Ben Taels
@bentaels.bsky.social
Kiwi, Dad, Human Factors Psychology PhD, & Games User Experience Research.
Formerly Epic Games, Player Research, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Te Manatū Waka, & Hamilton Zoo.
Formerly Epic Games, Player Research, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Te Manatū Waka, & Hamilton Zoo.
Pinned
Ben Taels
@bentaels.bsky.social
· Jan 3
Throwing Out the Dopamine Shots: Reward Psychology Without the Neurotrash
YouTube video by GDC 2025
youtu.be
Some talks that I have given:
Reward in games (without the dopamine neurotrash): youtu.be/xkg9ocYDLr8?...
Human Error and game design: youtu.be/JyuR2fKvQ20?...
What road safety can teach us about reducing toxicity in games: youtu.be/WMYoCuZ3Fa8?...
Reward in games (without the dopamine neurotrash): youtu.be/xkg9ocYDLr8?...
Human Error and game design: youtu.be/JyuR2fKvQ20?...
What road safety can teach us about reducing toxicity in games: youtu.be/WMYoCuZ3Fa8?...
Reposted by Ben Taels
i will be reporting from minneapolis for webworm on the strike and march. this background post is paywalled, but as per usual my reporting there will be available for free and paid members: www.webworm.co/webwormminne...
Why I'm Heading To Minneapolis
David Farrier from Webworm heads to Minneapolis ahead of the strike and protest against ICE
www.webworm.co
January 23, 2026 at 3:26 PM
i will be reporting from minneapolis for webworm on the strike and march. this background post is paywalled, but as per usual my reporting there will be available for free and paid members: www.webworm.co/webwormminne...
If you want NPC's/Enemies in games to appear more human in their actions add more variability to their behaviours and in particular look at their reaction times and task switching times
January 23, 2026 at 6:10 PM
If you want NPC's/Enemies in games to appear more human in their actions add more variability to their behaviours and in particular look at their reaction times and task switching times
Reposted by Ben Taels
It's such a good ad.
A good, clear, approachable message presented in a strong and engaging way.
A good, clear, approachable message presented in a strong and engaging way.
Help us make hope normal again.
Join the Green Party now.
Join the Green Party now.
January 23, 2026 at 7:17 AM
It's such a good ad.
A good, clear, approachable message presented in a strong and engaging way.
A good, clear, approachable message presented in a strong and engaging way.
Reposted by Ben Taels
This is embarrassing and we are fucking doomed.
January 23, 2026 at 4:33 AM
This is embarrassing and we are fucking doomed.
Reposted by Ben Taels
the woke mob is giving He-man pronouns
January 22, 2026 at 6:47 PM
the woke mob is giving He-man pronouns
I honestly prefer EXP over XP for experience points in a game
It takes longer to say, but I enjoy the flavour of saying EXP more, it sounds more special. Like psychic energy or something.
It takes longer to say, but I enjoy the flavour of saying EXP more, it sounds more special. Like psychic energy or something.
January 22, 2026 at 8:14 PM
I honestly prefer EXP over XP for experience points in a game
It takes longer to say, but I enjoy the flavour of saying EXP more, it sounds more special. Like psychic energy or something.
It takes longer to say, but I enjoy the flavour of saying EXP more, it sounds more special. Like psychic energy or something.
Reposted by Ben Taels
This is the country that made LEXX – a show about a mall cop, sex slave lizard hybrid, and zombie warrior flying around the galaxy in a planet-destroying, giant bug spaceship powered by brains and shaped like a dick – we can and MUST be that country again!
For CBC Arts, I wrote about why I think Canada needs to revel in the beauty of its weirdest impulses www.cbc.ca/arts/canadia...
OPINION | Canadian TV needs to get weird again | CBC Arts
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, English Canadian screens were filled with bizarre, fever dream-like shows. Writer Niko Stratis argues that we need to back to that
www.cbc.ca
January 21, 2026 at 9:06 PM
This is the country that made LEXX – a show about a mall cop, sex slave lizard hybrid, and zombie warrior flying around the galaxy in a planet-destroying, giant bug spaceship powered by brains and shaped like a dick – we can and MUST be that country again!
Reposted by Ben Taels
Ok I need to spell this out more slowly, clearly: Greenland is Inuit land and nobody but Inuit should be getting to decide what happens to it
January 22, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Ok I need to spell this out more slowly, clearly: Greenland is Inuit land and nobody but Inuit should be getting to decide what happens to it
In a team multiplayer game when someone is eliminated should you show a spectator cam right away or a kill cam that shows how the player died?
