Luke vdB
@thebarse.bsky.social
Senior Writer and Editor at Failbetter Games. Art creature. Half-asleep. I don't hate you, my face just looks like that. 'barse' online. They/Them.
god, TR-49 really is an excellent piece of work
January 25, 2026 at 4:36 PM
god, TR-49 really is an excellent piece of work
Reposted by Luke vdB
do you have games on ur phone
January 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM
do you have games on ur phone
Reposted by Luke vdB
next golden idol dlc announced
Update #6040 from GPS III-SV05 (TS/SCI)
1. Lemurian Couchfuckers
2. Shattered Tower of Artifacts
1. Lemurian Couchfuckers
2. Shattered Tower of Artifacts
January 23, 2026 at 5:57 AM
next golden idol dlc announced
Reposted by Luke vdB
Buy BLADESONG! Now in Early Access, it's an insanely detailed blacksmithing RPG featuring a grim, immersive story campaign written by yours truly!
Bladesong is out in Early Access! Get the game now with a 10% launch discount, or go all in and get the bundle with Bladesong and its original soundtrack! 🔥 Swords shall be made, more so than ever! ⚔️
January 22, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Buy BLADESONG! Now in Early Access, it's an insanely detailed blacksmithing RPG featuring a grim, immersive story campaign written by yours truly!
gonna be a goodun 👀
"In a medium obsessed with the new and the loud, this is a meditation on the old, the silent, and the deliberately hidden. It reveals that the most dangerous things in the world are not monsters, but ideas and the people who write them down."
TR-49 | So Many Games
A World War II computer. An archive of lost books. A world-changing secret. Narrative deduction meets audio drama.
somanygames.co.uk
January 21, 2026 at 12:48 PM
gonna be a goodun 👀
Reposted by Luke vdB
I regret to inform7 you ma'am but your son is dead. Your son is found in the Grey Hallway. The description of your son is "a poor soul who died in these hallowed halls." The son is wearing a backpack. The backpack is openable and closed.
September 11, 2024 at 1:26 AM
I regret to inform7 you ma'am but your son is dead. Your son is found in the Grey Hallway. The description of your son is "a poor soul who died in these hallowed halls." The son is wearing a backpack. The backpack is openable and closed.
Reposted by Luke vdB
Reposted by Luke vdB
Here’s my writeup. Short’s early work is a testament to what totally solo development can produce. www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle...
Counterfeit Monkey is so magnificent a text adventure that I'm convinced the puzzle genre went wrong when it added graphics
The power of the written word can quite literally change nations in this sci-fi masterpiece.
www.pcgamer.com
January 11, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Here’s my writeup. Short’s early work is a testament to what totally solo development can produce. www.pcgamer.com/games/puzzle...
Reposted by Luke vdB
Let's start the year with some gorgeous game recommendations.
Keep your eye on Mandrake by @failbettergames.com
The visuals are amazing!
#gameart #indiedev
Keep your eye on Mandrake by @failbettergames.com
The visuals are amazing!
#gameart #indiedev
January 6, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Let's start the year with some gorgeous game recommendations.
Keep your eye on Mandrake by @failbettergames.com
The visuals are amazing!
#gameart #indiedev
Keep your eye on Mandrake by @failbettergames.com
The visuals are amazing!
#gameart #indiedev
bruno is excellent and taught me a significant portion of what i know about working and writing in games
I'm wrapping up a major contract this month, so: hire me! I'm a writer/narrative designer/systems designer with a decade of industry experience and a lot of experience taming the complexity of intricate systems. Let me build your storylet system or write disquieting prose for you!
January 6, 2026 at 7:28 PM
bruno is excellent and taught me a significant portion of what i know about working and writing in games
Reposted by Luke vdB
Welcome to 2026 - New Year, New Voices! We'll be announcing the winners of our amazing New Voices puzzle grant next week: $15k each for 5 under-represented teams in puzzle development. If you'd like to participate in next year's grant, drop us a line!
grants.draknek.org
grants.draknek.org
Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant
The Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant is a grant opportunity for game developers from traditionally underrepresented groups and backgrounds who are interested in designing and developing puzzle games.
grants.draknek.org
January 2, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Welcome to 2026 - New Year, New Voices! We'll be announcing the winners of our amazing New Voices puzzle grant next week: $15k each for 5 under-represented teams in puzzle development. If you'd like to participate in next year's grant, drop us a line!
