Brett Witty
brett-witty.bsky.social
Brett Witty
@brett-witty.bsky.social
Ever-learning mathematician trying to do work in maths, AI, game dev, writing and digital art. 🇦🇺

🌐 Site | https://www.brettwitty.net
🦣 Mastodon | https://mstdn.social/@brettwitty
📰 Newsletter | https://the-creative-process.ghost.io
Pinned
An introduction:
I'm a mathematician and did my PhD on "Enumerating Groups of Prime Power Order".

I'm an interactive fiction writer, and my latest project was "Hand Me Down" which got 17th in IF Comp 2023.

I have a lot of technical and creative interests, and post on them all.
Reposted by Brett Witty
Two more weeks to apply to our microgrants program! We've received a few applications already (wooo!) but there is room left, so shoot your shot!

Head over to blog.iftechfoundation.org/2025-10-12-2..., and ask us any lingering questions - we want to hear from you!
2026 IFTF Microgrant Applications Now Open!
You can now apply to our third grant cycle!
blog.iftechfoundation.org
November 5, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
ME: [extremely burnt out] I need to take the day off to relax

ALSO ME: I wonder if there is a way that I could relax that would be more productive
December 13, 2024 at 9:11 PM
Just checking in on BlueSky... I can't believe that baseball throwing guy did all that and then went on to become mayor of New York. Amazing!
November 5, 2025 at 8:12 AM
The Creative Process #40 - Going Out There and then Coming Back
the-creative-process.ghost.io/the-creative...

#ifcomp #creativity
The Creative Process #40 - Going Out There and then Coming Back
IF Comp is over so I finally get to rela-... Ah nuts.
the-creative-process.ghost.io
November 1, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
You still have a week to get that Ectocomp game submitted!

itch.io/jam/ectocomp...

(feel free to pass it on)
ECTOCOMP 2025
A game jam from 2025-10-01 to 2025-12-01 hosted by rubereaglenest, alyshkalia & Passerine. There's a full moon rising Let's go dancing in the light We know where the music's playing Let’s go out and f...
itch.io
October 23, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I wrote up my design process for the final minigame puzzle in Anne of Green Cables: www.brettwitty.net/puzzle-desig...

#puzzle #design #InteractiveFiction
October 23, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Now that IF Comp is over, I'm free to do whatever. I'm planning out my next steps, and how I might try to be a better writer, a better game designer, a better artist. There's no rush, but I'm just at the crest of a hill, planning out where to next.
October 21, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by Brett Witty
The 31st Annual IFComp has wrapped! 🎉

Results drop tonight at 7pm Eastern on ifcomp.org

If you missed the stream, check it out at www.twitch.tv/interactivef...

We’re already planning for IFComp 2026, and your feedback is critical! forms.gle/uzCX1MUQ8mUS...
2025 IFComp Post-Competition Survey
Hello! Thanks for taking this survey. It's a bit longer this year as we seek detailed information about future approaches to the UK Online Safety Act and the use of generative artificial intelligence ...
forms.gle
October 18, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Results are out! My #IFComp2025 games got 25th (Anne of Green Cables) and 36th (Cart).

There were a huge number of incredible pieces this year! And so many ties!
October 19, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Two days left to vote in the 2025 IFComp! Skootch on over to ifcomp.org and make sure that you've voted on at least five entries. We appreciate you, and our authors do, too!
October 14, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
It's the weekend! It's also the FINAL WEEKEND before IFComp 2025 wraps! Remember to get those final votes in. Also, if you are in a position to do so and have not yet contributed to this year's Colossal Fund, we're just a bit short of our stretch goal. Thank you! Have fun!
October 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Just a few more days to play (and judge!) this year's batch of games in the annual Interactive Fiction competition!
It's the weekend! It's also the FINAL WEEKEND before IFComp 2025 wraps! Remember to get those final votes in. Also, if you are in a position to do so and have not yet contributed to this year's Colossal Fund, we're just a bit short of our stretch goal. Thank you! Have fun!
October 12, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Our microgrants program is back for a third year! This year again, IFTF is looking to disburse $3,000 to cool projects related to interactive fiction that could benefit from a little bit of cash. More details on our blog post!
2026 IFTF Microgrant Applications Now Open!
You can now apply to our third grant cycle!
blog.iftechfoundation.org
October 12, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Just got back from #PAXAus. I was helping my mate demonstrate his awesome board game Aloft! It went exceedingly well. It had been 8 years since I had been to PAX!
October 13, 2025 at 6:09 AM
My only caveat is tech bros will absolutely try to wedge ads in between you and the collective unconscious.
So if you visualize LLMs as not "artificial consciousness" but "an artificial connection to the collective unconscious":

1. They become philosophically way more interesting
2. It's way more forgivable they suck at math
3. It becomes extremely clear they are infinitely less useful to capitalism
A thing I am starting to embody in my extremely weird healing journey, and that a lot of AI people don’t seem to get, is that consciousness is *by far* the least interesting or impressive part of human intelligence
October 4, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
So if you visualize LLMs as not "artificial consciousness" but "an artificial connection to the collective unconscious":

1. They become philosophically way more interesting
2. It's way more forgivable they suck at math
3. It becomes extremely clear they are infinitely less useful to capitalism
A thing I am starting to embody in my extremely weird healing journey, and that a lot of AI people don’t seem to get, is that consciousness is *by far* the least interesting or impressive part of human intelligence
October 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Bevy 0.17 is out now! It features Raytracing, Improved Observers / Events, UI Widgets, Rust Hotpatching, Light Textures, DLSS, Tilemap Chunks, Web Assets, Reflect Auto-Registration, UI Gradients, Raymarched Atmosphere, Virtual Geometry BVH Culling, and more!

bevy.org/news/bevy-0-17
Bevy 0.17
Bevy is a refreshingly simple data-driven game engine built in Rust. It is free and open-source forever!
bevy.org
September 30, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
A little over two weeks left to vote in IFComp!

Anyone can play and rate at least five games before Oct. 15. There’s a lot of good, weird stuff in there this year!

ifcomp.org/ballot
The Interactive Fiction Competition
ifcomp.org
September 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Hey, hey, it's the weekend! If you've got a little time to chill with some stories and games, swing on over to ifcomp.org - voting closes Oct 15, and our authors would really love your feedback!
September 27, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
CanDev has officially incorporated as a not-for-profit association 🎉

This will help us better manage admin and logistics as we continue to serve Canberra's game development community

Check out the inaugural committee and some more details on our blog www.canberra.games/blog/candev-...
September 25, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by Brett Witty
If you've got a little time, we've got a *lot* of stories and games. If you play (and rate) just five of them before Oct 15, then you can be a judge. We'd love more judges! Check it out at ifcomp.org
September 23, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
Mirror, mirror on the wall, which games were your favorite of them all?

You've got until October 15 to leave 5 ratings, thus becoming an IFComp judge. (The fancy old-timey wig is optional.)

ifcomp.org/ballot
September 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Brett Witty
We did it! The 2025 Colossal Fund hit $8K!

85 entries means more authors will share the prize pool. Let's stretch to $10K to boost the prizes a bit.

If you are in a position to donate and haven't, consider heading to ifcomp.org to hit the big blue donation button.
September 13, 2025 at 5:34 PM
One little rare genre of software I love to see is admin software for games or little community programs. Handcrafted with an accumulation of history, and only dolled up to make it easier on the eyes than raw code, like wearing your best t-shirt, not a tailored suit like front-end apps for managers.
September 8, 2025 at 3:07 AM