James Youngman
@jyoungman.bsky.social
He/him Game Designer, composer, writer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
It's critical to understand that this is not an unhappy side effect of otherwise well-intentioned technology.
Undermining democracy through undermining the ability to understand reality, let alone in a shared way, is core to the project of generative AI.
It's intrinsically authoritarian.
Undermining democracy through undermining the ability to understand reality, let alone in a shared way, is core to the project of generative AI.
It's intrinsically authoritarian.
THREAD: I'll fact-check all the viral misinformation about the US military operation in Venezuela in this thread
This image, purporting to show the US military arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is AI-generated.
According to Google's SynthID detector, it was created using Google AI.
This image, purporting to show the US military arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is AI-generated.
According to Google's SynthID detector, it was created using Google AI.
January 3, 2026 at 9:57 PM
It's critical to understand that this is not an unhappy side effect of otherwise well-intentioned technology.
Undermining democracy through undermining the ability to understand reality, let alone in a shared way, is core to the project of generative AI.
It's intrinsically authoritarian.
Undermining democracy through undermining the ability to understand reality, let alone in a shared way, is core to the project of generative AI.
It's intrinsically authoritarian.
This is a thing that gets me. By and large, the things we need to do for a green transition would be worth doing for their own sake.
People fighting electrification and renewables are fighting to keep their own lives from getting better.
People fighting electrification and renewables are fighting to keep their own lives from getting better.
Now, I understand that there are more cases to be solved than this. Especially when we leave the consumer side.
But I'd really like you to consider how I have nearly completely cut hydrocarbons out of my life and in the vast majority of cases my life is now MORE convenient than it was.
But I'd really like you to consider how I have nearly completely cut hydrocarbons out of my life and in the vast majority of cases my life is now MORE convenient than it was.
January 3, 2026 at 7:19 PM
This is a thing that gets me. By and large, the things we need to do for a green transition would be worth doing for their own sake.
People fighting electrification and renewables are fighting to keep their own lives from getting better.
People fighting electrification and renewables are fighting to keep their own lives from getting better.
Reposted by James Youngman
That, incidentally, is one of the reasons I get so cranky about people who focus so much on the materials batteries.
They are still there when the battery wears out!
So once the world has enough batteries, then we're gonna be mostly done with extraction. There is a foreseeable end to it.
They are still there when the battery wears out!
So once the world has enough batteries, then we're gonna be mostly done with extraction. There is a foreseeable end to it.
January 3, 2026 at 6:53 PM
That, incidentally, is one of the reasons I get so cranky about people who focus so much on the materials batteries.
They are still there when the battery wears out!
So once the world has enough batteries, then we're gonna be mostly done with extraction. There is a foreseeable end to it.
They are still there when the battery wears out!
So once the world has enough batteries, then we're gonna be mostly done with extraction. There is a foreseeable end to it.
Reposted by James Youngman
Life should be just making little videogames and drinking coffee.
January 3, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Life should be just making little videogames and drinking coffee.
Reposted by James Youngman
So. I'm watching live news.
Reporting statements from Trump and his administration is necessary and good...but only if you also report context. Like, are these statements true? And even if they are, are the actions legal? Ethical? What consequences are possible or likely?
Don't spread propaganda!
Reporting statements from Trump and his administration is necessary and good...but only if you also report context. Like, are these statements true? And even if they are, are the actions legal? Ethical? What consequences are possible or likely?
Don't spread propaganda!
January 3, 2026 at 4:15 PM
So. I'm watching live news.
Reporting statements from Trump and his administration is necessary and good...but only if you also report context. Like, are these statements true? And even if they are, are the actions legal? Ethical? What consequences are possible or likely?
Don't spread propaganda!
Reporting statements from Trump and his administration is necessary and good...but only if you also report context. Like, are these statements true? And even if they are, are the actions legal? Ethical? What consequences are possible or likely?
Don't spread propaganda!
Reposted by James Youngman
Oh my god see this is what we‘re up against 😭
I once had a long argument with a producer because he wanted to take away naming pets… in a pet care game. He argued that people don’t name their animals.
This was all because of a minor issue with Japanese font support. I stood my ground. 🫠 being a game designer shouldn’t be like this.
This was all because of a minor issue with Japanese font support. I stood my ground. 🫠 being a game designer shouldn’t be like this.
January 3, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Oh my god see this is what we‘re up against 😭
Americans, call your Representative, whoever they are. Let them know that it's his job or theirs.
Done. Couldn't let it wait until the morning. Wouldn't be able to sleep.