grants.draknek.org
grants.draknek.org
Reposted by Luke vdB
if you haven't yet, meet my terrible daughter in this month's Fallen London exceptional story, The Stolen Soirée! art by @misterarendt.bsky.social
December 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
if you haven't yet, meet my terrible daughter in this month's Fallen London exceptional story, The Stolen Soirée! art by @misterarendt.bsky.social
Reposted by Luke vdB
Heading into 2026, I'm still looking for fulltime or contract work as a senior writer or narrative designer. If you need someone who can write sharp characters, poetic prose, and emotional stories, I'm available! You can find my portfolio here: www.hazelmonforton.com
December 28, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Heading into 2026, I'm still looking for fulltime or contract work as a senior writer or narrative designer. If you need someone who can write sharp characters, poetic prose, and emotional stories, I'm available! You can find my portfolio here: www.hazelmonforton.com
Reposted by Luke vdB
Watching THE GREEN KNIGHT again
April 22, 2024 at 7:43 PM
Watching THE GREEN KNIGHT again
Reposted by Luke vdB
it's that time of year
December 25, 2025 at 8:04 AM
it's that time of year
it's that time of year
December 25, 2025 at 8:04 AM
it's that time of year
Reposted by Luke vdB
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
Like Tiny Tim, who did NOT die
Like Tiny Tim, who did NOT die
December 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
Like Tiny Tim, who did NOT die
Like Tiny Tim, who did NOT die
Reposted by Luke vdB
Just want to put out feelers for a TTRPG writer/dev or two who would be interested in collaborating on a pulpy scifi/fantasy project in 2026 with myself and another artist/writer. Ideally someone who'd fuck with "Frank Frazetta but queer" as an aesthetic. Would love 2 chat if this sounds interesting
December 24, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Just want to put out feelers for a TTRPG writer/dev or two who would be interested in collaborating on a pulpy scifi/fantasy project in 2026 with myself and another artist/writer. Ideally someone who'd fuck with "Frank Frazetta but queer" as an aesthetic. Would love 2 chat if this sounds interesting
Reposted by Luke vdB
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Essentially, I think that LLM-generated dialogue only makes sense if you believe that the product of writing is words.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
But the product of writing isn't words, any more than the product of justice is prisoners, or the product of love is weddings. The product of writing is meaning.
Reposted by Luke vdB
It was deeply cathartic to be asked to contribute some thoughts to this piece on the use of LLM chatbots in NPC dialogue. And a privilege to be among such insightful company.
Very grateful to @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving us so much breadth and depth to discuss such a hefty topic.
Very grateful to @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving us so much breadth and depth to discuss such a hefty topic.
I had five fascinating conversations for this RPS piece, gathering perspectives on genAI chatbots in games, as seen in Where Winds Meet. Thanks to @meghna.bsky.social, @pyrofoux.bsky.social, @maxkreminski.bsky.social, and @chrisgardiner.bsky.social www.rockpapershotgun.com/horrible-bor...
"Horrible", "boring", and "cheap": Experts pan new chatbot NPCs, but some leave room for optimism
We speak to a collection of developers and AI experts about the potential impact of LLM-powered NPCs in videogames.
www.rockpapershotgun.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:45 PM
It was deeply cathartic to be asked to contribute some thoughts to this piece on the use of LLM chatbots in NPC dialogue. And a privilege to be among such insightful company.
Very grateful to @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving us so much breadth and depth to discuss such a hefty topic.
Very grateful to @samuelhorti.bsky.social for giving us so much breadth and depth to discuss such a hefty topic.
Reposted by Luke vdB
I wrote an article about dialogue choice as part of a narrative designer’s toolkit *aside* from branching, instead considering how choice can invite us to *perform* a character.
My case study is South of Circle’s beautiful fuzzy meaning-making (using symbols instead of words). 💜 Give it a go!
My case study is South of Circle’s beautiful fuzzy meaning-making (using symbols instead of words). 💜 Give it a go!
We're just over the moon to be sharing this with you: the one and only @hannahnicklin.bsky.social on South of the Circle and how developers use in-game choices to give players space in which to perform the story.
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/per...
www.gamerswithglasses.com/features/per...
Performing Peter: South of the Circle and Fuzzy Choice — Gamers with Glasses
How do game designers make player choices feel meaningful? Hannah Nicklin, author of Writing for Games: Theory and Practice , describes here how the act of choosing allows players to perform a charac...
www.gamerswithglasses.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I wrote an article about dialogue choice as part of a narrative designer’s toolkit *aside* from branching, instead considering how choice can invite us to *perform* a character.
My case study is South of Circle’s beautiful fuzzy meaning-making (using symbols instead of words). 💜 Give it a go!
My case study is South of Circle’s beautiful fuzzy meaning-making (using symbols instead of words). 💜 Give it a go!
Reposted by Luke vdB
honestly one of the better things you could read on the construction and curation of a procgen corpus, from @tsawac.bsky.social on the Nebula-nominated Scents & Semiosis
Why this weird thing is the way it is
In which I ramble on for entirely too long about the design principles and actual process that went into Scents & Semiosis. An Audience of One Emily Short has spoken, before, about a particular appro...
tsawac.itch.io
December 23, 2025 at 2:31 AM
honestly one of the better things you could read on the construction and curation of a procgen corpus, from @tsawac.bsky.social on the Nebula-nominated Scents & Semiosis
Reposted by Luke vdB
The Failbetter sunless games are one of those deals where I don't think everyone will love them but if they ARE your thing they will become a part of your personality. If you like worldbuilding, weird bullshit, reading a lot of text, and feeling very small and out of your depth, give em a look
One last thing from us this year! A cheeky Switch sale on all of our games. It'll last two weeks. Enjoy.
December 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The Failbetter sunless games are one of those deals where I don't think everyone will love them but if they ARE your thing they will become a part of your personality. If you like worldbuilding, weird bullshit, reading a lot of text, and feeling very small and out of your depth, give em a look
Reposted by Luke vdB
who up touching the numinous
December 20, 2025 at 10:18 AM
who up touching the numinous
who up touching the numinous
December 20, 2025 at 10:18 AM
who up touching the numinous