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Matt Stark

@mattstark256.bsky.social

the game designer behind Viewfinder. he/him πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ

3,785 Followers  |  303 Following  |  44 Posts  |  Joined: 05.07.2023  |  2.3165

Latest posts by mattstark256.bsky.social on Bluesky

I'm also running it in chrome, my computers pretty powerful though. I'll maybe do a standalone build later cause that might run better. The game's also just not as optimized as it could be haha

12.09.2025 16:34 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
The "get better material" crow comic but instead of "caw" it's "townscaper"

The "get better material" crow comic but instead of "caw" it's "townscaper"

12.09.2025 15:43 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A screenshot of a game showing roman-style buildings and a hedge maze, with level editing UI.

A screenshot of a game showing roman-style buildings and a hedge maze, with level editing UI.

A screenshot of a game showing roman-style buildings, crates, gates and other objects in a hedge maze, with level editing UI.

A screenshot of a game showing roman-style buildings, crates, gates and other objects in a hedge maze, with level editing UI.

A screenshot of a PS1-style game showing a mansion with columns, terracotta roofs, a pond, and trees.

A screenshot of a PS1-style game showing a mansion with columns, terracotta roofs, a pond, and trees.

A screenshot of a PS1-style game showing a courtyard surrounded by columns, with an urn on a pedestal at the centre.

A screenshot of a PS1-style game showing a courtyard surrounded by columns, with an urn on a pedestal at the centre.

I've made a maze-building game where you can explore them in first person! It's got some puzzle-y mechanics and you can share your build for other players to solve. You can play it here: mattstark.itch.io/mazegarden #gamedev

12.09.2025 15:40 β€” πŸ‘ 97    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
2023’s Most Brilliant Puzzle Game Finally Comes To Switch And Xbox After years of being a PlayStation console exclusive, the most inventive game of 2023 is finally coming to Xbox and Switch.

Viewfinder is finally coming to Xbox and Switch, and you love to see it. If you've never had the opportunity to play it, now's your chance.

Sad Owl Studios deserved both BAFTAs, and meeting a couple of the team at Gamescom (including @serknowles.bsky.social) confirmed they're Good Eggsβ„’

22.07.2025 13:04 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 4
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viewfinder is finally coming to xbox this august 12, one more platform to go!!! 🫑🫑🫑

23.07.2025 03:51 β€” πŸ‘ 54    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

πŸ“’ We only have 1 day left!!!

The current status is 961,203
/ 1,000,000 this is SO close we can do it!!

Please it just takes 1 minute!

16.05.2025 12:25 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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I've made a game about building medieval castles! 🏰 you can play it here: mattstark.itch.io/islandoodle-ii

03.05.2025 12:31 β€” πŸ‘ 2771    πŸ” 458    πŸ’¬ 74    πŸ“Œ 20
Various sketches of buildings and a section of a 1493 map of Rome from the Nuremberg chronicle

Various sketches of buildings and a section of a 1493 map of Rome from the Nuremberg chronicle

The style's loosely based off woodcut maps of Italy from the Nuremberg chronicle, old maps are so cool

08.03.2025 11:21 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
basilica by mattstark a minimalist cathedral builder

just uploaded another building game, this one's smaller and more basic than the others I've made but I thought I'd share it anyway 😊 mattstark.itch.io/basilica

08.03.2025 11:08 β€” πŸ‘ 112    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 0
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I made this procedural puzzle game a while back but never finished or shared it, so I decided to amend that 😁 You can play it here: mattstark.itch.io/landflip

15.02.2025 14:17 β€” πŸ‘ 432    πŸ” 105    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 5
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Today, the UK government announced a proposal to change copyright law - for the benefit of AI companies - that would cause huge, irreversible harm to creators.

More info below, but most importantly here's what you can do (wherever you live):

1. Email your MP. Template letter in 🧡 πŸ‘‡

1/10

17.12.2024 18:19 β€” πŸ‘ 5423    πŸ” 4158    πŸ’¬ 176    πŸ“Œ 646

Thanks! I started it about 2 months ago and worked on it most weekends. I wasn't starting from scratch though, since I re-used various bits of code from my previous building games.

