Developer update: I've started work on the hotel exterior for "The Deadly Bluff: A Mini-Maple Mystery". Basically I worked on one side of the building and then mirrored it -- Later on I will make sure there are details and weathering to give both sides unique aspects.

The story is coming along well, though I'm hitting a bit of a wall when it comes to writing the later chapters. I need to fully flesh out the earlier chapters before I can figure out what'll happen going forward. The Crimson Diamond was developed a chapter at a time, pretty much by accident, but I think that's what works best for me.

I'm glad I'm working on this small adventure game before diving into The Crimson Diamond's sequel. I still have a lot to learn about my own processes.

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Curious Odyssey Steam event

The Crimson Diamond is 25% off on Steam for the Curious Odyssey event, curated by Revoluation Software and ASH Games. The sale ends on March 18.

The Crimson Diamond is also sold on itchio and GOG and FireFlower Games. Sometimes people ask me where the best place is to buy the game, to support me as an indie dev. Steam is best (especially if you also leave a review), it's incredibly helpful for visibility on the store. But please choose whichever option is best for you.

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I contributed to "The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope: 100+ Essays on the Craft of Game Writing", collated by Jon Ingold. You can order your own copy, in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats!

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I had the privilege of speaking at Ubisoft Toronto for International Women's Day this year! I shared my game dev journey, the benefits and pitfalls of being a solo-ish indie, and the value of making connections.

Ubisoft Toronto motion capture studio

After the talk, they gave me a tour of the studio, including the incredible motion capture facilities they have.

Ubisoft Toronto loot box

After that, they gifted me these lovely items, all from women-owned Canadian brands! I had a lovely time.

The Crimson Diamond Ubisoft Toronto 2019 Indie Series finalist

That wasn't the first time I visited the studio: Back in 2019, The Crimson Diamond was a Ubisoft Toronto Indie Series finalist. That was a big moment for me, as someone who works quietly on my own from home in my jogging pants. I felt like I was standing amongst my peers, and I felt part of the games industry.

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fourthwall store

If you'd like some awesome The Crimson Diamond stickers, hats, t-shirts and more, I have some fun stuff on my Fourthwall store. I particularly like the embroidered items, and they all ship and arrive quite quickly, no matter where you are in the world.

And if you're interested in setting up a Fourthwall store of your own, here's my referral link (I'd get $15 credit :D).
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Steven Lake had me on his "The Examined Game" podcast (here's a link to the video version on his Youtube channel). I talked about making The Crimson Diamond and how that happened. It was an excellent conversation -- I recommend you give it a watch/listen! If you prefer to listen to it in podcast format, it's available a bunch of different ways.

Steven also included me in this wonderful little video (along with Jon Ingold and Richard Lemarchand!) about chairs in video games.

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More art, more Double Dragon, and getting re-stuck in Karuizawa Yūkai Annai!

Livestream VOD round-up. All the streams since last gazette are here:

February 17th art stream, February 24th art stream, March 3rd art stream

Crimson C'Tuesday happens every Tuesday at 8pm Eastern on Twitch. Come and hang out.

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Karuizawa Yūkai Annai (MSX version 1986, Enix) is fighting me every step of the way. I got stuck AGAIN, but I've gone back to the video I was watching for it and repeated the steps I saw in it, and have gotten myself unstuck again. Looking forward to the next stream of it.

Here's the playlist so far.

My completed Let's Plays:

Personal Nightmare (Horrorsoft 1989)

Last Half of Darkness (Softlab Software Laboratories 1989)

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (LucasArts 1989)

Rise of the Dragon Let's Play (Dynamix, 1990)

The Sorceror's Appraisal (Yahtzee Croshaw, 2002)

Cruise for a Corpse (Delphine Software International, 1991)

Mortville Manor (Lankhor, 1987)

Legend of the Sword (Silicon Software, 1988)

Loom (Lucasfilm Games, 1990)

Altered Destiny (Accolade, 1990)

The Dark Convergence (Jeffrey Kintz, 1993)

The Dark Convergence 2 (Jeffrey Kintz, 1994)

High Seas Homicide (Sherwood Forest Software, 1993)

Denarius Avaricius Sextus (Thorsoft of Letchworth,1992)

Earthrise (Interstel, 1990)

Lord Avalot d'Argent (Thorsoft of Letchworth, 1995)

Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess (ERE Informatique, 1989)

Omnicron Conspiracy (First Star Software, 1989 / Streaksy, 2025)

Neuromancer -- UNFINISHED LP (Interplay, 1989)

Double Dragon EGA (Technos Japan, 1988)

Double Dragon CGA (Technos Japan, 1988)

Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (Enix, 1985)

The Twilight Zone (Gigabit Systems Inc., 1988)

Heart of China (Dynamix, 1991)

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Do you love it when people are wearing pants? You might enjoy Pantsmo's Pantaloon Adventure, a free, modded version of Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure. eviltentacle is the mastermind of the project, with some assistance from me and Emmfoolery.

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Crystal twinning at the Royal Ontario Museum

MINERAL TRIVIA SECTION

DID YOU KNOW: Crystals can have twins! Crystal twinnin g is a phenomenon wherein two crystals develop together along particular lattice points, according to their underlying crystal structures. Different kinds of crystals can have twins at specific angles, which can help identify them. I photographed this impressive collection of twins during my most recent visit to the Royal Ontario Museum.

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Denarius Avaricius Sextus Cross-stitch complete

CRAFT CORNER

Here's the completed (plus quilted border, courtesy of my Mom) cross-stitch for Denarius Avaricius Sextus. I mailed it to Marnanel Thurman, who made the game with her brother when they were both teenagers. She livestreamed the unboxing of it so I got to see her reaction when she opened it. <3

Here are the DMC Embroidery floss colours I used for this project:

EGA DMC embroidery floss colours

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Holiday card 2025 process GIF

INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE CRIMSON DIAMOND?

I have Patreon and PayPal. Or visit The Crimson Diamond's Steam page to purchase or follow the game. (Steam reviews are super helpful and appreciated!) It's also available on GOG, itchio and FireFlower Games.

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Thanks for reading. Happy March!

-- JM