#bitsmith games

Owen Harris is a Game Designer, Lecturer and lover of all things playful. When not working on DEEP, he is the studio head of the award winning bitSmith Games and teaches Game Design in DIT. He has spoken all over Ireland and Europe on the topics of game design, community building and production.

FranknJohn Smashes onto Steam Today

FranknJohn is the randomly generated head-smashing RPG that is now available on Steam. FranknJohn wakes with no memory, busting from his grave. His head will only stay on his body with the help of a chain. Alas, his weakest point becomes his ally as he uses his head to smash into his enemies. I guess this game really offers us some head smashing fun! Did I mention you can currently get in on the…

Frank "Yupfrank"Duran gives you a preview of the game that really teaches you to use your head, FranknJohn.

Play FranknJohn here & support the kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitsmithgames/franknjohn

Dont call it a Comeback!

We’re still here! Things have been quiet here in blogland, take it as a sign that we have been…

Ku: SOTM Available on Desura today

Hey all, Just a quick post to let you know that Ku is now available on Desura! Alternatively you…

Ku: Shroud Of the Morrigan gameplay footage

So I've been out of the loop on this for a while because I'm running a few things. One is the bitSmith Games Tumblr and their website blog (and I'm there on the design team, which is awesome). Exciting stuff. Also might be doing some work for The Player - the joys of networking and seemingly knowing what you're talking about. Launches and new things. Also I've been logged in to their Tumblr the whole time, and I have been chewing through Game of Thrones. On the third book now, and working through it. 

The other thing, is that anybody following this who doesn't know me (hahahaha) would know I passed my exams. Whoopah. I'm kind of glad they didn't give marks. It's pass or fail. This means that I'm on my final project and writing like a fucking fiend on it - the blog for that is pretty interesting too, if you like conspiracy theories, Trinity College, trees, three-dimensional sound and inscape. 

So I'm also writing for another group, Simple Lifeforms. They just released their kickstarter which I'd recommend donating to. I'm writing the wiki, strange news articles, and I've been doing a bit of conceptual level design. So I came up with stuff like how the rituals for entering blood wars, how things progress, making strange links (Bulgarian 700-year-old exhumed bodies and the fact that Ceaucescu's DNA seems wrong in the exhumed, anyone? Watch this space!)  

What else. I've been on my own in my house the last couple of weeks, it's been peaceful enough until a bloody funfair sets up outside my house. Whatever though. It hasn't bothered me that much. I've also started learning a general shotokan karate/self defence thing in my spare time with an extremely generous friend, and discovered a magic oil that makes my bruises disappear. 

I really have been away from this for a while. 

I have to start making things or putting up my own work, instead of constant reblogs, although it'll mean what I'm putting up will get a lot less interesting. I guess I know which direction I want to take for the moment. It's pretty awesome that I get to write now, and it seems to be getting fairly well received. 

Lots of things going on at the moment, much to read and more to do. Sometimes it's kind of overwhelming, like the week before when I did two gigs in a week - one with a friend called Naoise (with intensive rehearsal beforehand) and the other with Operation Smile and the Co-Orch. We played a 2-odd hour concert, including Mozart, Respighi, Fauré and Tom Lane (no comment on that one). Amazing but after the second gig with Naoise my old injuries had come back from tour - a kind of tearing tendon. It's horrible and takes time to heal. Also means I could never do that much music again. Sad.