Third Eye Opening
A lesson in presence, framed in play.
Cadence Collections
The Don’s Run
This is an interesting story. I was trying to figure out my place in a new chapter of my life — working for a startup game studio. Still learning how to use Godot, I had to pause for 2024’s Fak’ugesi Game Jam. A new mask was needed for the moment — a role that chose me. I had to be a mentor for one of the participants. Little did I know, I’d be learning more than mentoring. This is where my eyes were opened by Third Eye Games.
The theme of the game was South African hip-hop. I was impressed with their idea to make a dance battle game. A game they spun up in 3 days — I thought they had the win in the bag. I got to see up close what goes into developing a game. This experience was what I needed to settle into this new world I found myself in. I saw what a well-oiled machine of creatives is capable of. I usually work alone in my creative pursuits. But this time? Everyone understood their role and played it well. Still admirable as I look back.
My adventure with Third Eye didn’t end there. That’s a story for a deep dive.
This life chose me when I was searching for new meaning.
But, that’s too deep for the intro.
Echo Effect
“I had to be a mentor… little did I know, I’d be learning more than mentoring.”
“A new mask was needed for the moment.”
“I saw what a well-oiled machine of creatives is capable of.”
“Everyone understood their role and played it well.”
These are the echoes still resonating from the Don’s Run. A reminder that some lessons are learned in silence — through watching, witnessing, and recognising rhythm in others.
Cadence Collections
When rhythm meets precision, the result is presence.
I met Third Eye Games at a time when I needed to be reminded of what collaboration can look like at its best. It was the Fak’ugesi Game Jam — 72 hours to create something playable, purposeful, and true to the theme: South African hip-hop. Their response wasn’t just functional — it was finished. Not in the sense of perfection, but in polish. In presence.
They showed me what a well-oiled creative machine looks like up close. Everyone understood their role. Everyone played it well. What they delivered looked like it had been crafted by a team that had run this race before — even if they hadn’t. I usually work alone in my creative pursuits, so watching this kind of synergy unfold in real time did more than impress me. It inspired me.
Now, they’re working on something called Mo ‘n Fro — a two-player puzzle game still on the way. But what stood out to me wasn’t what’s coming. It was what I saw during those three days: a group of creatives who didn’t just show up — they moved. And that movement left its mark.
Snapshot
Ever been inspired by someone else’s rhythm?
Let this post echo into your own story. Drop a comment below and share the creative collaborations that shifted your mindset.