coining a term: 'gooncoding' is the act of excessively using AI programming tools like claude code to overengineer things that make you feel like you're being more productive even when you're not.

i.e:

spotted on ravelry: the pattern to knit the sock pictured on the Wikipedia article for "sock"

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/as-seen-on-wikipedia-socks

Letters to Arralla just hit Steam, and it’s one of those cozy 3D RPGs that instantly makes you curious about how deep the charm goes.

At first glance, it seems like part of a growing trend in indie games: the “deliver the mail” premise. We’ve seen it before—Mail Time with its cottagecore forest vibes, and Yoku’s Island Express where the postman is also a dung beetle pinball.

But here, the post office is run by vegetables and fruits, and your avatar is a smiling turnip with an oddly emphasized derrière. Yes—your character’s got cheeks. The devs call them “big booty cutie fruits.” Maybe it’s absurd, maybe it’s fanservice for a demographic no one’s studied yet. Either way, it’s the most memorable choice of character design I’ve seen in this niche.

What sets this one apart isn’t just the art style—it’s the nosiness. On Arralla Isle, the letters you’re supposed to deliver don’t have street addresses, so you have to actually read them. Open every envelope, look at the doodles, the stickers, the handwriting, the little in-jokes, and deduce who they belong to.

In the real world, this would be a federal crime. In this world, it’s gameplay. By snooping, you uncover the residents’ tangled relationships, side arguments, and daily dramas. That grouchy artisan who keeps sending ominous notes? You’ll cross paths with him soon. That lonely islander begging for connection? Their story spills out in postage stamps and crayon scrawls. It’s half cozy sim, half detective work.

The presentation sells it. Arralla Isle is all warm tones, rolling hills, and village streets that feel both familiar and surreal. The fruit-people are expressive in that exaggerated, plush-toy way that cozy gamers gravitate toward. Nothing graphically demanding—your GPU will coast—but the animations are polished and the world’s color palette is designed for relaxation. The game leans heavily on text, but the developers accounted for accessibility: font sizes can be adjusted, dialogue is easy to parse, and you never get lost in clutter.

Audio carries the same philosophy. The music is whimsical and easygoing, the kind you could loop for hours while sipping tea. Sound effects land with satisfying pops, clunks, and thuds. Characters “talk” through nonsense chirps and mumbles, keeping the vibe playful without the burden of heavy voice acting. And you can tweak everything—stereo output, volume sliders, the works.

Controls are straightforward. Keyboard and mouse work fine, and both Xbox and DualSense gamepads are fully supported. There’s no twitchy precision required, no timed QTEs—just a leisurely pace where mistakes are low-stakes. The accessibility continues here: anyone can pick it up, regardless of skill level.

On the technical side, requirements are refreshingly modest: an i5-6200 CPU, 4 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX is all you need, with about 3 GB of space. It’s Windows-native, but I ran it on Linux through Proton without a hiccup. For a debut indie release, that’s impressive polish.

The studio behind it—Little Pink Clouds, based between Melbourne and Tasmania—developed this with support from Australian arts and screen funding bodies. They’ve leaned hard into acknowledging their roots, noting Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Country in their credits. For a first release, this feels confident, assured, and surprisingly feature-complete.

Reception has been glowing. As of launch, Steam reviews sit at 100% positive, and the game’s already been highlighted at multiple festivals, praised for its accessibility features, wholesomeness, and cross-gender appeal. For a genre that often gets pigeonholed as “for kids” or “for women,” Letters to Arralla proves that good design and curiosity-driven storytelling are universally engaging. I’ve played a few hours myself, and it’s exactly what it promises: a lighthearted exploration of community through gossip disguised as mail.

At C$17.59 launch price, it’s not asking much. For a 3D RPG made by a tiny team with government backing, it’s fair—especially considering you’re buying into something that feels handcrafted rather than templated.

Cozy gamers will get their fix, nosy gamers will love it even more, and yes, there will be people who play just for the turnip ass jiggle. That’s Arralla for you.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2189310/Letters_to_Arralla/

@videogames

It is so hilarious to me that we have FOSS maintainers begging for money to try to keep the development of NTP ongoing. NTP - you know, that protocol that the entirety of humanity relies on for access to the internet (or anything on a network for that matter).

Meanwhile the o̶l̶i̶g̶a̶r̶c̶h̶y̶ broligarchy makes billions of the backs of these people.

Anyways, they're currently at $495 of $1000 for their 2025 goal. Go throw them some $ if you feel so inclined.

https://www.nwtime.org/mills-spring/

#NTP