Shimmerback
@shimmerback.bsky.social
He/Him, Aspiring Game Designer
Media Critic on YouTube @shimmerback
Curator on Steam @Shimmerback Reviews
Media Critic on YouTube @shimmerback
Curator on Steam @Shimmerback Reviews
Pinned
Shimmerback
@shimmerback.bsky.social
· Oct 30
How Mafia 3 Holds a Mirror to our Modern America
YouTube video by Shimmerback
youtu.be
my latest: new video is out - this one has been in the works for months - glad to finally get it across the finish line.
#mafiagame #mafia3 #mafiaIII #mafiaseries
#mafiagame #mafia3 #mafiaIII #mafiaseries
Reposted by Shimmerback
Make it exist first. Then keep making it exist. Don't look back. Do not consider what you have wrought. Continue making it exist. It must exist. You must feed it. Don't look at it. Feed it. It's the only way. Feed it. Feed it. Soon it is all there is and all there ever will be. Save you. Feed it.
December 29, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Make it exist first. Then keep making it exist. Don't look back. Do not consider what you have wrought. Continue making it exist. It must exist. You must feed it. Don't look at it. Feed it. It's the only way. Feed it. Feed it. Soon it is all there is and all there ever will be. Save you. Feed it.
Reposted by Shimmerback
After years of wrestling with video game pr, I've been requesting some advance copies of books and it's laughably simple. No embargo dates, no details on what plot you can't discuss, no interrogations about your coverage plans. Just "hey can I have this book?" "Yeah!"
December 25, 2025 at 11:59 PM
After years of wrestling with video game pr, I've been requesting some advance copies of books and it's laughably simple. No embargo dates, no details on what plot you can't discuss, no interrogations about your coverage plans. Just "hey can I have this book?" "Yeah!"
Reposted by Shimmerback
Any critiques that are written entirely through the lens of Campbell/Hero’s Journey. Shut up.
what is your least favorite piece of writing advice and why? 👀
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Any critiques that are written entirely through the lens of Campbell/Hero’s Journey. Shut up.
Reposted by Shimmerback
Developed by PEOPLE.
December 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Developed by PEOPLE.
Reposted by Shimmerback
cheeses for meeces or we burn our leases
December 23, 2025 at 11:38 PM
cheeses for meeces or we burn our leases
Reposted by Shimmerback
if by chance you are wondering "if i search the word 'eggnog' on Bluesky will i be immediately greeted by an astounding amount of hardcore porn" i have great news for you
December 20, 2025 at 6:03 AM
if by chance you are wondering "if i search the word 'eggnog' on Bluesky will i be immediately greeted by an astounding amount of hardcore porn" i have great news for you
Reposted by Shimmerback
by far the funniest use case for AI is “I use it for powerpoints because I hate making them and nobody looks at them” because it kinda sounds like the real workflow savings would be to stop making powerpoints
December 23, 2025 at 2:10 AM
by far the funniest use case for AI is “I use it for powerpoints because I hate making them and nobody looks at them” because it kinda sounds like the real workflow savings would be to stop making powerpoints
Reposted by Shimmerback
Reposted by Shimmerback
Feature creep is fun bc the base idea is cool af (functional prosthetics for characters) but the implementation is a looooong list of how does this work and why did I do this to myself
#ttrpg #gamedesign #narrativedesign
#ttrpg #gamedesign #narrativedesign
December 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Feature creep is fun bc the base idea is cool af (functional prosthetics for characters) but the implementation is a looooong list of how does this work and why did I do this to myself
#ttrpg #gamedesign #narrativedesign
#ttrpg #gamedesign #narrativedesign
Reposted by Shimmerback
This is dead serious, do not do this. It opens up a ton of liability and actively decreases the likelihood (or fully eliminates) that what you want or hope to happen will happen.
PSA: Please do not send me or my colleagues your story ideas for the game we're actively working on. Especially do not send us your long, detailed manifesto about what changes we should make and your ideas for improving the story. We can't read it. We won't read it. Don't do it!
December 19, 2025 at 8:50 PM
This is dead serious, do not do this. It opens up a ton of liability and actively decreases the likelihood (or fully eliminates) that what you want or hope to happen will happen.