It is going to depend on your game and audience, however, in my experience players typically prefer spectating over kill cams
#ux #gamedev
It is going to depend on your game and audience, however, in my experience players typically prefer spectating over kill cams
#ux #gamedev
January 21, 2026 at 7:04 PM
Reposted by Ben Taels
completely unironically, this is how we'll know
Everyone in his inner circle would be insider trading trading on his death on Kalshi before turning the plane around
January 21, 2026 at 4:11 AM
completely unironically, this is how we'll know
They should update the definition of Cargo Cults to include intricate clockwork introductions to TV shows in addition to starting movies with a bunch of IP characters all merging into the logo of the property
Absolutely corporate superstition at play
Absolutely corporate superstition at play
January 21, 2026 at 7:37 AM
They should update the definition of Cargo Cults to include intricate clockwork introductions to TV shows in addition to starting movies with a bunch of IP characters all merging into the logo of the property
Absolutely corporate superstition at play
Absolutely corporate superstition at play
Reposted by Ben Taels
If you're going to compare yourself to Mamdani, you better be promising free public transport and childcare, and affordable rents.
January 21, 2026 at 2:22 AM
If you're going to compare yourself to Mamdani, you better be promising free public transport and childcare, and affordable rents.
Reposted by Ben Taels
Happy THE POWER FANTASY #15 day!
January 21, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Happy THE POWER FANTASY #15 day!
Lord of the Rings and Metal are just naturally a fit.
In German even more so.
youtu.be/9ysGwmBmBCs?...
In German even more so.
youtu.be/9ysGwmBmBCs?...
Feuerschwanz - Rohirrim - Taels of LotR Edit
YouTube video by Ben Taels
youtu.be
January 21, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Lord of the Rings and Metal are just naturally a fit.
In German even more so.
youtu.be/9ysGwmBmBCs?...
In German even more so.
youtu.be/9ysGwmBmBCs?...
A common finding in analytical analysis of churn is that the biggest, clearest, predictor of churn is people reducing the time they play
Sometimes this can be the only really big significant factor due to how strong a signal it is
Sometimes this can be the only really big significant factor due to how strong a signal it is
January 20, 2026 at 6:50 PM
A common finding in analytical analysis of churn is that the biggest, clearest, predictor of churn is people reducing the time they play
Sometimes this can be the only really big significant factor due to how strong a signal it is
Sometimes this can be the only really big significant factor due to how strong a signal it is
Reposted by Ben Taels
The absolute accuracy of this.
January 18, 2026 at 10:23 PM
The absolute accuracy of this.
Reposted by Ben Taels
Apparently the AI bros are on another round of "Hatsune Miku is AI, checkmate luddites" so this is just a reminder that the singer behind Miku was paid and still earns royalties, and beyond that, Miku is nothing more than a MIDI soundboard with advanced pitch converter options, it is not genAI.
January 19, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Apparently the AI bros are on another round of "Hatsune Miku is AI, checkmate luddites" so this is just a reminder that the singer behind Miku was paid and still earns royalties, and beyond that, Miku is nothing more than a MIDI soundboard with advanced pitch converter options, it is not genAI.
Szechuan Taste in Cary, North Carolina, USA.
Spicy food, lots of variety, friendly staff, and a milk tea place just around the corner you could wander over to after.
We used to go there every Friday night (at least), and I have adorable photos of my kid there when he was a baby.
Spicy food, lots of variety, friendly staff, and a milk tea place just around the corner you could wander over to after.
We used to go there every Friday night (at least), and I have adorable photos of my kid there when he was a baby.
Sunday night timeline cleanse
please tell me about your favorite lost restaurant (closed for at least 5 years, like I really want you to go back into the vault), why you loved it and what you ate there
please tell me about your favorite lost restaurant (closed for at least 5 years, like I really want you to go back into the vault), why you loved it and what you ate there
January 19, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Szechuan Taste in Cary, North Carolina, USA.
Spicy food, lots of variety, friendly staff, and a milk tea place just around the corner you could wander over to after.
We used to go there every Friday night (at least), and I have adorable photos of my kid there when he was a baby.
Spicy food, lots of variety, friendly staff, and a milk tea place just around the corner you could wander over to after.
We used to go there every Friday night (at least), and I have adorable photos of my kid there when he was a baby.
Reposted by Ben Taels
On Friday the Greens provided journalists a ‘prebuttal’ of the PM’s forthcoming speech. Today I feel we deserve some kind of prize (I mean, not the Nobel) for correctly predicting about 90% of the content, betting it would continue the relentless pursuit of the interests of the wealthy and sorted
January 19, 2026 at 12:45 AM
On Friday the Greens provided journalists a ‘prebuttal’ of the PM’s forthcoming speech. Today I feel we deserve some kind of prize (I mean, not the Nobel) for correctly predicting about 90% of the content, betting it would continue the relentless pursuit of the interests of the wealthy and sorted
Reposted by Ben Taels
hello. are any webworm readers in minneapolis, or directly know anyone involved in protests there? i'd love to touch base in the city: david@webworm.co
January 18, 2026 at 7:45 PM
hello. are any webworm readers in minneapolis, or directly know anyone involved in protests there? i'd love to touch base in the city: david@webworm.co