media universe around the game, including an animated TV show

Dreamcast cheat code roundup: Surf Rocket Racers, Carrier, Vermillion Desert

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 19 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. In some Dreamcast games, using the second controller can unlock hidden cheat codes. For example, playing 'Fighting Vipers' with controller 2 allows you to access secret features.
  2. In 'Surf Rocket Racers', you can unlock a rubber duck character by using a specific cheat code with controller 4. This makes it easier to enjoy the game without completing all modes.
  3. In 'Carrier', special inputs with controller 4 and other controllers allow access to various debug menus and sound tests. This can enhance your gaming experience by giving you more control.

#9 - Creating an intuitive in-game menu

A Good Interface • 59 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. Understanding player expectations is crucial for designing intuitive in-game menus. Players have certain expectations for content and structure, deviating from which can lead to frustration.
  2. Menu navigation and flow are essential in creating a user-friendly experience. Design clear paths, group similar items, and prioritize important actions for quick and easy navigation.
  3. Consistency in iconography, terminology, and design elements, as well as testing with real players, feedback, and iteration, are key to crafting a well-crafted in-game menu that enhances the player experience.

First Person Shooter Raycaster Game Demo w/DragonRuby

Brian Knapp’s Newsletter • 19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. The project involved creating a 3D raycaster game demo in DragonRuby, resembling the style of Wolfenstein 3D.
  2. There were challenges with the coordinate systems and math that needed adjustments, like inverting the coordinate system to match the DragonRuby platform.
  3. Despite some hurdles, the project demonstrated the potential to create a cool demo with minimal code in a game development project.

Burning Rangers: the 1997-12-20 build

Rings of Saturn • 43 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Game Development
  1. There's a playable demo of the game 'Burning Rangers' from a 1997 build. It has many unique features and glitches not found in the final version.
  2. Players can change game settings to skip certain demo parts and play missions normally. This allows for a more complete gaming experience of the prototype.
  3. The demo has several bugs and issues during gameplay, like broken swimming mechanics and crashes, which make it feel very different from the final game.