Taylor Hardwick
@darthtayrah.bsky.social
Postdoc @USyd on kids’ digital play 🎮 PhD @Swinburne on games & digital events 👾
Freeplay board🤘silly little guy 🤠 she/her 🌿
Freeplay board🤘silly little guy 🤠 she/her 🌿
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Delphinium's Kickstarter will go live on October 27th, 9:00AM ACDT 🩵💫
October 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Delphinium's Kickstarter will go live on October 27th, 9:00AM ACDT 🩵💫
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Announcing... DOGPILE!!! ✨🦴
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
September 30, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Announcing... DOGPILE!!! ✨🦴
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Great to collab with colleagues at Sydney. Global video game/loot box policy evaluation is an international collaborative effort. Would be great to work with German 🇩🇪, Spanish 🇪🇸, and Brazilian 🇧🇷 colleagues to check (forthcoming) national rules. Please do get in touch with us if interested! 👋🏻
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Loot boxes are still rife in kids’ mobile games, despite ban on ‘gambling-like’ features
Games with ‘loot boxes’ should be classified for over-15s – but a new study shows many of the most popular mobile games completely ignore the rules.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Great to collab with colleagues at Sydney. Global video game/loot box policy evaluation is an international collaborative effort. Would be great to work with German 🇩🇪, Spanish 🇪🇸, and Brazilian 🇧🇷 colleagues to check (forthcoming) national rules. Please do get in touch with us if interested! 👋🏻
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Loot boxes are still rife in kids’ mobile games, despite ban on ‘gambling-like’ features
Games with ‘loot boxes’ should be classified for over-15s – but a new study shows many of the most popular mobile games completely ignore the rules.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:18 AM
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Letters to Arralla is OUT NOW on Steam with a limited time 20% launch discount!! 🏝️💌
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
Letters to Arralla OUT NOW!
YouTube video by Little Pink Clouds
youtu.be
September 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Letters to Arralla is OUT NOW on Steam with a limited time 20% launch discount!! 🏝️💌
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Frosty is back to celebrate the coolest upcoming and recently released games made in Australia & Aotearoa, this December 🍦🥳
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
September 15, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Frosty is back to celebrate the coolest upcoming and recently released games made in Australia & Aotearoa, this December 🍦🥳
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself.
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
Charlie Kirk died in the America he wanted
I mourn the loss of human life. I feel compassion, empathy and grief at an inexcusable killing. But I find nothing to lionise in his legacy.
amyremeikis.substack.com
September 15, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself.
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
September 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
September 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email taylor.hardwick@sydney.edu.au 😊
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
FREAKON IS BACK
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
FREAKON 2025 ANNOUNCED - SEASON OF DECAY
We’re looking around at a world rife with rot. More layoffs, more greed, and the birth of a whole new type of AI guy have filled the air with a foul stench. It’s tempting to imagine our community coul...
www.freakon.com.au
September 5, 2025 at 4:53 AM
FREAKON IS BACK
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
August 11, 2025 at 1:40 PM
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
You can take a girl out of Dubbo but you can’t stop Dubbo from following the girl forever and ever and ever (team Freeplay @ Dubbo skate park tho)
i found a website thats like r/place but you draw on the world map so im making a freeplay logo at dubbo because i had no idea what else to do
August 7, 2025 at 3:41 AM
You can take a girl out of Dubbo but you can’t stop Dubbo from following the girl forever and ever and ever (team Freeplay @ Dubbo skate park tho)
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
The return of Waypoint Constellations✨
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
August 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The return of Waypoint Constellations✨
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
Freeplay 💕💕💕
A sample* of academic style with Jacqui Moran @mahliann.bsky.social @darthtayrah.bsky.social @cassiebara29.bsky.social
#fashionOfFreeplay
* statistical significance has not yet been established (n = 4)
#fashionOfFreeplay
* statistical significance has not yet been established (n = 4)
August 2, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Freeplay 💕💕💕
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
The Freeplay Angles 2025 schedule is now online, and tickets are on sale! Angles runs from 31st July - 2nd August at Science Gallery Melbourne.
www.freeplay.net.au
www.freeplay.net.au
July 7, 2025 at 3:26 AM
The Freeplay Angles 2025 schedule is now online, and tickets are on sale! Angles runs from 31st July - 2nd August at Science Gallery Melbourne.
www.freeplay.net.au
www.freeplay.net.au
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
If you liked or hated my takes on ‘deprofessionalisation’, I went into a lot more detail in this great chat with @pushtotalk.gg for his newsletter.
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Gaming’s Great Downsizing and the Garage-Band Game Economy
Brendan Keogh explains the post-2008 collapse of the Australian games industry and how it might prefigure changes coming for the rest of the world
www.pushtotalk.gg
May 24, 2025 at 12:30 AM
If you liked or hated my takes on ‘deprofessionalisation’, I went into a lot more detail in this great chat with @pushtotalk.gg for his newsletter.
