Ben 🦇🥌
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ben.batst.one
Ben 🦇🥌
@ben.batst.one
Professional Game Designer, amateur hole digger. Prev: Linden Lab, Disney, Foxglove, Midwinter. Trying to build a better pig pen.
Just realized how widely Valve missed the mark on the Steam Machine. It just needed an alternate colorway and it could have been The Orange Box.
November 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Any teachers out there? Ramping this back up again and figured I would advertise.

I am on the National Weather Service National School Outreach Team. We are composed of various NWS meteorologists across the country that give school talks about the weather. We can use just about any online platform.
November 18, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Well, it's a little clearer now why billionaires are so invested in technology that produces better written emails.
November 12, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Again, to every videogame writer who wrote funny emails to read in an immersive sim/etc. where I rolled my eyes and said out loud, "lol like anyone would ever email something this on the nose", again, sorry, I was wrong, life sucks, you nailed it
November 12, 2025 at 10:35 PM
No opinion on current events that I didn’t hold before except:

Seriously are all these rich people near-illiterate? These emails are how they communicate? My 8 year old writes more coherent texts.
November 12, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Let's make it official:

SHELVED BY GENRE's next unit, spanning ALL of 2026, will be a delve into the depths of modern genre with J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and THE SILMARILLION.

If you don't have those, you can grab them through our Bookshop:

bookshop.org/lists/shelve...
Shelved By Genre
These are books discussed on the podcast Shelved by Genre!
bookshop.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
LET FREEDOM RING
November 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
You know your police state is on the wrong side of the judge when they break out the poetry.
Ellis starting the day off by reading out Carl Sandburg's poem "Chicago" in its entirety.
November 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Trans rights is a winning platform. Pro immigration is a winning platform. Taxing the rich is a winning platform. Affordable housing is a winning platform. Free childcare is a winning platform. Hating Andrew Cuomo is a winning platform. SOCIALISM IS A WINNING PLATFORM
November 5, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
I know I should, but it's so hard to save up the meter in this economy
November 4, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
It's Flood Awareness Month! Today, we're teaching you about watch vs. warning. It's like when you're making cookies.
🍪Cookie Watch = Cookies are Possible
🍪🥛Cookie Warning = Cookies are Imminent or occurring

🌧️Watch = Flooding possible.
⛈️Warning = Flooding is happening or about to happen.

#wawx
October 24, 2025 at 6:28 PM
What’s the rule?

If you aren’t paying for it, you’re not the customer; you’re the product.
"the government's paying absolutely nothing"

except its security, its dignity, and its integrity
Trump waves around renderings of his new ballroom, which appears to be entirely gold
October 23, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
I never know how many people know about this: grants up to $5K for unexpected medical, dental, or mental health costs for people creating work in visual arts, film/video/digital arts, or choreography; based in NY, but open to all US residents. Current app cycle closes 11/4
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants - Nyfa
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants - Nyfa
www.nyfa.org
October 22, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
me everyday: once im done all these tasks, then i can start on the REALLY important tasks
October 22, 2025 at 3:27 PM
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some folks experiencing their first mariners moment tonight. its ok friends 🤍 this is what it's been like all my life. that's the seattle experience
October 21, 2025 at 3:20 AM
We should have realized we were living in a failing empire as soon as the fast food places stopped automatically including ketchup when you order fries.
October 19, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
The thing about me is that you can give me money and then you'll end up with some cool music for your project

www.megancarnesmusic.com
October 19, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
Taking things to the next level by insisting everyone refer to cornfield mazes as "metroidgrainias"
October 19, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Need to add PVP
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand

I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 12, 2025 at 8:08 PM
My niece gave me this hat just in time for this game.
October 11, 2025 at 4:57 AM
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October 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Earlier I was thinking that the folks in inflatables were really well equipped for this. Baymax style defense, soft, non-threatening exterior makes militarized opposition seem overwrought. Meanwhile you can totally wear body armor, helmet, and a gas mask inside there and tank the hits.
WATCH: ‘Portland Frog’ pepper balled by ICE agents
October 8, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
hire Laura if you want one of the best
Learned that I am being laid off from Heart Machine, and will be leaving the studio later this month.

Do you need a contractor? I've got a track record of leading scope-friendly script revisions late in dev. I have also done a lot of consulting on new IPs and pitches/demos. Feel free to DM me!
October 7, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Holy crap so many interesting games launching today!
October 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Ben 🦇🥌
BATTLE SUIT ACES OUT NOW‼️

Adventure through the stars with the found family of the Zephyr and uncover the secrets of the mysterious Relic suits. Play the Battle Chef Brigade team’s new heartfelt, dynamic card-battling narrative RPG NOW on PC, PS5 and Switch!
store.steampowered.com/app/2870530/...
October 7, 2025 at 3:03 PM