In this year-end-year-beginning episode of the Polytechnicast, I'm journaling about what it's been like building up to Word Turtle Island 1.0, posting 200 consecutive days on TikTok, and now I'm about 4 to 5 months into developing my next game Lexilotl, a word puzzle game.

Posting on TikTok for over 200 consecutive days: built a sustainable habit of 30-second to 3-minute posts, how I reuse that material on other platforms through tools like Buffer, and why honest, emotionally grounded posts often land more.

Exploring voiceover: from old compliments about my voice to years of podcasting into deliberately building a better recording environment. That includes blanket forts that literally collapsed on camera, and eventually a more stable closet setup, plus early exploration of voiceover marketplaces and auditions.

Word Turtle Island, which finally reached 1.0 after four years of work and modest sales is having me explore a few things with the game, how I market it, and also ... Lexilotl, my next game: a cozy Axolotl-themed word puzzle co-designed with my wife, Kate, built on top of systems I created for Word Turtle Island. Also I'm inviting you to reach out in general and especially if you’re interested in testing Lexilotl on iOS at rob@shieldsstenzinger.com.