Amusing and frustrating thing about this platform: When you make a point and fail to cover every single caveat, exception and alternate possible interpretation Well-meaning folks fill in the blanks And almost never charitably And get defensive And then you're debating a position you never held

It cannot be overstated how much hobby gamers underestimate how unintuitive and difficult hobby games are to non-gamers. This is perhaps even more true of professional game designers, publishers and reviewers/pundits, broadly speaking.

Desperately need to talk about games again. I’ve been easing back into playing games for fun mostly going back to old favourites I haven’t played in awhile Gonna talk about each 🧵

Social media in a nutshell

Hey friends: what’s your favourite game of mine? Feel free to elaborate if you feel like (One game answers only, please)

Forgot to buy the “no crash” add on for my budget airline ticket Damn. RIP me I guess

Damn I suddenly got very excited about playing some of my older games I really am getting old

Anti immigration racists crying about sex trafficking, defending Epstein rapists Because they’re rich and bigots have no morals

Thresher sharks - objectively one of the top 5 best sharks - look like AI art They’re legit cartoon creatures and I love them

The Tabletop Game Designers Association? www.ttgda.org they do review contracts for members

I don’t think it’s good advice to new designers to pay a lawyer to review their contracts. It’s expensive, and the upside is statistically trivial. Most games, even those with some buzz, sell less than 3k copies I say this as someone who’s been screwed multiple times

Friend: (new guy) seems pretty cool Me: yeah Me: you think he likes trains Friend: oh for sure Me: he’d deny it I think Friend: oh he really likes trains Me: totally Me: you think he likes trains more than you? Friend: I think he might like them more than you Me: take that back Friend: CHOO CHOO

Game designers need to develop a severe allergy to the “perfect teach” Any game of any weight or opacity can be grokked by nearly anyone under perfect conditions with rehearsed tutorials That’s how we get insanity like “Blood Rage is a gateway game”

Like all Democratic leadership, he's not stupid. He has no interest in anything but status quo. Abolish the DNC

I love my fellow nerds, and you also drive me crazy Every conversation Nerd: “hey did you play (game)?” Me: “nah, it’s not my thing” Nerd: “you didn’t try it?” Me: “nuh uh, i have less than zero interest” Nerd: Nerd: (10 minute info dump on game) Me:

You’d be surprised by how often professional conversations can be summarized as: “I wish to do business at your level but do not wish to be held to your standards.”

Good photo day from my beloved Kuala Lumpur

Trust me, I would so much prefer just talking about games and industry issues while trolling my friends. I miss trolling my friends. In fact Hey @br00taldan.bsky.social I don’t think you’re gay enough.

I've had folks tell me they unfollowed due to "politics fatigue" And to me that is 100% okay! Take care of yourself; that's the most important. I'm here when or if you decide to come back. And I'll fight for you regardless, because I've got the spoons right now.

Looking for high value short form rebuttals to some frustrating claims that I’m tired of debating long form “Complex games are easier to design - just add rules” “Party games aren’t really games” “(Insert any popular game) is objectively bad”

Catherine O’Hara was a national treasure RIP

“I like all people - don’t care if you’re white, green, purple or—“ Is 99% said by bigots trying to escape accountability for the bigoted things they’re saying

Periodic reminder that “good, kind people” can also be fascist and fascist supporters. Many people with deplorable politics and political actions are locally kind.

Signal boosting an excellent person with an excellent podcast (which I was a guest on!), getting real about shit that matters. Solidarity, LIz! 👊

Got word from Modiphius that Mass Effect: the Boardgame is on its 5th printing and continuing to sell strong and steady At risk of being humble, it’s a great game and I’m very proud of it. So glad we found our audience

TIL that Leprosy still exists today, with 200k new cases annually 👀

Reforming ICE is like taking Tylenol for cancer. Abolish. Eliminate. Prosecute.

Thread about a delicate topic. Here goes. As a public designer in a very prolific role, I am often asked casually by gamers, in a non-work setting to evaluate their prototype. This is a demand for professional grade consultation with a minefield of unspoken expected outcomes.

In the midterms, remember this Democrats that whine about “purity tests” are complicit controlled opposition Purity test the fuck out your candidates Primary anyone who doesn’t at least clear the subterranean bar of “prosecute MAGA and abolish ICE” Otherwise winning is symbolic and meaningless

This can’t be overstated. Daybreak feels amazing while having a meaningful message because it’s a uncompromisingly a satisfying game first Votes for Women fits this category too You can make values-forward games without being cringe. It’s incredibly hard, and the successful ones deserve HUGE props

First time I played DAYBREAK (by the incomparable Matt Leacock and promising newcomer Matteo Menapace) I finished with “this is the game I wanted Terraforming Mars to be” It’s fantastic, feels amazing to win, fosters values camaraderie like no coop board game I’ve seen And made by good people

I have a policy where I don’t talk badly about other published games It’s a good policy and I stand by it Terraforming Mars is a shit game by shit people Policy intact

Dear every software I’ve been using since 2010 I do not want your new AI feature to auto-fill my inputs. STOP FUCKING PROMPTING ME EVERY CLICK

My primary issue with conservatism in a paragraph

My brother in christ please stop tone policing people criticising ICE We’re fucking adults; we know they’re not *exactly* the gestapo, or the SS, or whatever. Priorities, man. Be less online, maybe. Gods

One of my regular lunches is Nasi Melayu (rice with a buffet of chosen meats, veggies and curries) Today’s: lemongrass fried chicken, spicy bamboo shoots, fish curry and cucumber. Total cost of lunch including watermelon juice: around $6

Sometimes a user will post a joke and then that very same user will post something sincere. And I as the reader am expected to understand this, using my brain?

I could break a game right in the middle of 5th avenue in broad daylight and not lose a single fan

Played a fun game that was a more complex mashup of two classic games And realised that I very, very rarely enjoy two-game mashups It was fun, but I think I’d have enjoyed it much more if excised basically half its DNA and became a fresh take on one of the two. Got me thinking

Looking for more Iranian artists and/or content creators to support. Please feel free to add those you know to this list - I’ll make a starter pack out of it.

This is a critical inflection point

Much of the pain you feel is white middle class people experiencing dangerous America that nonwhite, LGBT+, and foreigners always have It’s not that things fundamentally changed. They were revealed. Your feelings are valid. Though it’s probably time to listen more to those who aren’t shocked.

I did an exercise and it was fine I guess Back to video games

Me: ugh I feel .. irregular. Friend: what was the last vegetable you ate? Me: …broccoli Friend: Me: Friend: was that today? Me: Me: Me: Friend: WAS THAT TODAY

I ❤️ Bangkok (ALT: pictured are three shots of the downtown skyline by sunset)

I think it’s been long enough that I’ve completely forgotten how the XCOM Boardgame invasion plans algorithm were designed - and could play the game as a pure player again Who’s up for a game?

Welcome to Marriott. Sorry we couldn’t upgrade your room, but here’s a bear.