Max Nichols
@maxnichols.bsky.social
He/him. I make worlds that you want to explore. Sr. Game Designer at <AAA studio>. Prev: Bungie, Turbine, more. I run @HyruleInterviews.bsky.social
Blog: namelessquality.com
Portfolio: maxnicholsdesign.com
Blog: namelessquality.com
Portfolio: maxnicholsdesign.com
Epstein’s circle being potentially/partially behind 4chan really upends the commonly touted idea that gamergate taught the alt-right how to recruit and operate
It redefines it as part of a bigger push that was already underway, which frankly makes more sense
It redefines it as part of a bigger push that was already underway, which frankly makes more sense
February 1, 2026 at 9:23 PM
Epstein’s circle being potentially/partially behind 4chan really upends the commonly touted idea that gamergate taught the alt-right how to recruit and operate
It redefines it as part of a bigger push that was already underway, which frankly makes more sense
It redefines it as part of a bigger push that was already underway, which frankly makes more sense
I think most game dev teams underestimate how damaging slow workflows are to the ultimate quality of their game.
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
January 30, 2026 at 10:29 PM
I think most game dev teams underestimate how damaging slow workflows are to the ultimate quality of their game.
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
If it takes 5 minutes to launch the game and see your changes, I think your game is going to be MUCH worse than the alternate timeline where it took 1 minute
Learned a good new word that is increasingly useful every day in the timeline we live in
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/footgun
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/footgun
footgun - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
en.wiktionary.org
January 30, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Learned a good new word that is increasingly useful every day in the timeline we live in
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/footgun
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/footgun
@rystorm.com has REALLY good stuff in here. I have only read part of it so far and skimmed the rest, but it's clear that it's worth a deeper dive, so I'm gonna circle back. I agree with everything I saw so far in there.
I'm especially interested in the automation of this in-engine documentation
I'm especially interested in the automation of this in-engine documentation
My 2025 talk 'Gyms, Zoos, and Museums: Your documentation should be in-game' is now also available in text format, for those who like to read instead of watch: rystorm.com/blog/gyms-zo...
And if you haven't seen it yet, there is an all new video too, with bonus material on the history of Zoos!
And if you haven't seen it yet, there is an all new video too, with bonus material on the history of Zoos!
Gyms, Zoos, and Museums: Your documentation should be in-game — Robin-Yann Storm, Product & UX Designer for Tools
Gyms, Zoos, and Museums: Your documentation should be in-game
rystorm.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:12 PM
@rystorm.com has REALLY good stuff in here. I have only read part of it so far and skimmed the rest, but it's clear that it's worth a deeper dive, so I'm gonna circle back. I agree with everything I saw so far in there.
I'm especially interested in the automation of this in-engine documentation
I'm especially interested in the automation of this in-engine documentation
Next cozy direct:
Deckard Cain: "Stay awhile, and listen..."
Deckard Cain: "Stay awhile, and listen..."
January 28, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Next cozy direct:
Deckard Cain: "Stay awhile, and listen..."
Deckard Cain: "Stay awhile, and listen..."
Reposted by Max Nichols
Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Designing Your Playerbase
- How you decide your community feel through game design
- How mechanics impact player toxicity
- Why team diversity can determine who ends up playing your game
- Which games are great at this...or not so great
Join us here:
- How you decide your community feel through game design
- How mechanics impact player toxicity
- Why team diversity can determine who ends up playing your game
- Which games are great at this...or not so great
Join us here:
January 28, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Designing Your Playerbase
- How you decide your community feel through game design
- How mechanics impact player toxicity
- Why team diversity can determine who ends up playing your game
- Which games are great at this...or not so great
Join us here:
- How you decide your community feel through game design
- How mechanics impact player toxicity
- Why team diversity can determine who ends up playing your game
- Which games are great at this...or not so great
Join us here:
20 minutes from me, 2 minutes from where I used to live. Absolutely gut-wrenching and heartbreaking horror
www.theburnerseattle.com/post/ice-abd...
www.theburnerseattle.com/post/ice-abd...
ICE Abducted A Father In Shoreline In Front Of His Child, En Route To Daycare
A difficult day. Today I was present as ICE agents detained a father a mile from my house--while his two-year-old son sat scared in the backseat.It began with an early phone call from immigrant day la...
www.theburnerseattle.com
January 27, 2026 at 9:20 PM
20 minutes from me, 2 minutes from where I used to live. Absolutely gut-wrenching and heartbreaking horror
www.theburnerseattle.com/post/ice-abd...
www.theburnerseattle.com/post/ice-abd...
