Xalavier Nelson Jr.
@WritNelson
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Running @StrangeScaffold . Wrote for MtG, Stranger Things VR, El Paso, Elsewhere & more. BAFTA nom. Forbes 30 Under 30. Christian! He/Him. Repped by CAA
El Paso
Joined January 2011
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Send us removal request.
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Life Eater--the premiere horror fantasy kidnapping sim--is AVAILABLE NOW on Steam!
Check out the launch trailer and leap into Strange Scaffold's boldest, weirdest game yet!!
- Soundtrack by Dredge's David Mason
- Voiced story mode
- This opera-ass song
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"Yo WHAT UP, it's ya boi Anubis, back at it again with another soul unboxing video.
Now as you can see, this one is a little heavier than a feather, which longtime fans of the channel will know is REALLY bad, haha"
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…I’m hearing at least one significant group of developers is talking a class-action lawsuit against Unity.
Holy shit.
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LET'S GO PIKACHU PLAYERS: I really care about Pikachu (have since I was a kid), but I respect your decision to choose Eevee. I have a girl Pikachu! You can tell because her tail has a heart <3
LET'S GO EEVEE PLAYERS: i would like i,t on the record, that pikachu is a little bitch
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IN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF ANDOR OUR HERO SHOOTS A RENT-A-COP IN THE FACE AS THEY PLEAD FOR THEIR LIFE
10 MINUTES AFTER THAT, A BUREAUCRAT COVERS IT UP TO AVOID ADDRESSING THE MULTIPLE SYSTEMIC FACTORS OF CORRUPTION THAT RESULTED IN THE CONFRONTATION IN THE FIRST PLACE
HOLY SHIT
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Games deserve to have a golden age of camp again.
The people are tired, and overstimulated, and the world is on fire.
Fuck prestige TV aesthetics—I want to see a man launched through a window at 9000 miles per hour.
Here’s my 40 second video essay on why God Hand kicks so much ass
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The McDonald’s fandom wiki is basically an SCP page
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When your job is creative and your side projects are creative and the things you do to relax from both are also creative-related:
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Wow, Metal Gear Solid really did predict the future
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Can I call out just how fantastic the lighting is for black characters in Mortal Kombat 11???
A lot of film/game environments are calibrated such that they wash us out, miss the range of tones and interplays possible.
Some of the shots in MK11 legitimately took my breath away.
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NO MAN'S SKY GENERATED THE COOLEST SCI-FI STORY FOR US AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT
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IT’S DARK AND HUMAN AND DESPERATE AND IT STILL FEELS LIKE STAR WARS
HOW THE FUCK DID ANDOR GET GREENLIT
HOW
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Like a lot of people, I'm deeply excited about what the lovely folks at Larian accomplished with Baldur's Gate 3, but I want to gently, pre-emptively push back against players taking that excitement and using it to apply criticism or a "raised standard" to RPGs going forward
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For those who aren’t familiar, this is becoming industry standard. Because of how important of a role Steam ratings play, and the proven ability to sometimes flip negative reviews based off of simply interacting with a user, it’s spreading.
This is just a very big game doing it.
Bethesda is responding to negative Starfield reviews on Steam. Absolutely bizarre if you ask me and despite media attention this hasn't stopped, the last response is from today
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I HAVE WORKED ON OVER 60 GAMES
RAN A COLUMN IN PC GAMER MAGAZINE FOR TWO YEARS
BAFTA NOMINATED
AND SOME GUY JUST WALKED UP TO ME AND SAID “ARE YOU THE DENNY’S GUY”
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It is my JOY to finally announce:
SPACE WARLORD ORGAN TRADING SIMULATOR
Dive into the quivering innards of alien capitalism in the sci-fi body horror market tycoon game you didn't know you needed.
WISHLIST ON STEAM:
TRAILER:
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Okay, I just had a VERY interesting DM conversation.
With permission from the developer (who will remain anonymous), I'm sharing it.
1/
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It's been bothering me all day, so I finally found some time to correct that graphic that's been floating around lately
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Through the lens of Andor, evil isn’t just a wrinkled warlock cackling on a throne – it’s a traffic cop who takes a *little* bit too much joy in his duties. Who inflicts a little extra cruelty, every day, just because he can.