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Super excited to present our research on how children perceive & experience harm resulting from game monetisation at #CHI2025 today! Co-authored with @marcuscarter.com @saharkin.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social & @benegliston.bsky.social - check it out here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
April 30, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Super excited to present our research on how children perceive & experience harm resulting from game monetisation at #CHI2025 today! Co-authored with @marcuscarter.com @saharkin.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social & @benegliston.bsky.social - check it out here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
Really interesting and important report out today on deceptive design practices in games and how they impact players from @cprc-research.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social and @bradyjay.bsky.social - some really great recommendations on making games safer for everyone!
cprc.org.au/report/playi...
cprc.org.au/report/playi...
Playing the Player - CPRC
Australians of all ages are engaging with gaming to relax, learn or connect with friends, but common design features can leave players worse-off – 95% of Australian adult gamers encounter manipulative...
cprc.org.au
April 17, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Really interesting and important report out today on deceptive design practices in games and how they impact players from @cprc-research.bsky.social @coolrobbie.bsky.social and @bradyjay.bsky.social - some really great recommendations on making games safer for everyone!
cprc.org.au/report/playi...
cprc.org.au/report/playi...
Some thoughts from @benegliston.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social and myself in The Conversation today on the spenny Switch 2 release price and how it reflects the state of the industry (& mostly, sorry gamers)
Sorry gamers, Nintendo’s hefty Switch 2 price tag signals the new normal – and it might still go up
We saw Sony adjust prices for the PS5 mid-generation in response to production costs. So there’s no reason to assume the Switch 2 price will remain static.
theconversation.com
April 11, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Some thoughts from @benegliston.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social and myself in The Conversation today on the spenny Switch 2 release price and how it reflects the state of the industry (& mostly, sorry gamers)
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
‘Literally just child gambling’: what kids say about Roblox, lootboxes and money in online games
Kids who play Roblox games describe ‘scary’ virtual currencies and ‘cash grab’ random rewards.
theconversation.com
March 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
‘Literally just child gambling’: what kids say about Roblox, lootboxes and money in online games
Kids who play Roblox games describe ‘scary’ virtual currencies and ‘cash grab’ random rewards.
theconversation.com
March 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Incredibly excited to announce this special issue of Media Industries Journal that I co-edited with Chris Young and @dayofthemutants.bsky.social on the topic of LOCAL DIGITAL GAME PRODUCTION.
journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/issue/31...
journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/issue/31...
December 17, 2024 at 1:16 AM
Incredibly excited to announce this special issue of Media Industries Journal that I co-edited with Chris Young and @dayofthemutants.bsky.social on the topic of LOCAL DIGITAL GAME PRODUCTION.
journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/issue/31...
journals.publishing.umich.edu/mij/issue/31...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
2024 The definitive list of Australian made video games
Our 6th annual list of every game released in 2024 that was made in Australia.
Check it out + share https://www.sifter.com.au/post/2024-the-definitive-list-of-australian-made-video-games-playstation-xbox-switch-pc-steam-vr #videogames #gamedev
Our 6th annual list of every game released in 2024 that was made in Australia.
Check it out + share https://www.sifter.com.au/post/2024-the-definitive-list-of-australian-made-video-games-playstation-xbox-switch-pc-steam-vr #videogames #gamedev
2024 The definitive list of Australian made video games | SIFTER
SIFTER's sixth annual list collecting every single game released in 2024 that has been made in Australia, from PC, Xbox, PlayStation Switch and more.
www.sifter.com.au
December 11, 2024 at 10:31 PM
2024 The definitive list of Australian made video games
Our 6th annual list of every game released in 2024 that was made in Australia.
Check it out + share https://www.sifter.com.au/post/2024-the-definitive-list-of-australian-made-video-games-playstation-xbox-switch-pc-steam-vr #videogames #gamedev
Our 6th annual list of every game released in 2024 that was made in Australia.
Check it out + share https://www.sifter.com.au/post/2024-the-definitive-list-of-australian-made-video-games-playstation-xbox-switch-pc-steam-vr #videogames #gamedev
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Truly incredible stuff happening I think it’s called class consciousness
December 12, 2024 at 1:05 AM
Truly incredible stuff happening I think it’s called class consciousness
I don’t mean to brag but I really know my um dragon flags. @folly.studio’s new game is v cute and real silly go go go
realbirdfakebird.com
realbirdfakebird.com
December 11, 2024 at 9:40 PM
I don’t mean to brag but I really know my um dragon flags. @folly.studio’s new game is v cute and real silly go go go
realbirdfakebird.com
realbirdfakebird.com