Tom Sarachan
@lawofgamedesign.bsky.social
Lawyer-turned-game designer. MFA from NYU Game Center. Law and game design have more in common than you think.
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Folks seemed real down about AI today, so I thought it would be a good time to test again whether ChatGPT could pass my reading/writing/thinking involved seminar for sophomores.
The answer: it would maybe pass if I was pretty drunk for most of the semester.
The answer: it would maybe pass if I was pretty drunk for most of the semester.
May 8, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Folks seemed real down about AI today, so I thought it would be a good time to test again whether ChatGPT could pass my reading/writing/thinking involved seminar for sophomores.
The answer: it would maybe pass if I was pretty drunk for most of the semester.
The answer: it would maybe pass if I was pretty drunk for most of the semester.
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Here's a big board game design thread, about low ceilings, high floors, and the risk of over-developing your game. 🎲✂️
🧵
🧵
March 23, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Here's a big board game design thread, about low ceilings, high floors, and the risk of over-developing your game. 🎲✂️
🧵
🧵
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
One week left in the crowdfunding campaign for Keep the Faith! Here’s me running some tests earlier today to make sure everything is locked and ready to go. I really happy with this game — if you’re RPG-curious or if you love worldbuilding games, you’lldig it.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
February 27, 2025 at 10:43 PM
One week left in the crowdfunding campaign for Keep the Faith! Here’s me running some tests earlier today to make sure everything is locked and ready to go. I really happy with this game — if you’re RPG-curious or if you love worldbuilding games, you’lldig it.
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
Hey all--I'm looking for an old bit of TTRPG history. Back in 2000, a game called Narcissist had a pre-release. It was a sequel to Continuum: Roleplaying in the Yet.
I'm aware of two versions: 0.5 and 0.7. Does anyone I know have a lead on either or both?
I'm aware of two versions: 0.5 and 0.7. Does anyone I know have a lead on either or both?
February 20, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Hey all--I'm looking for an old bit of TTRPG history. Back in 2000, a game called Narcissist had a pre-release. It was a sequel to Continuum: Roleplaying in the Yet.
I'm aware of two versions: 0.5 and 0.7. Does anyone I know have a lead on either or both?
I'm aware of two versions: 0.5 and 0.7. Does anyone I know have a lead on either or both?
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
This week!
Too Much Fun - a Book Talk with Jesper Juul
Thurs. Feb. 20th, 7pm - 9pm, 370 Jay Street
Join us for a talk, Q&A, and some gameplay with @jesperjuul.bsky.social about his new book "Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer"
More info & RSVP here: toomuchfun.eventbrite.com
Too Much Fun - a Book Talk with Jesper Juul
Thurs. Feb. 20th, 7pm - 9pm, 370 Jay Street
Join us for a talk, Q&A, and some gameplay with @jesperjuul.bsky.social about his new book "Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer"
More info & RSVP here: toomuchfun.eventbrite.com
February 18, 2025 at 4:25 PM
This week!
Too Much Fun - a Book Talk with Jesper Juul
Thurs. Feb. 20th, 7pm - 9pm, 370 Jay Street
Join us for a talk, Q&A, and some gameplay with @jesperjuul.bsky.social about his new book "Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer"
More info & RSVP here: toomuchfun.eventbrite.com
Too Much Fun - a Book Talk with Jesper Juul
Thurs. Feb. 20th, 7pm - 9pm, 370 Jay Street
Join us for a talk, Q&A, and some gameplay with @jesperjuul.bsky.social about his new book "Too Much Fun: The Five Lives of the Commodore 64 Computer"
More info & RSVP here: toomuchfun.eventbrite.com
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Thanks to Derek for having me on the podcast! If you want to hear about how game design is like designing and teaching a college course, check it out!
Today on the Intentional Teaching podcast, I talk with @gregisonthego.bsky.social about his new storytelling game Keep the Faith, a game about religions in transition. We dive into the connections between game design and learning design! intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...
Keep the Faith: Learning at Play with Greg Loring-Albright - Intentional Teaching
Greg Loring-Albright is the designer of Keep the Faith, a storytelling game about a religion in transition and about how religious institutions change over time. Greg is also an assistant professor of...
intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com
February 18, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Thanks to Derek for having me on the podcast! If you want to hear about how game design is like designing and teaching a college course, check it out!
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Keep the Faith is >3/4 funded AND we're having a livestreamed teaching game tomorrow (Mon. 2/17) night at 8PM Eastern.