Because he in fact sees this as right.
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Stunned I can finally say this - I'm the Narrative Lead for a triple-I afrofuturist XCOM-inspired squad management wildlife RPG.
I'M THE NARRATIVE LEAD FOR AN AFROFUTURIST XCOM-INSPIRED SQUAD MANAGEMENT WILDLIFE RPG
YOU CAN PLAY IT *RIGHT NOW* AT PAX EAST
WE
ARE
THE CARETAKERS
Announcing We Are The Caretakers! 🚨🚨🚨 *(headphones on!)*🚨🚨🚨
A new sci-fi squad management wildlife RPG from
@heartshapedgame
,
@WritNelson
,
@robotpencil
, and
@brodiegames
.
#PAXEast
RTs greatly appreciated!! Wishlist now: …
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Your ex, the lord of the vampires, is going to end the world as we know it.
...Unless you stop her first.
The much-anticipated slow-motion throwback shooter, El Paso, Elsewhere, is NOW AVAILABLE on Steam and Xbox for $19.99!
- 50 CHAPTERS
- ORIGINAL HIP-HOP SOUNDTRACK
- BUY NOW!
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I won the Black in Gaming Indie Developer Award tonight!
I did a speech!
It got pretty spicy!!
(Part 1/2)
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Y'ALL BEEN ASKING FOR MORROWIND-LIKES
HERE IT IS
Delusionites, your time has come.
Between The Rise of Skeletons, Clockwork Kingdom, and Cadaver Keep, the road has been long and fruitful.
But now, it’s time. Dread Delusion enters 1.0 and leaves early access on May 14th!
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As more and more games focus on micro-stat adjustments, Diablo IV swings in with "HERE'S AN ABILITY CALLED DEATHBLOW. YOU CAST IT FOR FREE EVERY 15 SECONDS. IT DOES 600 DAMAGE. IF IT KILLS AT LEAST ONE PERSON, THE COOLDOWN RESETS INSTANTLY."
It's fricking inspirational
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This is what we’d see if we allowed more teams working at smaller budgets to exist, rather than hyperfocusing thousands of people on the highest-budget investment possible over nearly a half decade or more.
how in the hell did the same guy make all of these games
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Making a game that forced
@Jerma985
to repeat “Eye, Bladder, Liver” repeatedly, like a mantra, is kinda blowing my mind.
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If you told me that Zero Punctuation was going to review my work - or that this would be one of the freaking images from it - I would have Not Believed you
god it's nice to see El Paso, Elsewhere go places
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"Amazing! That must really help with job stability, right?"
GAME DEVELOPERS:
The gaming industry has earned more than the movie and music industries combined, every year for the past eight years.
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I’m stunned this show exists at all, but the fact that it bears the STAR WARS NAME IN 2022 makes me feel like I’m full-on losing my mind.
THERE IS AN ANDOR DLC PACK FOR LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA
What a time to be alive.
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imagine showing a medieval monk copy-paste and watching them go fucking apeshit
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Now we've announced TDSS (Teenage Demon Slayer Society), I can finally share what is still probably the best statement of intent I've ever created for a game design document.
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LAKEITH STANFIELD
DI BONAVENTURA
STRANGE SCAFFOLD
EL PASO ELSEWHERE MOVIE
EL PASO, ELSEWHERE MOVIE IS HAPPENING
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Academy Award nominee LaKeith Stanfield is in talks to star in and produce a feature adaptation of the hit neo-noir video game ‘El Paso, Elsewhere,’ Deadline has learned
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SUNSHINE SHUFFLE IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT TOMORROW ON SWITCH AND PC
KEYWORD BEING “SUPPOSED TO”
APPARENTLY, MY SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN ABOUT THE GAME NOT TEACHING CHILDREN TO GAMBLE HAS UH
CONVINCED NINTENDO THAT THE GAME IS ABOUT CHILD GAMBLING
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Okay, serious question:
Captain Marvel crashed into this place called Blockbuster. Is that an obscure reference?
I looked it up and there's a villain called 'Blok', but he's from the DC universe.
Trying to figure out what a Blockbuster is and I honestly have no fudging clue.
