March was a busy one. Between writing up everything I learned from February's game jam, wiring up some hardware, and starting a new series, I've got a lot to share this month.

🆕 NEW THIS MONTH

We Made a Game Together: Our Game Jam Learnings

My son and I entered a game jam and built a browser-deployed multiplayer fighting game called Jesvilemys. This post is the honest retrospective — the collaboration workflow, the decisions made under pressure, the platform-specific surprises. Less of a tutorial, more of a behind-the-scenes look at what actually happens when you try to ship something real in a compressed timeline.

Read it → https://harlepengren.com/we-made-a-game-together-our-game-jam-learnings/

From Local to Online: Building Browser-Compatible Godot Multiplayer

After finishing Jesvilemys for the game jam, I wanted anyone to be able to play it in a browser — no install required. Getting there meant wiring together three pieces: a Python signal server, headless Godot instances for server-side logic, and secure WebSockets for browser compatibility. The existing tutorials didn't cover this specific transition well, so I documented the whole thing.

Read it → https://harlepengren.com/from-local-to-online-building-browser-compatible-godot-multiplayer-game/

Pedal Board USB Power: 9V to USB for a Raspberry Pico

I wanted to power a Raspberry Pi Pico directly from the 9V supply already sitting on my guitar pedal board — one less power brick on the floor. This post covers the voltage converter circuit, the schematic, and what I learned building it. Classic maker problem: two systems that should talk to each other, and a weekend to figure out how.

Read it → https://harlepengren.com/pedal-board-usb-power-9v-to-usb-for-a-raspberry-pico/

💡 SOMETHING I LEARNED

The pedal board project was also my first time using KiCad instead of Fritzing for schematic design.

KiCad is significantly more powerful — but the learning curve is real. My first mistake was designing the full schematic without assigning footprints. Footprints define the physical dimensions and pad layout of a component, and you need them before you can generate a PCB layout for prototyping. I had to go back through every component and add them after the fact.

The other thing that caught me off guard: even for something as simple as a resistor or capacitor, the footprint library has a staggering number of options. Through-hole or SMD, package size, pad spacing — it adds up fast when you don't know exactly what physical component you're using.

The fix is obvious in hindsight: keep a record of your exact components from the start. Part number, package, footprint. Next time I start a hardware project, that list comes first.

🗓️ WHAT'S COMING NEXT

In April, I'm launching a new 10-part series on building Blender add-ons with Python. We're not doing toy examples — we're building a real Batch Render Manager from scratch: queue multiple render jobs, override settings per job, and get notified when it's done. Posts 1 and 2 drop next month.

If you're into hardware projects and have a KiCad tip (especially around managing component libraries), hit reply — I'm still finding my footing there.

Norm harlepengren.com