Sidney Icarus
@sidneyicarus.bsky.social
Applied Game Designer - ARPIA Best Game Award Winner - Systems Design Consultant
So my very favourite part of beta-reading, Playtesting, or giving any feedback is when I ask the question that gets answered by "That's just the kind of thing I'm making."
This is what I call reaching "Feedback Bedrock".
This is what I call reaching "Feedback Bedrock".
February 11, 2026 at 4:46 AM
So my very favourite part of beta-reading, Playtesting, or giving any feedback is when I ask the question that gets answered by "That's just the kind of thing I'm making."
This is what I call reaching "Feedback Bedrock".
This is what I call reaching "Feedback Bedrock".
Every now and then I am struck by an overwhelming feeling of missing Toronto.
There's no "then I got a Boston Cream and everything settles" bit here.
From time to time I am struck with a deep and beautiful longing for a country that opened her arms to me for two years.
There's no "then I got a Boston Cream and everything settles" bit here.
From time to time I am struck with a deep and beautiful longing for a country that opened her arms to me for two years.
February 9, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Every now and then I am struck by an overwhelming feeling of missing Toronto.
There's no "then I got a Boston Cream and everything settles" bit here.
From time to time I am struck with a deep and beautiful longing for a country that opened her arms to me for two years.
There's no "then I got a Boston Cream and everything settles" bit here.
From time to time I am struck with a deep and beautiful longing for a country that opened her arms to me for two years.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
I'm helping
February 7, 2026 at 7:21 AM
I'm helping
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
this has not been paid for by john taylor of geekify
February 6, 2026 at 11:26 PM
this has not been paid for by john taylor of geekify
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
(The warehouse issue IS genuinely bad, but it’s not part of the narrative of the conflict.)
Our BAD conflicts involve fraud, theft, assault and genuinely terrible activities.
Disagreements over contract terms, leading to negotiations that break down and returning IP is a *success*.
Our BAD conflicts involve fraud, theft, assault and genuinely terrible activities.
Disagreements over contract terms, leading to negotiations that break down and returning IP is a *success*.
February 7, 2026 at 4:15 PM
(The warehouse issue IS genuinely bad, but it’s not part of the narrative of the conflict.)
Our BAD conflicts involve fraud, theft, assault and genuinely terrible activities.
Disagreements over contract terms, leading to negotiations that break down and returning IP is a *success*.
Our BAD conflicts involve fraud, theft, assault and genuinely terrible activities.
Disagreements over contract terms, leading to negotiations that break down and returning IP is a *success*.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
I feel like Levi has hit the nail on the head here, because while it’s really clear that there are a lot of emotions in play here, the *business* story here was pretty mundane, and not terribly persuasive of anything nefarious.
This is not to say these people can't possibly have some kind of legitimate beef with Jay. Maybe they do! But these numbers ain't it, and they certainly don't make any other complaint paired with or springboarding off them them look *stronger.*
February 7, 2026 at 3:34 PM
I feel like Levi has hit the nail on the head here, because while it’s really clear that there are a lot of emotions in play here, the *business* story here was pretty mundane, and not terribly persuasive of anything nefarious.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
As a former journalist, and as someone who has had mixed experiences with Rascal as a developer and artist, this article was absolutely infuriating to read and led to me not renewing my subscription. An unattributed pull quote before a paywall calling someone a fake queer is beyond ethical failure.
a response to the @rascal.news article on yazeba's bed & breakfast, clarifying some misunderstandings and (hopefully) providing a clearer explanation of what happened
possumcreek.medium.com/a-response-t...
possumcreek.medium.com/a-response-t...
February 7, 2026 at 8:27 PM
As a former journalist, and as someone who has had mixed experiences with Rascal as a developer and artist, this article was absolutely infuriating to read and led to me not renewing my subscription. An unattributed pull quote before a paywall calling someone a fake queer is beyond ethical failure.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
Great thread. Something under-appreciated, maybe, is when those anti-play rules are only unlocked after time (e.g. at a certain level). I often enjoy resource-tracking etc to begin with, but after X sessions it becomes repetitive and tedious. At which point I'm glad for a reason to put it aside!
January 17, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Great thread. Something under-appreciated, maybe, is when those anti-play rules are only unlocked after time (e.g. at a certain level). I often enjoy resource-tracking etc to begin with, but after X sessions it becomes repetitive and tedious. At which point I'm glad for a reason to put it aside!
