🏗 The STRONGEST Castle

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Hello Fellow Engineers!

We’ve got a self-folding crane that’s basically a Transformer, a fort that’s making questionable design choices, and of course, Paddy, the best doggone engineering apprentice out there. Plus, a throwback to my Leaf Blower Revolution days—you know, the game where I blew so many leaves, they practically gave me a leaf-blowing degree.

Let’s dive into it 👇

A massive shoutout to everyone who entered this week’s Game Giveaway! 🥳

And now, the moment you’ve been furiously smashing that refresh button for…

🥁 Insert dramatic drumroll here 🥁

The three lucky winners of Northend Tower Defence are… Johnny, James and Julian! 🎉

Congrats! If that’s you - check your emails for those sweet Steam keys, and I’ll see you on the leaderboard, building phones that might actually last a whole day! 📱💸

Don’t worry if you missed out—I'm giving away keys every week, so stay tuned and enter this week’s poll for another shot at winning! 👇

👷‍♂️ Truss Me, I’m an Engineer…

Fort Tolukko: Standing firm since 1540.

Ah, Fort Tolukko—standing tall and proud on the Indonesian island of Ternate. This historic structure was originally built by the Portuguese in 1540, then fortified by the Dutch, because nothing says "sturdy" quite like European colonial powers playing engineering tag.

Now, before we dive into the juicy details of Tolukko's history, let’s address the elephant in the room. That’s right, folks, if you look at the aerial shots of this fort, there’s no denying its’ phallic resemblance. Coincidence? We think not! As we all know phallic shapes are the STRONGEST shapes.

This genius piece of architecture is a testament to mankind’s natural affinity for building with robust structures. The Fort’s design could be interpreted as a sly wink from the engineers of the past, practically shouting, “Look at this! Not only does it ward off enemies, but it’s also... standing the test of time!”.

But aside from its, um, strategic shape, Fort Tolukko served a critical role in colonial warfare, keeping the spice trade spicy and invaders at bay. Built on a high hill overlooking the sea, it was ideally positioned to give the Portuguese a heads-up on anyone trying to sneak in and steal their nutmeg (which back then was worth more than its weight in gold—no joke).

So, next time you find yourself admiring historical architecture, don’t just think about how it looks—think about how it's built. Just like Fort Tolukko, strong shapes and elevated designs are what keep things standing proud for centuries.

⚡ Cool Links

🏗 A self folding crane in action
Reddit (and me) is geeking out over a self-folding crane that basically rolls up, unfolds itself, and gets to work in under 45 minutes. One person pushes buttons while it does all the heavy lifting—well, light lifting, since it's not the strongest. It's basically a Transformer, but for Engineers!

🔲 They made the most addictive game EVEN MORE ADDICTIVE!
Factorio is back to claim your free time with the new Space Age DLC, where rocket launching is just the beginning! I haven’t touched this game in 5 years —but hey, if you want to relive my Factorio obsession, check out this video from this week and watch me spiral into a factory-building frenzy.

👻 Best indie horror games of 2024
With Halloween creeping up, it's the perfect time to dive into some of the best indie horror games of 2024, like Cryptmaster and An English Haunting. They’re guaranteed to scare the pants off you—unlike architects, who just scare off good design ideas.

🐕‍🦺 Paddy’s Corner

Paddy’s FIRST DAY AT HOME!

Who could forget that chilly January morning three years ago when Paddy, our lovable black Lab, officially joined the crew?

That first day was pure chaos—plenty of tail wags, and him figuring out the whole "living with humans" thing.

Now? He’s the best engineering apprentice out there! Honestly, if he had thumbs, I’d be out of a job by now!

👾 Indie Game of the Week:

Remember Leaf Blower Revolution?

Yeah, that game where I got so obsessed with blowing leaves they practically made me an honorary leaf-blowing legend. This week’s Indie Game throwback is a mega compilation of my old series—where I blew leaves, upgraded gear, and basically became a leaf-blasting machine.

It’s simple, oddly relaxing, and every gust of wind brought me closer to leaf-blowing greatness. Who knew raking virtual leaves could be this rewarding?

You can check it out on Steam HERE and take a look at my Mega Edit below 👇

It’s time for a Bridge Review!

today we're taking a look at The Twist in Jevnaker, Norway—a bridge that decided to moonlight as an art gallery. Yeah, you heard that right.

First off, let’s talk about the design. The whole thing looks like someone grabbed both ends of the bridge and gave it a good spin. You walk through, and suddenly you're in an art gallery halfway across. Perfect for all of those times you just really need to admire modern art while crossing a river, right?

Structurally, it’s a beauty—sleek, futuristic, and somehow manages to be both functional and a sculpture. But, was the twist necessary? Absolutely not. This is classic architect nonsense—adding flair where function should reign supreme. Sure, it looks cool, but the whole thing just screams “look at me!” instead of doing what a bridge is supposed to do: get people across efficiently without showing off.

Final Score: 6.3/10 – Points for being a bridge, but we’ve got architects to thank for the unnecessary twist.

🏗 r/realcivilengineer Spotlight

Thanks to u/notoriumplanetorium for submitting this kidney bean shaped pond. It looks pretty weak compared to the pond next door, though…

🤔 Thoughts from an Engineer

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