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(For the sake of those I won't be able to respond to for sleep reasons:
- The only bit that's true is that I was a columnist for PC Gamer
- This was 100% fictional and improvised in real-time
- No, I didn't schedule these tweets
- Yes, I have done this before, for my sins)
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Just found out the Coraline animated film originally had TEN songs from They Might Be Giants
Now having an existential crisis about the world we Lost
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One of the most terrifying parts of the Unity news today is just how much the industry has pushed our dev cycles to become exponentially more complicated, lengthy, and prone to immense dependency.
3 years into a 5 year journey? Heavily reliant on existing tools? You’re fucked.
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We got a really interesting forum post on Space Warlord identifying intentional pieces of the game's design as problems that needed solutions--and it gave me an opportunity to find the words to express a design philosophy I've been working towards for a while now.
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...but if you shout that "EVERY RPG SHOULD BE LIKE THIS GOING FORWARD, YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE--"
You've not just missed the point, you've created the expectations and conditions to ensure your favorite creators may never be able to give you the thing you love ever again.
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If you have seen any of the stories shared in recent days, please take this to heart:
PROTECT
YOUR
JUNIORS
Interns, graduates, folks in the first 1-3 years of their career...You want to know why there's so much turnover in games?
Those folks are endlessly preyed upon.
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Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator is OUT NOW on Steam, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass for PC!
IT'S A UNIVERSE OF FLESH
YOU'RE AN ORGAN TRADER
MAKE A PROFIT
PC:
XBOX:
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BREATH OF THE WILD INTRO:
Welcome back, Link! A lot's changed. Let's induct you into a world of freedom and discovery. Here's a parachute.
MAJORA'S MASK:
I took your Ocarina, killed your horse, and turned you into disgusting abomination. Go solve a f*cking puzzle.
See if I care.
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What you are seeing is the impact of games living longer lives than they ever have AND the fact that more of the population is under economic strain, simultaneously.
Why buy a new roguelike, if a 5 year-old roguelike is still being updated, and is half the price?
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There’s an inherent, growing mental health cost attached to pretty much any modern day game launch, and I made a video trying to explain a little of why that’s the case!
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To all of the folks who advocated for my work and perspective, and created the space for me to do what I do--I'm on the Forbes 30 Under 30 today, thanks to you.
El Paso, Elsewhere just hit a *double Overwhelmingly Positive* rating on Steam.
Thank you so, so much. :)
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So, it's been two months to the day that I tweeted this, and... yeah.
That wave of deeply visible opportunities, and support voiced for black creators?
Pretty silent, now.
Set a Google calendar alert for two months from today.
Black creators and friends need your support RIGHT NOW, but if job opportunities, connections, and offers of emotional support dry up after a couple weeks of living Hell, you are doing their skill and humanity a disservice.
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Watching my gigantic cat shove open the door with the energy of a cowboy walking into a saloon
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THE ECONOMIC BODY HORROR BUNDLE IS LIVE!
Pick up Cruelty Squad, Caves of Qud, Wrought Flesh, and Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator--now in a single, convenient bundle of existentially terrifying fun!!
Remember: flesh is the ultimate gift
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Sunshine Shuffle is AVAILABLE NOW on Steam and itch! And Switch--unless you're in North America, where we've been temporarily banned due to a mistaken case of child gambling
no, I am not making that up
yes, we appreciate your support in these trying times
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Every marginalized developer I know has multiple stories of institutional and personal harassment, abuse, or neglect.
It's in AAA. It's in indie. It can and does come from other marginalized developers. And the pressure to stay quiet so you can just *exist* is immense.
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I can't imagine how much of a bitter pill this must be.
They put in SIGNIFICANT work to make a desired suit as a *surprise* after the DLCs, get harassed by an internet mob, and now release that suit to an audience who believe their extreme, negative reaction is responsible.
We have a special holiday gift for
#SpiderManPS4
players. Today's game update will include a highly requested suit. Hint: It's webbed and it's FREE for owners of Marvel's Spider-Man!
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This is not a new baseline for RPGs--this is an anomaly.
Trying to do the same thing in the same way, especially without the same advantages, could kill an entire GROUP of studios.
7/
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YOU, SOBBING: You can't just say anything is about family!!
