pencil
Company
6 documents in the library are about pencil, from writers such as Thomas Brush, a16z Games and Game Developers Conference. Each has a summary and key insights with the page they come from.
Connections
The documents about pencil on the inner ring, the other games and companies they name on the outer one. Select a cover to see it up close and open it in a new tab; drag to move, pinch or Ctrl + scroll to zoom.
On Steam
Steam estimates as of 9 Oct 2026. Revenue is premium revenue on Steam only: game sales, without DLC.
- Revenue as publisher
- $1.3M
- 7 games
- Units sold
- 101K
- as publisher or developer
pencil’s best-selling games on Steam
| Game | Released | Share of the best seller | Revenue | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAISHO x ALICE episode 1Publisher | 2019 | $535K | 41K | |
| TAISHO x ALICE episode 2Publisher | 2020 | $268K | 21K | |
| TAISHO x ALICE episode 3Publisher | 2021 | $167K | 14K | |
| TAISHO x ALICE epiloguePublisher | 2021 | $129K | 19K | |
| TAISHO x ALICE: HEADS & TAILSPublisher | 2022 | $125K | 4,920 | |
| 軍靴をはいた猫Publisher | 2023 | $38K | 1,530 | |
| 崩壊世界のナヴィガトーレPublisher | 2026 | — | — |
Documents about pencil
Three Ways Founders Are Building in Public
The article examines contemporary strategies for founders to build in public beyond traditional hype tactics.
- Founders are shifting from generic 'grind-culture' content to building in public by turning core operational decisions into narrative-driven marketing.
- Pencil demonstrates technical leadership by utilizing 'swarm mode' to ship AI-driven features at the frontier of product development.
- Gainsight is generating market narrative tension by publicly pivoting to AI-native services and declaring the traditional SaaS business model obsolete.
PMP Best Practices for Game Development
The provided text argues that indie game studios often mistakenly reject formal project management methodologies, such as those promoted by the Project Management Institute (PMI), due to a perceived incompatibility between rigid corporate processes and the creative, iterative nature of game development.
- Game studios should adopt project management principles selectively, focusing on the underlying logic of risk, scope, and communication rather than the rigid, bureaucratic documentation associated with the full PMBOK framework.
- Risk management should move from reactive worrying to a proactive habit where teams identify, rate, and document risks—specifically product, scope, funding, people, and technical risks—at the start of every project phase.
- To prevent scope creep, studios should utilize a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) to map out all necessary deliverables, ensuring that every proposed addition is evaluated against its impact on the project's cost and schedule.
'Yar's Rising' and Reimagining Classics for Game Development with James Montagna | 347
The revitalization of classic intellectual property requires a delicate balance between honoring foundational source material and integrating modern gameplay innovations.
- Reimagining legacy IP like the 1982 Atari title 'Yars’ Revenge' requires balancing original source material with modern genre shifts, such as transitioning the game into a side-scrolling metroidvania.
- Developers can modernize retro titles by repurposing classic mechanics into narrative-driven features, such as converting original gameplay elements into interactive hacking terminals for a protagonist.
- Maintaining a nimble, independent studio structure supported by deep institutional knowledge and passion is essential for navigating the volatility of the current gaming market.
2D Game Art Tutorial In 10 Minutes
The primary objective of this guide is to demonstrate that high-quality 2D game art is accessible to creators of all skill levels, even when limited to basic hardware like a computer mouse.
- High-quality 2D environmental design relies on the disciplined application of a pre-defined, harmonious color palette rather than complex manual drawing techniques.
- Visual cohesion and three-dimensional depth are achieved by layering primary, secondary, and neutral tones, even if individual elements appear washed out in isolation.
- The composition process begins by establishing a horizon line using gradients to provide a consistent color context for all subsequent environmental elements.
How to draw PIXEL ART GAME CHARACTERS (PS TUTORIAL)
This guide outlines a professional workflow for creating pixel art game characters using Adobe Photoshop, emphasizing technical setup and artistic principles to ensure high-quality, readable assets.
- Configure Photoshop for pixel art by setting image interpolation to 'nearest neighbor' and disabling anti-aliasing on all tools to maintain sharp, clean edges.
- Use the pencil tool exclusively instead of the brush tool to prevent unwanted softening of pixels.
- Standardize character assets within a square canvas, typically ranging from 16x16 to 32x32 pixels, to ensure consistent detail levels.
The Jackbox Party Pack Unboxed: How and Why We Make a Pack of 5 Games Every Year
Jackbox Games has successfully transformed its business model by pivoting from traditional freemium trivia titles to an annual, bundled release strategy.
- Jackbox Games maintains a sustainable business model by releasing a 'Party Pack' containing five distinct games annually, a strategy that prevents reliance on a single franchise and encourages creative experimentation.
- The company shifted its focus to the 'big screen' format after realizing that mobile-centric freemium games were often isolating, whereas their party games thrive on shared physical spaces and social interaction.
- The development cycle is highly compressed, with the company releasing a new pack every October and utilizing the remainder of the year for post-mortems, marketing, and early-stage prototyping.