Humble Software Bundle (campanha)
Uma campanha para aprender a trabalhar com o motor de desenvolvimento de videojogos Godot. Com o titulo “Learn Godot 2025 Complete Course Bundle” e com o texto de apresentação: “Your creative possibilities are limitless with the right game engine. Say hello to our latest Software Bundle: Learn Godot in 2025—a complete course collection designed to help you master Godot’s powerful, open-source, and beginner-friendly tools. Build any game you can imagine with step-by-step lessons like Make a Complete Bullet Hell from Scratch in Godot and Make a Fully-Fledged Farming RPG with Godot—then, learn to upload them online with Publishing to Steam for Godot Game Projects!”.
Da lista faz parte:
“3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 1 – Characters
3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 2 – Inventory
3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 3 – World
4X Strategy Game in Godot & C# – Unit 1 – Hex-Based Map
4X Strategy Game in Godot & C# – Unit 2 – City Spawning
4X Strategy Game in Godot & C# – Unit 3 – Units
Build Practical Real-World Apps using Godot
Build a Complete Roguelike from Scratch with Godot (2025 Edition)
Build a Walking Simulator with Godot 4
Construct a Multiplayer Lobby in Godot
Cozy Sandbox in Godot – Unit 1 – Player & World
Cozy Sandbox in Godot – Unit 2 – Tool Mechanics
Cozy Sandbox in Godot – Unit 3 – Base Building
Create a Complete 2D Platformer in Godot (2025 Edition)
Develop a Complete 3D Platformer in Godot (2025 Edition)
Explore VFX with Particles in Godot (2025 Edition)
Godot 4 Mini-Projects (2025 Edition)
Intermediate Godot – Essential Programming Patterns
Intro to Godot 4 Game Development (2025 Edition)
Intro to Rigging Models in Blender
Intro to the Game Development Industry
Learn 3D Modeling with Blender from Scratch
Learn UI Systems and Layouts for Godot
MagicaVoxel for Beginners – Create Voxel Game Assets
Make a Complete Bullet Hell from Scratch in Godot (2025 Edition)
Make a Fully-Fledged Farming RPG with Godot (2025 Edition)
Make an RTS Game in Godot from Start to Finish (2025 Edition)
Publishing to Steam for Godot Game Projects
UI/UX for Game Design
UV Mapping in Blender for Beginners”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Uma campanha para aprender a trabalhar com o motor de desenvolvimento de videojogos Unity. Com o titulo “The 2025 Learn Unity Game Development Bundle” e com o texto de apresentação: “Get serious about game creation and take your passion to the next level with our latest bundle! Learn essential game development skills for one of today’s most popular platforms—Unity. The Unity Engine is approachable, powerful, and perfect for creators of all skill levels. Dive into top-rated courses like Complete Unity 2D C# Developer Course, Unity Real Time Strategy Course, and Unity Turn Based Strategy Course.”.
Da lista faz parte:
“Complete Unity 2D C# Developer Course (in Unity 6)
Complete Unity 3D C# Developer Course (in Unity 6)
Elven Music Pack
From Blender to Unity Course
Programming Design Patterns For Unity Course
Sci-Fi Modular Starships & Carriers Kit
Unity 2D RPG: Complete Combat System Course
Unity Cutscenes: Master Cinematics, Animation and Trailers Course
Unity Game Feel Course
Unity Multiplayer Coding & Networking NGO Course
Unity Procedural Generation Course
Unity Real Time Strategy Course
Unity Shader Graph Course
Unity Turn Based Strategy Course”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Não sou grande fã deste género de jogos, mas fica o registo de uma campanha para aprender a trabalhar com o motor de desenvolvimento de videojogos RPG Maker Unite e com alguns extras. Com o titulo “RPG Maker Unite Together” e com o texto de apresentação: “Pay what you want for RPG Maker Unite—the ultimate indie game-creation platform! Dive into our latest game dev bundle, designed to bring your game concept to life with a no-code structure, pre-built databases, and a massive library of assets to choose from. This comprehensive RPG Maker collection includes RPG Maker VX Ace, RPG Maker XP, Pixel Game Maker MV, and more! Get the tools you need to success.”.
Da lista faz parte:
“Cthulhu Mythos ADV Lunatic Whispers
Cthulhu Mythos ADV The Isle Of Ubohoth
Pixel Game Maker MV
Pixel Game Maker MV – Cardgame Sample
Pixel Game Maker MV – Weapon assets (100 varieties) and Dot Robot Set
Pixel Game Maker MV -2D Side-scroller Shooting Game Sample Project
RPG MAKER XP
RPG Maker MV
RPG Maker MV – DS Resource Pack
RPG Maker MV – DorapixelMapChips – Modern JP
RPG Maker MV – FES resource pack
RPG Maker MV – GENE
RPG Maker MV – MADO
RPG Maker MV – MV Trinity Resource Pack
RPG Maker MV – SAKAN
RPG Maker Unite
RPG Maker Unite – Default Character Facial Expression Assets1
RPG Maker Unite – Default Character Facial Expression Assets2
RPG Maker Unite – Default Character Facial Expression Assets3
RPG Maker Unite – Game Templates Worldview Taste Single-picture map collection of materials1 Ancient city EZIL
RPG Maker Unite – Game Templates Worldview Taste Single-picture map collection of materials2 Samurai town HINOMOTO
RPG Maker Unite – Game Templates Worldview Taste Single-picture map collection of materials3 Southern sea solitary island GOBA
RPG Maker Unite – Game Templates Worldview Taste Single-picture map collection of materials4 Frontline defense base ORAD
RPG Maker Unite Add-on – 3D Dungeon
RPG Maker VX Ace”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Indie Dev, uma história de 4 milhões perdidos
a história..
I Used AI to Code a Game in Unity — Here’s What I Learned (arquivo)
I Used AI to Code a Game in Unity — Here’s What I Learned, por thuy le
”
This case study is a record of my experience designing “Hedgietown,” a Unity game for my MDes capstone project. During a two-day hackathon, I “vibe-coded” a minigame — Hedgie’s Easter Egg Hunt — using only Claude to write code, despite having no programming or game design experience. The term “vibe coding” was coined by OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy in February 2025, describing AI-assisted programming where developers “fully give in to the vibes, embrace exponentials, and forget that the code even exists” (The Week, 2025). As Karpathy put it, “It’s not really coding — I just see stuff, say stuff, run stuff and copy paste stuff, and it mostly works” (Nielsen, 2025). For designers, this shift means we “can now try lots of things quickly, rather than having to hand ideas off to software engineers to create prototypes, one by one” (NPR, cited in The Week, 2025). If you can communicate your ideas clearly, you can now code them.
This approach aligned perfectly with my goal to challenge myself outside my comfort zone of product design and apply UI/UX principles in an entirely new context. How did I go from concept to functional prototype using vibe coding alone? And what does this mean for the future of design? This case study explores both the practical journey from idea to playable prototype and the broader implications of AI-assisted design for creative professionals.
Background: The Evolving Role of Design
Traditionally, the design-to-development process follows a clear handoff model: designers create mockups, wireframes, and prototypes, then pass these blueprints to engineers for implementation. This collaborative approach has defined the industry for decades.
AI-assisted coding is fundamentally changing this dynamic. Now, designers can take their blueprints directly to AI tools like Claude, which can guide them through the implementation process. For designers willing to embrace a beginner’s mindset and learn how engineers think, this changes the game.
This capability doesn’t necessarily make designers into one-person teams, but it does provide the majority of what’s needed to create an MVP and gather user feedback. That’s exactly what I did — building a functional game in Unity without prior coding or game design experience.
Methodology: Research Approach and Tools
Research Questions
How do mobile tap-to-move mechanics compare to traditional desktop controls in player experience?
What are the practical limitations of “vibe coding” for game development?
I used AI in three distinct ways throughout the development process:
Natural Language Scripting: Describing desired game mechanics in plain language to generate movement scripts
Tutorial Generation: Having Claude create step-by-step implementation guides
Debugging Partner: Troubleshooting issues through conversational problem-solving
Tools and Technologies
Primary Development: Unity 2022.3 LTS with Claude AI (Anthropic) for code generation
Design Tools: Figma for concept sketches, Resprite for pixel art
Game Concept: “Hedgie’s Easter Egg Hunt” — a 2D top-down timed collection game
Target Platforms: Cross-platform (desktop/mobile) to test tap-to-move mechanics
Design Constraints
I intentionally limited player interactions to tap and swipe gestures, mirroring the ease of use found in popular mobile games like FarmVille or cooking games. This constraint would help me evaluate whether to implement similar mechanics in the full Hedgietown game and test the viability of creating customized player movement scripts using AI code generation.
Design Process: From Concept to Playable Prototype
Initial Concept Development
The minigame concept emerged from my desire to test mobile-friendly mechanics. I went with a simple collection game format to focus primarily on player movement mechanics — simple enough to complete within the hackathon timeframe while yielding valuable insights about player behavior. Key questions included: How would players feel while moving around the map? What would they try to do? Would they prefer keyboard controls or tap-to-move mechanics?
Day One: Scene Creation and Movement Systems
I began by sketching the game map in Figma, designing a test scene with various obstacles and buildings. My focus was on setting up the scene and “vibe coding” the movement script. I kept the scene compact and implemented a visual indicator so players could see where they clicked on screen. Surprisingly, the basic movement code worked almost immediately after just a couple of prompts to Claude.
Day Two: Game Mechanics and UI Implementation
The second day focused on the egg collection game mechanics and game UI. I described my vision to Claude: a simple Easter egg collection game where players approach an NPC to start, then have 60 seconds to collect as many eggs as possible before seeing their final score. Claude provided a guided tutorial for setting up the game manager and UI elements for displaying time remaining and current score.
Technical Challenges and Creative Solutions
My biggest challenge was debugging. Multiple instances arose where I couldn’t identify what was wrong with the code or why the game wasn’t functioning as expected.
For example, I encountered issues with egg spawn points and the quest system not triggering when talking to the NPC. Rather than spend more hours debugging, I adapted the game flow: players now start collecting eggs immediately after clicking “start.” This actually improved the user experience by displaying all instructions upfront without requiring players to sit through dialogue. Small things kept building up that I couldn’t vibe-code my way out of. This raised concerns about whether I could create truly polished games and at what level of complexity — it felt I was starting to see the limitations of this approach.
Outcomes: Testing Results and User Feedback
118 prompts later, I had a complete game playable on both mobile and desktop devices. User testing revealed significant differences in player experience depending on the platform.
Performance Metrics
Mobile players: Collected an average of 9/16 eggs
Desktop players: Collected an average of 15/16 eggs
Perfect scores: Only one player collected all 16 eggs (on desktop)
Platform-Specific Feedback
Desktop players consistently performed better and reported that movement felt “more fun” on desktop. While players said the tap-to-move mechanic felt good overall, mobile players frequently got stuck on obstacles because the pathfinding system chose the shortest route, causing the character to rub against objects.
