Near's Avatar

Near

@skylessblind.bsky.social

Artist and sound designer working on Margin of the Strange, and creator of Skyless Blind, a cosmic horror exploration game https://tinyurl.com/SkylessBlindKickstart

410 Followers  |  84 Following  |  142 Posts  |  Joined: 17.10.2024  |  6.3577

Latest posts by skylessblind.bsky.social on Bluesky

Much of this was initially going to be part of the "Steam update," I decided to split it up because I'm moving across the country and I'm not going to be able to use my computer for a bit, so I wanted you guys to have at least a few new features until I can finish the rest.

08.10.2025 00:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 5    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image

Skyless 1.6 is here, available to everyone! Including a ton of bug fixes, a new secret world, new pages to the Garden Grimorika, new items, and a black hole.
skylessblind.itch.io/skylessblind

08.10.2025 00:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 37    ๐Ÿ” 6    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image 30.09.2025 03:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 38    ๐Ÿ” 4    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

The first batch of digital goodies are out! KS backers can check their KS dms for HD wallpapers and art. More coming soon <3

30.09.2025 02:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

It should be! There's an issue with text being cut off the screen on steam deck right now but we're trying to find solutions to that.

16.09.2025 23:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Skyless is coming to steam soon btw! Only reason it hasn't yet is because I want to have one more free content update first with a few features that I didn't have time for before the initial beta release. I want the game to be the best shape it can be in when it goes live on Steam ๐Ÿ’™

22.08.2025 21:41 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 24    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

it will be!

22.08.2025 21:38 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

๐Ÿ  in a void reef

20.08.2025 23:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 137    ๐Ÿ” 16    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

Ever been to a void reef before?

03.08.2025 03:46 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 43    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Getting lost is part of the experience I want to make! Everything from the world layout to the mechanics are designed around the experience of being lost and aimlessly wandering. I think people are used to being lost in games being a bad thing you want to avoid, but that's not the case with skyless.

01.08.2025 01:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I have more things like these planned, but I want to aim more for navigation methods that are baked into the worlds themselves and reward the player for learning the world around them. I don't think something like the signalscope would work very well in 2D or even be possible in RPG Maker

01.08.2025 01:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

There's a few of those! Locality gates update to track your last used corresponding gate to allow soft location saving, the dimensional fissure in the lake of ash works as a nether highway essentially (this will be added to other worlds) and there's a mask that lets you save and return to a location

01.08.2025 01:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This will mostly just content that I wanted to have ready for the beta release but had to cut due to time. So, things that are needed to make me feel satisfied with the beta as its own release essentially.

01.08.2025 00:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Working on one last free update to launch with the steam release! It'll include more pages to the garden grimorika, expansions to the ice shell moon and solprovenant ruins, tons of bug fixes and maybe even a new secret world. After that, updates will be KS backer exclusive ๐Ÿ’œ

01.08.2025 00:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 16    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I actually do have maps of all the worlds. I want the locations to feel real and to fit together coherently so I use maps for design purposes. But I'll probably never put those in game bc it works against the feelings I want to create. Being lost is part of the experience.

25.07.2025 02:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Even in games that hide markers or borders until you've been in that location, once you've made your way there and get a map that location still instantly loses much of its mystique. There's no way around this, maps are antithetical to creating a sense of discovery. (4/5)

25.07.2025 02:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

That's just how the human mind interprets scale. When you don't know where things are they could be anywhere, there could be new mysteries around any corner, and so that's how it'll feel. When you know where the borders are that mystery is gone, and everything feels small. (3/5)

25.07.2025 02:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Once you know where the borders of a world are it loses its mystique. Not only because you know where things are, but because once you can see the entire world as a little piece of paper in front of you it psychologically feels smaller, even if it's not small at all. (2/5)

25.07.2025 02:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I know a lot of people want maps in Skyless, but I'll probably never add them. When lost it's easy to feel frustrated, so you think having a map would be a better experience. But what you don't *consciously* feel is the loss of mystery and scale when you *do* have a map. (1/5)

25.07.2025 02:21 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 19    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@xdnighthawkxd.bsky.social Just teasing, enjoyed the stream :)

However I will confirm that if you could quantify the amount of inspiration Skyless pulls from undertale with a number, it'd be in the negatives

21.07.2025 23:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

I'm sorry, what?

21.07.2025 23:56 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 20    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image 21.07.2025 22:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image 21.07.2025 22:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 18    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image 21.07.2025 22:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 11    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image

Going through some art I made when I was laying groundwork for the universe that would become Skyless back when I was a teenager. I don't usually make concept art because I'd rather just make the thing I'm conceptualizing, so this is the closest thing Skyless has to it ๐Ÿงต

21.07.2025 22:51 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 63    ๐Ÿ” 6    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Post image

We made the archeology stretch goal and then went even further just before the end of the campaign!! Thank you all so much, this has been insane. I don't really have the words to express what this means to me.

This is just the beginning! Now I get to finish the game โค๏ธ

21.07.2025 00:20 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 64    ๐Ÿ” 9    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Live on twitch, come say hi! Less than 3 hours of the campaign left!

20.07.2025 20:40 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 7    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The main reason we want to have this is so more people can get access to the beta updates if they want, since many people who come in later won't have had the chance to get in on that. That and one or two other tiers will be available, most will not

20.07.2025 20:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 6    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hey just want to announce that we have decided to enable late pledges to the kickstarter! Late pledges are more expensive and only a few tiers will be available to be backed late, so you should back the game before the campaign ends if you can! But that will be an option if you can't โค๏ธ

20.07.2025 20:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 11    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Skyless Blind - a stylized cosmic horror exploration game Travel through the starlit ruins of a shattered cosmos

Fossil-based weaponry, primordial cloaks and masks, revived extinct species for new familiars, and much more are all on the table. Let's make this happen!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/sky...

20.07.2025 19:27 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@skylessblind is following 20 prominent accounts