VIN DIESEL, POINTING AT A SEAGULL: this is about family
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THE FINAL FANTASY GACHA GAME ADDED FUCKING C O L U N D O
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I MAKE THING AND MAKE IT GOOD
BUT WHEN I PRESS THE PLAY BUTTON
IT NO GOOD NO MORE
IT NO GOOD NO MORE UNTIL I PRESS THE MAKE IT GOOD NOW CHECKBOX IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AFTER TWO HOURS, WHEN I FIND IT BY ACCIDENT
WHY DO I MAKE VIDEO GAMES
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The name of the file - like a horrifying number of other material connected to the creative director's outline - mirrors the real-life behavior we now struggle to fight, as the world burns down around us.
It's...
...
...
Tombscrolling.
93/93
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I found the exact moment where the mangaka of Fist of the North Star decided that Cobra was the coolest movie of all time
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Some Executive: Gamers want BIG open worlds with BIG guns, BIG explosions, and BIG personalities to match!
Me, After 9 Straight Hours of Yakuza 0: I OWN THE GREATEST CABARET IN OSAKA AND IT'S BUILT ON THE HARD WORK AND PERSONAL GROWTH OF MY WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES AND COLLABORATORS.
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LET IT NEVER BE FORGOTTEN THAT I FORCED BETHESDA’S HAND
Oblivion’s persuasion mini-game has been updated and included in Starfield’s dialogue systems.
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My name is Xalavier Nelson Jr. - I'm a freelance narrative designer, game writer, underground folk dancing ring-infiltrator, and creator of Jeff Goldblum LARPs inexplicably played in the forests of Northern England.
Leave the Whispering Egg alone.
Thank you for reading.
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I AM PREPARED TO SAY THAT CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK (2004) WAS BOTH AHEAD OF ITS TIME AND PERFECTLY OF ITS TIME
UNFORTUNATELY, IT GREETED AN AUDIENCE OF COWARDS
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I did a small video about why we probably couldn’t make An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs today - and why that makes me a little scared for the future
(Spoilers: this is about Generative AI)
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ONE YEAR BEFORE SHIP: You have feedback on the game? Wonderful! Please tell me about your experiences. We want to make it as good as possible.
ONE WEEK BEFORE SHIP: Do not PERCEIVE my GAME in ANY WAY. I am TIRED, and at this point can do NOTHING to address our CAVALCADE of SINS
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GAME DEVELOPER: I'm making a messy environment.
TRANSLATION: I spent the last four hours duplicating and rotating random objects because I hate myself, and I will hate you for walking through it in 10 seconds.
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EL PASO ELSEWHERE IS ON GOSH DANG VARIETY
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Hit neo-noir video game “El Paso, Elsewhere” is heading for the big screen in a new film adaptation, with LaKeith Stanfield in talks to star and produce.
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El Paso, Elsewhere is a throwback supernatural slow-motion shooter coming to STEAM--and now, XBOX ONE and XBOX SERIES X|S--this Fall.
Welcome.
It's a one-way trip.
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If a game I’ve directed is one day no longer publicly available to experience/purchase?
Pirate the living fuck out of it.
It’s the only consistent way to ensure art doesn’t die.
daily reminder that piracy opens access to life-changing media for those who wouldnt otherwise have the means to access it
piracy is anti-capitalist & primarily an egalitarian mode of distribution, no matter how much creators & industrialists hand-wring about it
defend piracy🏴☠️
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PORTIONS OF THE CHAT KEPT ASKING FOR A DIFFERENT GAME SO OFTEN THAT HE SWITCHED IT TO EMOTE-ONLY SO THEY'D SHUT THE FUCK UP AND HE COULD CONCENTRATE ON TRADING ORGANS
THAT MIGHT BE THE BEST ENDORSEMENT I'VE SEEN OF THE GAME YET
HOLY SHIT
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I AM LOSING MY MIND
I VISITED A FAMILY MEMBER, AND SAW BABY PHOTOS I’D NEVER SEEN BEFORE, AND APPARENTLY, THE TODDLER VERSION OF ME WAS JUST THAT EXISTENTIAL WAITING MEME FROM NARCOS
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As a TL;DR:
In an era of megagames, Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the largest attempted, built by a specialized group of people using mature tech specially built to make *this specific game*, reinforced by invaluable mass player feedback AND market validation ahead of its launch
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TL;DR: WE GET TO MAKE THE GAME I MOST WANTED TO MAKE NEXT AFTER EL PASO, ELSEWHERE
IT’S AN URBAN FANTASY KIDNAPPING SIM CALLED LIFE EATER, AND IT WILL BE HAUNTING YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE
I’M SO EXCITED Y’ALL
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Y'ALL WANT A MEDIEVAL TIME LOOP REVENGE STORY???
