Software Engineering Daily Blender and Godot in Game Development with Simon Thommes
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Dec 25, 2025 Simon Thommes, Lead Technical Artist at Blender Studio, shares insights on creating the game DOGWALK using open-source tools. He discusses the innovative open production model at Blender Studio, which allows full asset sharing for collaboration. Simon dives into the unique gameplay of DOGWALK, where players experience the world as a dog, and elaborates on the challenges of developing an effective Blender-to-Godot pipeline. He also compares development cultures between Blender and Godot, highlighting their different approaches to open-source contributions.
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Game Chosen To Test Interoperability
- Dogwalk was chosen to explore Blender-to-engine interoperability rather than to push Blender's rendering limits.
- The project focused on pipeline lessons for game asset exchange using open-source tools.
Microgame Built Around Emotion
- Dogwalk is a ~20-minute microgame where you play a dog leading a child through a snowy landscape to build a snowman.
- The game intentionally creates emotional moments via simple movement mechanics and interaction with the child.
Pick Styles That Fit Standard Pipelines
- Use a PBR workflow and stylize on top to keep assets portable across engines using GLTF.
- Choose art directions (like papercraft) that map to standard maps to reduce custom shader work in the engine.
