Ben Horn
@horntheben.bsky.social
He/him. Games scholar. Lover of stories. Based in Hong Kong.
Reposted by Ben Horn
strangely inspirational
December 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
strangely inspirational
Reposted by Ben Horn
NEW: I spoke to Obsidian (Outer Worlds, Avowed, Fallout: NV) about how their games are written
They've heard "horror stories" of writers sidelined at other studios
Sawyer: At Obsidian, writers and area designers are "co-creators" who sculpt a game world together
www.gamefile.news/p/obsidian-e...
They've heard "horror stories" of writers sidelined at other studios
Sawyer: At Obsidian, writers and area designers are "co-creators" who sculpt a game world together
www.gamefile.news/p/obsidian-e...
How Obsidian writes
A chat about the words that go into video games, with creators behind The Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, Pentiment and more.
www.gamefile.news
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
NEW: I spoke to Obsidian (Outer Worlds, Avowed, Fallout: NV) about how their games are written
They've heard "horror stories" of writers sidelined at other studios
Sawyer: At Obsidian, writers and area designers are "co-creators" who sculpt a game world together
www.gamefile.news/p/obsidian-e...
They've heard "horror stories" of writers sidelined at other studios
Sawyer: At Obsidian, writers and area designers are "co-creators" who sculpt a game world together
www.gamefile.news/p/obsidian-e...
Reposted by Ben Horn
I havent read such a banger of an essay in a very long time. This is so well-written!
Maybe Don’t Talk to the New York Times About Zohran Mamdani
It’s remarkable, the people you’ll hear from. Teach for even a little while at an expensive institution—the term they tend to prefer is “elite”—and odds are that eventually someone who was a studen…
lithub.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I havent read such a banger of an essay in a very long time. This is so well-written!
Reposted by Ben Horn
Reposted by Ben Horn
Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
October 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
Reposted by Ben Horn
Today's Classic Cover of the Day is Brian Jacques' Redwall! Troy Howell illustrated the US editions of the series, including the 10th and 20th anniversary editions of Redwall
October 6, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Today's Classic Cover of the Day is Brian Jacques' Redwall! Troy Howell illustrated the US editions of the series, including the 10th and 20th anniversary editions of Redwall
I have discovered time travel. It's called Hades 2. After I play for a bit, I discover I've travelled into the future.
September 25, 2025 at 4:56 AM
I have discovered time travel. It's called Hades 2. After I play for a bit, I discover I've travelled into the future.
You know for all the bluster and huff around the Omenpaths/Spiderman MTG stuff, I think the Omenpath cards are neat. They're just a bunch of spider-y weird little guys.
September 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
You know for all the bluster and huff around the Omenpaths/Spiderman MTG stuff, I think the Omenpath cards are neat. They're just a bunch of spider-y weird little guys.
Reposted by Ben Horn
Upcoming game studies conferences
BIPOC Game Studies programme: conference.blackgamestudies.com/program.html
Replaying Japan 2026 programme: sites.google.com/view/replayi...
For an up-to-date list of calls for papers, remember this data sheet (ping for edits!): docs.google.com/spreadsheets....
BIPOC Game Studies programme: conference.blackgamestudies.com/program.html
Replaying Japan 2026 programme: sites.google.com/view/replayi...
For an up-to-date list of calls for papers, remember this data sheet (ping for edits!): docs.google.com/spreadsheets....
Call for Papers
docs.google.com
August 19, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Upcoming game studies conferences
BIPOC Game Studies programme: conference.blackgamestudies.com/program.html
Replaying Japan 2026 programme: sites.google.com/view/replayi...
For an up-to-date list of calls for papers, remember this data sheet (ping for edits!): docs.google.com/spreadsheets....
BIPOC Game Studies programme: conference.blackgamestudies.com/program.html
Replaying Japan 2026 programme: sites.google.com/view/replayi...
For an up-to-date list of calls for papers, remember this data sheet (ping for edits!): docs.google.com/spreadsheets....
Reposted by Ben Horn
important
August 17, 2025 at 10:25 PM
important
Reposted by Ben Horn
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
August 11, 2025 at 1:40 PM
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Reposted by Ben Horn
![Edited screenshot from Disco Elysium that reads:
RHETORIC [Heroic: Failure] -- Alright, here we go. We're devoting all your available brain cells to coming up with a question about video games. Scratch that, to coming up with *the* question about video games, the alpha and omega of video games questions, and that question is:
1. - (Whisper.) "Are games art?"
