Tanya X. Short
@tanyaxshort.bsky.social
Captain of Kitfox Games (Streets of Fortuna, Boyfriend Dungeon, Dwarf Fortress, Caves of Qud). Co-director of Pixelles & Polaris. She/her. Be full of love. Put in the effort.
Pinned
Streets of Fortuna on Steam
Use your wits to survive the generated chaos that is living in the Streets of Fortuna megasim. A free-roaming sandbox RPG about growing from street rat to a tradesman, a priest, a smuggler, an alchemi...
store.steampowered.com
I heard I can @pitchyagame.bsky.social still so here I am #pitchyagame !
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Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
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Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
I heard I can @pitchyagame.bsky.social still so here I am #pitchyagame !
~
Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
~
Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
Streets of Fortuna on Steam
Use your wits to survive the generated chaos that is living in the Streets of Fortuna megasim. A free-roaming sandbox RPG about growing from street rat to a tradesman, a priest, a smuggler, an alchemi...
store.steampowered.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I heard I can @pitchyagame.bsky.social still so here I am #pitchyagame !
~
Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
~
Streets of Fortuna is a megasim sandbox RPG. Survive if you can in a Constantinople-inspired city - start as a street rat, then live your life? From the publisher of Dwarf Fortress: store.steampowered.com/app/2946850/...
ok idea for a new strategy, if someone wants to sell you on AI, just have them fix the mental health crisis first so it doesn't kill people, which will require them to fix the income inequality, and then you know maybe at that point we can have a real conversation about the costs and values
November 12, 2025 at 1:18 PM
ok idea for a new strategy, if someone wants to sell you on AI, just have them fix the mental health crisis first so it doesn't kill people, which will require them to fix the income inequality, and then you know maybe at that point we can have a real conversation about the costs and values
I love that English escalated déranger when they imported it from French. It makes it perfect when French people apologize for being a few minutes late as derangement, so sorry to derange you
November 11, 2025 at 2:48 PM
I love that English escalated déranger when they imported it from French. It makes it perfect when French people apologize for being a few minutes late as derangement, so sorry to derange you
I'm gonna GO to SPACE, she said
I'm gonna POWERWASH their SOULS, she said
I'm gonna BEFRIEND the FUNGUS, she said
and then she did! Happy Ambrosia Sky launch day! (the above may or may not reflect your play experience, consider it fan fiction)
store.steampowered.com/app/3580160/...
I'm gonna POWERWASH their SOULS, she said
I'm gonna BEFRIEND the FUNGUS, she said
and then she did! Happy Ambrosia Sky launch day! (the above may or may not reflect your play experience, consider it fan fiction)
store.steampowered.com/app/3580160/...
Save 15% on Ambrosia Sky on Steam
You left. Now they’re dead. Ambrosia Sky: Act One is an immersive sim about exploring an asteroid colony devastated by a mysterious contamination. Survive and harvest strains of aggressive alien fungi...
store.steampowered.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I'm gonna GO to SPACE, she said
I'm gonna POWERWASH their SOULS, she said
I'm gonna BEFRIEND the FUNGUS, she said
and then she did! Happy Ambrosia Sky launch day! (the above may or may not reflect your play experience, consider it fan fiction)
store.steampowered.com/app/3580160/...
I'm gonna POWERWASH their SOULS, she said
I'm gonna BEFRIEND the FUNGUS, she said
and then she did! Happy Ambrosia Sky launch day! (the above may or may not reflect your play experience, consider it fan fiction)
store.steampowered.com/app/3580160/...
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Lovely introduction to game design, distilling decades of thinking by Raph and many others.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.
Game design is simple, actually
So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not useful for getting better at making games, which is usually why people read articles like this. The fun of a bit of confetti exploding in front of you, and the fun of excruciating pain and risk to life and limb as you free climb a cliff are just not usefully paired together.
www.raphkoster.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Lovely introduction to game design, distilling decades of thinking by Raph and many others.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
I can't wait to discuss it in my classes.
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Game Design is Simple, Actually: "fun is basically about making progress on prediction" and the nature of good problems
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
Game design is simple, actually
So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not u…
www.raphkoster.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Game Design is Simple, Actually: "fun is basically about making progress on prediction" and the nature of good problems
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
the church of the subgenius had the concept of the third nostril, through which you perceived pstench
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
the church of the subgenius had the concept of the third nostril, through which you perceived pstench
humans, man
third eye: mystical, intriguing, perceptive, spiritual
third ear: the idea you could just NOT hear god or spirits when 'sensitive'/Chosen/etc seems silly so tbh having deeper 'hearing' makes more sense than deeper 'seeing', but we would die before drawing an ear on someone's forehead
third eye: mystical, intriguing, perceptive, spiritual
third ear: the idea you could just NOT hear god or spirits when 'sensitive'/Chosen/etc seems silly so tbh having deeper 'hearing' makes more sense than deeper 'seeing', but we would die before drawing an ear on someone's forehead
November 7, 2025 at 1:45 PM
humans, man
third eye: mystical, intriguing, perceptive, spiritual
third ear: the idea you could just NOT hear god or spirits when 'sensitive'/Chosen/etc seems silly so tbh having deeper 'hearing' makes more sense than deeper 'seeing', but we would die before drawing an ear on someone's forehead
third eye: mystical, intriguing, perceptive, spiritual
third ear: the idea you could just NOT hear god or spirits when 'sensitive'/Chosen/etc seems silly so tbh having deeper 'hearing' makes more sense than deeper 'seeing', but we would die before drawing an ear on someone's forehead
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Totally fascinating approach to dialogue trees! Definitely watch if you’re into compelling dialogue trees in games.