Introducing: DARKWARD
A knight struggles to retain his soul, as he hunts the monster that killed the world.
Huge honor collaborating with
@Schnumn
on my latest comic short story. All RTs help a ton!!
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Apparently, we cracked the top 50 bestselling games on Steam
with a game about talking stock photo dogs
s-so
that's a thing
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Massive thanks again to the
@BlackinGaming
foundation for recognizing my work and perspective. <3
Part 2/2
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STRANGE SCAFFOLD HAS A 5-GAME DEAL WITH FELLOW SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED DEV STUDIO
@frostypopgames
!
- 4 new original titles
- El Paso, Elsewhere mobile
...All kicking off with horror-fantasy-kidnapping-sim, Life Eater.
Wishlist now and spread the word!!
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As the game industry continues to get rocked, I think this new Polygon article about the funding gap for games and studios built by marginalized creators is more crucial than ever.
Really proud to have contributed to this.
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did you know that you can buy a forklift from the us government *right now*
it's 25 dollars
you're losing money NOT buying it
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NPR RELEASED AN EXTENDED VERSION OF THEIR CHAT WITH ME AND UH
I FORGOT THAT I SAID SOME *WILD* SHIT
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I'm delighted to announce a fantastic new way to buy Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator!
It's Pacsun.
The clothing website.
We're on Pacsun.
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This is a spicy Sunday night tweet, but I wonder what impact we'd see upon the industry if the mentorship tracks offered to minority devs (who are often deeply overqualified) were just replaced with a bundle of cash and an offer of support if necessary.
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- ERASE THE UNIVERSE PIECE BY PIECE WITH LESHY FROM INSCRYPTION
- TAKE CONTRACTS FROM BUGSNAX GRUMPS AND AWOKEN BOXES FROM UNPACKING
- TRADE ORGANS YOUR WAY WITH CUSTOM CAMPAIGNS/EXPANDED MODDING/STEAM WORKSHOP
The Omega Update for SWOTS is *huge*, and out now on Steam/Itch.io
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NOTE: It is not lost on me how many of my videos these days include the phrase “Don’t tell the cops.”
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If they go as big or bigger with their next title, Larian themselves could die! That's the risk and reward of the megagame.
We are an industry dangling elephants over cliffs, pointing at the ones that don't collapse under their own weight as indictments to the ones that do.
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1) Dev cycle stretching back to ~2017
1) Two massive games--and their Definitive editions--worth of tech and institutional knowledge to draw from
3) Super successful Early Access period lasting 3 years, providing crucial community feedback, bug hunting, and cash flow
3/
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I AM DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I WAS SOMEHOW THE NARRATIVE DIRECTOR OF THIS DOPE-ASS STEALTH RPG
AND IT COMES OUT IN A MONTH
New stealth RPG Abermore has big Thief meets Dishonored vibes -
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Set a Google calendar alert for two months from today.
Black creators and friends need your support RIGHT NOW, but if job opportunities, connections, and offers of emotional support dry up after a couple weeks of living Hell, you are doing their skill and humanity a disservice.
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Kicking off my Birthday(??) with a big ol' announcement - I was recognized as a member of The Game Awards' Future Class(?????).
Thanks so much to those who rooted for me on this. It... means a lot, being seen. <3
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90+ games under my belt, 8 dev years later, I had the honor of presenting Best Narrative at the Game Developer’s Choice Awards.
Thanks for the support, y’all. ❤️
#WhatAGameDevLooksLike
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WE PUT IN AN INVISIBLE CEILING
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UNBREAKABLE
@WritNelson
Your mistake was assuming, even for a picosecond, that speedrunners wouldn't hurl themselves at every awkward geometry intersection in the game in the hopes of slipping through an invisible crack.
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