When I was at <prev. job> and folks were working on <game>, the feedback I kept giving was that the design would unavoidably draw in an audience of primarily miserable, hyper-aggressive, antisocial players.
Sometimes this stuff is fundamentally built-into and encouraged by a game's design
Sometimes this stuff is fundamentally built-into and encouraged by a game's design
and like yeah the marketing has been mismanaged, is fun to riff on, who up wresting their shieldbreaker from enemy wardens etc. but thats not the vibe on youtube. the vibe is really dark. at some point you gotta say what on earth is "good" marketing when this is the audience you have to sell to
January 27, 2026 at 7:49 PM
When I was at <prev. job> and folks were working on <game>, the feedback I kept giving was that the design would unavoidably draw in an audience of primarily miserable, hyper-aggressive, antisocial players.
Sometimes this stuff is fundamentally built-into and encouraged by a game's design
Sometimes this stuff is fundamentally built-into and encouraged by a game's design
Draw.io, my beloved
Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Software
Draw.io
January 27, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Draw.io, my beloved
Paige sent me this
Anyways, I have an idea for a new kind of dungeon trap
www.instagram.com/reel/DT9PS0o...
Anyways, I have an idea for a new kind of dungeon trap
www.instagram.com/reel/DT9PS0o...
fox5atlanta on Instagram: "Footage of another explosive tree snap caught by LRS land services crew with GA Power in Helen.A huge thank you to all of our storm…"
Footage of another explosive tree snap caught by LRS land services crew with GA Power in Helen.A huge thank you to all of our storm response crews for protecting our people, clearing our roads, and restoring our power.🎥 // Tristan SundeView all 1,093 comments
www.instagram.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Paige sent me this
Anyways, I have an idea for a new kind of dungeon trap
www.instagram.com/reel/DT9PS0o...
Anyways, I have an idea for a new kind of dungeon trap
www.instagram.com/reel/DT9PS0o...
Reposted by Max Nichols
I have terrible phone anxiety, like my pulse starts racing, my cheeks start flushing, my brain goes blank kind of phone anxiety. And I called my reps.
If I can do this, so can you. It’s ok if you trip over your words trying to get your point across, what matters right now most is that you try.
If I can do this, so can you. It’s ok if you trip over your words trying to get your point across, what matters right now most is that you try.
January 25, 2026 at 2:14 AM
I have terrible phone anxiety, like my pulse starts racing, my cheeks start flushing, my brain goes blank kind of phone anxiety. And I called my reps.
If I can do this, so can you. It’s ok if you trip over your words trying to get your point across, what matters right now most is that you try.
If I can do this, so can you. It’s ok if you trip over your words trying to get your point across, what matters right now most is that you try.
Reposted by Max Nichols
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
January 21, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Our paper on the mysterious Devonian organism Prototaxites has now finally been published! See the paper here (www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...) and our explainer thread below!
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
Prototaxites reconstruction by Matt Humpage
This should be a GDQ challenge
January 24, 2026 at 5:10 AM
This should be a GDQ challenge
My most toxic trait is that every time I say the word “vegetable” I do it like a movie trailer announcing DBZ’s Vegeta
January 24, 2026 at 1:22 AM
My most toxic trait is that every time I say the word “vegetable” I do it like a movie trailer announcing DBZ’s Vegeta
Sounds like there are some cool games at the Xbox showcase?
Too bad that Microsoft is one of the most harmful companies on the planet, and according to the BDS boycott campaign, "the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and ongoing genocide"
Too bad that Microsoft is one of the most harmful companies on the planet, and according to the BDS boycott campaign, "the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and ongoing genocide"
Microsoft
Microsoft is perhaps the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and ongoing genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.
bdsmovement.net
January 22, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Sounds like there are some cool games at the Xbox showcase?
Too bad that Microsoft is one of the most harmful companies on the planet, and according to the BDS boycott campaign, "the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and ongoing genocide"
Too bad that Microsoft is one of the most harmful companies on the planet, and according to the BDS boycott campaign, "the most complicit tech company in Israel’s illegal apartheid regime and ongoing genocide"
Wasn't expecting to do ANOTHER Zelda dev career summary so soon, but sometimes people retire and you gotta jump to honor their work!
Kensuke Tanabe announced that he is retiring in an interview today!
He was a script writer who worked on A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, so let's talk a little bit about him and his career.
#Zelda
#TanabeQuote
LTTP team (via @glitterberri.bsky.social's site!):
He was a script writer who worked on A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, so let's talk a little bit about him and his career.
#Zelda
#TanabeQuote
LTTP team (via @glitterberri.bsky.social's site!):
January 22, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Wasn't expecting to do ANOTHER Zelda dev career summary so soon, but sometimes people retire and you gotta jump to honor their work!