I've been doing a lot of work focused toward a D&D-familiar audience, especially how "how to solve" problems (encumbrance, magic items, exploration etc).
One of the things that has come up often is this consideration of "more game vs less game", which is a lens I haven't seen discussed (1/4)
One of the things that has come up often is this consideration of "more game vs less game", which is a lens I haven't seen discussed (1/4)
January 15, 2026 at 1:42 AM
I've been doing a lot of work focused toward a D&D-familiar audience, especially how "how to solve" problems (encumbrance, magic items, exploration etc).
One of the things that has come up often is this consideration of "more game vs less game", which is a lens I haven't seen discussed (1/4)
One of the things that has come up often is this consideration of "more game vs less game", which is a lens I haven't seen discussed (1/4)
Swords Without Master is back! One of the most tremendous and formative games I've seen!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unw...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unw...
Swords Without Master
A ttrpg of strange sorceries, ferocious deeds, and astounding wonder by Epidiah Ravachol.
www.kickstarter.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Swords Without Master is back! One of the most tremendous and formative games I've seen!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unw...
www.kickstarter.com/projects/unw...
Yes! I have been saying this exactly, up to an including the "I don't know what this means.
So, obviously, I love Forged in the Dark, but it’s always weird to me when people point to its influence when talking about John’s stuff.
It’s *commercially* large, but when I compare its footprint to Lady Blackbird or Lasers & Feelings, it feels smaller.
It’s *commercially* large, but when I compare its footprint to Lady Blackbird or Lasers & Feelings, it feels smaller.
December 30, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Yes! I have been saying this exactly, up to an including the "I don't know what this means.
Remembering how fucked up it was last time I went to a Playtesting convention that was meant to be a welcoming testbed, and someone posted a blog publicly criticising the slice I tested (by name).
Playtest communities should have a proper NDA (No Dickheads Arrangement) that sorts this kind of shit.
Playtest communities should have a proper NDA (No Dickheads Arrangement) that sorts this kind of shit.
November 26, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Remembering how fucked up it was last time I went to a Playtesting convention that was meant to be a welcoming testbed, and someone posted a blog publicly criticising the slice I tested (by name).
Playtest communities should have a proper NDA (No Dickheads Arrangement) that sorts this kind of shit.
Playtest communities should have a proper NDA (No Dickheads Arrangement) that sorts this kind of shit.
Can anyone who knows Suits help me with Prelusory Goal thoughts?
So Suits says the Prelusory Goal is a specific state of affairs we want to be completed, which requires the playing of the game. Eg "I want to run from one line to another line" or "I want to get this golf ball into a hole".
(1/3)
So Suits says the Prelusory Goal is a specific state of affairs we want to be completed, which requires the playing of the game. Eg "I want to run from one line to another line" or "I want to get this golf ball into a hole".
(1/3)
November 23, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Can anyone who knows Suits help me with Prelusory Goal thoughts?
So Suits says the Prelusory Goal is a specific state of affairs we want to be completed, which requires the playing of the game. Eg "I want to run from one line to another line" or "I want to get this golf ball into a hole".
(1/3)
So Suits says the Prelusory Goal is a specific state of affairs we want to be completed, which requires the playing of the game. Eg "I want to run from one line to another line" or "I want to get this golf ball into a hole".
(1/3)
At #GamesForChange Asia Pacific today. If you're attending and want to talk about interactive impacts, please grab me.
October 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
At #GamesForChange Asia Pacific today. If you're attending and want to talk about interactive impacts, please grab me.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
Even setting aside ethics (but, yknow, THAT) - I just don’t want AI bullshit. I don’t want an AI pop star, movie, book, video game.
Art is a conversation. Why would I stare at a dictionary run through the washing machine when I could read a poem lovingly constructed by someone’s hands?
Art is a conversation. Why would I stare at a dictionary run through the washing machine when I could read a poem lovingly constructed by someone’s hands?
September 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Even setting aside ethics (but, yknow, THAT) - I just don’t want AI bullshit. I don’t want an AI pop star, movie, book, video game.
Art is a conversation. Why would I stare at a dictionary run through the washing machine when I could read a poem lovingly constructed by someone’s hands?
Art is a conversation. Why would I stare at a dictionary run through the washing machine when I could read a poem lovingly constructed by someone’s hands?