January 3, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Americans, call your Representative, whoever they are. Let them know that it's his job or theirs.
Reposted by James Youngman
Don’t just send your outrage out into the social media void; send them to your representatives. The politicians in positions to do something about the near-daily unlawful actions of this administration need to know their constituents are paying attention and demand action.
January 3, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Don’t just send your outrage out into the social media void; send them to your representatives. The politicians in positions to do something about the near-daily unlawful actions of this administration need to know their constituents are paying attention and demand action.
Reposted by James Youngman
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
January 3, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
Reposted by James Youngman
Allow me to connect some dots for you:
Too much of the world currently relies for its basic functions on resources which must be continuously extracted. You burn that oil one time and oops, now you need more.
Geopolitical horrors are, in fact, one of the reasons we need to move to renewables ASAP.
Too much of the world currently relies for its basic functions on resources which must be continuously extracted. You burn that oil one time and oops, now you need more.
Geopolitical horrors are, in fact, one of the reasons we need to move to renewables ASAP.
January 3, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Allow me to connect some dots for you:
Too much of the world currently relies for its basic functions on resources which must be continuously extracted. You burn that oil one time and oops, now you need more.
Geopolitical horrors are, in fact, one of the reasons we need to move to renewables ASAP.
Too much of the world currently relies for its basic functions on resources which must be continuously extracted. You burn that oil one time and oops, now you need more.
Geopolitical horrors are, in fact, one of the reasons we need to move to renewables ASAP.
Reposted by James Youngman
Make sure you take some of the anger you’re feeling right now and use it to contact your officials to demand impeachment now.
It’s basically the least we can possibly do in opposition to this, which IMO makes it mandatory.
It’s basically the least we can possibly do in opposition to this, which IMO makes it mandatory.
January 3, 2026 at 7:13 AM
Make sure you take some of the anger you’re feeling right now and use it to contact your officials to demand impeachment now.
It’s basically the least we can possibly do in opposition to this, which IMO makes it mandatory.
It’s basically the least we can possibly do in opposition to this, which IMO makes it mandatory.
Subway station in the basement. A nice one, with shops.
if you could have one absolutely ridiculous thing in your house, money is no issue, what would you add?
January 3, 2026 at 4:55 AM
Subway station in the basement. A nice one, with shops.
Reposted by James Youngman
i think people are too worried about being insufficiently cynical when bad things happen but what about being insufficiently optimistic when good things happen huh??? what then???
January 3, 2026 at 4:24 AM
i think people are too worried about being insufficiently cynical when bad things happen but what about being insufficiently optimistic when good things happen huh??? what then???
Reposted by James Youngman
In celebration of Mamdani's first day in office, the map from our 2016 NYC atlas celebrating Queens as the most linguistically diverse place on earth. (800 languages spoken in NYC, according to NY's Endangered Language Institute, which collaborated with us on this map.
January 3, 2026 at 3:21 AM
In celebration of Mamdani's first day in office, the map from our 2016 NYC atlas celebrating Queens as the most linguistically diverse place on earth. (800 languages spoken in NYC, according to NY's Endangered Language Institute, which collaborated with us on this map.
Reposted by James Youngman
There are many things to love about Rami’s top 10 for 2025 but this is one of my favourites.
January 2, 2026 at 12:05 PM
There are many things to love about Rami’s top 10 for 2025 but this is one of my favourites.
Reposted by James Youngman
I really need Steam to give public explanations as to why they allow shite like this in reviews because it's getting absurd. My devs have been harassed through reviews and so have so many others.
please help me report these Steam reviews (that ridicule my SA) made to my games. steam moderators cleared them as acceptable (so i can’t flag them) but i don’t think calling me a slur & bringing up my r*pist is acceptable.
steamcommunity.com/profiles/765...
steamcommunity.com/id/Luceres/r...
steamcommunity.com/profiles/765...
steamcommunity.com/id/Luceres/r...
January 2, 2026 at 8:42 PM
I really need Steam to give public explanations as to why they allow shite like this in reviews because it's getting absurd. My devs have been harassed through reviews and so have so many others.
Reposted by James Youngman
We have many examples of wildly successful humans that continue to support open-source tools but our society is rigged around the assholes that want all the money and power for themselves 🙄
Anyways, here's a nice example in our beloved ConcernedApe
www.gamesradar.com/games/simula...
Anyways, here's a nice example in our beloved ConcernedApe
www.gamesradar.com/games/simula...
Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe donates $125,000 to open-source C# framework his hit farming sim uses, with "an ongoing monthly commitment" to boot
Eric Barone is keeping dev tools open and easier to access
www.gamesradar.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:06 PM
We have many examples of wildly successful humans that continue to support open-source tools but our society is rigged around the assholes that want all the money and power for themselves 🙄
Anyways, here's a nice example in our beloved ConcernedApe
www.gamesradar.com/games/simula...
Anyways, here's a nice example in our beloved ConcernedApe
www.gamesradar.com/games/simula...
2026, the year of handheld Tokyo Jungle
Let's manifest 2026 as the year Tokyo Jungle escapes it's prison on the PS3
January 2, 2026 at 10:24 PM
2026, the year of handheld Tokyo Jungle
Reposted by James Youngman
Since I love procgen / high systemic story generator games, I decided to finally pick up Rim World. But I did not like it, which did not make any sense. So I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out why and made a little graph.
January 2, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Since I love procgen / high systemic story generator games, I decided to finally pick up Rim World. But I did not like it, which did not make any sense. So I spent a bunch of time trying to figure out why and made a little graph.
Reposted by James Youngman
I cannot emphasize enough that the attempts to anthropomorphize an algorithm is a fundamental act of journalistic malpractice and an intentional act to shield the people responsible for this. It's fucking shameful.
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Musk's Grok AI bot is fixing safeguard 'lapses' after posting of sexualized images of children
Users on X raised concerns over explicit content of minors being generated using Musk's Grok tool.
cnb.cx
January 2, 2026 at 5:03 PM
I cannot emphasize enough that the attempts to anthropomorphize an algorithm is a fundamental act of journalistic malpractice and an intentional act to shield the people responsible for this. It's fucking shameful.
Reposted by James Youngman
"What's your goal here?" is such a powerful way of putting the brakes on an escalating cycle of assholery without backing down.
It works SO well. Just "What do you want to have happen?"
It works SO well. Just "What do you want to have happen?"
Also if Karen starts shit back
I'd probably go with something like
'Okay, what's your goal here. What outcome are you hoping for with your comments. Do you think such things improve my cooking when you say the chicken was dry previously or my baked from SCRATCH CAKE was 'probably a box''
I'd probably go with something like
'Okay, what's your goal here. What outcome are you hoping for with your comments. Do you think such things improve my cooking when you say the chicken was dry previously or my baked from SCRATCH CAKE was 'probably a box''
January 2, 2026 at 1:58 AM
"What's your goal here?" is such a powerful way of putting the brakes on an escalating cycle of assholery without backing down.
It works SO well. Just "What do you want to have happen?"
It works SO well. Just "What do you want to have happen?"
quote with the personal holy text you would place your hand on to be sworn into office
January 2, 2026 at 2:32 AM
quote with the personal holy text you would place your hand on to be sworn into office
Reposted by James Youngman
A few of my favourite shots from a visit to Seattle, in 2023. They were taken during a partial eclipse. Despite how they appear, they're full colour images. I'll likely never see light like that again. The fog and the eclipse gave everything a surreal appearance.
January 1, 2026 at 2:19 PM
A few of my favourite shots from a visit to Seattle, in 2023. They were taken during a partial eclipse. Despite how they appear, they're full colour images. I'll likely never see light like that again. The fog and the eclipse gave everything a surreal appearance.
Reposted by James Youngman
I am not unreal for being part of two tiny minorities (trans people and Jews) any more than I am unreal for living in a rural area. The issue is that there is no "Real America", there is no singular authentic America, there are many, many Americas and we must care for all of them.
January 1, 2026 at 3:44 PM
I am not unreal for being part of two tiny minorities (trans people and Jews) any more than I am unreal for living in a rural area. The issue is that there is no "Real America", there is no singular authentic America, there are many, many Americas and we must care for all of them.
Reposted by James Youngman
Here's my thread of 2025 games made with Black leadership you should check out.
I'm not an advocate of supporting things just because X group made them - I share genuinely unique games that have something special about them that I think are worth checking out.
I just focus on #blackgamedev
I'm not an advocate of supporting things just because X group made them - I share genuinely unique games that have something special about them that I think are worth checking out.
I just focus on #blackgamedev
January 1, 2026 at 12:10 AM
Here's my thread of 2025 games made with Black leadership you should check out.
I'm not an advocate of supporting things just because X group made them - I share genuinely unique games that have something special about them that I think are worth checking out.
I just focus on #blackgamedev
I'm not an advocate of supporting things just because X group made them - I share genuinely unique games that have something special about them that I think are worth checking out.
I just focus on #blackgamedev