Key Areas for Improvement
User testing uncovered several critical issues:
Collision detection: Players frequently got stuck on obstacles
Mobile movement patterns: Players needed longer-distance movement options instead of relying on small taps
Egg collection sensitivity: Collision detection felt either too sensitive or misaligned with visual feedback
Reflections: Transformation and Future Implications
I used to think using AI was cheating — that it meant I wasn’t the one truly creating. I always needed an engineer to bring my ideas to life. Yes, I tried to code before, but I always got frustrated or confused. Then AI arrived, and suddenly my ideas became real. I’m not an engineer, but I know how something should feel. I don’t always know what I’m doing, but I always know what I’m trying to make.
A New Design Process
This experience taught me that you still have to design the experience. With a solid foundation going into development, you can test your ideas and see in real-time the technical limitations developers often discuss. It’s an interesting time to be a designer — being multidisciplinary is becoming increasingly important.
The new workflow becomes: design, prototype, build, iterate. You can now position yourself as a design engineer. If you’re a designer with ideas who can execute them, you become remarkably well-rounded, combining empathy and human psychology with aesthetics and functionality.
Being human is more important than ever. Designers have always been the dreamers — we need crazy ideas. AI amplifies this role. Being a designer should be less about optimization and more about dreaming, about pushing boundaries and imagining new possibilities.
Looking Forward
Will I get close to the game I envision for Hedgietown? Who knows, but I’ll get myself as close as I can. If this hackathon taught me anything, it’s that the gap between imagination and implementation is rapidly shrinking. The question isn’t whether designers can learn to code with AI — it’s how quickly we can adapt to this new creative landscape.
For creative professionals, this represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. We can now test our wildest ideas, but we must also develop new skills and ways of thinking. The future belongs to designers who can dream big and execute effectively — and AI just gave us the tools to do both.
Link to game, have fun :)
https://trinatle.itch.io/hedgietown-easter-egg-hunt
References
Context Engineering. (2025). Context Engineering is the New Vibe Coding (Learn this Now). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9A2NP5DtAA
Nielsen, J. (2025). Vibe Coding and Vibe Design. Jakob Nielsen Ph.D. Substack. https://jakobnielsenphd.substack.com/p/vibe-coding-vibe-design
The Week. (2025, June 3). The rise of ‘vibe coding’. The Week. https://theweek.com/tech/the-rise-of-vibe-coding
Verified Insider. (2025). Product Design Hiring in 2025. Verified Insider Substack. https://verifiedinsider.substack.com/p/product-design-hiring-in-2025-b47
Assets: https://cupnooble.itch.io/sprout-lands-asset-pack
”
+infos(fonte): LINK
Game Jam (como prémio uma viagem ao Japão!)
“Hack Club has launched Shiba Arcade, an upcoming game jam building the world’s first open-source arcade in Tokyo made by teens on GitHub!
They’re inviting you to code your first games on GitHub over the next two months & earn the ultimate prize – a funded trip to Tokyo, Japan (November 5th – 12th), where participants will build an in-person open-source arcade together!
Flight stipends offered, hotel & food covered
Here’s how it works:
Code your own open-source game on GitHub (with Godot)
Playtest each other’s games & make new releases
Earn a ticket to Japan and build an in-person arcade!”
+infos(oficial): https://shiba.hackclub.com/
Ofertas de trabalho (em setembro)
Procura-se um Game Designer (Mobile) (remoto/Portugal) pela Infinity Games, em modo remoto, em que:
”
Key Responsibilities
Conceptualize and design game mechanics, core loops, and progression systems for new and existing mobile games.
Create clear and detailed game design documents, wireframes, and prototypes to communicate ideas effectively.
Collaborate with artists, developers, and producers to ensure a cohesive and high-quality game experience.
Balance difficulty curves, in-game economy, and reward systems to maximize engagement and retention.
Conduct competitor and market research, identifying trends and opportunities to inspire new concepts.
Playtest and analyze feedback to iterate on designs and improve gameplay.
Use data-driven insights (KPIs like Retention, DAU, ARPDAU) to refine features and guide design decisions.
Qualifications
Proven experience as a Game Designer in the mobile gaming industry (mandatory).
Strong understanding of free-to-play game mechanics, monetization, and player engagement strategies.
Ability to translate creative ideas into structured, actionable design documentation.
Analytical mindset with the ability to use data to inform design choices.
Proficiency in English (spoken and written).
Excellent collaboration skills and ability to work seamlessly with cross-functional remote teams.
Nice to Have
Familiarity with prototyping tools (e.g., Unity, Figma, Adobe XD).
Experience with puzzle, relaxing, or minimalist game genres.
Passion for playing and analyzing mobile games.”
+infos(oficial): https://infinitygames.io/
Procura-se um Senior Game Designer (remoto/Portugal) pela Fishing Planet, em modo remoto, em que:
”
Foundational design work for a hyper-realistic simulator:
Designing and prototyping core gameplay systems that define the player experience.
Establishing progression, economy, and reward systems from scratch.
Creating and maintaining design documentation, workflows, and pipelines for long-term development.
Collaborating with programmers, artists, and producers to translate vision into playable features.
Driving playtesting and iteration to validate systems early and adjust based on feedback.
Ensuring all designs support the overall vision of realism, immersion, and multiplayer depth.
You will bring
5+ years of professional game design experience.
Proven experience designing complex gameplay systems (survival, RPG, MMO, or simulation).
Ability to design from zero — creating mechanics, rules, and loops without relying on existing frameworks.
Experience building progression and multiplayer systems that balance depth and accessibility.
Strong understanding of player psychology, engagement, and retention strategies.
Excellent skills in documentation, communication, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Hands-on experience using Unreal Engine or a similar engine to prototype and test mechanics.
Will be a plus
Experience shipping multiplayer survival or RPG titles.
Background in economy design and balancing for live-service games.
Knowledge of UX/UI principles applied to complex systems.
Passion for realism, simulation games, and emergent player-driven gameplay.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um People and Culture Specialist (Vila Nova de Gaia/Portugal) pela Saber Interactive Porto, em modo presencial, em que:
”
Your mission
Actively promote and support a workplace culture that reflects the company’s values.
Plan and coordinate cultural events and activities.
Ensure a positive onboarding experience for new employees.
Work with various stakeholders to plan and execute company events and activities.
Assist international employees in adapting to Portuguese culture.
Organize, plan, or support employee benefits, such as welcome packages and company meals.
Assist with HR-related tasks.
Conduct employee surveys about studio facilities and collaborate with relevant stakeholders to address the findings.
Requirements
Over 2 years of professional experience in people and culture, HR, communications, or a related field, preferably in the games or entertainment industry.
Bachelor’s degree in psychology, business, communications, HR, or a similar discipline.
Must be located in the Porto Metropolitan Area or in a commutable distance.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.
Highly self-motivated, solution-focused, with a positive, can-do attitude.
Proactive and hands-on approach to problem-solving.
Strong interest in people and a genuine desire to help and support them.
Empathetic, compassionate, and curious nature.
Committed to work with equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Enthusiastic about games and their culture.
Proficiency in English and Portuguese.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Wargame Mechanics | Strategy Gaming Breakdown
Wargame Mechanics | Strategy Gaming Breakdown
mecânicas usadas em jogos de tabuleiro de war gamming, as sugestões:
zoc bond: zone of control (exemplos: Mark Simonitch (autor), Holland 44 (jogo), Salerno ’43 (jogo) )
weather (exemplos:Thomas Van Hare (autor), lysander soe (jogo))
initiative (quem joga primeiro. exemplos: jogos onde a posição no tabuleiro determina a jogada, uso do chip pull systema (emparelhamento, factor aleatorio), Ted Racier (autor), Drop Zone (jogo)
random events
terrain effects (exemplo: simular no 2d o 3d real)
+infos(fonte): LINK
Entrevista por Wayne Goodchild
“History Will Be Lost Forever” – An Interview With Frank Gasking From Games That Weren’t, por Wayne Goodchild
“Frank Gasking is the author and games preservationist behind the Games That Weren’t (GTW) book and website, which is a long-running project to find and catalogue lost, cancelled, and unreleased video games. His primary focus is on retro hardware such as the Commodore 64, but GTW also highlights titles from other platforms, including the NES, Amiga, GameBoy, and Playstation.
GTW started in the mid-nineties, after Gaskin read an article in Zzap!64 magazine about Commodore games that were announced but never released. He started to dig into these games, and others, and when he was in his mid-teens was invited to write an article for the magazine following up on his research.
Gasking spoke with Eneba via video call about GTW, growing up as video game technology and the industry has changed, and what the future might look like for game preservation and availability. The interview has been edited for brevity.
What is it about Commodore games specifically that speak to you, that grabbed and continued to grab you?
I think for me personally, it’s because the Commodore, like the 64 in particular, was the very first proper home computer that I ever saw. And it’s hard to explain. You get that sensation where you know you’re experiencing something extremely special.
Like, the pixels pop out the screen, they’re very vibrant, almost luminous and you’re controlling it. And that was my experience playing something like Buck Rogers, I think, or Tapper, one of those two games.
So I was completely mesmerized by this machine. And I thought I have to get my own computer, but I didn’t get a 64 straight away. We couldn’t afford it. We didn’t have a lot of money. So my mum very kindly went out and got this Atari 2600 bundle with a load of games. And that was still amazing, even though the games were quite old and it was archaic hardware, it was a fantastic machine.
But I always had a soft spot for the 64. Every time I went around my sister’s, I was desperate to play this machine. And over time, eventually my mum got one off the catalogue. And I remember it turned up with no plug. It had no plug in it and I was only about seven years old. My mum had just come off working nights, so she was fast asleep and I had to sit staring at this box, not able to do anything, poring over the games for hours until she finally woke up and put a plug on it for me.
I think it’s a combination of things with the 64; you not only got the really lovely graphics but you had that sound chip as well. That’s how I discovered songs. Rather than listening to Queen songs, like It’s a Kind of Magic, I heard the 64 version done for the Highlander game first. And that always stuck with me as well, and I didn’t really want that to end.
What have you found to be the main reasons games back in the day were never finished, or finished but not published?
There’s so many sorts of reasons for the cancellations. That’s one of the quite cool things about doing the archive for so long is that you discover all these different stories.
Sometimes there’ll be a game that’s complete and it’s all finished and it’s about to go to mastering, and literally the company has been in financial trouble and they’ll collapse just before it can get there. An example of that is Daffy Duck on Commodore 64. It was reviewed in the magazines, it’s just about to go to mastering and just disappeared.
Sometimes you don’t know the reasons, they get finished and reviewed but then they just disappear and there’s no reason given for it, the company’s still going and then you kind of try and sort of read between the lines.
It might be that the game was released on another platform earlier and the sales weren’t very good and it sort of bombed, so that had an impact on deciding to release the game.
An example would be Sensible Soccer on the NES that we found recently, that was practically finished. But the people that were set to publish that game, they suddenly decided the NES was on its way out and they didn’t think they were going to make any money from it. So they just focused on the Game Boy edition instead.
