Fred Z.
@fred-zed.bsky.social
Game designer, adventurer, occasional karaoke host, and American immigrant. I contain multitudes, but usually talk about writing and designing for games. See my longer form stuff at https://fredzed.substack.com/
How a simple walk with Dad took a bloody turn in Fallout 3 — and what it takes to make unexpected story moments in games, both from the designer and the player.
Emergent Narratives: Finding Ghosts in the Machine
Finding the stories that show up between the rules
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:46 PM
How a simple walk with Dad took a bloody turn in Fallout 3 — and what it takes to make unexpected story moments in games, both from the designer and the player.
Reposted by Fred Z.
this is such weak baby behavior. just say whistles should be illegal because fuck you, that's why. trying to justify this by whining that your big brains can't handle loud noises is coward shit
Whistles are now WMDs, according to the "high IQ" crowd.
January 25, 2026 at 9:20 PM
this is such weak baby behavior. just say whistles should be illegal because fuck you, that's why. trying to justify this by whining that your big brains can't handle loud noises is coward shit
Reposted by Fred Z.
Crowd is massive, now overflowing Congress Plaza and taking up a block-long stretch of Michigan Avenue.
Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.
Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.
January 25, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Crowd is massive, now overflowing Congress Plaza and taking up a block-long stretch of Michigan Avenue.
Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.
Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.
Interactive media requires writers to give up some control to the player. But why would a writer want to do that in the first place? And what does it require from the players who take that extra agency?
The Trade-Offs of Interactive Media
What game writers give up, all in hopes of reaching a deeper connection
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Interactive media requires writers to give up some control to the player. But why would a writer want to do that in the first place? And what does it require from the players who take that extra agency?
Game design, bones, and AI slop. Why it’s troubling when a studio head says they’re using AI “but it won’t be in the final game.”
(with thanks to @unburntwitch.com for inspiring me to write this, and to @jasonschreier.bsky.social for the original interview)
(with thanks to @unburntwitch.com for inspiring me to write this, and to @jasonschreier.bsky.social for the original interview)
Do the Work
The bones of a game, AI slop, and how an idea becomes reality
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Game design, bones, and AI slop. Why it’s troubling when a studio head says they’re using AI “but it won’t be in the final game.”
(with thanks to @unburntwitch.com for inspiring me to write this, and to @jasonschreier.bsky.social for the original interview)
(with thanks to @unburntwitch.com for inspiring me to write this, and to @jasonschreier.bsky.social for the original interview)