Kathleen Yin
@brynhilde.bsky.social
PhD, UX research, serious games, game localization | Ex-Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin, Tears of Themis | Founder of Serious Games Australia New Zealand (now Games for Change Asia-Pacific) | IGDA Scholar | Posts about games, narrative, localization, and UX
Sunright Studios x Honkai Impact 3 collab!
The fresh strawberries in Elysia's drink were an awesome addition 🍓🧋
The fresh strawberries in Elysia's drink were an awesome addition 🍓🧋
November 8, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Sunright Studios x Honkai Impact 3 collab!
The fresh strawberries in Elysia's drink were an awesome addition 🍓🧋
The fresh strawberries in Elysia's drink were an awesome addition 🍓🧋
Reposted by Kathleen Yin
We've got two job openings at @funcom.com! Know anyone who might be interested? Send this to them!
✅ Senior / Expert Generalist Programmer - Open Application
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6294946...
✅ Writer - Dune: Awakening
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6280058...
Diverse applicants encouraged 🙌
RTs appreciated🙏
✅ Senior / Expert Generalist Programmer - Open Application
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6294946...
✅ Writer - Dune: Awakening
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6280058...
Diverse applicants encouraged 🙌
RTs appreciated🙏
Open Application – Senior/Expert Generalist Programmer - Funcom
. We like to think of ourselves as more than just developers. We're a friendly group of around 500 people with plenty of casual and hardcore gamers, tech heads and creative masterminds, organiz...
jobs.funcom.com
August 19, 2025 at 10:25 AM
We've got two job openings at @funcom.com! Know anyone who might be interested? Send this to them!
✅ Senior / Expert Generalist Programmer - Open Application
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6294946...
✅ Writer - Dune: Awakening
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6280058...
Diverse applicants encouraged 🙌
RTs appreciated🙏
✅ Senior / Expert Generalist Programmer - Open Application
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6294946...
✅ Writer - Dune: Awakening
jobs.funcom.com/jobs/6280058...
Diverse applicants encouraged 🙌
RTs appreciated🙏
Reposted by Kathleen Yin
Applying real world Earth data as color & magnified height maps to a procedural mesh Voxel sphere.
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #IndieDev
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #IndieDev
August 5, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Applying real world Earth data as color & magnified height maps to a procedural mesh Voxel sphere.
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #IndieDev
#UE5 #UnrealEngine #GameDev #IndieDev
Exilium's story still gets to me at the most random of places, especially with its unapologetic portrayal of war's impact on the common person (and how unlikely anyone is to survive it) while still having a sliver of positivity in hoping that a better tomorrow lies in wait 😭
August 4, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Exilium's story still gets to me at the most random of places, especially with its unapologetic portrayal of war's impact on the common person (and how unlikely anyone is to survive it) while still having a sliver of positivity in hoping that a better tomorrow lies in wait 😭
Continuing to spend hours and hours on Wuchang.
Only beaten 3 bosses so far. Still loving it
Only beaten 3 bosses so far. Still loving it
August 3, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Continuing to spend hours and hours on Wuchang.
Only beaten 3 bosses so far. Still loving it
Only beaten 3 bosses so far. Still loving it
What do you call it when you only intend to give a max of 2 hours to a game script, but 4 hours later you're like "Holy moly this script is FIRE I must finish localizing it today at any cost!!!1!"
Yeah that's where my time went today.
Yeah that's where my time went today.
August 2, 2025 at 2:59 AM
What do you call it when you only intend to give a max of 2 hours to a game script, but 4 hours later you're like "Holy moly this script is FIRE I must finish localizing it today at any cost!!!1!"
Yeah that's where my time went today.
Yeah that's where my time went today.
Reposted by Kathleen Yin
It's been one year since I was laid off, and my contract with Blizzard ends in two months. I'm still looking for my next role as a senior writer or narrative designer!
I have over 8 years of experience working in AAA games from live service MMOs to single player. You can find my work on my website.
I have over 8 years of experience working in AAA games from live service MMOs to single player. You can find my work on my website.
Portfolio — Hazel Monforton
Senior Narrative Designer (2021—2024)
hazelmonforton.com
July 31, 2025 at 1:37 PM
It's been one year since I was laid off, and my contract with Blizzard ends in two months. I'm still looking for my next role as a senior writer or narrative designer!