Usually the game is complete and not released. If you find something that’s complete that you can release, then you feel a little bit sad for the person who spent all that time and effort, especially if it’s really good.
With the work you do with GTW, you get a lot of help and resources from people who were actually involved in the games. But, have you come across anyone who isn’t supportive of your GTW efforts, and if so, did you give any decent reasons why?
Thankfully we haven’t. I mean, sometimes we’ve had some people saying, “Are you kind of sharing these games? It’s morally wrong.” But that’s very rare. Most of the time people say that if we didn’t save a lot of this software, then it would be very likely lost for good. In some cases, some of the things that we found are on the last remaining disk in existence of that game. If we leave it too much longer, then that disk is going to deteriorate; this will be gone forever, potentially.
We haven’t really had anyone kick back from what we’re doing because we are doing something positive. We’re not really causing anyone any harm. We’re just trying to preserve history. So, you know, we’re not profiteering off anyone’s work or anything like that.
I always ask games preservationists what their Holy Grail is, but I’ve seen on your site you’ve found a few! Do you still have any titles that you’re dying to find…?
There’s a couple. I don’t know if it’s weird having multiple Holy Grails, but the reason for that is that when I started doing the articles, there were a couple of base games that I remembered specifically, which to me were the big ones.
The main one, It’s like an isometric Cluedo game called Murder!, by U.S. Gold. And that is an example of a game that was completely finished. It was reviewed by all the magazines, but they just didn’t release it for whatever strange reason. And we think that’s because the Amiga and the PC and the ST versions that were released earlier didn’t sell that well. So they decided to just can the 64 one, which is bizarre.
And the other one I’d say would be Batman Returns by Konami. That was a late Commodore game that didn’t get finished. I remember reading the diaries back in the day, seeing all the levels coming together and I’d say they’re the two main ones that are left.
Have you ever come across a lost game that made you think, “This really should stay lost?”
On a personal level, no, because that’s the strange thing. I’m a very passionate person. I love anything that’s on the list. I mean, I’ve had criticism for this as well. I’ll post something on the site and say, oh, we found it. Oh, look at this amazing game with lovely graphics and that. And then someone will turn around and say “That doesn’t look lovely at all.”
But I’m someone who’s fairly subjective, and I’m an artist as well, and I see beauty in all sorts of different things. And I’m the same with unreleased games. I’m kind of, even if we find a very early prototype and there’s not much to it, I’m still very excited that we found it.
On the other hand, there are moments where you spend so long searching for something that you build it up in your mind as something being much greater than it really is. And there’s definitely been cases of that.
And I’d say Daffy Duck was definitely one of those. Because Daffy Duck was one that had really good reviews, and we built up a picture in our minds that it was going to be this amazing action game.
But the reality was, when we got the game, it was great. It was good. But some things didn’t quite live up to how we picture them. So for instance, the little laser gun that was shown in the screenshots – you couldn’t actually use it. It was just like a red herring, it did nothing in the game, you couldn’t shoot anything.
I don’t think there’s anything where I’ve actually found it and thought “I wish I didn’t find it.” But, there will be others that probably wish that we didn’t find it. Maybe the authors of their game themselves. Some of them might wish that their stuff remained buried.
You’ve been involved with the Commodore scene for a long time, not just through GTW, but also with various magazines linked to it. Zzap!64 is one that relaunched a couple of years ago, and its new editor is Chris Simpson, aka Peri Fractic. What are your thoughts on his taking over Commodore to bring it back?
It’s certainly a really interesting development. I was still very much a part of the 64 scene long after many had moved on. And I remember in particular back then the excitement around Escom’s takeover, and there were all these promises of reviving the brand, and talk of releasing the 64 in certain parts of the world, that kind of thing.
(Escom was a German company that bought Commodore and Amiga, but went bankrupt in 1996.)
It’s like many of the takeovers and plans that followed over the years: it sort of ultimately came to nothing. So because of those past experiences I’ve tended to stay out of such discussions because I always remain fairly skeptical. I don’t know Christian personally, never really sort of crossed paths with him, but the main thing is that I hope his intentions are genuinely motivated by passion, rather than ego or attention, because I know that can happen sometimes.
But that said, it’s encouraging to see that he’s got the right sort of people involved. I think having them involved is promising because that means that he’s got people overseeing what he’s doing and keeping an eye on everything. I’ve been skeptical of these kinds of things before and I’ve been happily proven wrong.
With news that Compute!’s Gazette Magazine is also coming back (after 35 years), do you think that there’s a renewed interest in retro games? If you had your way, which old video game magazine would you love to see return?
If there was a possibility of bringing a magazine back, I would love to see Commodore Format make a comeback. The thing is, it’s never going to be quite the same.
I think what you want ultimately is those original writers that you grew up with writing for the magazine and you’re not necessarily going to get that. With Zapp’s case, they’re lucky to have a couple of the original people that worked on the original magazine so you’ve got that mix of new and old.
You know, when you sometimes get a sequel to a film like 30 years on from the original, you’re kind of happy it’s happened, but then you’re still a bit disappointed. It never lives quite up to the expectation you have.
It’s a real tough one because you do want to see it back. But then would you prefer to see something completely new to make new memories or something positive? I don’t know.
Following on from this, nostalgia is often cited as playing a pivotal role in game preservation. Do you think younger generations lack the understanding of why and how game preservation is important, since they haven’t grown up with physical media the way we have?
A lot of modern day gamers don’t really know what it’s like to have a physical copy. So they don’t have that attachment like we do.
I guess it’s the same as if you didn’t grow up with vinyl music. If you only grew up with an iPod and you just had MP3s, you’ve got no attachment at all to physical music. You just think that you’ll just move your files around and it will go from hard drive to hard drive. There’s no attachment at all.
And I think that’s going to be the same for newer generations with games. Unless you maybe reintroduce more physical media and bring that back, then people might understand it more and they might have more of a connection to it.
There’s also the recent Stop Killing Games aspect, of games being delisted and disappearing for good.
Yeah, that’s the kind of sad and scary thing at the moment, is that you’ll see people not realizing that when you buy a digital copy on a platform like Steam, if anything happens to Steam or if it just disappears and goes bankrupt, whatever, then you can’t access that game anymore. And that’s the issue.
And from a preservation point of view, how then are you going to preserve it? Because at the moment, we’re in a situation that even if they turn the servers off, that means it blocks you from playing the single player mode of the game. If you’ve still got part of the code on the hard drive, there’s maybe a way that you could save some of that or preserve some of it, hack it together and get it going.
Once it goes and gets streamed, so you’re only getting the data streamed down to your TV, then there’s nothing to preserve there unless you get physical access to the servers where the games are on. So it’s going to make preservation incredibly hard, almost, well, practically impossible.
Regarding the impermanence of video games, I know that you make titles available to download on the GTW site, but do you also make physical backup copies – is this even possible for some of the games?
No, I just make the digital backup and I make several copies of that. So we’ve got it preserved and then we put that on the website where we can or we give copies of those back to the original authors if we’re not allowed to release it, that kind of thing.
What formats do you typically have to work with?
The main sort of media I’ve been preserving from are five and a quarter inch floppy disks and three and a half inch ones. Which are surprisingly robust; the five and a quarter inch disks, even though they’re completely bendable, are more reliable than the three and a half inch ones. Sometimes I do cassette tapes as well.
But if we’re backing up from tapes, especially ZX Spectrum, it’s always a bit of a challenge trying to get some of that hardware working on modern day platforms.
How do you explain the idea of game preservation to someone who doesn’t really understand its importance? What can they do to help?
Game preservation is about trying to save our history to do with games in general. If we don’t save a lot of this material that we’re doing right now, then much of this history will be lost forever. But it’s not just the actual games itself, it’s the stories behind them as well. It’s a race against time.
If we don’t save any of this history, then there’s no context to the new games that are coming out. There’s no kind of background to them or no connection. If we don’t capture the stories of the people that made those original games as well as the actual physical games themselves, then we don’t learn about what their process was and what issues they had, what challenges they encountered back then. I think that’s really important.
And in terms of people helping, from a Games That Weren’t point of view, it’s a case of: if you know anything about any of the games that we’re looking for, just even simple bits of information like a magazine clipping or a credit, something like that can go a long way.
It can actually lead to something quite big to make a recovery, to get in touch with a person who, if you don’t reach them in time, they might go and bin all of their disks. So the race against time element is a really key point.
There’s been instances over the years where we’ve just got hold of someone and they’ve got rid of their stuff or someone’s passed away a couple of years before. If we don’t do this, then we’re going to lose so much history. And we see that in the films industry and the music industry.
There’s a lot of material that has been lost because we didn’t think to preserve things or keep hold of it. We didn’t see a value in it and it’s only now we start to see the value in those things. So, there’s an opportunity with gaming and I think we need to grasp it while we can. ”
+infos(fonte): LINK
DevGAMM Awards 2025
Estão a dcorrer os DevGAMM Awards 2025 em Portugal, com um prémio de 10k euros, para a categoria “Best Game From Portugal”
A submissão termina a 31 de agosto, e o vencedor vai ser anunciado em novembro.
Para submeter o videojogo é necessário:
“Name of the game
Short game description
Development technology
Choose tags describing your genre
Date of development start and planned release
Gameplay video (for judges, not public)
Public video (trailer, gameplay, or letsplay – on your choice)
Information about developer and publisher (if any)
Key art with game logo and at least 3 screenshots
Build (PC and/or Mobile), and codes if needed (see Build Requirements below)
Information about your team/studio
No need to worry about information disclosure – all our judges sign an NDA that prohibits them from sharing any sensitive information publicly.”
+infos(oficial): https://devgamm.com/awards2025/
Ofertas de trabalho (em agosto)
Procura-se um Brand Manager (Gaming) (Lisboa/Portugal) pela FunPlus (Studio Ellipsis), em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
What You’ll Do:
Lead the development and execution of brand strategies for our original IPs across media and formats (games, comics, podcasts, digital assets, physical goods, etc).
Own the brand lifecycle across multiple verticals, from pitch decks to launch to live ops.
Manage external creators, agencies, and production partners to deliver world-class content that aligns with brand tone, world, and goals.
Collaborate with internal teams (Creative, Narrative, Production, Marketing) to ensure a unified identity across all channels and expressions.
Work with our in-house and external marketing teams to craft campaigns that expand awareness, deepen engagement, and evolve each IP’s universe.
Design go-to-market and release strategies that treat the product itself as storytelling,merging brand and narrative into a cohesive experience.
Conduct regular brand health checks: audience insights, performance reviews,campaign retrospectives, and translate these into actionable pivots.
Stay ahead of the curve on trends in gaming, media, tech, and culture. Track new platforms and narrative formats for IP expansion.
Coordinate with legal to safeguard IP, manage licensing, and protect long-term value.
Cultivate a collaborative, forward-thinking, globally minded work culture, one that values ideas and execution over ego.
What You Bring:
5+ years of experience in brand, IP, or franchise management, ideally in entertainment, games, or media.