Reposted by Shimmerback
"You shouldn't make art for the money" buddy I'll take it one step further and say we shouldn't have to labor for capital at all but in the meantime pay an artist
December 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
"You shouldn't make art for the money" buddy I'll take it one step further and say we shouldn't have to labor for capital at all but in the meantime pay an artist
Reposted by Shimmerback
Advice for all "gamers" out there: go play a video game no one is talking about anymore, something like an old Gameboy Color game lost to time and online discourse. Nurture your personal connection to the medium of games/form opinions unaffected by what other people online say.
December 9, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Advice for all "gamers" out there: go play a video game no one is talking about anymore, something like an old Gameboy Color game lost to time and online discourse. Nurture your personal connection to the medium of games/form opinions unaffected by what other people online say.
Reposted by Shimmerback
We need to permanently retire "get that bag" and bring back the shame of selling out!! Sorry!!
December 7, 2025 at 8:35 PM
We need to permanently retire "get that bag" and bring back the shame of selling out!! Sorry!!
Reposted by Shimmerback
Love Discord being like "bro you didnt complete any quests this year" yeah man I dont know what those are and I'm working really hard not to have to learn
December 5, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Love Discord being like "bro you didnt complete any quests this year" yeah man I dont know what those are and I'm working really hard not to have to learn
Reposted by Shimmerback
*youth pastor voice*
Let me tell you kids about another carpenter who wasn’t very popular with the authorities
Let me tell you kids about another carpenter who wasn’t very popular with the authorities
Sabrina Carpenter made the White House delete their fuck ass tweet.
December 5, 2025 at 9:10 PM
*youth pastor voice*
Let me tell you kids about another carpenter who wasn’t very popular with the authorities
Let me tell you kids about another carpenter who wasn’t very popular with the authorities
Reposted by Shimmerback
Shopping small is meaningful!
November 29, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Shopping small is meaningful!
Reposted by Shimmerback
One of the many things worth thinking about re: Steam's ban on Horses is how it highlights is the centralization problem caused by having such a monolithic (and maybe mono-something-else) retail giant.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
December 4, 2025 at 12:41 AM
One of the many things worth thinking about re: Steam's ban on Horses is how it highlights is the centralization problem caused by having such a monolithic (and maybe mono-something-else) retail giant.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Reposted by Shimmerback
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
December 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
Reposted by Shimmerback
I would rather your indie game include the most ill-fitting public domain song you could find as opposed to your indie game using AI for the music. Stock assets exist to help devs with gaps in their skillset and there are tons of completely free to use stock assets out there, USE THEM.
November 27, 2025 at 1:59 AM
I would rather your indie game include the most ill-fitting public domain song you could find as opposed to your indie game using AI for the music. Stock assets exist to help devs with gaps in their skillset and there are tons of completely free to use stock assets out there, USE THEM.
Reposted by Shimmerback
From someone who didn't realize then uninstalled.
- Doesn't disclose usage on steam which is REQUIRED!
- used for character generation
- NPCs use chatbots, even if selective
- people reporting generated npc voices
"But it's not a core part-" Playing it is still supporting the fascist theft machine
- Doesn't disclose usage on steam which is REQUIRED!
- used for character generation
- NPCs use chatbots, even if selective
- people reporting generated npc voices
"But it's not a core part-" Playing it is still supporting the fascist theft machine
November 25, 2025 at 8:47 PM
From someone who didn't realize then uninstalled.
- Doesn't disclose usage on steam which is REQUIRED!
- used for character generation
- NPCs use chatbots, even if selective
- people reporting generated npc voices
"But it's not a core part-" Playing it is still supporting the fascist theft machine
- Doesn't disclose usage on steam which is REQUIRED!
- used for character generation
- NPCs use chatbots, even if selective
- people reporting generated npc voices
"But it's not a core part-" Playing it is still supporting the fascist theft machine
Reposted by Shimmerback
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
November 24, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Seeing how much of the right-wing on Twitter is just bot farms, kinda lays bare how much hate and hatred is a project that needs to be constantly maintained, a fire that needs to be fed all the time lest it go out for a moment, so much time, effort, and resources to keep people angry and hateful.
Reposted by Shimmerback
happy trans day of remembrance. you are beautifully and wonderfully made and I will never stop fighting for you. the world is better because you are in it
November 20, 2025 at 11:54 PM
happy trans day of remembrance. you are beautifully and wonderfully made and I will never stop fighting for you. the world is better because you are in it
I am tired of processing trauma in videogames.
November 20, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I am tired of processing trauma in videogames.