indie tooling

What changed in your engine, tools and asset store, and whether you should care. Indie game dev news, written by people who ship.

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

The EU's Digital Fairness Act proposal would ban paid loot boxes and pay-to-win for under-18s, and make virtual currency show its real-money price.

#gamedev #indiedev

https://t.co/RySV7H330u

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Nineteen IGF jurors say they won't vote for any game that used generative AI, even for code. Steam, https://t.co/eQ2Uj1PmNg and the IGF each ask a different disclosure question.

#gamedev #indiedev

https://t.co/9NvJJaGawl

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Blender 5.3 shipped on 10 November with Gaussian splat import and Vulkan by default. Splats are view-only, with no export, and the promised texture layers didn't make it. #gamedev #b3d
https://t.co/4sTHja5odr

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Defold 1.14.1 adds runtime vector fonts and a native Lua debugger, but it now leaves WebGL 1 and GLES 2.0 shaders out of builds by default. HTML5 and older Android shippers should check one setting before upgrading. #gamedev #Defold
https://t.co/Lz8vnQJ8PE

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

An AI clone can rebuild a core loop from a trailer. The law protects your art and your name, not your mechanic. A pre-demo checklist for solo devs, from asset ownership to a US$65 registration. #gamedev #indiedev
https://t.co/i2rcIvOZRj

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

ArtStation now asks you to label every new project for generative AI, and its default filters hide declared or reported AI work. Here's how to label game art honestly.

#gamedev #indiedev

https://t.co/CKK6rp6Mki

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

SteamOS 3.9 moved every stable Steam Deck to Linux 7.2 on 23 October and fixed the frame limiter with VRR on. If you cap frame rate yourself, retest it.

#gamedev #SteamDeck

https://t.co/roc2v1fmEx

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Grit compiles Godot's GDScript to C++, with reported gains starting around 1.1x. Before you add a new toolchain, profile your game and add static types first.

#gamedev #Godot

https://t.co/8reLdlBprj

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Unreal Engine 5.9 Preview 1 brings back web export through WebAssembly and WebGPU. The catch: for now it needs a source build and a C++ project, and https://t.co/eQ2Uj1PmNg caps uploads at 500 MB.

#gamedev #UnrealEngine

https://t.co/80ubx0qK9u

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Koshizu Trees 1.0 grows five Japanese garden species in Blender's Geometry Nodes, with a licence that covers commercial games. It's US$32 until 14 November, but LODs and wind are on you.

#gamedev #b3d

https://t.co/QSILvTwmqF

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Two hobbyists AI-cloned Word Play in about 12 minutes, then asked its developer before releasing it. Where does "inspired by" become "a copy of"? Four questions to test a game against, and what to prepare.

#gamedev #indiedev

https://t.co/YNsIfW0QS9

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Steam pre-release reviews are now taking up to 12 business days, well past the usual three to five. If your launch is less than a month away, here's how to rework your timeline and pass first time.

#gamedev #Steam

https://t.co/yuBLcdjRWi

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

GOG Galaxy is coming to Linux in 2027, and Linux hit 3.95% of Steam users in October. If you sell on GOG, here's the Linux build checklist: 64-bit, bundled libraries, locale bugs and DLC checks. #gamedev #linuxgaming
https://t.co/PARzUBaXcW

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

On iOS in the EU, Epic's 12% plus Apple's 5% CTC comes to 17%, more than the 15% Small Business rate on the App Store. What third-party stores really cost you, and the Play Console setting to check. #gamedev #indiedev
https://t.co/nirkOVuHTC

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

The MetaHuman Creator web app closed on 5 November. You have 90 days, to about 3 February, to pull web-made characters out with Bridge. Our step-by-step migration checklist. #gamedev #UnrealEngine
https://t.co/SU3UmcjXDY

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Quixel made all 23,000+ Megascans free on Fab on 5 November, with refunds for 2025 buyers. The post doesn't say which licence applies or how long it lasts. What to check before you claim. #gamedev #3Dart
https://t.co/O7uwQtrTro

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Silver Lake and PIF have reportedly talked about buying Unity at about US$25bn. Your licence doesn't change today, and the version-lock clause protects your terms. Here's what it doesn't cover. #gamedev #Unity3D
https://t.co/VLveMDVdco

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Epic says Blueprints, Actors and C++ gameplay code won't be in Unreal Engine 6; gameplay moves to Verse. Early Access is aimed at late 2027, so finish UE5 projects on UE5. #gamedev #UnrealEngine
https://t.co/kl7hpAbpft

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Steam's October survey puts 16GB of RAM back on top at 41.42%, with 32GB down to 37.06%. One month can mislead, but keep your minimum spec modest. #gamedev #indiedev
https://t.co/Noa9vvz80w

[indie tooling @indietoolingcom]

Newzoo surveyed 6,166 PC and console players: 58% of purchases land more than a month after launch, and around 70% off makes players wonder what's wrong. Plan your first year of discounts before you ship. #gamedev #indiedev
https://t.co/nNFjJENel7