Thinking about this again for no reason at all
RTO is purely about emotionally stunted manchildren wanting to feel powerful, IMO.
It's the only thing that really adds up for me, because no logical justification exists except in the extreme short-term.
RTO is purely about emotionally stunted manchildren wanting to feel powerful, IMO.
It's the only thing that really adds up for me, because no logical justification exists except in the extreme short-term.
I think every rationale for why capitalists want RTO is post-hoc. Investments, efficiency, big brother-ing employees, etc.
The real reason is an emotional one: physically seeing a group of people who have to pay attention to you and do what you say feels extremely good when you're a sociopath
The real reason is an emotional one: physically seeing a group of people who have to pay attention to you and do what you say feels extremely good when you're a sociopath
January 21, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Thinking about this again for no reason at all
RTO is purely about emotionally stunted manchildren wanting to feel powerful, IMO.
It's the only thing that really adds up for me, because no logical justification exists except in the extreme short-term.
RTO is purely about emotionally stunted manchildren wanting to feel powerful, IMO.
It's the only thing that really adds up for me, because no logical justification exists except in the extreme short-term.
Ubisoft continues to be a shambling catastrophe of a company.
I’m so sorry to see news about all these cancellations and presumably layoffs. It’s heartbreaking to see such an avalanche of creative work thrown out on Yves Guillemot’s whim
I’m so sorry to see news about all these cancellations and presumably layoffs. It’s heartbreaking to see such an avalanche of creative work thrown out on Yves Guillemot’s whim
January 21, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Ubisoft continues to be a shambling catastrophe of a company.
I’m so sorry to see news about all these cancellations and presumably layoffs. It’s heartbreaking to see such an avalanche of creative work thrown out on Yves Guillemot’s whim
I’m so sorry to see news about all these cancellations and presumably layoffs. It’s heartbreaking to see such an avalanche of creative work thrown out on Yves Guillemot’s whim
My wife saw this, and—
January 21, 2026 at 7:42 AM
My wife saw this, and—
The high school setting works well in part because it's got a nice structure to it and there's a built-in social apparatus.
It's time: Persona 6 should be set in a retirement community
It's time: Persona 6 should be set in a retirement community
January 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM
The high school setting works well in part because it's got a nice structure to it and there's a built-in social apparatus.
It's time: Persona 6 should be set in a retirement community
It's time: Persona 6 should be set in a retirement community
Spent a good chunk of time this long weekend making this. I'll do a blog version as well, since this "long image that is basically an article" format has some major disadvantages, hahah.
Asakawa's career is fascinating AND well documented, and it's really easy to see her influences in her work.
Asakawa's career is fascinating AND well documented, and it's really easy to see her influences in her work.
Trying something new today!
Zelda Dev Highlight:
Satomi Asakawa, Character Designer
In (mostly) her own words, Asakawa's game dev career from start to end!
#Zelda
#TwilightPrincessQuote, #OcarinaOfTimeQuote, #MajorasMaskQuote
#AsakawaQuote
Full image:
drive.google.com/file/d/1ywWD...
Zelda Dev Highlight:
Satomi Asakawa, Character Designer
In (mostly) her own words, Asakawa's game dev career from start to end!
#Zelda
#TwilightPrincessQuote, #OcarinaOfTimeQuote, #MajorasMaskQuote
#AsakawaQuote
Full image:
drive.google.com/file/d/1ywWD...
January 20, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Spent a good chunk of time this long weekend making this. I'll do a blog version as well, since this "long image that is basically an article" format has some major disadvantages, hahah.
Asakawa's career is fascinating AND well documented, and it's really easy to see her influences in her work.
Asakawa's career is fascinating AND well documented, and it's really easy to see her influences in her work.
Fun messages I get to send to my doctor right now
January 20, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Fun messages I get to send to my doctor right now
The older I get the more I like Sega games
It often feels like nobody making games today has ever heard of an "arcade" or seems to know how to do that crunchy arcade styling, hahah
It often feels like nobody making games today has ever heard of an "arcade" or seems to know how to do that crunchy arcade styling, hahah
January 18, 2026 at 6:44 PM
The older I get the more I like Sega games
It often feels like nobody making games today has ever heard of an "arcade" or seems to know how to do that crunchy arcade styling, hahah
It often feels like nobody making games today has ever heard of an "arcade" or seems to know how to do that crunchy arcade styling, hahah
Ok but imagine working in an indie studio located in an old lighthouse
On the weekends @maxnichols.bsky.social works out of a lighthouse.
January 16, 2026 at 5:57 PM
Ok but imagine working in an indie studio located in an old lighthouse