Grumpy Gamer

Ye Olde Grumpy Gamer Blog. Est. 2004

Sep 6, 2025

“But? Wait?” I can hear you saying, “Isn’t grumpygamer.com a static site built by Hugo? What dark magic did you use to get comments on the static site?”

No dark magic. But it does involve a small php script.

You can embed php in a hugo page and since grumpygamer.com is hosted on my server and it’s running php it wasn’t that hard.

No tricky javascript and since it’s all hosted by me, no privacy issues. All your comments stay on my server and don’t feed Big Comment.

Comments are stored in flat files so no pesky SQL databases. It only took me about a day, so all in all not bad.

I may regret this.

I’m only turning on comments for future posts.

Be nice!

P.S. I will post the code and a small guide in a few days, so you too can invite the masses to critic and criticize your every word. Good times.


Comments:

Bryan Sep 05, 2025
I hope you never end up needing to add a CAPTCHA.
Anonymous Sep 05, 2025
Can I add a comment without filling in other fields
Denny Sep 05, 2025
Nice.
Recently, I read some Thimbleweed Park dev diaries (playing the game AGAIN atm). It was nice to see the interaction between you and the users in the comments.
Ron Gilbert Sep 05, 2025
I missed that too. Mastodon is nice, but it's very fleeting as you scroll by.
Jim Sep 05, 2025
Never read the comments.
Anonymous Sep 05, 2025
I need something like this on my static site too.
Jimbob McG Sep 05, 2025
I did something like this once for our game jam site. When the bots discovered it, the postings wouldn't stop. I wish thee better luck.
Vamp898 Sep 06, 2025
Uuuh nice, whats next? A guestbook? :P
Anonymous Sep 06, 2025
Thanks Ron
Om Sep 06, 2025
"I may regret this"

😂😂😂 Yeah... yeah you might 🙂

If the internet is consistent in one regard, it's this one 😬
DanVzare Sep 06, 2025
Yay! Comments are back!

Now let me tell you about this fine leather jacket that I'm selling.
Alex Sep 06, 2025
No comment.
Frans Sep 06, 2025
I hope the bots won't go wild but this is nice! :-)
Anonymous Sep 06, 2025
Cool beanz! There were a couple of great games I played over the years having your name carved on
Anonymous Sep 06, 2025
W00t
Bruno Sep 06, 2025
Nice! comments are back. I've been reading Ron's blogs since thimbleweed park, always an inspiration.
Guybrush Sep 06, 2025
Ron do you have fond memories of working on The Treasure on Bing Bong Island? It was the very first adventure game I played.
Elaine Marley Sep 06, 2025
Be nice! Plain text only.
Ricardo Sep 06, 2025
Ahoy!
Anonymous Sep 06, 2025
Everybody be cool.
Bashar Sep 06, 2025
Muahahahahaha
Gins Sep 06, 2025
Return is as inspiring to an adult with a family and a kid, as the first games were to someone who didn't have to worry about these kinds of things yet. Thank you for having the courage to allow your world to grow up, not just older, alongside its audience.
Max Sep 06, 2025
It’s working ! Thanks for everything, Ron.
Isa Sep 06, 2025
Yayy!!! I'm going to steal that idea, I loved it!
Lautaro Sep 06, 2025
Thanks Ron! It's nice that you decided we are mature enough to have comments back. I hope everyone behaves from now on. And congrats on Death by Scrolling, it looks amazing!!
Hedy Sep 06, 2025
Loved Thimbleweed, loved Return to MI, and hoping we can one day return to either/both worlds.
longuist Sep 06, 2025
How's the weather?
fresco Sep 07, 2025
I like that!
Delores (not that one) Sep 07, 2025
Well, that's certainly very nice. I'm glad to hear we can finally talk to you again, Ron! Thanks!
Ping Sep 07, 2025
I am so glad comments are back!
I was so upset when they were removed because some people decided to be complete jerks.
Skeleton Sep 07, 2025
You fight like a dairy farmer.
Rich fool Sep 07, 2025
You're no match for my brains, you poor fool.
Rob Sep 07, 2025
I'd be in real trouble if you ever used them.
Boybrush Sep 07, 2025
Thank you for Return to Monkey Island, to me it was like "the story of the story of Monkey Island", or something like that. People who go beyond the surface understood that. I wish you'd work on another episode, at this point in the franchise everything is like a new "Guybrush's adventure" and there's no need to "explain" anything, just make another fun ride with an AAA+ atmosphere
Ron Gilbert Sep 07, 2025
>> just make another fun ride with an AAA+ atmosphere