Demonstrated ability to lead multi-platform storytelling and brand development efforts from 0 to 1 (and beyond).
Strong creative instincts and a feel for tone, audience, and positioning.
Proven project management chops: timeline ownership, cross-functional coordination, clear reporting.
Clear communicator with high emotional intelligence and cross-cultural fluency.
Comfortable managing both macro-level strategy and micro-level execution details.
Understanding of IP law, licensing models, and brand/IP protection strategies.
Data-literate: able to interpret insights and translate them into strategy.
A deep love of narrative and a belief in the power of well-executed world-building.
Bonus: experience with transmedia publishing, early-stage IP development, or community-driven brands.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Graphic Designer Intern (Lisboa/Portugal) pela FunPlus (Studio Ellipsis), em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
Key Responsibilities
Brand Identity Design: Work with our in-house team to help develop and maintain cohesive branding for the studio and our projects.
Content Creation: Design high-quality visuals for social media, websites, presentations, and promotional materials.
IP Branding: Create branding assets for our IPs—logos, style guides, visual systems—that reflect the essence of our universes waiting to unfold.
Website & Digital Design: Collaborate on the design and visual updates of our websites and online platforms.
Collaborative Development: Work with the marketing and creative teams to ensure visuals align with our narratives and strategic goals.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Gameplay UI/UX Designer (Lisboa/Portugal) pela FunPlus (Studio Ellipsis), em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
Responsibilities:
UI Design: Create wireframes, prototypes, and final UI assets that align with the game’s visual style and improve user experience.
Collaboration: Work closely with UX designers, game designers, and developers to ensure the UI complements gameplay and meets functional requirements.
Iconography and HUD Elements: Design and implement in-game menus, HUDs, icons, and other UI components, ensuring they are clear, consistent, and visually appealing.
Style Integration: Ensure that the UI design integrates seamlessly with the game’s overall art direction, contributing to a cohesive visual experience.
Performance Optimization: Optimize UI assets to ensure smooth performance across various platforms without compromising visual quality.
Iteration and Feedback: Gather and incorporate feedback from playtesting and team reviews to refine UI designs and improve usability.
Documentation: Maintain documentation for UI design processes, including style guides, asset libraries, and interaction patterns.
Requirements:
Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in UI/UX Design, Graphic Design, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Professional Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience as a UI Designer in the gaming industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing user-friendly and visually compelling interfaces.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in UI design tools such as Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch, and experience with industry-standard software like Photoshop and Illustrator.
Artistic Sensibility: Strong understanding of typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy, with the ability to create interfaces that are both functional and aesthetically aligned with the game’s art direction.
Cross-Platform Expertise: Experience designing UI for cross-platform games, understanding the challenges and opportunities in creating seamless experiences across devices.
Collaboration: Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
Problem-Solving Skills: Creative problem-solving abilities with a focus on enhancing user experience.
Passion for Gaming: A deep passion for gaming, especially in PvEvP and cross-platform genres, with a keen understanding of current UI trends and best practices.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Games Art Director (Lisboa/Portugal) pela Scopely, em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
Responsibilities:
Define a vibrant, stylized art direction and help shape an original universe.
Collaborate intensively with the Creative Director, a tight-knit, senior team, and the creative Executive Producer to ensure the game’s artistic language harmonizes with gameplay and the broader universe.
Embrace a hands-on approach, diving deep into the trenches to craft, refine, and polish visual assets, setting the benchmark for artistic excellence.
Be the creative lighthouse for a select team of artists, guiding them to produce standout assets that embody our distinct art style.
Foster synergy with world-building and marketing divisions, ensuring the game’s artistic DNA is compatible with comics, animated series, and promotional narratives.
Unyielding desire to explore new visual horizons, continuously pushing artistic boundaries in gaming and broader media.
Craft stunning concept artwork, translating abstract ideas into visual masterpieces, shaping the world, inspiring the team and aiding the project’s visualization.
Offer continuous mentorship to the art team, fostering an environment of relentless innovation, passion, and growth.
A constant learner, ever eager to absorb the latest in art trends, tools, and techniques.
Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in Art, Design, or a related discipline. Master’s degree or substantial industry tenure highly preferred.
Proven leadership in the art direction of prominent projects, with a clear tilt towards stylized, non-realistic aesthetics.
A captivating portfolio demonstrating your prowess in creating diverse and pioneering visual styles adaptable across various mediums.
Deep expertise in modern art tools, software, and methodologies, matched by a commitment to staying hands-on.
Exceptional ability to galvanize, nurture, and steer a dedicated team of artists, ensuring a unified and standout visual narrative.
Concept art skills are a definite plus, showcasing your ability to visualize and communicate ideas during the project’s nascent stages.
Stellar communication abilities, ensuring intricate artistic visions are clearly conveyed, discussed, and executed within a senior team.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um 3D Art Lead (Porto/Portugal) pela Scopely, em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
What You’ll Do
Work closely with the AD, Principal artist, and lead narrative designer to establish the vision for each season
Work closely with our 2d concept artists to create 3d models that capture the appeal and charm of our established art pillars
Explore how best to utilize AI in the creative process and help foster better collaboration/iteration
Define and uphold the visual style in collaboration with the Art Director and Creative Leads
Review and provide constructive feedback on assets to maintain high visual quality and technical standards
Work closely with other departments (Design, Engineering, Animation) to ensure seamless integration of assets
Mentor, inspire, and manage junior and mid-level 3D artists
Be the main point of contact for 3D queries and discussions on assigned tasks
Attend any daily meetings/ stand-ups/ mini retro’s to ensure a smooth workflow
What We’re Looking For
6+ years experience as a 3D artist working in games
2+ years in a leadership or senior artist role.
Strong ability to research and reference material that supports idea generation and problem-solving
Experience in casual mobile game art styles
Experience in shipping multiple titles in your career as a 3D Artist
Proficient in 3D modeling: 3dsMax, Maya, Blender, etc
Proficient in 2D texturing: Photoshop
Proficient in 3D texturing tools: Substance, 3DCoat, etc
Experience in Unity, importing and optimizing assets
Have a good understanding of technical pipelines to export assets from 3D suite to Unity
Positive attitude and an ability to receive and provide objective feedback”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Senior UX Designer (Porto/Portugal) pela Scopely, em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
What you will do:
Own and deliver complete UX for new features and player experiences, turning ideas into fully developed designs that deliver on the experience targets of the product
Build deep knowledge of the game to effectively step into the player’s shoes and ground your design decisions in real player perspectives and experiences
Find relevant references and comps, deconstructing to uncover inspiration and common pitfalls
Visualize ideas by producing a range of design deliverables that communicate your thinking and design intent. This includes sketches, low to medium fidelity wireframes, user flows, and interactive UX prototypes
Identify weak points in designs, gaps in thinking, and opportunities to better deliver on our goals by applying critical thinking and a sharp design eye to strengthen solutions
Work closely with product teams and artists to refine ideas and stay aligned throughout development. Proactively share work, keep the right people informed, and provide relevant information when it’s needed
Leverage feedback, data, and other insights to refine designs. Use them not just to react, but to reflect and make intentional improvements
Support long-term product and UX consistency through your design work by drawing on developed knowledge of our design principles and patterns
What we’re looking for:
3+ years of experience specializing in mobile Game UX development, with a track record of delivering features or initiatives from concept to implementation
Confidence in navigating ambiguity, with the ability to identify next steps, recognize blockers, and take initiative to move work forward
A solutions-oriented mindset that goes beyond identifying problems, bringing thoughtful, creative problem solving to the table
A strong understanding of game development norms and pipelines, including how to design with technical constraints, implementation realities, and cross-discipline workflows in mind
A fit for a culture built on curiosity, improvement, creativity, and collaboration, paired with a genuine passion for both playing and making games that fuels thoughtful, player-centered design”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Senior Game Designer (Porto/Portugal) pela Scopely, em modo hibrido/remoto, em que:
”
As a Senior Game Designer, you will be instrumental in shaping the gameplay experience, contributing to the product roadmap, and ensuring each user interaction is engaging. Reporting to your Lead, you will work in collaboration with Product, Art, UX and Engineers to enhance existing gameplay features and develop new ones. In this role, you will:
Deeply analyse and understand player data and feedback to inform design choices
Maintain a Product Owner mindset, ensuring all designs align with player needs, franchise strategy, and business objectives
Utilise your creative skills to develop innovative features and generate valuable insights
Translate high-level concepts into detailed and actionable game design plans
Create comprehensive game design documentation including feature specifications, user flows, and prototypes
Continuously update working feature specs to maintain clarity and precision, ensuring they are accessible to the entire development team
Stay abreast of market trends and best practices to enhance our game design and introduce fresh ideas
Work closely with Art, UX and Product teams to maintain a cohesive visual style and identity across game features
Partner with UI artists to design clear, engaging, and visually appealing user interfaces
Collaborate with artists, technical artists, and engineers to refine and optimize the design implementation process
What We’re Looking For
Proven experience as a Senior Designer within the mobile gaming industry, particularly in free-to-play models
Ability to thrive in a dynamic, international, and cross-disciplinary team environment
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, capable of working collaboratively and independently
A proactive approach to receiving and providing constructive feedback
Current knowledge of trends in casual mobile games
Proficient in designing complex systems across Core, Meta, and Social game layers
Demonstrated ability to lead user-centric design initiatives and brainstorming sessions
A track record of developing impactful features for live games
Skilled in designing, conducting, and analysing A/B tests
Passionate about crafting polished, innovative gameplay experiences for casual mobile games
Solid understanding of game design fundamentals and theory
Excellent communication skills, effective both in-person and remotely”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Senior Game Designer (Oeiras/Portugal) pela Miniclip, em modo hibrido, em que:
”
How will you work with the team?
Collaborate across the team to expand and iterate internal tools used for mission and gameplay implementation.
Present and articulate your designs across the team, upholding and championing the game vision and core pillars.
Support the team with subject-matter expertise on mobile & social game design.
What are we looking for?
Extensive experience of gameplay and systems design, monetisation, and live ops on freemium mobile games.
An excellent knowledge and understanding of gameplay design, complex game economy systems with multiple currencies, and progression systems.
Experience across the product life-cycle, from prototyping, through production, to updating a live free-to-play game.
Strong knowledge of the mobile & social game space, with an exceptional understanding of current design techniques to deliver excellent engagement, retention, and monetisation.
Understanding of and experience with reviewing game analytics, developing insights based on data to make better informed design decisions.
Strong grasp of mobile user-experience design, and ability to consider & empathise with many different types of players.
Creative problem solver, with proven ability to create compelling gameplay.
Relentlessly self-critical always sees the pros and cons of each approach, and works tirelessly to improve design solutions. Prolific with high-quality, well-thought-through proposals.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Indústria de videojogos sobe de nível em Portugal
Indústria de videojogos sobe de nível em Portugal
Volume de negócios gerado pelas empresas de videojogos tem aumentado muito nos últimos anos.
“O mercado dos videojogos já ultrapassou o do cinema e é cada vez maior o número de pessoas que prefere sentar-se em frente a um ecrã para ser o protagonista da sua aventura ou a estrela da sua equipa.
