Sidney Icarus
@sidneyicarus.bsky.social
Applied Game Designer - ARPIA Best Game Award Winner - Systems Design Consultant
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!
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
Imp Games are back tomorrow in Toronto! please share with your local friends and come help us build a community😸
May 20, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Imp Games are back tomorrow in Toronto! please share with your local friends and come help us build a community😸
Story Games TO at the Imp is just the best.
If you're around, come along!
If you're around, come along!
game night with @sidneyicarus.bsky.social and the toronto crowd tomorrow!
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
May 6, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Story Games TO at the Imp is just the best.
If you're around, come along!
If you're around, come along!
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
game night with @sidneyicarus.bsky.social and the toronto crowd tomorrow!
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
May 6, 2025 at 6:56 PM
game night with @sidneyicarus.bsky.social and the toronto crowd tomorrow!
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
message us or email storygamestoronto@gmail.com if you want to facilitate a game or have any questions💟
My favourite part of writing d4idays, is that after I write 1500 words on my game design newsletter, Mailchimp's AI wants to suggest titles for me:
"4 secret design tips you WONT BELIEVE"
And I ignore that shit and write
"d4 Reasons Tim Curry Kicks Ass"
"4 secret design tips you WONT BELIEVE"
And I ignore that shit and write
"d4 Reasons Tim Curry Kicks Ass"
May 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
My favourite part of writing d4idays, is that after I write 1500 words on my game design newsletter, Mailchimp's AI wants to suggest titles for me:
"4 secret design tips you WONT BELIEVE"
And I ignore that shit and write
"d4 Reasons Tim Curry Kicks Ass"
"4 secret design tips you WONT BELIEVE"
And I ignore that shit and write
"d4 Reasons Tim Curry Kicks Ass"
#SkeetReview
Tempest Rising (dev. Slipgate Ironworks, pub. 3D Realms, Knight’s Peak, 2025).
A nostalgic mechanical experience that captures the play of classic Command & Conquer well, but can’t deliver on any novel ideas.
One thumb.
Tempest Rising (dev. Slipgate Ironworks, pub. 3D Realms, Knight’s Peak, 2025).
A nostalgic mechanical experience that captures the play of classic Command & Conquer well, but can’t deliver on any novel ideas.
One thumb.
May 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
#SkeetReview
Tempest Rising (dev. Slipgate Ironworks, pub. 3D Realms, Knight’s Peak, 2025).
A nostalgic mechanical experience that captures the play of classic Command & Conquer well, but can’t deliver on any novel ideas.
One thumb.
Tempest Rising (dev. Slipgate Ironworks, pub. 3D Realms, Knight’s Peak, 2025).
A nostalgic mechanical experience that captures the play of classic Command & Conquer well, but can’t deliver on any novel ideas.
One thumb.
Absolutely 1000%
No better advice I've heard.
No better advice I've heard.
my biggest little tip for design (game, graphic, visual) is to always be compiling reference all the time. get a folder and fill it with stuff you like. a stack of books or games you like. etc. fill the mind library with work that surprises you
March 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Absolutely 1000%
No better advice I've heard.
No better advice I've heard.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
My first game at Breakout was Spirit Wardens, a game @sidneyicarus.bsky.social is developing based on Blades in the Dark. A neat setting and ideas.
March 15, 2025 at 7:44 PM
My first game at Breakout was Spirit Wardens, a game @sidneyicarus.bsky.social is developing based on Blades in the Dark. A neat setting and ideas.
Nothing humbles me more than seeing @timhutchings.bsky.social lament 24k subscribers to his newsletter at thousandyearoldvampire.com (it's very good and every one of those readers gets something cool and valuable).
d4iday still looking to break 3 figures, maaaaaaate.
d4iday still looking to break 3 figures, maaaaaaate.
March 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Nothing humbles me more than seeing @timhutchings.bsky.social lament 24k subscribers to his newsletter at thousandyearoldvampire.com (it's very good and every one of those readers gets something cool and valuable).
d4iday still looking to break 3 figures, maaaaaaate.
d4iday still looking to break 3 figures, maaaaaaate.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
If you ever want to get into a hobby that will validate your imposter syndrome, consider RPG design. 90% of the population has no idea what you’re on about, 9% don’t care, and of the 1% remaining, more than half are ready to tell you you’re doing it wrong.
March 9, 2025 at 8:01 PM
If you ever want to get into a hobby that will validate your imposter syndrome, consider RPG design. 90% of the population has no idea what you’re on about, 9% don’t care, and of the 1% remaining, more than half are ready to tell you you’re doing it wrong.
Reposted by Sidney Icarus
Going live now! Session Zero of Girl By Moonlight with the weirdheart crew over at twitch.tv/actualplay join @wallstormer.bsky.social @andrewgillis.bsky.social @sidneyicarus.bsky.social and myself as we build ourselves some magical girl tragedy.
Twitch
Twitch is the world
twitch.tv
March 9, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Going live now! Session Zero of Girl By Moonlight with the weirdheart crew over at twitch.tv/actualplay join @wallstormer.bsky.social @andrewgillis.bsky.social @sidneyicarus.bsky.social and myself as we build ourselves some magical girl tragedy.
I have one regret about Willow Bluff, I didn't include designer notes.
As at least a few Dogs I've played through it with discovered, Willow Bluff was an opportunity to experience the subversion at the core of DitV. But most of the time, it just reinforces the bigotry.
[d4iday readers can drink]
As at least a few Dogs I've played through it with discovered, Willow Bluff was an opportunity to experience the subversion at the core of DitV. But most of the time, it just reinforces the bigotry.
[d4iday readers can drink]
Both Ludonarrative Dissidents and the Gauntlet Podcast have just run episodes on Dogs in the Vineyard.
I've listened to them both. They're interesting and good! Check them out for their takes, 20 years later, on the game...
I've listened to them both. They're interesting and good! Check them out for their takes, 20 years later, on the game...
March 9, 2025 at 7:05 AM
I have one regret about Willow Bluff, I didn't include designer notes.
As at least a few Dogs I've played through it with discovered, Willow Bluff was an opportunity to experience the subversion at the core of DitV. But most of the time, it just reinforces the bigotry.
[d4iday readers can drink]
As at least a few Dogs I've played through it with discovered, Willow Bluff was an opportunity to experience the subversion at the core of DitV. But most of the time, it just reinforces the bigotry.
[d4iday readers can drink]
If you also would like to enjoy d4 weekly game design considerations, you can sign up to d4iday at:
waxwings.com.au/email
My faves so far:
a d4 Framework for receiving feedback on your games
d4 ways to handle Accidental Fascism in play
The most crucial d4 hours after you fuck up a playtest
waxwings.com.au/email
My faves so far:
a d4 Framework for receiving feedback on your games
d4 ways to handle Accidental Fascism in play
The most crucial d4 hours after you fuck up a playtest
Really enjoyed this piece by @sidneyicarus.bsky.social looking at different approaches to mystery and tension in TTRPGs.
mailchi.mp/95eff3f227cd...
mailchi.mp/95eff3f227cd...
d4 Mysterious Strategies for Maintaining Tension in Play
mailchi.mp
March 1, 2025 at 4:35 PM
If you also would like to enjoy d4 weekly game design considerations, you can sign up to d4iday at:
waxwings.com.au/email
My faves so far:
a d4 Framework for receiving feedback on your games
d4 ways to handle Accidental Fascism in play
The most crucial d4 hours after you fuck up a playtest
waxwings.com.au/email
My faves so far:
a d4 Framework for receiving feedback on your games
d4 ways to handle Accidental Fascism in play
The most crucial d4 hours after you fuck up a playtest