I have over 8 years of experience working in AAA games from live service MMOs to single player. You can find my work on my website.
I have over 8 years of experience working in AAA games from live service MMOs to single player. You can find my work on my website.
Colleagues are focusing on any negative review of their work by players and crying over it... Game devs and publishers really need to be kinder to themselves instead
July 30, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Colleagues are focusing on any negative review of their work by players and crying over it... Game devs and publishers really need to be kinder to themselves instead
I've honestly been having a blast playing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers despite the technical bugs. It reminds me of the old days when Souls would lag my student laptop 😄
Yes, I find spending 2 hours on a boss fun...
Yes, I find spending 2 hours on a boss fun...
July 27, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I've honestly been having a blast playing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers despite the technical bugs. It reminds me of the old days when Souls would lag my student laptop 😄
Yes, I find spending 2 hours on a boss fun...
Yes, I find spending 2 hours on a boss fun...
A quiet moment under the dappled sunlight, a languid smile older than the very hills - in a business that sells transient dreams.
July 25, 2025 at 12:39 AM
A quiet moment under the dappled sunlight, a languid smile older than the very hills - in a business that sells transient dreams.
The worst part to localize for any media isn't the poetry, the religion, the proverbs... It's the JOKES! Dry jokes are the worst 😭
July 21, 2025 at 7:18 PM
The worst part to localize for any media isn't the poetry, the religion, the proverbs... It's the JOKES! Dry jokes are the worst 😭
A sunny day at the market and museums around Knott's Berry Farm
July 21, 2025 at 1:12 AM
A sunny day at the market and museums around Knott's Berry Farm
Tried to get ice cream from the local Bruster's Ice Cream after work but the queue was suuuuper long 😭 I want my discounted ice cream 🍨
July 16, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Tried to get ice cream from the local Bruster's Ice Cream after work but the queue was suuuuper long 😭 I want my discounted ice cream 🍨
What is the color of "yes" in a game?
That depends on culture, as seen in Honkai: Star Rail's regional simulated stock UI - Red, a good color in East Asia, symbolises rising stock for Asians, while European markets use green instead.
Such is cross-cultural user experience #UXResearch
That depends on culture, as seen in Honkai: Star Rail's regional simulated stock UI - Red, a good color in East Asia, symbolises rising stock for Asians, while European markets use green instead.
Such is cross-cultural user experience #UXResearch
July 8, 2025 at 9:28 PM
What is the color of "yes" in a game?
That depends on culture, as seen in Honkai: Star Rail's regional simulated stock UI - Red, a good color in East Asia, symbolises rising stock for Asians, while European markets use green instead.
Such is cross-cultural user experience #UXResearch
That depends on culture, as seen in Honkai: Star Rail's regional simulated stock UI - Red, a good color in East Asia, symbolises rising stock for Asians, while European markets use green instead.
Such is cross-cultural user experience #UXResearch
ZZZ collab spotted in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles~
June 30, 2025 at 4:45 AM
ZZZ collab spotted in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles~
Dusty dispensers of grey toys and half-melted chocolates framed by faded idols, a previous generation's memories preserved on crumbling covers and dying i-i-irashai warble songs.
(Writing practice on a whim)
(Writing practice on a whim)
March 16, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Dusty dispensers of grey toys and half-melted chocolates framed by faded idols, a previous generation's memories preserved on crumbling covers and dying i-i-irashai warble songs.
(Writing practice on a whim)
(Writing practice on a whim)
It's the GDC season of the year again and I'll be sitting it out this year. Networking is very good and all, but extremely stressful for an introvert and I really want to work on something I can call my own first... But that's the same excuse I had 5 years go, heh
March 15, 2025 at 4:47 AM
It's the GDC season of the year again and I'll be sitting it out this year. Networking is very good and all, but extremely stressful for an introvert and I really want to work on something I can call my own first... But that's the same excuse I had 5 years go, heh
Finished bingeing the latest Exilium event on the CN server. Nikita's story is brilliant in its tenacity, hope, and making choices to bear a heavy burden for an ideal. The narrative beats are also on point, with a crisis in chap 1 and an unfolding mystery that lasts until the last scene 👍
March 11, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Finished bingeing the latest Exilium event on the CN server. Nikita's story is brilliant in its tenacity, hope, and making choices to bear a heavy burden for an ideal. The narrative beats are also on point, with a crisis in chap 1 and an unfolding mystery that lasts until the last scene 👍
Reposted by Kathleen Yin
If you’re writing a book right now you just have to pretend you’re a surgeon. Can’t look at your phone during surgery.