As estimativas do Statista apontam para que o consumo de videojogos em Portugal atinja este ano 258 milhões de dólares. Os mobile games são os preferidos e deverão alcançar os 56 milhões de dólares, ou cerca de 52 milhões de euros. O número de jogadores já ultrapassa o milhão, é de 10,6 por cento da população, prevendo-se que alcance os 11,7 por cento em 2027.
O volume de negócios gerado pelas empresas de videojogos em Portugal também tem aumentado muito nos últimos anos. De 5,4 milhões em 2018 passou para mais de 38 milhões em 2022, o que representa um crescimento médio anual de 65,2 por cento, de acordo com dados do Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE). Nesse período, o número de empresas dedicadas a esta indústria aumentou de 36 para 114 e o número de trabalhadores de 91 para mais de 500. O valor acrescentado bruto (VAB) gerado duplicou de 12 milhões de euros em 2021 para 23 milhões em 2022. São números que deixam margem para o otimismo e para o crescimento, o resultado de muitas horas de diversão e entretenimento.
Em Portugal o mercado de videojogos está a viver um momento de crescimento, sobretudo na área de mobile gaming, o que está relacionado com o aumento da capacidade dos smartphones e tablets e, claro, com o facto de se poder aproveitar deslocações ou momentos de espera para jogar. O conforto de casa, sobretudo para títulos que têm tudo a ganhar com uma melhor qualidade de som e imagem e com os acessórios certos, é também uma opção para grande parte dos jogadores. Em 2024, também segundo previsões do Statista, a receita média por utilizador de videojogos em Portugal será de 242 dólares.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
+infos(outros resultados): LINK
Side cresce e procura apaixonados em videojogos para construir carreira em Portugal
Uma reportagem por Aníbal Gonçalves, com o titulo “Side cresce e procura apaixonados em videojogos para construir carreira em Portugal”
“Fomos visitar as novas instalações do estúdio Side, antiga PTW, com a expectativa de quem se surpreende de ver em Portugal uma empresa que cresceu de 22 para 101 funcionários em pouco mais de um ano, tendo ainda a expectativa de dobrar esse número até ao final de 2026. A dimensão ainda por compor nas novas instalações em Braga demonstram isso mesmo, o objetivo de aumentar o número de pessoas que se passeiam pelos corredores.
Quando comecei a escrever sobre videojogos, há demasiados anos atrás, as oportunidades de trabalhar diretamente com a indústria eram extremamente escassas, quase uma miragem no caso português, que tem fervorosos exemplos de sucesso na cena de desenvolvimento independente, mas onde ainda não existe um exemplo do nível CD Projekt Red, por exemplo. Posto isto, o que leva um gigante como a Side, um aglomerado das antigas PTW, 1518 Studios, Ghostpunch Games, PTW e SIDE, a escolher Portugal e mais concretamente Braga, para montar as suas operações?
Daniela Rocha Mar, Studio Head da Side Braga diz-nos que a decisão se deveu a “vários fatores, um deles é a qualidade de vida que proporciona aos funcionários. É fácil aceder a Braga, o aeroporto do Porto fica a 45 minutos, portanto é uma localização mais interessante do que o Porto e oferece mais qualidade de vida às equipas. O facto de ser uma cidade muito jovem e de possuir imensas competências linguísticas também. Aliás, em 2022, a cidade de Braga liderou o EF English Proficiency Index, sendo a cidade portuguesa onde melhor se falava inglês, esse fator também pesou na decisão.”
“Estávamos à espera que a cidade fosse corresponder à expectativa, mas superou. A disponibilidade de talento é superior ao que estávamos à espera. A cidade em si é muito dinâmica e os próprios agentes com quem falamos diretamente, como o Presidente da Câmara, também são muitos ativos e nota-se uma preocupação em promover a comunicação com as empresas e promover o talento que existe cá. Tudo isso foi foi muito importante.”
A Side participa ativamente no apoio ao desenvolvimento de alguns dos maiores jogos da indústria. Os representantes do estúdio com quem falamos foram muito hábeis a evitar nomear qualquer um dos jogos em que trabalharam, mas uma visita ao website da empresa é reveladora de nomes como Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II ou Star Wars: Outlaws, por exemplo. Além disso, apesar dos elevados cuidados de segurança, o acesso a certas zonas estava absolutamente interdito e os próprios funcionários tinham instruções para interromper o trabalho assim que chegasse o IGN, foi impossível ficar indiferente a alguns dos quadros que adornavam os corredores: Final Fantasy XVI, God of War Ragnarok e um suspeito The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, que como sabemos vai ter direito a tradução para português do Brasil na versão na Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
Mas o que fazem exatamente os “soldados” da Side? Na sua génese trata-se de um estúdio de apoio ao desenvolvimento, onde testam diferentes vertentes dos jogos e reportam quaisquer imprecisões encontradas à equipa de desenvolvimento principal, para que sejam feitas as devidas alterações. Além da Studio Head Daniela Rocha Mar, estiveram à conversa connosco Sérgio Branco e Filipe Oliveira, responsáveis pelas equipas de FQA e LQA, respetivamente. A tarefa da primeira consiste em garantir que os jogos se comportam, mecanica e funcionalmente, da melhor forma. Enquanto o trabalho da equipa de LQA passa por conferir todas as linhas de texto e diálogo, no sentido de assegurar que as adaptações para diferentes línguas mantêm o espírito e intenção da obra original. Afinal, a linguagem é limitadora de pensamento e consequentemente, da experiência.
Numa primeira análise, parece ser mais interessante trabalhar com o FQA e tentar “partir o jogo”, mergulhar no gameplay, procurar bugs e garantir que as paredes invisíveis impedem os mais espertos dos speedrunners de atravessar o conteúdo mais rapidamente do que era suposto. No entanto, os rapazes do LQA têm várias vantagens em relação aos colegas. Em primeiro lugar, as builds chegam-lhes quase sempre em estado bastante mais avançado, com os jogos já praticamente completos. Em segundo, para assegurar uma adaptação linguística de qualidade, é fundamental que mergulhem verdadeiramente na narrativa e na personalidade dos diferentes agentes de jogo. O resultado pode ser facilmente descrito como um “emprego de sonho”. Não é apenas jogar, mas absorver tudo o que o jogo tem para oferecer, garantindo que a mensagem é passada da forma mais fidedigna possível na respetiva língua.
Filipe Oliveira explica-nos como funciona todo o processo: “Um Tester vai ter de jogar aquele jogo de início a fim e ver todos os pedaços de texto que estão no jogo. Texto e áudio. Caso o áudio esteja em português, como há vários jogos onde o áudio também está localizado, eles têm que olhar para o áudio, olhar para o texto e ter a certeza que tudo está apropriado e culturalmente adaptado para Portugal (ou outra língua), por isso é que é uma localização e não uma tradução, que é a diferença principal entre uma e a outra. Têm que ter a certeza que o sentido que foi dado na língua de origem, por norma o inglês, às vezes o japonês, está presente e que tudo faz sentido e está de acordo com a intenção dos escritores originais.”
A Side possui diferentes áreas de atuação, Co Dev, Arte, Localização, Áudio, Qualidade e Suporte, o estúdio português trabalha com todas a diferentes níveis e tem intenção de arrecadar cada vez mais projetos de maior abrangência, no entanto, o LQA é a mais consolidada, motivo para existir uma equipa verdadeiramente multicultural a trabalhar em Braga. Daniela Rocha Mar confirma isso mesmo, lembrando que “trabalhamos essa área desde que o estúdio nasceu. Foi a primeira Line of Business, por isso, neste momento, é a que está mais consolidada e tem o maior número de funcionários. No futuro, é difícil prever. Acredito que temos muito potencial aqui para Codev, por exemplo, olhando para o talento que temos nas universidades aqui à volta e as candidaturas espontâneas que recebemos.”
Num período marcado por notícias sobre despedimentos e diminuição das equipas nos grandes estúdio, é curioso ver o universo de co-desenvolvimento prosperar. Talvez estejamos perante uma mudança de paradigma nos grandes estúdios, que na expectativa de reduzir riscos, optam por focar as suas unidades de desenvolvimento e investir, projeto a projeto, em parceiros como a Side. Será seguro assumir que mais do que uma fase má para a indústria do gaming, estamos perante uma mudança de paradigma?
“Não podemos assumir. O mercado dá tantas voltas e regista tantas mudanças que não podemos propriamente antecipar. Estamos num novo ciclo, quer dizer, os dados apontam nesse sentido. Se há uma nova mudança, não é muito fácil prever,” diz-nos Sérgio Branco, FQA Manager na Side Braga. “‘Vamos diminuir esta equipa e quando precisarmos de aumentar a pressão, recorremos aos parceiros.’ Isso tira o risco do lado deles e põe-no do nosso lado, pode ser um dos motivos para esta realidade, claro que sim. De qualquer forma, nós existimos para servir os nossos clientes e estabelecer parcerias com eles, cá estaremos para ajudá-los. É isso que queremos.”
O estúdio da Side é igual a tantos outros que visitei ao longo dos anos na indústria, caracterizado pelo cuidado com a informação, com a exceção do jornalista, não há smartphone que passe da sala de segurança do rés do chão, ou objeto pessoal que se inclua na secretária sem justificação para isso. É ocupado por jovens sonhadores que desde cedo desenvolveram, naturalmente, as suas literacias digitais por serem apaixonados por videojogos. Foram os primeiros a olhar para mim com desconfiança, acompanhada daquela compreensão de quem partilha um hobby mutuamente valorizado, ao qual prestamos o nosso minúsculo, mas orgulhoso contributo.
Achei-o uma fantástica oportunidade para todos aqueles jovens que, como eu, sonham trabalhar com videojogos, mas têm dificuldade em perceber em que “parte da máquina” podem encaixar. Daniela contou-nos que durante as Feiras de Emprego, vê frequentemente o brilho nos olhos dos visitantes quando percebem que não precisam de um curso técnico em programação, ou sequer de ser especialistas em Game Design, para poderem crescer como profissionais da Side. Melhor ainda, garante-nos a valorização contínua das pessoas, que podem continuar a aprender e ascender dentro da empresa.
“Queremos criar a oportunidade para quem tem vontade de crescer, quem quer fazer outras coisas, dar-lhes essa liberdade de pensar e fazer coisas novas, estamos sempre abertos à inovação. Olhando para o talento que temos cá e dar-lhes a oportunidade de crescer. Mais do que um trabalho para 2, 3 projetos, queremos que as pessoas possam olhar para ele com perspectiva de carreira. Eu vou ser aquilo e vou crescer dentro da empresa,” disse Daniela Rocha Mar.
