i swear this is me making a video game #summerslowjams

oh ok we're just doing this with a straight face now huh

every few months, many hundreds of crows gather in the tall trees outside my window in an inspiring show of democracy: the crowsmoot

Tried to write something measured and nice about the Xbox news, but it feels rotten. Everything feels rotten where big business is concerned. Execs ruin lives and torch studio expertise to spin tax write-offs into c-suite bonuses. They just do not care. They’re winning now, but they won’t forever.

Game failure? Layoffs Game success? Layoffs Game delayed? Layoffs Game delivered? Layoffs Game announced? Layoffs Game unannounced? Layoffs Game good? Layoffs Game bad? Layoffs Game AI? Layoffs Game no-AI? Layoffs Game hated? Layoffs Game beloved? Layoffs Money cares more for layoffs than games.

The key thing to understand about this is that it is completely unnecessary. This is a corporation with basically infinite money. They don't have to destroy 30+ year studios to save their bottom line. They're doing this because they are evil.

Deltarune in a week means I'm listening to this while working: trevorgomes.bandcamp.com/album/deltar...

Coming in just under the wire, I wrote and annotated a submission for Manifesto Jam 2026 called "Games Are Doomed Without Literacy." I wrote it because games are doomed without literacy

Coming in just under the wire, I wrote and annotated a submission for Manifesto Jam 2026 called "Games Are Doomed Without Literacy." I wrote it because games are doomed without literacy

setting an intention for the rest of the year by changing my computer from dark mode to light mode. a powerful gesture

I haven’t been back to Vancouver, BC since Full Indie Summit in, oh jeez, 2014?? But I’m really loving seeing all the cool games at this year’s Game Garden — def gonna try to go to a future one :)

I don’t wanna rain on anyone’s long-overdue parade, but it’s hard for me to get excited about scaffolding when, honestly, his name on that building is among the very least harmful of the countless hateful, bigoted, and wasteful things his administration has done and continues to do every day

What book would you instantly buy if it got reprinted and the words were updated

couldn't help myself to do manifesto jam : )

A single microcosm of a moment illustrating why you can’t help but love New York

Commentary: I Work Very Hard, And I Would Like To Try Cake

…just occurred to me I can’t remember which of my Deltarune saves was on the weird route and which was normal so I guess I’ve gotta replay chapters 1–4 twice in the next two weeks. Not a bad problem to have 😎👉🏻👉🏻

If you have any love for Earthbound or Chrono Trigger, there’s no doubt in my mind that Deltarune will likely be an all-time favorite for you, too. It’s the rare game that makes me feel like I did as a kid when a great new RPG arrived. Don’t miss it!

They're gonna try their hardest to normalize this. And I can get why; video game consumers yelled and complained about phone-home DRM, day-one DLC, a lot of consumer-hostile shit. But in the end, they bought the games anyway and eventually just got used to it. Frog-boiling works.

It’s infuriating when prominent game critics express mild disdain at anti-worker and anti-consumer practices and then turn around and say they’re gonna play and platform a game anyway. You don’t have to play games made unethically! I mean, I don’t give Xbox money anymore for a very good reason.

I wonder if Square Enix understands how frustrating it is to be a lifelong Final Fantasy fan in this decade. FFVII Remake had the courage to interrogate and directly challenge the original’s larger-than-life legacy and fandom’s endless demand for more, and then Rebirth just threw that all away

I can't properly express how grateful I am to have a city council that legislates in favor of animal welfare.

Hazelight is more harmful to the way we think about games than anything Quantic Dream has ever produced

I am so grateful for Ted Chiang's thoughts and words on many subjects. And in this moment, I think his perspective on AI is invaluable. This is the single most important article I've ever encountered on the morality of designing, developing, marketing, and using conversational LLMs — give it a read.

I should mention that I think the headline and subhed do this piece a disservice. It’s much more of a nuanced exploration of moral philosophy and marketing spin than merely a conclusion that “nah, this thing can’t actually think”

I am so grateful for Ted Chiang's thoughts and words on many subjects. And in this moment, I think his perspective on AI is invaluable. This is the single most important article I've ever encountered on the morality of designing, developing, marketing, and using conversational LLMs — give it a read.

I think the new God of War looks really cool and interesting. There’s a certain sort of AAA maximalism and silliness that really works for me, which the Norse God of War series nails — and Laufey looks like it’s even wilder and more imbued with the energy of ‘80s pulp fantasy novel covers. Hell yeah

And here’s my Trash the Planet talk on YouTube in case that’s easier for anyone! youtu.be/5EuOXNIDi-Y?...

these are very funny

i just want some fuckin trains, man

In this week's blog update, I talk about being grateful to turn 40, reflect on a month of ebike ownership, and share a bit about what I'm hoping to do next in my career.

Portlanders: Baerlic’s hop water is two bucks a pint, delicious, light, and very refreshing. Best NA deal in town, imho! (Provided you like hops) (I love hops)

I’m now old enough to see people on this website ten years younger than me call themselves old. You’re not old! I’m not old, either! Old is Rudy Giuliani when his hair dye is dribbling down his face

I swear, every late spring I start having stress dreams where I never actually completed my high school or college degree and I realize I need to go back for another term. I don’t like it! I did all that work! Let me rest, brain!!

First day of @pigsquad.com’s PIGCON was so much fun! I saw some great talks from friends, played a bunch of creative games I’d never seen before, and ate a big sandwich (that last part is not related to PIGCON but it was also really good)

@perpetualraine.bsky.social Really enjoyed your talk today! I liked the topics you chose and the focus you brought to them. I did have a sincere question adjacent to your talk but I was worried it’d sound a bit shitpost-y, so here it is: if FFX is the best Final Fantasy, which is the worst?

@marlowedobbe.com I really enjoyed your talk with Chris at PIGCON today! 🎉

Mina the Hollower! Wow. Video games are good

Experiencing severe psychic whiplash as I tab between Bluesky, where AI is the antichrist, and LinkedIn, where AI is the antichrist (complimentary)

It's been a lot of fun watching this game come together! Can't wait to check out the new demo soon 👀

Hi, guy who runs one of the fastest-growing publications in the United States. If you use AI here to write you are summarily shunned. It is instantly recognizable as hack shit.

Lmao calm down Sephiroth

The Blazers are bad and they’ll always be bad and we should let them leave

Portland's mayor, police and prosecutors say the purpose of the camping ban is to provide resources to homeless Portlanders. But none of them are tracking whether it’s working.

I had the pleasure of giving the closing talk at a small gathering of local game makers last weekend! It's about finding your own definition of success and making your way back home when you go astray. If you've ever felt lost after sharing something meaningful with the world, I hope this resonates.

Council has three powers: legislate, allocate money, & do oversight. Half this council is uninterested in oversight. Whether it’s checking contracts with oil companies, investigating undisclosed housing funds, or figuring out how unhoused people are abused in our shelters, they’re not interested.

I had the pleasure of giving the closing talk at a small gathering of local game makers last weekend! It's about finding your own definition of success and making your way back home when you go astray. If you've ever felt lost after sharing something meaningful with the world, I hope this resonates.

Last year, miHoYo copied my puzzle game Ouros in Zenless Zone Zero. Because they are a recognized, billion-dollar studio and my game isn't well known, some people are now assuming that their version is the original, and mine is the clone. I hope this video clears that up.

Genuinely, this concern about AI is one of the reasons why I think having friction in video games is good and why it's increasingly important to have games that simply exist instead of catering to our expectations. Reposting this message from Kojima about "pre-digested" art: