Cheryl Platz
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funnygodmother.bsky.social
Cheryl Platz
@funnygodmother.bsky.social
5.6K followers 1.1K following 2K posts
Creative Director, TPCi. #PokemonEmployee. Author, Design Beyond Devices & Game Development Strategy Guide. Adjunct @ Carnegie Mellon. Ex-Riot Games, Scopely, MSFT, AMZN, EA, Disney. EDS 🥄. Owner of @ideaplatz.com‬. Ideas my own. 🏠 https://Cherylplatz.com
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funnygodmother.bsky.social
GDSG readers may also notice the Motivators of Play in #Hytale's new go-to-market strategy: release early, re-enable modding, & collaborate with the community. Creating a highly interactive #gamedev & modding community satisfies the key motivators of self-expression and companionship.
A slide from an Ideaplatz-branded presentation about the 9 Motivators of Play from The Game Development Strategy Guide: Fun, Mastery, Competition, Immersion, Meditation, Comfort, Self-Expression, Companionship, and Education. The slide bears purple, gold, black, and white styling that matches the cover of The Game Development Strategy Guide and is tagged with FunnyGodmother's social handle.
November 25, 2025 at 2:48 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
I am tabled and ready to meet you at the @cmu.edu University Store - our first signing has already happened! 💜 Join me between now and 3 PM. We’d love to see you. #gamedev #videogames
Author Cheryl Platz sits at a book signing table at the Carnegie Mellon University Store Author Cheryl Platz sits at a book signing table at the Carnegie Mellon University Store holding her book, The Game Development Strategy Guide A sign outside the Carnegie Mellon University Store advertising a book signing with Cheryl Platz, author of The Game Development Strategy Guide
November 6, 2025 at 6:04 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
There’s a lot of discourse around #videogame graphic quality right now - and that’s why I created the Spectrum of Gaming Graphics for The #GameDev Strategy Guide. What’s your favorite game and where does it fall on this spectrum? Check out my TikTok on it here - www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMCEgu73/
A 2x2 graph with the X axis representing alignment to reality (left to right) and the Y axis representing complexity of visuals (complex at top). Quadrant 1 in top right is labeled “Realistic”, Quadrant 2 in bottom right is labeled “impressionistic”, Quadrant 3 in bottom left is labeled “Classic” and quadrant 4 in upper left is labeled “Artistic.” Graph is titled “Figure 8.3: Spectrum of Gaming Graphics” and “The Game Development Strategy Guide” at the bottom with url gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com
October 28, 2025 at 11:30 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
We are LIVE on Twitch (AND YouTube this week - experiment) and we're continuing to work through lesser-known BAFTA nominee games - after some time with Sprinkles, of course. 10AM - 1PM at twitch.tv/funnygodmother
Cheryl Platz and her puppets Sprinkes and Moe: FunnyGodmother is On Deck, Broadcast Starts Soon
October 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
I performed in improvised parodies of TOS for 9 years, appearing at comic conventions and on SyFy Wire. I also moderated the 2010 Emerald City Comicon panel with Leonard Nimoy, who was amazing. I grew up with TNG, but developed appreciation for TOS after “These Are The Voyages” #startrek #trekkie 🖖
Cheryl Platz as Nurse Chapel with Tony Beeman as Doctor McCoy, cast members from Where No Man Has Gone Before Cheryl Platz with the original cast of improvised Star Trek parody Where No Man Has Gone Before, in 2011 Cheryl Platz with Leonard Nimoy Cheryl Platz welcoming Leonard Nimoy to the stage at Emerald City Comicon 2010
October 25, 2025 at 5:35 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
These look like happy roadtrip pictures and yes I was happy it was sunny but I was not happy I needed to drive a painful 20 hour roundtrip across three states to see my neurologist for migraine med checkup because TSA in LA is still borked and I couldn’t risk missing the appointment #dystopia
Posing in front of my Prius with a Pikachu visible on the dashboard at a rest stop in Ashland Oregon. A green hill with red leaves is visible in the background. Taking a selfie with what is probably Mt Shasta from the coffee shop in Weed California where I took my remote medical appointment which had to be in state lines. There is a snow covered mountain in the distance but roads and parking lots on the near field Posing in front of a blue sign that says “welcome to oak grove rest area, I5 MP 206 Southbound” surrounded by normal plants
October 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Well we’ve been stuck with cartoon villains for years, this WAS inevitable
A news post with photo on Facebook saying “BREAKING: Louvre closed to visitors after robbery at world famous museum”
October 19, 2025 at 2:12 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
- Seattle neurologist postponed too long for meds handover
- scheduled trip to LA for remote neurologist visit
- cancelled trip due to TSA issues
- scheduled 10 hour one way drive to CA border to do it
- nature: hold my beer