“A nossa CEO começou como tester, e o nosso COO também. A nossa Diretora Global de QA, por exemplo, começou como tester na antiga EA,” acrescentou Sérgio Branco. “Aliás, a primeira conversa que tive com ela durante a primeira entrevista, falamos sobre o nosso início na indústria, que foi bastante semelhante. Cair de paraquedas numa empresa e testar jogos. Sim, há muito esta progressão, e nós aqui no Estúdio de Braga também promovemos isso. Costumamos fazer a piada, temos tanta gente com tantas capacidades lá em cima no departamento da FQA, que quase conseguiríamos criar um jogo do início ao fim. Porque temos pessoas que sabem programação, arte, áudio, tudo praticamente.”
A Side continuará o seu percurso, agora com renovadas instalações, uma vontade redobrada de captar mais projetos e com isso, mais investimento para o nosso país. Os responsáveis não se quiseram alongar no que concerne às condições salariais oferecidas, mas garantiram-nos que estão dentro do salário médio português, com possibilidade de crescimento contínuo e claro, de colocar o primeiro pé na indústria dos videojogos.
Daniela reforçou a mensagem: “Estamos ativamente a recrutar. Houve uma aposta em Portugal, concretamente na cidade de Braga, e que aparentemente está a dar frutos. Se esse investimento vai continuar? Ainda não chegou a meio do que estava inicialmente previsto. Sim, o plano é de crescer. As previsões do mercado de videojogos para Portugal são de que atinja mais de 37 milhões de dólares em 2025. E nós queremos fazer parte desse crescimento.”
”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Open source, experimental, and tiny tools (um repositório)
Encontrei este repositório com alguns links organizados com ferramentas para o desenvolvimento de videojogos.
Da lista consta:
- Games-focused tools
- Making “assets” – images, models, sound, video
- Coding
- Text
- Web & print design
- Dealing with files
- More tools lists & reading about tools
+infos(oficial): https://github.com/everestpipkin/tools-list
+infos(alternativa): https://tinytools.directory/
Ofertas de trabalho (em julho)
Procura-se um Senior Game Designer (Oeiras/Portugal) pela Miniclip, em modo presencial, em que:
“What will you be doing at Miniclip?
Design and craft mission gameplay experiences and game features that deliver strong player engagement, retention, and monetization.
Take ownership of mission gameplay design and implementation, collaborating cross-discipline to create new and exciting scenarios and moment-to-moment gameplay.
Participate as a key member of the product team across the product life-cycle, working on games in production, and live titles, owning and creating high-impact gameplay content updates for our existing portfolio of games.
Plan and execute mission designs within Unity using our proprietary tools and editors, from inception to finished product.
Review and iterate gameplay designs and mission implementation both during production and post-release, incorporating feedback from key stakeholders and directing mission changes to balance game content based on analytics data.
Help identify and deconstruct new markets and opportunities, expanding the portfolio of the company and staying at the cutting edge of the mobile gaming industry.
What are we looking for?
Extensive experience of gameplay and systems design, monetisation, and live ops on freemium mobile games.
An excellent knowledge and understanding of gameplay design, complex game economy systems with multiple currencies, and progression systems.
Experience across the product life-cycle, from prototyping, through production, to updating a live free-to-play game.
Strong knowledge of the mobile & social game space, with an exceptional understanding of current design techniques to deliver excellent engagement, retention, and monetisation.
Understanding of and experience with reviewing game analytics, developing insights based on data to make better informed design decisions.
Strong grasp of mobile user-experience design, and ability to consider & empathise with many different types of players.
Creative problem solver, with proven ability to create compelling gameplay.
Relentlessly self-critical always sees the pros and cons of each approach, and works tirelessly to improve design solutions. Prolific with high-quality, well-thought-through proposals.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Procura-se um Game Designer (Portugal) pela Neoronin, em modo remoto, em que:
“Requirements
Proven experience as a Game Designer on shipped titles or in a professional game development setting.
Strong grasp of systems design, gameplay loops, and balance for skill-based games.
Ability to prototype, iterate, and clearly communicate complex game mechanics.
Passion for playing and developing hardcore games.
Fluent English (written and spoken).
Bonus: Shipped complex strategy or simulation-heavy games.
Soft Skills Requirements
Excellent communication and documentation skills.
Highly collaborative and comfortable working with interdisciplinary teams.
Self-driven and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership over your work.
Strong critical thinking and willingness to receive and give constructive feedback.
Adaptable to a fast-paced, remote-first development environment.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Application Process
The selection process consists of two interview stages:
1. Personal Interview – To evaluate your motivation, profile, and soft skills, and to introduce you to our project.
2. Design Interview – To discuss your game design experience and approach to designing hardcore games.
If you’re passionate about designing gameplay that rewards skill and demands thought, send your CV and portfolio to rodrigo.almeida@neoronin.co with the subject: “Game Designer Application”.”
+infos(oficial): LINK
“O tamanho pouco importa. Portugal já está no mapa dos videojogos e Pedro ajudou a essa conquista”, por Joana Petiz
“O tamanho pouco importa. Portugal já está no mapa dos videojogos e Pedro ajudou a essa conquista“, por Joana Petiz
O eGames Lab, consórcio liderado por Pedro Campos (diretor científico do consórcio), conseguiu crier um cluster de videojogos em Portugal com apoio do PRR, unindo 22 entidades. Já lançou cinco jogos e obteve prémios internacionais, além de promover talento nacional, atrair investimento e posicionar Portugal como referência global nesta indústria. Em entrevista ao SAPO, o responsável explica como firmou a Games from Portugal e quais são os próximos passos.
O tamanho pouco importa. Portugal já está no mapa dos videojogos e Pedro ajudou a essa conquista
Nasceu com as Agendas Mobilizadoras e 23,61 milhões de financiamento do PRR para criar um cluster de videojogos em Portugal. Com sede na Madeira, o eGames Lab — consórcio que reúne 22 entidades, incluindo 14 micro e pequenas empresas, duas entidades científicas e seis entidades públicas e privadas de várias cidades portuguesas, como Lisboa, Funchal, Évora e Angra do Heroísmo — tem dado passos de gigante e já lançou uma mão cheia de jogos. Um deles, criado pela FootAR, venceu neste mês o prémio de Melhor Aplicação na VRAR World Expo 2025, o mais prestigiado evento asiático dedicado à Realidade Aumentada e Realidade Virtual, que decorreu a meio do mês, em Xangai.
A desenvolver novos produtos a um ritmo frenético e com vários deles em testes finais, com uma forte componente de internacionalização, o consórcio eGames Lab pôs já Portugal nas principais feiras internacionais do setor sob a marca única “Games from Portugal” e tem gerado um aumento exponencial do interesse internacional, seja de editoras, investidores ou media, nos nossos videojogos, contornando a fragmentação da indústria, que impedia a realização do grande potencial do setor e contribuindo para atrair e fixar aqui recursos humanos altamente qualificados, conforme explica ao SAPO o diretor científico e líder do consórcio. Próximos passos? Pedro Campos explica tudo.
O aplicação portuguesa de Realidade Aumentada/Realidade Virtual de futebol da FootAR acaba de ser premiada num dos mais relevantes fóruns internacionais do setor. O que é que tem distinguido a proposta de videojogos portuguesa no âmbito do eGames Lab que tem potenciado este destaque mundial?
Encontrei o David Olim (CEO da FootAR) aqui há dias e ele deu-me uma resposta que vai ao encontro disso: nós somos pequeninos como país, mas temos jovens muito bem formados, temos qualidade; mas pensamos que o desenvolvimento de um videojogo ou de uma aplicação de realidade aumentada, como é o caso da FootAR, nunca terá hipóteses de ter impacto do outro lado do mundo, como é o caso do mercado asiático. A verdade é que neste prestigiado evento a FootAR venceu. E isso acontece porque, apesar da nossa dimensão, quando temos algo que é bom e minimamente sustentado ao longo do tempo, e algo que mobilize, resulta. Quando Portugal passa a ter uma presença constante nas maiores feiras mundiais daquela indústria, com as empresas todas juntas, os investidores e o público mudam a perceção. Aquela ideia de que os portugueses não são bons a fazer marketing é secundarizada por esta dimensão da notoriedade com consistência.
E o facto de ser um produto que mexe com emoções, que conta uma história, também pesa…
Sim, neste caso, claro, porque o futebol desperta emoções, isso facilita. Mas temos tido vários professores da indústria a visitar os nossos laboratórios desde que o projeto começou e todos dizem que temos coisas únicas e que somos bons a contar a história. Há um misto de melancolia com arte, que se consegue transpor para os videojogos. Mas só isso não chega. Outros países conseguem fazê-lo. O que nos faltava aqui era uma base comum. Até as ilhas Canárias têm um stand só delas nessas grandes feiras. E nós dizemos que os espanhóis são melhores do que nós, mas eles são seis vezes mais… e têm bons artistas, bons técnicos, contam bem a história. Mas indo lá, estando presentes, nós também temos conseguido mudar a perceção que têm de nós. E isso passa também pela mobilização.
Em que aspeto?
Antes do eGames, quando estávamos ainda a preparar a candidatura, a primeira coisa que saltou à vista foi a fragmentação que existia no setor: havia uns miúdos numa garagem, outros noutro lado, cada um a fazer por si, sem um fio condutor e sem uma base de apoio. E havia muito desânimo com o que se ia perdendo. Mas o ecossistema dos videojogos estava a crescer muito, a movimentar muito dinheiro, enquanto Portugal exportava apenas, em 2018, 5 milhões de euros ao ano nesta indústria, o que não é nada. Com a criação do consórcio e dessa lógica agregada, em 2022, demos um salto para 38 milhões, no ano seguinte para 48 milhões e em 2024 já estávamos muito perto da fasquia dos 100 milhões. Isto foi muito por efeito do consórcio eGames Lab e da Associação de Produtores de Videojogos Portugueses (APVP), porque começaram a ver que se podiam juntar a esta onda e estar presentes nas maiores feiras do mundo — e nós incentivámos esse movimento. Mesmo empresas que não fazem parte do consórcio — e devemos ser a única Agenda a fazê-lo — foram mobilizadas a juntar-se. E isto gerou um efeito bola de neve que ajuda a explicar esta evolução.
Existe um objetivo a atingir?
O primeiro era estabelecer um cluster de desenvolvimento de videojogos e indústrias criativas com alcance internacional em Portugal, dinamizando o setor das indústrias criativas e retendo o talento nacional. E isso está feito — o que existia foi incorporado e melhorado, desde logo conseguindo impedir que alguns jovens saíssem do país. O eGames Lab já criou mais de 207 empregos, todos eles altamente qualificados, dos quais 87 são mulheres e 135 são novos postos de trabalho. Portanto, para o total do investimento, o impacto em criação de emprego é enorme, porque não precisamos de um satélite, como a Agenda do Espaço, nem de comprar produtos farmacêuticos… não precisamos de grande infraestrutura. O dinheiro vai todo para salários e uma pequena pate para as conferências. Esse era o grande objetivo e já foi conseguido.
O eGames Lab já criou mais de 207 empregos, todos eles altamente qualificados, dos quais 87 são mulheres e 135 são novos postos de trabalho.
Porque também permitiu captar e reter talento.
