I’ve also developed a growing interest in lyric games. Here, I have @idlecartulary.itch.io to thank for their tweets on the subject and originally exposing me to the idea, as well as Yoko Ono's book Grapefruit and @wordymelt.bsky.social’s Maltese lyric game The Government Versus the Trees.

I believe that the best way to properly understand a people is to read their literature. One book that continues to sit with me is Il-Baħar Rasu Iebsa by Lino Psaila, a collection of oral tales about real-life fishermen from the late 19th and early 20th century and the tragedies they endured.

Another influence is the Maltese language itself, particularly when it comes to etymology, various archaic words, domain specific words, and place-names. One example for this is Erin Serracino Inglott's 10 volume Maltese to Maltese dictionary Il-Miklem Malti, which is a phenomenal resource.

I take a lot of inspiration from Maltese folk tales, folklore, and legends. Manwel Magri’s Ħrejjef Missirijietna is my go-to collection of evocative local folk tales, while for folklore, I turn to Joseph Cassar Pullicino’s Studies in Maltese Folklore or Tarcisio Zarb’s Folklore of an Island.

If you’ve read my previous blog post, it should come as no surprise that Maltese books would be a significant influence in my work. Stephan D. Mifsud’s The Maltese Bestiary is probably my biggest inspiration, exploring different mythical creatures in Maltese folklore with a phenomenal bibliography.

I’ve jumped on @prismaticwasteland.com’s blogwagon and written a blog post about my own personal Appendix N; the different sources of inspiration that inform my game creation process. You can read the full blog post here: ghargremxul.mt/blog/persona..., but here’s a quick summary in this thread:

Pillar 4: Crediting any images used

I have no artistic talent and can't contribute any art to my games. But I could use public domain art (such as Maltese art or from sources related to Malta), and could commission artists. I felt strongly about providing credits and source for any image I used.

Pillar 3: Containing a bibliography of further reading material

Inspired by D&D's Appendix N, and driven by Mifsud's bibliography at the end of The Maltese Bestiary, I wanted to provide a list of sources and further reading material for anyone interested in learning more.

Pillar 2: Available to play in Maltese

The Maltese language doesn't have a large digital footprint, and could become digitally extinct. This is due to small population of Malta, as well as people speaking English fluently. As a form of language reclamation, I translate all my games to Maltese.

Pillar 1: Making games based in Maltese folklore, history, and culture

Malta isn't normally featured in games, and if it is, it's as setting for a different story. Most of these games are also made by non-Maltese developers. I wanted to centre the local population and make games for and about them.

It's a long shot, but it's better to try right? I've submitted both Għosfor and Ibħra Qawwija for the 2025 Ennie Awards!

I realised I never shared my latest release!

Għosfor is a solo lyric game about birds, hunting, and remembering the dead. Made for @breathingstories.bsky.social's Say hi to a bird jam in July 2024.

ghargremxul.mt/games/ghosfor