March 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
If you’re writing a book right now you just have to pretend you’re a surgeon. Can’t look at your phone during surgery.
Is the form or the soul more important for stories? The form pulls in new readers for sure, but the soul endures
February 24, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Is the form or the soul more important for stories? The form pulls in new readers for sure, but the soul endures
Gamers "know what they want" in that they want to feel certain emotions and satisfy certain desires (eg. Thrill, fulfilment, autonomy, make choices with consequences) but they often express it as "I want feature X". Us devs need to figure out the underlying wants, not focus on the said features
Don't just listen to players. If given the option, they'll optimize the game out of their games, and the story out of their stories. It's our job to filter information and data and feedback into good work, and while we'll sometimes miss it's better than blindly following surveys.
I once worked on a visual novel game where all the surveys and focus groups said that nobody wanted romance, they only wanted mystery and sci-fi.
Then 75+% of clicks in-game went to stories with explicit romantic or sexy themes.
www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
Then 75+% of clicks in-game went to stories with explicit romantic or sexy themes.
www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
February 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
Gamers "know what they want" in that they want to feel certain emotions and satisfy certain desires (eg. Thrill, fulfilment, autonomy, make choices with consequences) but they often express it as "I want feature X". Us devs need to figure out the underlying wants, not focus on the said features
#AskingBluesky Any producers out there experienced with live-service games? The one I'm working on is starting to fall apart as devs/writers struggle to deliver marketing material, since they're prioritizing content a few patches later 🫠
December 14, 2024 at 9:35 PM
#AskingBluesky Any producers out there experienced with live-service games? The one I'm working on is starting to fall apart as devs/writers struggle to deliver marketing material, since they're prioritizing content a few patches later 🫠
Reposted by Kathleen Yin
I once quit playing a video game because its French translation (can't even talk about localization) was so bad.
Developers, please be aware that localization matters in a game experience. It really makes a world of a difference for players!
Developers, please be aware that localization matters in a game experience. It really makes a world of a difference for players!
December 9, 2024 at 3:52 PM
I once quit playing a video game because its French translation (can't even talk about localization) was so bad.
Developers, please be aware that localization matters in a game experience. It really makes a world of a difference for players!
Developers, please be aware that localization matters in a game experience. It really makes a world of a difference for players!
If you wanna work in the game industry, beware that things are often a rollercoaster.
Going from releasing a superb trailer, to high praises from the director, and then to getting my suggestions on improving our workflow completely shut down... Is not a good feeling
Going from releasing a superb trailer, to high praises from the director, and then to getting my suggestions on improving our workflow completely shut down... Is not a good feeling
November 26, 2024 at 3:22 AM
If you wanna work in the game industry, beware that things are often a rollercoaster.
Going from releasing a superb trailer, to high praises from the director, and then to getting my suggestions on improving our workflow completely shut down... Is not a good feeling
Going from releasing a superb trailer, to high praises from the director, and then to getting my suggestions on improving our workflow completely shut down... Is not a good feeling
Hi, I'm Bryn! Let's try some #promosky
I'm into a large variety of things!
- Mobile games (esp. HSR)
- Localization (esp. games)
- Narrative and writing
- User research
- User experience
- Rambling about Chinese games
I'm into a large variety of things!
- Mobile games (esp. HSR)
- Localization (esp. games)
- Narrative and writing
- User research
- User experience
- Rambling about Chinese games
November 19, 2024 at 3:27 AM
Hi, I'm Bryn! Let's try some #promosky
I'm into a large variety of things!
- Mobile games (esp. HSR)
- Localization (esp. games)
- Narrative and writing
- User research
- User experience
- Rambling about Chinese games
I'm into a large variety of things!
- Mobile games (esp. HSR)
- Localization (esp. games)
- Narrative and writing
- User research
- User experience
- Rambling about Chinese games