Sim, eu lembro-me de estar em São Francisco em março e ao ver as cores do Games from Portugal as pessoas apareciam e diziam-nos: “Ah, que bom ver que finalmente estão aqui”; “Eu venho do Canadá e já era tempo de Portugal termos isto”… E talvez isto sirva para alguns deles pensarem voltar e criar empresas aqui. É um dream goal que tenho, porque vi muitos professores meus fazerem isso — o prof. Pavão Martins, por exemplo, que foi dos primeiros a doutorar-se nos EUA, em 1984, quando voltou criou uma série de produtos e negócios em IA, era uma rockstar. Se alguns destes conseguirem também ajudar a dinamizar o tal cluster de videojogos é incrível. Porque Portugal tem ótimas condições para as indústrias criativas, a nossa infraestrutura é muito boa, o país tem bom clima, não tem stress…
Mas como é que se convence quem acabou de se formar e pode ir para qualquer sítio do mundo que tem vantagem em ficar aqui e apostar no cluster?
Por acaso não tem sido difícil de convencer. Quase todos os dias recebemos currículos — muitos veem os videojogos como um emprego de sonho. O problema era que não havia cá onde pudessem entrar nessa indústria, que é muito imprevisível, até mesmo lá fora.
Quais são as pedras basilares para o eGames Lab?
O principal era mobilizar uma indústria fragmentada e conseguir posicionar o país na cadeira de valor global deste setor. Isso passou por visibilidade, presença nas feiras, desenvolvimento de novos produtos, videojogos, etc. Em termos de visão do consórcio e posicionamento do país, foi sempre um ponto-chave que tínhamos de nos diferenciar, porque todos os países estão em competição. A forma que encontrámos foi posicionarmo-nos por oposição à conotação negativa que alguns videojogos têm. Nós partimos dos valores e cultura portuguesa para uma visão dos videojogos de promoção de boas práticas, princípios e valores, em lugar de ser uma fonte de alienação coletiva e desligada da realidade. Os nossos títulos refletem isso. E também queremos combinar arte e tecnologia, por isso é que a nossa sede junta na mesma sala psicólogos, artistas, designers, programadores… são processos de trabalho em que a soma do coletivo é maior do que a do trabalho individual. A arte desafia a tecnologia e esta inspira a arte. Por exemplo, o artista quer a personagem a fazer algo e o técnico fica todo contente porque sabe como fazer acontecer.
O principal objetivo do eGames Lab era mobilizar uma indústria fragmentada e conseguir posicionar o país na cadeira de valor global deste setor.
Já têm cinco jogos lançados pelo consórcio. Que tipo de jogo funciona melhor?
Cada género de jogo é um mercado — o que também contribui para a instabilidade. Eu faço um paralelo com as séries da Netflix: a forma de fazer o marketing de uma série é completamente diferente da de um filme, e o mesmo acontece com os jogos. Não podemos dizer que os de narrativa são melhores ou piores do que os de futebol, por exemplo, porque é tudo diferente, da criação ao marketing.
E há ainda os jogos de telemóvel…
Sim. E a forma de os criar e colocar no mercado é muito diferente. Claro que há mercados melhores e não convém apostar em nichos muito pequenos — esse foi um dos fatores de insucesso desta indústria. Aquela ideia de eu fazer o jogo que quero… Se não há mercado, é tudo muito mais difícil. Por isso temos esta preocupação de serem jogos transformacionais, veículos de promoção de bons valores, mas também com a preocupação de ir a mercados onde tenhamos hipótese. O facto de termos um ponto de partida muito baixo é bom porque se evolui depressa, mas por outro lado encontra-se resistência; como aconteceria se um carro feito em Portugal tentasse conquistar mercado aos alemães. Essa resistência inicial é difícil de ultrapassar, mas estamos a conseguir.
Temos esta preocupação de serem jogos transformacionais, veículos de promoção de bons valores, mas também a de ir a mercados onde tenhamos hipótese de nos afirmarmos pela diferenciação.
O produto é software, isso também é vantagem, uma vez que não requer grande logística, armazenamento, e permite fixar aqui o valor acrescentado. Ainda assim, esse preconceito influencia a fixação do preço? Somos forçados a vender mais barato do que outros de origens mais óbvias para o mercado dos videojogos?
Aprendi isso a ouvir o meu irmão queixar-se disso (n. r. Miguel Campos, irmão de Pedro Campos, é o fundador e CEO da OneWayEleven, criadora do jogo Hanno, que faz parte do consórcio que também lidera). O valor de produção. Nós fomos falando com pessoas de Hollywood e Los Angeles e percebemos que não se deve perder tempo com conferências pequeninas, é logo começar por cima. Porque mesmo que não nos liguem, aprendemos em segundos mais do que umas horas noutros fóruns. E lá diziam-nos: vocês com muito pouco conseguem fazer imenso, porque os salários são mais baixos e não têm os problemas de alguns países de Leste, da Índia ou da China, que é não entenderem a cultura ocidental, que é a que mais compra jogos. Quando um investidor ou jogador vai comprar e vê o preço um pouco mais baixo, infelizmente isso resulta. Mas a parte que de facto traz diferenciação competitiva é o valor de produção para um jogo com tanto potencial de vendas para uma equipa tão pequena. Além disso, destacam a boa qualidade de vida e a infraestrutura Portugal, que os atrai, enquanto também conseguimos transpor para as narrativas, os cenários, o 3D, aquilo que funciona. Se pedir a uma empresa indiana, ou vai tudo muito bem detalhado ou é dinheiro perdido. Nós não tínhamos consciência de que o valor de produção também era impactado por fatores como a boa formação, o alinhamento, a abertura e até o país.
Quais são os próximos passos para o eGames Lab?
Varia de empresa para empresa, mas na parte de investigação científica já atingimos os objetivos. Não me recordo de ter tantos alunos de mestrado a publicar tanto e a ter tantos prémios, muito menos na Universidade da Madeira. Portanto, aí é consolidar, continuar o trabalho de capacitação e formação, de inspiração para que criem novas empresas. Na parte mais empresarial, está tudo concentrado em concluir as diferentes produções programadas e passar a uma fase mais pré-mercado. Mas depende, porque uma empresa como a Infinity Games está noutro patamar — um jogo para telemóvel é muito mais fácil de desenvolver e lançar, consegue-se testar águas mais depressa e aumentar vendas; noutros, o desafio é lançar em várias consolas, como a Nintendo Switch 2, que apareceu agora, fazer esse trabalho mais tecnológico de adaptação a novas consolas, computadores e sistemas. Por outro lado, temos de continuar a procurar investidores e editoras, a aprender sobre o mercado e terminar o projeto com todos os videojogos bem lançados.
A Madeira já é vista como mais do que um destino turístico, já é conhecida pela interação humano-computador.
Quantos faltam?
São 14 empresas e 14 videojogos, falta lançar oito.
E o que será para si um sucesso do consórcio?
A marca Portugal, que é o mais difícil e o racional subjacente às Agendas Mobilizadoras. Nós fomos desenvolvendo a área científica e a interação humano-computador na Madeira; no início — eu vim do Técnico em 2002, com 23 anos — pensávamos que não ia dar em nada. Mas quando começámos a ir às conferências, as pessoas já viam a Madeira como mais do que um destino turístico, já era conhecida pela interação humano-computador. Um resultado fantástico, para mim, seria termos um sucesso semelhante ao do Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, que até o presidente Macron veio elogiar e que da noite para o dia vendeu largas dezenas de milhões. Eles fizeram exatamente o que nós estamos a fazer — mas não significa que tenhamos aquele sucesso… Aliás, fiquei contente, porque resultou e é exatamente como o nosso projeto, mas também preocupado. Mas mesmo que não cheguemos lá, já existe uma consciencialização muito maior e a Europa já olha para nós por esta indústria, o que é uma conquista, estamos posicionados e ainda temos os atrativos do país. E o resto vem por acréscimo. Além de criarmos um produto de exportação competindo em muito melhor posição do que os países da Europa.
O consórcio
Integram o eGames Lab 22 entidades, incluindo 14 empresas, mas nem todas estão diretamente ligadas aos videojogos, como é o caso da Solvit, que desenvolve trabalho na área da engenharia e das telecomunicações. São elas: Wowsystems, Fapptory, Yacooba, Redcatpig, Infinity Games, Footar, Walkme Mobile, 4Spiro, Solvit, Júpiter Wisdom, Greener Act, Subtle Nomad, NOS, Dream Expctation, IST-ID, CMF, Startup Madeira, ACIF, APCA, AFTM, PACT e AJEM. O o projeto, financiado pelo PRR no âmbito das Agendas Mobilizadoras, lançou o primeiro jogo, Waste Rush, em 2024 e termina em setembro de 2025.
+infos(fonte): LINK
Óbidos Game Dev Sessions, as sessões!
Diretamente de óbidos para o mundo.. “Óbidos Game Dev Sessions”. Fica o meu obrigado pela disponibilidade de partilha.
+infos(oficial): https://www.youtube.com/@GameDevSessions
Humble Software Bundle (campanha)
Uma campanha com “novos” assets para serem usados no Unity e/ou no Unreal (cuidado que existem exclusivos). Com o titulo “The Supreme Unreal & Unity Game Dev Bundle” e com o texto de apresentação: “Dive into an asset collection that offers the widest range of stylized towns, buildings, and more with The Supreme Unreal & Unity Game Dev Bundle! Save time and money by accessing this library of 50+ asset sets, ranging from medieval Viking villages to deserted military outposts—specific standouts include Whispering Grove Environment and Asian Dynasty Environment.”.