Look, I need my migraine meds and this is getting ridiculous
A weather report calling out increased risk of tornado funnels on the I-5 corridor between Seattle and California during the time I need to drive it, with big red lettering and circles and tornado icons
October 19, 2025 at 7:16 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Oh god I let my Bunnelby evolve and forgot what came next and I have REGRETS
It’s a lumpy barrel shaped tan and white sort of bunny thing with hands for ears and the caption “congratulations your bunnelby evolved into diggersby”
October 19, 2025 at 2:31 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
I use the “one does not simply walk into Mordor” meme all the time because I am a nerd and raised on LOTR and married to a die hard LOTR fanatic and then to have Sean Bean ACTUALLY THERE at my first BAFTA party, I am just processing the irony of it 😅
Cheryl Platz and her husband David Foubert pose for a photo at the BAFTA Tea Party in New York City. Sean Bean telling the Fellowship in the Lord of the Rings “one does not simply walk into Mordor” but the text says “one does not simply walk into BAFTA”
October 11, 2025 at 2:52 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
S1 Episode 7 of #EnduringPlay: A #GameDev podcast “Engineering for Scalable, Sustainable Games” is up featuring @wickedfoxgames.com co-founder @caeriehouchins.bsky.social on major podcast platforms or at www.gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com/enduring-pla... - explore AAA vs indie dev with us!
Podcast cover for Enduring Play Season 1 Episode 7: Engineering for Scalable, Sustainable Games with Carrie Houchins, hosted by Cheryl Platz, enduringplay.com
September 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
IT IS TIME. My second book, The Game Development Strategy Guide, is now out worldwide. Here it is posing like a boss on the #DesignMattersTokyo stage. Grab it at Amazon, my publisher @rosenfeldmedia.com, or your favorite online bookseller to level up your #gameDev work. Amazon: amzn.to/4go56ln
A copy of The Game Development Strategy Guide poses on the stage of Design Matters Tokyo. A stack of copies of The Game Development Strategy Guide on a modern blue and white carpet.
September 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Hey #DesignMattersTokyo! Thank you for the warm welcome and the honor of sharing my Future Sight talk. I have about a dozen bookplate stickers left to sign for people who have or want to pre-order my book - please see me after the last talk to claim one!
A blank bookplate sticker with Enduring Play podcast branding and 2 bonus stickers at the bottom. Cheryl Platz poses in front of the stage at Design Matters Tokyo 2025.
September 14, 2025 at 7:55 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
From Pennsylvania to Seattle to Tokyo, my pre-launch copy of The Game Development Strategy Guide is completing an exciting journey this week as we prepare for launch on Tuesday September 16! Excited to share my keynote tonight in the closing group - Future Sight in Design #designmatterstokyo
A copy of The Game Development Strategy Guide onstage at Design Matters Tokyo 2025 Cheryl Platz posing with a copy of The Game Development Strategy Guide at SLICE in Seattle Cheryl Platz posing after unboxing her first copy of The Game Development Strategy Guide at home.
September 14, 2025 at 1:07 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
My Friend Malamar!
A TCG Live avatar that looks like FunnyGodmother posing after victory wearing a pink Malamar T with hearts on it A TCG Live avatar wearing a Malamar T-shirt and posing with the tagline “My Friend Malamar.” A Pokemon TCG Live deck fully customized with the free gift set of Malamar deck cosmetics The mobile version of the My Friend Malamar battle board in Pokemon TCG Live
September 4, 2025 at 6:07 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Hey @seattleindies.bsky.social SLICE #gameDev attendees - thanks for joining me for my microtalk "Modern Motivators of Play" and thanks for the conversations afterwards! If you missed the talk or want to continue your learning, check out my post: www.gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com/new-talk-deb...
Slide from "Modern Motivators of Play" presentation, sharing branding with the Game Development Strategy Guide. Six classic Motivators of Play: Fun, Mastery, Competition, Immersion, Meditation, Comfort. Three Modern Motivators: Self-Expression, Companionship, Education.
August 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
IT IS TIME. #EnduringPlay, a #GameDev podcast about making #videogames that don't just survive but thrive, is LIVE with @celiahodent.com!