03.12.2024 17:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
a sketch of a cross-section of underground streets, with tunnels and an elevator

a sketch of a cross-section of underground streets, with tunnels and an elevator

a screenshot from the development of Vaulton, showing an early version of the game with concept sketches drawn over it

a screenshot from the development of Vaulton, showing an early version of the game with concept sketches drawn over it

a screenshot of the part of development where I was writing the light source placement code. They're scattered around an untextured space

a screenshot of the part of development where I was writing the light source placement code. They're scattered around an untextured space

a screenshot of some tunnels just before I started adding house models

a screenshot of some tunnels just before I started adding house models

some more development pics

01.12.2024 12:31 β€” πŸ‘ 33    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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how to build elevators and bridges in Vaulton! u can play it here: mattstark.itch.io/vaulton #gamedev

01.12.2024 12:03 β€” πŸ‘ 208    πŸ” 27    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Vaulton by mattstark a minimalist city builder

My underground city builder is done! You can play it here:
mattstark.itch.io/vaulton

30.11.2024 10:30 β€” πŸ‘ 169    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 0

Yeah you're welcome to feature my games! 😁

30.11.2024 11:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Houses near Waterloo Station in London

Houses near Waterloo Station in London

Wall clutter inside a London Underground station (Elephant & Castle I think?)

Wall clutter inside a London Underground station (Elephant & Castle I think?)

A spiral staircase inside a London Underground station (Elephant & Castle I think?)

A spiral staircase inside a London Underground station (Elephant & Castle I think?)

A heavily weathered wall with windows near Waterloo Station in London

A heavily weathered wall with windows near Waterloo Station in London

It's mostly based on London, I love how clutter from different eras stacks up

30.11.2024 11:08 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A sketch of an underground street with adjoining tunnels

A sketch of an underground street with adjoining tunnels

A game screenshot showing a similar underground street with adjoining tunnels

A game screenshot showing a similar underground street with adjoining tunnels

Initial concept vs result! I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted with this one haha

30.11.2024 10:50 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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30.11.2024 10:41 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

Screenshot of a building game showing underground Victorian-style streets, houses, tunnels, bridges and other features.

It's a bit different to the previous ones I've made because there's only one material, so all the features (tunnels, streets, bridges, stairs, elevators, trains) are produced by different patterns of cells

30.11.2024 10:38 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Vaulton by mattstark a minimalist city builder

My underground city builder is done! You can play it here:
mattstark.itch.io/vaulton

30.11.2024 10:30 β€” πŸ‘ 169    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 13    πŸ“Œ 0

We got Best Puzzle

28.11.2024 22:25 β€” πŸ‘ 66    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks! There's various systems at work. First it generates tunnels and elevators, then it generates the larger spaces, starting with streets then stairs, houses, balconies etc

18.11.2024 19:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
a screenshot of the meshes of a game where the mesh on the edge of a rock voxel is highlighted

a screenshot of the meshes of a game where the mesh on the edge of a rock voxel is highlighted

a game screenshot showing rocks with seaweed and corals, fish, and a greenhouse

a game screenshot showing rocks with seaweed and corals, fish, and a greenhouse

Even for organic stuff there's many approaches. For Islandoodle I just used conventional heightmaps for the terrain and rivers, while in the fish tank one I used billboarding meshes on the edges of rock to get the look I wanted

17.11.2024 19:14 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with a wall highlighted

A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with a wall highlighted

A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with a bridge highlighted

A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with a bridge highlighted

A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with house details highlighted

A screenshot showing the wireframe meshes of a building game, with house details highlighted

Kind of a variety - I start with an idea of how it should look then split it up where necessary. I've used the corner pieces approach in the past but I've not found myself needing it for these cause it's more useful for organic shapes like caves and islands

17.11.2024 19:01 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Gonna be called Vaulton I think! That's been the working title, and I brainstormed others but I prefer it. I like how it's both vault-town and volt-town, cause the tech is kinda electric retrofuture πŸ’‘βš‘

17.11.2024 18:46 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

It varies, but the last two each took a couple months where I'd be mostly doing it on the weekends. It helps that they re-use stuff like the save system and interactions. I'm trying to keep up a good pace and not get too perfectionist about things - once an asset is done, it's done πŸ˜…

17.11.2024 12:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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⛏️⛏️⛏️ #gamedev

17.11.2024 10:27 β€” πŸ‘ 256    πŸ” 28    πŸ’¬ 10    πŸ“Œ 1
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17.11.2024 10:11 β€” πŸ‘ 41    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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the GIFs stopped working, looks like for now I gotta convert them to video

17.11.2024 10:09 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

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