(Me, I’m talking about me.)
(Me, I’m talking about me.)
Tanya teaches us how to kiss NPCs in Streets of Fortuna. An exploration of our dialogue systems in this month's devlog 😘
▶ Watch: youtu.be/RNZKH0keQeA
▶ Watch: youtu.be/RNZKH0keQeA
November 6, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Totally fascinating approach to dialogue trees! Definitely watch if you’re into compelling dialogue trees in games.
(Me, I’m talking about me.)
(Me, I’m talking about me.)
the trouble with trying to stop a social anxiety spiral w/ "they aren't ACTUALLY mad at me" even though it's generally true is that when false, there is no backup mechanism
bc really the cope should be "I can survive even someone I love being mad at me" - a harder but more powerful paranoia-escape
bc really the cope should be "I can survive even someone I love being mad at me" - a harder but more powerful paranoia-escape
November 6, 2025 at 4:12 PM
the trouble with trying to stop a social anxiety spiral w/ "they aren't ACTUALLY mad at me" even though it's generally true is that when false, there is no backup mechanism
bc really the cope should be "I can survive even someone I love being mad at me" - a harder but more powerful paranoia-escape
bc really the cope should be "I can survive even someone I love being mad at me" - a harder but more powerful paranoia-escape
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
babe are you ok you haven't said 'it's probably just stress' for a few minutes
November 5, 2025 at 1:23 AM
babe are you ok you haven't said 'it's probably just stress' for a few minutes
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Come watch @astroscout.ca absolutely stump me with a modded-to-the-gills Skyrim run as part of our charity marathon for @extralife4kids.bsky.social
This Sunday, Nov 9! Just in time for the launch of Ambrosia Sky Act One Nov 10 - which is also just in time for Skyrim's 19th anniversary on Nov 11.
This Sunday, Nov 9! Just in time for the launch of Ambrosia Sky Act One Nov 10 - which is also just in time for Skyrim's 19th anniversary on Nov 11.
November 5, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Come watch @astroscout.ca absolutely stump me with a modded-to-the-gills Skyrim run as part of our charity marathon for @extralife4kids.bsky.social
This Sunday, Nov 9! Just in time for the launch of Ambrosia Sky Act One Nov 10 - which is also just in time for Skyrim's 19th anniversary on Nov 11.
This Sunday, Nov 9! Just in time for the launch of Ambrosia Sky Act One Nov 10 - which is also just in time for Skyrim's 19th anniversary on Nov 11.
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
We're under attack with discounts! 🤑
Build up your Steam library with a lifetime of !!FUN!!
🏹 Dwarf Fortress (store.steampowered.com)
🍄 Caves of Qud (store.steampowered.com)
🚀 Ostranauts (store.steampowered.com)
Build up your Steam library with a lifetime of !!FUN!!
🏹 Dwarf Fortress (store.steampowered.com)
🍄 Caves of Qud (store.steampowered.com)
🚀 Ostranauts (store.steampowered.com)
November 3, 2025 at 7:08 PM
We're under attack with discounts! 🤑
Build up your Steam library with a lifetime of !!FUN!!
🏹 Dwarf Fortress (store.steampowered.com)
🍄 Caves of Qud (store.steampowered.com)
🚀 Ostranauts (store.steampowered.com)
Build up your Steam library with a lifetime of !!FUN!!
🏹 Dwarf Fortress (store.steampowered.com)
🍄 Caves of Qud (store.steampowered.com)
🚀 Ostranauts (store.steampowered.com)
my apologies to my misuse of runback, corpse running is apparently still alive and well, the old gods are satisfied
November 3, 2025 at 7:13 PM
my apologies to my misuse of runback, corpse running is apparently still alive and well, the old gods are satisfied
gamers gotta have orbs, every day, a dietary requirement
November 3, 2025 at 4:12 PM
gamers gotta have orbs, every day, a dietary requirement
realizing there is a profound modernity in the "maximize each time slot" ludonarrative of Persona or Consume Me, the pressure to balance all your resources towards barely fulfillable goals, achieving salvation only by weighing the costs and rewards of meals, hobbies, friendships
November 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
realizing there is a profound modernity in the "maximize each time slot" ludonarrative of Persona or Consume Me, the pressure to balance all your resources towards barely fulfillable goals, achieving salvation only by weighing the costs and rewards of meals, hobbies, friendships
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
October 31, 2025 at 3:27 PM
our modern Halloween traditions really undermine the classic parenting lesson of "when you encounter supernatural creatures don't eat their food". we worked on that moral takeaway for thousands of years and now what my kid is just gonna eat the sweetmeats of Lord Oberon??? what a waste
October 31, 2025 at 1:10 PM
our modern Halloween traditions really undermine the classic parenting lesson of "when you encounter supernatural creatures don't eat their food". we worked on that moral takeaway for thousands of years and now what my kid is just gonna eat the sweetmeats of Lord Oberon??? what a waste
my first "real" bf was goth. he told me on one of our early dates that his birthday was Oct 31 & showed me his govt ID to prove it. a month or two later, admits it's a fake ID.