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
It’s been hard to be silent while we’ve been building our first game but now we finally have some content to share!
Introducing Twilight Towers, a shiny new website, and some words from our COO about what’s to come: play.fortis.games/tltandbeyond
Introducing Twilight Towers, a shiny new website, and some words from our COO about what’s to come: play.fortis.games/tltandbeyond
September 25, 2025 at 12:57 PM
It’s been hard to be silent while we’ve been building our first game but now we finally have some content to share!
Introducing Twilight Towers, a shiny new website, and some words from our COO about what’s to come: play.fortis.games/tltandbeyond
Introducing Twilight Towers, a shiny new website, and some words from our COO about what’s to come: play.fortis.games/tltandbeyond
My latest co-authored article is now available in Global Environmental Change.
Giving challenges a playful context creates meaning, meaning creates agency, and agentic interaction generates multi-lateral knowledge exchange.
Games are good, actually.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Giving challenges a playful context creates meaning, meaning creates agency, and agentic interaction generates multi-lateral knowledge exchange.
Games are good, actually.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Participatory storyworld building for unlocking climate adaptation
Worldwide, local communities are experiencing increasing climate change impacts, for which they are underprepared, and which are predicted to further …
www.sciencedirect.com
September 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
My latest co-authored article is now available in Global Environmental Change.
Giving challenges a playful context creates meaning, meaning creates agency, and agentic interaction generates multi-lateral knowledge exchange.
Games are good, actually.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Giving challenges a playful context creates meaning, meaning creates agency, and agentic interaction generates multi-lateral knowledge exchange.
Games are good, actually.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New free game alert!
"Posting Through It"
A playful futures game that explores how social media has redefined what it means to “win” and “lose” in uncertainty.
I co-designed Posting Through It with @randylubin.com, so grab it over at his Itch page:
randylubin.itch.io/posting-thro...
"Posting Through It"
A playful futures game that explores how social media has redefined what it means to “win” and “lose” in uncertainty.
I co-designed Posting Through It with @randylubin.com, so grab it over at his Itch page:
randylubin.itch.io/posting-thro...
Posting Through It by Randy Lubin, Sidney Icarus
Explore the consequences of a major disruption by playing organizations and influencers posting on social media
randylubin.itch.io
September 2, 2025 at 6:25 PM
New free game alert!
"Posting Through It"
A playful futures game that explores how social media has redefined what it means to “win” and “lose” in uncertainty.
I co-designed Posting Through It with @randylubin.com, so grab it over at his Itch page:
randylubin.itch.io/posting-thro...
"Posting Through It"
A playful futures game that explores how social media has redefined what it means to “win” and “lose” in uncertainty.
I co-designed Posting Through It with @randylubin.com, so grab it over at his Itch page:
randylubin.itch.io/posting-thro...
Layla writes a beautiful response to Yochai Gal's Beyond the Pale, but she also leaves out the most important analysis that came out of our play session.
August 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Layla writes a beautiful response to Yochai Gal's Beyond the Pale, but she also leaves out the most important analysis that came out of our play session.
Me, curling my hair and trying my best to look aloof: "So, is there a Mrs Dobalina?"
August 8, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Me, curling my hair and trying my best to look aloof: "So, is there a Mrs Dobalina?"
Another day in the perpetual argument as to whether or not I can face down years of poverty to do Postgrad.
July 19, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Another day in the perpetual argument as to whether or not I can face down years of poverty to do Postgrad.
Well well, look at who is kicking goals all over the place! Congrats Lucie!
Legend of the Hidden Folk by @lucienneimpala.bsky.social is a rules-lite exploration of a magical fae world -- and themselves. Drawing on the power of oral storytelling, players wield the power of human memory to stop the encroaching Shadow Realm from unraveling the world of the Hidden Folk.
June 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Well well, look at who is kicking goals all over the place! Congrats Lucie!
Has anyone covered Hamilton's Your Obedient Servant using Trump and Elon's breakup tweets?
June 6, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Has anyone covered Hamilton's Your Obedient Servant using Trump and Elon's breakup tweets?
No d4iday this week. Had an eye test, which means full dilated pupils during my usual writing window. Not able to focus on text and screens in the way I need to. I'll be back at it next week!
May 31, 2025 at 7:03 PM
No d4iday this week. Had an eye test, which means full dilated pupils during my usual writing window. Not able to focus on text and screens in the way I need to. I'll be back at it next week!