Unfortunately Disney controls the Monkey Island IP. Getting RtMI was a real struggle.
Pouyan Sep 07, 2025
Please tell me "Death by Scrolling" is another postmodern story with meta aspects with a bunch of pop culture references. Just like MI2 and TWP
arcanetrivia Sep 07, 2025
Oh no, and *anonymous* comments at that! Living on the edge, here.
Ron Gilbert Sep 07, 2025
Death by Scrolling is a commentary on runaway greed and economics.
Joe Sep 07, 2025
Ron?
Pancho, Uruguay Sep 07, 2025
Podría escribir en ingles, pero llevo 20 años descifrando tus puzles un poco de español no te va a hacer mal, Querido Ron, gracias por ser parte de mi vida. Hoy puedo además disfrutar tus historias con mi hijo de 7, pura magia!! Gracias!!
Happy :-) Gamer Sep 07, 2025
First
Val Sep 07, 2025
Thanks for Delores :D
Bobbin Threadbare Sep 07, 2025
Nice, but… Wouldn't it be better to tie comments to fediverse?
Mauricio Sep 08, 2025
This September is going great.

Comments are back and a small game company listened to Guybrush when he said "Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game".
Dion Sep 08, 2025
Welcome to New Zealand. I hope you like it here
Kolzig Sep 08, 2025
Yay! The comments are back!
Tale Sep 08, 2025
Cool!
Emi Sep 08, 2025
First
Nandush Sep 08, 2025
Greetings from Argentina :)
Rolando Sep 08, 2025
Great news!
Filipes Sep 09, 2025
Greetings from Prague with love. ;-)
Morph84 Sep 09, 2025
Death by Scrolling comments!
Boybrush Sep 09, 2025
>> Unfortunately Disney controls the Monkey Island IP. Getting RtMI was a real struggle.

Ron, what is preventing another episode if you already “broke” the wall for the first one? Is it a money thing or do they want to do something with the franchise themselves? Sorry to ask, can understand if you cant be specific about it
Felix Sep 09, 2025
PHP saving the day as usual :)
Ron Gilbert 6d ago
>> if you already “broke” the wall for the first one?

I wish it was that simple. Getting the first one done was climbing a mountain. A second one is climbing it all over again. Disney won't work with small developers, technically Devolver did the license with Disney and then contracted the work to us. Same thing with the remakes DF did, Sony did the deal with Disney and then contract with DF for the work.

While I love MI, it's not worth the hassle. I'd rather work on my own games.
Ger 6d ago
Sorry to bother you with this at just minutes of you opening the comments. It's either hate it or love it. Haha.
It's a yt video. I can't put the whole address.
05VnYdMgeWY
Dave 6d ago
How appropriate, you fight like a cow
Waldo P Barnstormer 6d ago
This is perhaps a little outlandish, but might setting up some sort of crowdfunded project with the aim of purchasing the IP from Disney be a notion to consider?
PHP Lover 6d ago
Yeey!
Elena Hitomi (Len Sapnit on Mastodon) 2d ago
I pray you don’t get crappy comments. But in case you do, know that Pip loves you very much 🙏🥳
French Connection 2d ago
Games looks promising. Above my expectations.
avenue18 1d ago
It agree, the remarkable message

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