years later I learned the birthday on it was also fake. still have no idea what his actual birthday is. ah, Sunder.
years later I learned the birthday on it was also fake. still have no idea what his actual birthday is. ah, Sunder.
October 31, 2025 at 12:40 PM
my first "real" bf was goth. he told me on one of our early dates that his birthday was Oct 31 & showed me his govt ID to prove it. a month or two later, admits it's a fake ID.
years later I learned the birthday on it was also fake. still have no idea what his actual birthday is. ah, Sunder.
years later I learned the birthday on it was also fake. still have no idea what his actual birthday is. ah, Sunder.
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
We’re playing the Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival tomorrow! 🎃
And we've got a SPECIAL GUEST...
Join us LIVE this Thursday on Twitch as we play with the game’s CREATOR, @adamgryu.bsky.social at 8:30pm EST for a fun Halloween hangout full of ghosts, pumpkins & secrets!
✨Follow on Twitch buff.ly/JFTqgrY
And we've got a SPECIAL GUEST...
Join us LIVE this Thursday on Twitch as we play with the game’s CREATOR, @adamgryu.bsky.social at 8:30pm EST for a fun Halloween hangout full of ghosts, pumpkins & secrets!
✨Follow on Twitch buff.ly/JFTqgrY
October 29, 2025 at 10:00 PM
We’re playing the Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival tomorrow! 🎃
And we've got a SPECIAL GUEST...
Join us LIVE this Thursday on Twitch as we play with the game’s CREATOR, @adamgryu.bsky.social at 8:30pm EST for a fun Halloween hangout full of ghosts, pumpkins & secrets!
✨Follow on Twitch buff.ly/JFTqgrY
And we've got a SPECIAL GUEST...
Join us LIVE this Thursday on Twitch as we play with the game’s CREATOR, @adamgryu.bsky.social at 8:30pm EST for a fun Halloween hangout full of ghosts, pumpkins & secrets!
✨Follow on Twitch buff.ly/JFTqgrY
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, but to do so you'll have to download the player client hack because we couldn't afford to keep the servers up
October 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, but to do so you'll have to download the player client hack because we couldn't afford to keep the servers up
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Here's an update on my small-voxel renderer, inspired by the look of games like Doom and Quake. The work I shared last year focused on handling simpler environment geometry. Since then, I've greatly expanded the scope of what I can depict in this art style. More info in thread.
August 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Here's an update on my small-voxel renderer, inspired by the look of games like Doom and Quake. The work I shared last year focused on handling simpler environment geometry. Since then, I've greatly expanded the scope of what I can depict in this art style. More info in thread.
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
Reminder that we extended our submission deadline — you have until tomorrow to submit your game to the Experimental Games Showcase at GDC 2026!
We'd love to see what you're up to!
We'd love to see what you're up to!
🚨 Hey, everyone! We are extending our submission deadline until Oct 31! 🚨
So there is week more to send games for consideration for the 2026 session of the Experimental Games Showcase.
Submission form and more info in our new website: www.experimentalgamesshowcase.com
So there is week more to send games for consideration for the 2026 session of the Experimental Games Showcase.
Submission form and more info in our new website: www.experimentalgamesshowcase.com
Experimental Games Showcase
SUBMIT YOUR GAME TO THE
www.experimentalgamesshowcase.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reminder that we extended our submission deadline — you have until tomorrow to submit your game to the Experimental Games Showcase at GDC 2026!
We'd love to see what you're up to!
We'd love to see what you're up to!
Reposted by Tanya X. Short
hey im doin a game design talk !!
I KNOW ITS BEEN A WHILE
ive been collecting my thoughts on the last year of making little games again, what i've learned, what's been fun, how to do a lot with a little and so on
thinkygames.com/events/think...
I KNOW ITS BEEN A WHILE
ive been collecting my thoughts on the last year of making little games again, what i've learned, what's been fun, how to do a lot with a little and so on
thinkygames.com/events/think...
Day 1 of ThinkyCon 2025 · Thinky Games
Puzzle design, art, development, production — learn about every aspect of crafting thinky games.
thinkygames.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:59 PM
hey im doin a game design talk !!
I KNOW ITS BEEN A WHILE
ive been collecting my thoughts on the last year of making little games again, what i've learned, what's been fun, how to do a lot with a little and so on
thinkygames.com/events/think...
I KNOW ITS BEEN A WHILE
ive been collecting my thoughts on the last year of making little games again, what i've learned, what's been fun, how to do a lot with a little and so on
thinkygames.com/events/think...