Advertise on podcast: UIBuzz - Software and game development

Sharing a couple of games I have been playing along with an app update that shipped on iOS and iPad from me. Games in this episodeMoon SweepersVacuum WarriorWorld of Warcraft Classic Me: PeterWitham.comMy Livestream: https://twitch.tv/compiledev ★ Support this podcast ★

It is very hard to avoid using some kind of 3rd party dependency these days, most often this takes the form of a repository somewhere. So do you have a plan for recovery/protection should something happen to it? What if it is beyond your control, there is always a plan B. Some suggestions in this episode to avoid the problem you didn't know you have. Support this Podcast by buying me a coffee ★ Support this podcast ★

Software development of any kind is in a difficult place right now. We all have those times we would love to say screw it and move on, but is that really the answer? Probably not, at least not right now. Some thoughts in this episode. Support my content by buying me just once coffee (or more) to help me survive my Podcasting career :)https://peterwitham.com/bmc Contact mehttps://peterwitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

Why Short Games Feel So Satisfying (for Players and Developers) In this episode of the UI Buzz podcast, host Peter Witham reflects on the satisfaction of short games compared to long-running open-world experiences like World of Warcraft. He explains how shorter games—often idle or progressive titles found on places like itch.io—can be completed in a few hours or days, letting players finish, enjoy, and move on. Peter argues these games also benefit developers by requiring less content, enabling clear end goals, and reducing the risk of projects never being finished, especially for solo creators. He connects this to why game jams work well due to tight time limits that prevent major scope creep. With attention harder to earn and keep, he believes short games can provide a more reliable win for both players and developers. 00:00 UI Buzz Short Games 00:21 Long vs. Short Games 00:52 The Satisfaction of Short Games 01:19 Idle & Progressive Games 02:08 Developer Benefits 03:19 Game Jams & Scope Creep 05:33 Final Thoughts Contact Peterhttps://peterwitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

Peter returns after a busy summer with a catch-up episode covering two main topics: Concept driven mini projects: Instead of building full games or apps, Peter has been creating small, focused projects to explore specific mechanics (like player tracking and object movement in idle/progressive games). These serve as both livestream content and a reusable reference library of techniques.ProjectHack.net goes into production: Peter's hacking-style idle game is now fully released and playable in-browser at ProjectHack.net/game. A major update with missions is coming soon. The game runs on any device via the web, with instant content updates.Support the show: Buy Peter a coffee at PeterWitham.com/BMC Contact: PeterWitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of UIBuzz, I reflect on a busy month away, share the release of my game MooFO on Itch.io, and discuss my take on AI declaration of use in game development. Including why I think the "AI used" checkbox needs more granularity. I also open up about intentionally stepping back from side projects, the mental health benefits of that break, and why, honestly, evaluating your numbers matters more than artificial self-imposed pressure. Play MooFO on the web at https://peterwitham.com/moofo ★ Support this podcast ★

I sit down with my good buddy Leo G. Dion from the EmpowerApps show to discuss Apple's WWDC 26 developer conference. We cover the announcements and where we think this year will go for developers and users. Support this Podcast by buying me a coffee ★ Support this podcast ★

This week, I'm diving into the recent announcement that AI company Anthropic is financially supporting Blender, the beloved open-source 3D modeling tool. Anthropic pledged 240,000 euros as a corporate Patron member — but the community pushback was swift. Blender responded transparently, apologized to the community, and agreed to seek broader input going forward. The arrangement was also restructured from an ongoing membership to a one-time payment. My take? Nothing wrong happened here. Blender needs financial support to thrive, and a little community patience goes a long way. Buy me a Coffee and help this Podcast survivehttps://peterwitham.com/bmc ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, I dive into a fascinating challenge with my hacking game, Project Hack. A developer played it, wrote a script that instantly hacked all available server money, and exposed a major design problem I hadn't considered. Now I'm wrestling with how to reward skilled players without breaking the early game experience. Play the game now on early pre-release on itch.io I'd love your feedback — https://pwitham.itch.io/projecthack/community ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, I share my surprisingly positive experience diving into 3D game development with Godot. Despite what I'd read online, performance has been more than acceptable for my current project. I also walk through my mixed results exporting 3D assets from Unity into Godot — models come in fine, but texturing can be a mess. I'm seriously considering a ~$30 plugin to streamline the workflow. Contact mehttps://peterwitham.com/contact Could you show your support by buying me a coffee?https://peterwitham.com/bmc ★ Support this podcast ★

I'm sharing a crucial reminder about data protection: automate your offsite backups now. I've seen too many drives fail over the years.Whether you're using GitHub, cloud services, or your own home lab, make sure you have encrypted remote backups.One day, it might save everything you've created. ★ Support this podcast ★

I'm pivoting my hacking game Project Hack from Unity to web technologies—React, TypeScript, and Vite. This shift lets players write JavaScript scripts to hack in-game, using the Monaco editor and a custom terminal. I'm building for desktop with Tauri and adding D3.js for network visualizations. The game now supports multiple playstyles: click-based or code-based hacking. It's live on itch.io in early development. This approach eliminates engine constraints and accelerates feature development. Check it out at projecthack.net and share your feedback! ★ Support this podcast ★

Hey everyone! In this episode, I'm sharing my journey of converting my iOS apps to Android using AI assistance—and honestly, I didn't expect it to work this well. What I Covered: I've been getting constant requests to bring my Job Finder Tracker and Sub Radar apps to Android, but learning Kotlin from scratch wasn't realistic with my limited time outside the day job. So I decided to try a different approach: using Claude Code AI to help convert my existing iOS apps. The Process: Working with Claude Code and an Android developer friend, I fed the AI my handcrafted iOS source code and asked it to analyze the architecture, technologies, and features. It came back with a solid five-phase plan: Phase 1: Build data structures and database (replacing Core Data with Room)Phase 2: Create UI with basic CRUD operationsPhase 3: Add advanced features like calendar and local notificationsPhase 4: Set up syncing capabilitiesPhase 5: Testing and refined features like PDF importingThe Results: In less than 12 hours of work time, I went from nothing to a fully functional Android app. About 90% of the conversion was handled by AI, with manual tweaking needed for specific features like customizable push notifications. The app now runs beautifully, even on my ancient test tablet. Key Takeaway: AI alone wouldn't have gotten this right, but by feeding it a well-architected project I'd built by hand, it got me most of the way there. This approach lets me learn Android development while getting apps to market quickly. Moving forward, I'll be building all new apps for both platforms from the start, keeping me platform-independent and flexible for whatever trends come next. Check out Job Finder Tracker at https://www.PeterWitham.com/jft Support this podcast by buying me a coffee, this keeps the podcast advertising free with no interruptions ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the 2025 Game Awards, celebrating indie developers and questioning the hype around AAA game trailers with distant release dates. I discuss the rising costs of games, shifting audiences, and why smaller, more creative titles are winning my attention.  Please tune in for my honest take on where the gaming industry is headed! ★ Support this podcast ★

Game Development Challenges and Innovations I've been busy with my game project, Project Hack, making significant UI changes and integrating new features like a leaderboard. Balancing gameplay is a major challenge, but I've devised strategies to keep it fair. Looking forward to sharing more progress and insights with fellow developers. Follow for more updates on my game and app projects! Mentioned in this episodeProject HackSub Radar subscription tracking app Contact mepeterwitham.com/contact ★ Support this podcast ★