2. - Oh god, that's bad. Surely I can think of something better.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:v5vxd243huv5hwsr5ndayzg5/bafkreicudb35rekzllkc5eziojnfoxneeb27tibhnjy7u5picuc5y7z25u@jpeg)
Reposted by Ben Horn
i love this and it reminds me of Ned Dameron's priest illustrations from the 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms Adventures / Faiths & Avatars, etc.
July 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
i love this and it reminds me of Ned Dameron's priest illustrations from the 2nd Edition Forgotten Realms Adventures / Faiths & Avatars, etc.
Academics of Bluesky, you're writing a paper. Do you use "I", "We", or "This paper" when making a statement about the paper itself?
June 17, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Academics of Bluesky, you're writing a paper. Do you use "I", "We", or "This paper" when making a statement about the paper itself?
@benstarr.bsky.social Clive costume for Verso when? 👀
June 11, 2025 at 8:40 AM
@benstarr.bsky.social Clive costume for Verso when? 👀
Went to a small bookshop, picked up a secondhand book, and just read for a while. There are few better feelings 📚
May 30, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Went to a small bookshop, picked up a secondhand book, and just read for a while. There are few better feelings 📚
Reposted by Ben Horn
5-0 w/ the best deck in Modern, Mono-White Land Destruction. Took Auzzie51's list from the challenge and made small tweaks to the lands. Most fun I've had playing MTG in a hot minute.
R1 Eldrazi Tron 2-0
R2 GR Eldrazi 2-0
R3 Creativity 2-1
R4 Domain Zoo 2-1
R5 Broodscale 2-1
R1 Eldrazi Tron 2-0
R2 GR Eldrazi 2-0
R3 Creativity 2-1
R4 Domain Zoo 2-1
R5 Broodscale 2-1
May 28, 2025 at 4:50 AM
5-0 w/ the best deck in Modern, Mono-White Land Destruction. Took Auzzie51's list from the challenge and made small tweaks to the lands. Most fun I've had playing MTG in a hot minute.
R1 Eldrazi Tron 2-0
R2 GR Eldrazi 2-0
R3 Creativity 2-1
R4 Domain Zoo 2-1
R5 Broodscale 2-1
R1 Eldrazi Tron 2-0
R2 GR Eldrazi 2-0
R3 Creativity 2-1
R4 Domain Zoo 2-1
R5 Broodscale 2-1
TIL Patagonian Toothfish = Chilean Sea Bass
May 10, 2025 at 9:24 AM
TIL Patagonian Toothfish = Chilean Sea Bass
Reposted by Ben Horn
I'm getting more sad about getting laid off. My work means so much to me. I'm a really good reporter. I've been getting scoops every single week lately, while also doing in-depth, award-winning reporting. I have good ideas!
New email: nicolecarpenterwrites@gmail.com
www.polygon.com/23776996/bar...
New email: nicolecarpenterwrites@gmail.com
www.polygon.com/23776996/bar...
The untold history of Barbie Fashion Designer, the first mass-market ‘game for girls’
How Digital Domain and Mattel Media built Barbie’s wardrobe
www.polygon.com
May 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
I'm getting more sad about getting laid off. My work means so much to me. I'm a really good reporter. I've been getting scoops every single week lately, while also doing in-depth, award-winning reporting. I have good ideas!
New email: nicolecarpenterwrites@gmail.com
www.polygon.com/23776996/bar...
New email: nicolecarpenterwrites@gmail.com
www.polygon.com/23776996/bar...
Happy Birthday Snowy 🥳
March 20, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Happy Birthday Snowy 🥳
Reposted by Ben Horn
This game is a banger. Tried it once at my LGS and immediately bought a copy!
February 4, 2025 at 1:50 AM
This game is a banger. Tried it once at my LGS and immediately bought a copy!
The latest Genshin Lantern Rite quest shows how much Hoyo has evolved their storytelling over the years. This one is a knockout.
February 1, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The latest Genshin Lantern Rite quest shows how much Hoyo has evolved their storytelling over the years. This one is a knockout.
Reposted by Ben Horn
The best kind of internet rabbit hole
Read 1,500 classic game magazines online for free — including EGM and GamePro
A new generation will discover icons like Scary Larry and Quarterman
www.polygon.com
January 30, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The best kind of internet rabbit hole
How do I feed this little pup her medicine without it being a huge struggle? I try to put the pill near the back of her mouth and stroke her throat. She just holds it there until she can spit it out :[
January 14, 2025 at 3:29 AM
How do I feed this little pup her medicine without it being a huge struggle? I try to put the pill near the back of her mouth and stroke her throat. She just holds it there until she can spit it out :[