Da lista faz parte:
“Abandoned Gas Station – Post Apocalyptic (Unreal Engine)
Alien Planets Environment w/ Planet Creator PCG (Unreal Engine)
Ancient Desert Ruins Environment (Unity)
Ancient Desert Ruins Environment w/ Map Generator PCG (Unreal Engine)
Asian Dynasty Environment (Unity)
Bike Repairing (Unreal Engine)
Bio Horror / Sci-fi Environment (Unity)
City Of Dream (Unreal Engine)
Container District Environment (Slum City) (Unity)
Container District Environment w/ Container Tool (Unreal Engine)
Cyberpunk Bathroom Interior Environment (Unreal Engine)
Dark Dungeon (Unreal Engine)
Deserted Military Outpost in the Forest Environment (Unreal Engine)
Destruction Site (Unreal Engine)
Dystopia Lab (Unreal Engine)
Elemental Spells VFX (Unreal Engine)
Industrial Cargo Ship (Unreal Engine)
Industrial Ship (Unreal Engine)
Industrial Submarine (Unreal Engine)
Lake Village (Unreal Engine)
Magic Projectiles Vol. 1 – Niagara (Unreal Engine)
Magic Projectiles Vol. 2 – Niagara (Unreal Engine)
Medieval Nordic Village Environment (Unity)
Medieval Nordic Village Environment (Unreal Engine)
Medieval Viking Dark Village Environment (Unity)
Niagara Stylized Fire Vol. 1 (Unreal Engine)
Niagara Stylized Tornados Vol. 1 (Unreal Engine)
Opera Hall (Unreal Engine)
Persepolis Empire Environment (Unity)
Realistic Environment VFX (Unreal Engine)
Rotten Factory (Unreal Engine)
Sci-Fi Kitchen (Unreal Engine)
SciFi Engineer’s Room Environment (Unity)
SciFi Engineer’s Room Environment (Unreal Engine)
Shelter (Unreal Engine)
Stylized Explosions Vol.1 – Niagara (Unreal Engine)
Stylized VFX – Fire (Unreal Engine)
Stylized VFX – Lightning (Unreal Engine)
Subway Tunnel (Unreal Engine)
Supernova VFX (Unreal Engine)
Taiga Biome Environment (Boreal Forest, Winter Forest, Tundra Biome) (Unreal Engine)
Unique AoE Magic Abilities Volume 1 (Unity)
Unique Lasers Volume 1 (Unity)
Unique Projectiles Volume 1 (Unity)
Unique Toon Projectiles Vol. 1 (Unity)
VFX Graph – Sci-Fi Shield – Vol. 1 (Unity)
Victorian Mansion Environment (Unity)
Western Desert Town Environment (Unity)
Western Desert Town w/ Construction Tool (Unreal Engine)
Whispering Grove Environment (Unreal Engine)”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Humble Software Bundle (campanha)
Uma campanha com assests para trabalhar serem usados com um motor de desenvolvimento de videojogos, preferencialmente Unity ou o Unreal. Com o titulo “Stylized Cartoon Assets Bundle” e com o texto de apresentação: “Make games—but make them with style using our latest asset bundle by Hayq Art. The Stylized Cartoon Assets Bundle offers 40+ beautiful and unique asset packs for new and professional game devs. Add life and color to your next project with great packs like Sci-Fi Environment Pack, Stone Age Characters Pack, Medieval Castle City, and more.”.
Da lista faz parte:
“6 Toon Zombies
Airport Environment
Angel Demon
Bugs City Environment Pack
Bugs characters
Businessmen Pack with Props
Cafes & Shops City
Cartoon City Environment Pack
Christmas Environment Pack
Circus Adventure Pack
Citizens with Props
Doctor & Nurse Pack with Props
Educational Environment Pack
Firefighters with Props
Grand Stadium
House and Character
Medieval Castle City
Medieval Characters with Props
Medieval Knight
Medieval Knightness
Medieval Lowpoly Characters
Medieval Male
Medieval Priest
Megapolis City
Middle Ages Poly Pack
Middle Ages: Historical Environment Pack
Mushroom House Ant
Police officers with Props
Santa Claus and Elves
Sci-Fi 13 Stylized Characters
Sci-Fi Environment Pack
Sci-Fi Pack: Futuristic Environment
Stone Age Characters Pack
Stone Age Environment
Stylized Bee Character Rigged Cartoon Style
Superheroes with Props
Texas Characters Pack
Toon Kids Character with Props
Toon Military Characters
Toon Vehicles Pack
Wild West Texas: Environment Pack
Zombie Apocalypse City Pack”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Humble Software Bundle (campanha)
Mais uma campanha de assets 2D para auxiliar no processo de desenvolvimento de videojogos, em Unity ou Unreal ou noutro motor de videojogos. Com o titulo “Complete 2D GAME ASSETS bundle” e com texto de apresentação: “Add retro vibes to your next game project with our all-new 2D game asset bundle by ElvGames! Choose from 75+ collections of unique and exciting game assets for use in Unity, Unreal, and other popular development engines. This high-quality collection features environments, characters, meshes, models, animations, and more in a variety of styles ranging from cute to horrific.”.
Da lista faz parte:
“Adventure Music Pack
Battle Music Pack
Blacksmith House Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Blacksmith Workshop 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Boss Sprites Wave 1 – Fantasy Dreamland!
Boss Sprites Wave 2 – Fantasy Dreamland!
Buff and Debuff Pixel VFX
Castle 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Castle Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Caves 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Caves Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Character Sprites Wave 1 – Fantasy Dreamland
Character Sprites Wave 2 – Fantasy Dreamland
Character Sprites Wave 3 – Fantasy Dreamland
Christmas Decorations Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
City 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
City Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Cute RPG Music Pack 1
Cute RPG Music Pack 2
Cute RPG Music Pack 3
Cute RPG Music Pack 4
Cute RPG Music Pack 5
Desert Houses Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Desert Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Dream Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Dungeon 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Dungeon Music Pack
Dungeon Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Enchanted Forest 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Enemy Sprites Wave 1 – Fantasy Dreamland
Enemy Sprites Wave 2 – Fantasy Dreamland
Epic Medieval I Music Pack
Epic Medieval II Music Pack
Epic Medieval III Music Pack
Epic Medieval IV Music Pack
Epic Medieval V Music Pack
Farming RPG Music Pack 1
Farming RPG Music Pack 2
Farming RPG Music Pack 3
Farming RPG Music Pack 4
Farming RPG Music Pack 5
Fire Spells Pixel VFX
Footsteps Sound FX Asset Pack
Forest Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Game Sounds FX Pack I
Game Sounds FX Pack II
Grasslands Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Green Plains 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Halloween Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Ice Spells Pixel VFX
Interior 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Interior Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Item Icons 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Laboratory 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Light Spells Pixel VFX
Marshland Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Mountains Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 01
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 02
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 03
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 04
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 05
Pixel Battlers Monsters Asset Pack 06
Platformer Tileset Abominable Lair 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Arctic Caves 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Beastly Dungeon 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Cliffside Greens 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Cosmic Debris 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Dark Passage 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Desert Plateau 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Enchanted Pathways 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Forbidden Chambers 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Frozen Summit 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Grass Fields 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Haunted Dungeon 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Magical Forest 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Monsters Nest 16×16 Pixelart
Platformer Tileset Mystic Dungeon 16×16 Pixelart
Sci-Fi UI Sounds FX Asset Pack
Tavern Music Pack
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 1
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 2
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 3
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 4
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 5
Turn Based RPG Monsters Pack 6
Village 16×16 Tileset – Fantasy Dreamland Reborn
Village Music Pack
Village Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland
Winter Village Tileset 16×16 Pixelart – Fantasy Dreamland”
+infos(oficial): LINK
Elemento Associação Ludopedagógica (proposta de trabalho)
Esteve há uns tempos disponível uma proposta de trabalho por parte da “Elemento Associação Ludopedagógica”, e do texto constava:
“A Elemento é uma associação ludopedagógica preenchida por pessoas apaixonadas pelo poder dos jogos, interessadas na sua aplicação em contextos sérios, com objetivos focados na mudança de atitudes, comportamentos e valores, no desenvolvimento e aprendizagem de novos conteúdos ou soluções, e na criação de momentos de integração para a comunidade.
Estamos à procura de uma pessoa para se juntar à nossa associação, em regime de prestação de serviços, tendo como principais responsabilidades: participação nas atividades e reuniões dos projetos em curso, escrita de relatórios e documentos, apoio na organização de eventos, apoio nas candidaturas.
Requisitos:
• Disponibilidade para viajar e participar em atividades no âmbito dos projetos europeus
• Excelente nível de Inglês escrito e falado
• Residência na Área Metropolitana de Lisboa ou zonas próximas (trabalho remoto, com atividades presenciais em Lisboa)
Valorizamos:
• Gosto pelo mundo dos jogos
• Licenciatura Ciências Sociais ou área relevante
• Experiência na elaboração de relatórios e documentos técnicos em Inglês
• Participação em projetos europeus
• Competências de gestão de projetos (organização, trabalho autónomo, gestão de prazos)
Agradecemos o preenchimento do formulário, envio do currículo e (opcionalmente) documento ou relatório produzido em Inglês – até à data limite de candidatura: 13 de abril.
Qualquer dúvida relativa à candidatura ou dificuldade na submissão, contactar: helena.pereira@elemento.pt
”
achei interessante porque é a primeira vez que encontro uma proposta em Portugal para esta área de trabalho..
Proposta de trabalho em AI e GameDev
Encontrei esta proposta de trabalho com o titulo “Game Designer – AI Trainer” por parte da empresa de recrutamento micro1. O trabalho tem como objetivos treinar agentes e modelos e AI.
da proposta surge:
“Job Summary:
We are seeking an innovative Gaming Expert – AI Trainer, who will play a pivotal role in steering our AI models to understand and generate design-driven, creative content. Your game design expertise and strategic thinking will be crucial in bridging the communication between creative vision and technical execution, shaping the future of AI creativity.
Key Responsibilities:
Design nuanced evaluation scenarios that challenge AI systems within dynamic, real-world gaming environments, focusing on adaptive learning, realism, and player impact.
Research, define, and validate ideal AI behaviors by leveraging game analytics, community insights, case studies, and authoritative gaming sources.
Perform in-depth, iterative testing of AI components such as NPC behaviors, procedural storytelling, and in-game decision systems, identifying points of failure and areas for enhancement.
Build comprehensive scoring rubrics and behavioral matrices to consistently assess AI performance across creativity, believability, responsiveness, and strategic execution.
Report findings in detailed feedback loops to guide improvements in AI models and inform future design choices.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Game Design, Computer Science, Cognitive Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
Deep understanding of gameplay mechanics, player psychology, and AI’s role in modern gaming experiences.
Strong analytical skills with experience conducting structured evaluations, user testing, or QA analysis.
Familiarity with AI models used in games (e.g., behavior trees, reinforcement learning, procedural content generation).
Passion for games — both playing and understanding them from a systems and player-experience perspective.
Exceptional collaboration and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in AI model training or development.”
DeVuego PT (base de dados dos videojogos Portugueses)
Foi disponibilizado recentemente um repositório online onde estão registados “todos” os trabalhos relacionados com videojogos desenvolvidos em Portugal ou com a contribuição de portugueses. Este trabalho é da responsabilidade de Filipe Veiga e Pedro Pimenta, e que contam com a contribuição de todos.
atualmente estão registados mais de 2153 videojogos, 544 desenvolvedores, 211 estúdios.. e os números continuam a subir..
Os meus sinceros parabéns pela iniciativa.
+infos(oficial): https://www.devuego.pt/bd/
devlogs.gg um projeto para divulgar videojogos
Projeto interessante que divulga de XX em XX horas blogs de malta que anda a desenvolver videojogos.
+infos(oficial): https://devlogs.gg/
Race to Berlin pela Portal Games (um boardgame)
Um jogo de tabuleiro interessante sobre a WW2, sobre a parte final. Gostei das peças, do cenário, do momento do jogo.. o custo ronda os 49,20 euros já com portes.
+infos(oficial): LINK
War In The Pacific: A WW2 Roll & Write Game (um PnP)
Um jogo de tabuleiro sobre um tema que gosto, contudo e apesar disso duas nuances que não gosto:
_acho o PnP caro, já que se trata apenas um “tabuleiro”
_e ser sobre o tema do pacifico
Ainda assim fica aqui o arquivo do mesmo..

+infos(oficial): LINK












