Travess Smalley, an assistant print media professor at the University of Rhode Island, discovered Minecraft over a decade ago and began exploring its creative potential. He has integrated his artistic expressions into the game, which has sold over 350 million copies globally. Smalley uses a "chance flower" program to generate unique art, similar to the procedurally generated worlds in Minecraft. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he developed work on a dedicated Minecraft server, creating a digital world that transforms the game into an expansive poem. His projects include "pixel rugs," generative digital artworks translated into hand-woven rugs, and "CRAWL," a video maze game featuring 512 distinct artworks. Smalley plans to release a book titled "Pixel Rugs" in January 2026 and encourages his students to use Minecraft as a medium for artistic expression.
Indie developers have launched Whisker Squadron: Survivor, a roguelite shooter inspired by the Star Fox series, after a long hiatus since the last official release in 2017. The game, created by Flippfly, features on-rail shooting combined with roguelite elements, allowing players to choose ships and weapons to fight robotic enemies called The Swarm. It includes three acts with boss fights, voiced dialogues, and accessibility options. Whisker Squadron: Survivor is available on PC via Steam for .99, with a promotional price of .99 until February 28th. A Deluxe Edition is also available for .87, currently priced at .29. The recent 1.0.0 update introduced new features, improvements, and bug fixes, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.