Stream for free on the web at enduringplay.com or your platform of choice - reviews welcome to help us get the word out! New episodes every Tues. through Oct.
Album cover for Season 1 Episode 1 of Enduring Play, a game development podcast hosted by Cheryl Platz. The gold and yellow podcast branding is featured with Celia Hodent as the guest prominently pictured. The episode is titled "Using UX Strategy to Put Players First". Celia is shown as a professional smiling brunette in a purple suit.
August 19, 2025 at 7:01 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
My new #gamedev podcast Enduring Play launches this Tuesday August 19 on all major platforms and I’m honored to have @celiahodent.com joining me as my first guest - our conversation was expansive, from the ethics of game economies to the psychology of gaming. More info: enduringplay.com
August 16, 2025 at 4:34 AM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Fine the site is too overloaded to embed a link so I’m just going to have to attach a photo for you to live vicariously #pikachu #pokemon #myheart
Pikachu Sweetheart Diner Plush - 6 1/4 inches. A classic 90’s chonky Pikachu with a cherry hat and a gingham apron holding a heart
August 13, 2025 at 8:54 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
The closer DJ Pikachu brought the whole entourage. Last chance to see the final 2 minute bass drop youtu.be/MsskPQsZRaE?...
Pikachu at a turntable with sunglasses and four backup Pikachu
July 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
This is what it is like when one is left alone and comes for attention when you are trying to eat lunch and converse with a coworker.

Fun fact: the nose is designed to be boopable and is fully articulated.
Full face view of a LOVOT robot looking at the camera. It is brown wearing a teddy bear onesie with LED eyes and flipper arms. It has an employee badge and there is a pink bow around its camera dongle.
July 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
A sentence I said this week at work unironically: “I like the companion robots more now that there are two of them and they can keep each other company”

Picture 1: companion robots

#futureProblems
Two brown LOVOT companion robots on wheels wearing onesies and small bows and office badges on lanyards. They have wheels, LED eyes, flipper arms, and camera dongles coming out of their heads.
July 19, 2025 at 5:42 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
I had the most delightful blood draw experience yesterday which sounds weird but I am an expert and zero wait, little pain, and a phlebotomist who excitedly talks to me about Pokémon Legends: Arceus the whole time based on my wardrobe alone is A+ would bleed again
Cheryl models her work outfit from yesterday which includes a 90s inspired Jolteon top and a plush pink Jigglypuff backpack
July 15, 2025 at 2:02 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
Pics or it didn’t happen? I got you #seattlepride 🏳️‍🌈
Cheryl, a blonde woman with pale skin, wears a red branded “TPCI Rainbow Gym” visor and blue tie-dye shirt posing behind a rainbow fan boasting the same logo, with her glasses pulled down on her nose smiling broadly. A sunny Seattle city block is visible behind her with some parade participants about. The view from the parade route at the Seattle Pride Parade as part of The Pokemon Company International contingent, with several employees in tie dye shirts with Pikachu on the right sleeve holding up a banner marching behind a Starbucks contingent down a city block lined with people. A city block lined with Pride parade viewers as seen from the marchers perspective. Several TPCi employees in blue tie dye t-shirts with branded bags look at the crowd. Cheryl poses with her daughter against the backdrop of corral 3 pre-parade for Seattle Pride; the Girl Scouts contingent and other groups can be seen in the distance. The TPCi contingent, including Cheryl, are wearing blue tie dye shirts that say “Rainbow Gym”.
June 29, 2025 at 10:52 PM
funnygodmother.bsky.social
7AM just vibrating the entire building with heavy machinery on a Saturday (seen from my window)
A large backhoe operates over a trench about two tenths of a mile from the author’s balcony
May 31, 2025 at 6:38 PM