Get the details here, then read on to hear about why I'm so stoked to have each of our FIVE players on board for this stream!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
Get the details here, then read on to hear about why I'm so stoked to have each of our FIVE players on board for this stream!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
February 16, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Keep the Faith is >3/4 funded AND we're having a livestreamed teaching game tomorrow (Mon. 2/17) night at 8PM Eastern.
Get the details here, then read on to hear about why I'm so stoked to have each of our FIVE players on board for this stream!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
Get the details here, then read on to hear about why I'm so stoked to have each of our FIVE players on board for this stream!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
I am VERY excited (and more than a little bit nervous) about this stream. Every one of these people is a LUMINARY and I’m honored that they want to help me showcase Keep the Faith!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
Keep the Faith Project Update: Keep the Faith - Playtest Livestream - Mon, Feb 17 8-10pm EST, YouTube
Hi all,
We have more details about the playtest livestream we'll be doing in the near future (you might have seen it pop up on the project page yesterday).
So, the Keep t...
www.backerkit.com
February 10, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I am VERY excited (and more than a little bit nervous) about this stream. Every one of these people is a LUMINARY and I’m honored that they want to help me showcase Keep the Faith!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
I got to playtest Keep the Faith, and it's absolutely worth your money. A brief 🧵:
IT'S LIVE!
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
(you might want to mute or unfollow me for the day -- this won't be my first post about it).
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...
(you might want to mute or unfollow me for the day -- this won't be my first post about it).
February 4, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I got to playtest Keep the Faith, and it's absolutely worth your money. A brief 🧵:
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
For folks unfamiliar, this is the second collection of essays I've put together with students from the NYU Game Center.
For folks interested in a PDF version, you can find it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
For folks interested in a PDF version, you can find it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
S Rank Vol. 2 (2024) by S Rank Magazine
A second collection of ideas from the next generation of game designers
search.app
January 31, 2025 at 4:35 AM
For folks unfamiliar, this is the second collection of essays I've put together with students from the NYU Game Center.
For folks interested in a PDF version, you can find it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
For folks interested in a PDF version, you can find it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
For the past couple of years I've worked with a team of students and alumni of the NYU Game Center on a collection of original essays about games. We call this collection S Rank, and we just released our second volume.
You can download it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
You can download it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
S Rank Vol. 2 (2024) by S Rank Magazine
A second collection of ideas from the next generation of game designers
s-rank-zine.itch.io
January 6, 2025 at 8:39 PM
For the past couple of years I've worked with a team of students and alumni of the NYU Game Center on a collection of original essays about games. We call this collection S Rank, and we just released our second volume.
You can download it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
You can download it here: s-rank-zine.itch.io/vol-2
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
I finished teaching my Playful Theory class, a seminar for studio artists focused on games.
It was my first academic course in the post-ChatGPT era, so I tried out a few strategies to handle students potentially skimming readings and submitting AI-generated response papers.
Thread🧵
It was my first academic course in the post-ChatGPT era, so I tried out a few strategies to handle students potentially skimming readings and submitting AI-generated response papers.
Thread🧵
December 12, 2024 at 2:44 PM
I finished teaching my Playful Theory class, a seminar for studio artists focused on games.
It was my first academic course in the post-ChatGPT era, so I tried out a few strategies to handle students potentially skimming readings and submitting AI-generated response papers.
Thread🧵
It was my first academic course in the post-ChatGPT era, so I tried out a few strategies to handle students potentially skimming readings and submitting AI-generated response papers.
Thread🧵
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Ahem. Hello. I have been informed there is a big Gift Event coming up.
Have you considered gifting My Book for your Gift Event?
My Book is great! It wraps nicely. If you get it in hardback it can be used to smush bugs with a VERY ironic smek.
www.harpercollins.com/products/pes...
Have you considered gifting My Book for your Gift Event?
My Book is great! It wraps nicely. If you get it in hardback it can be used to smush bugs with a VERY ironic smek.
www.harpercollins.com/products/pes...
Pests
An engrossing and revealing study of why we deem certain animals “pests” and others not—from cats to rats, elephants to pigeons—and what this tells us about our own perceptions, beliefs, and actions, ...
www.harpercollins.com
December 4, 2024 at 4:30 PM
Ahem. Hello. I have been informed there is a big Gift Event coming up.
Have you considered gifting My Book for your Gift Event?
My Book is great! It wraps nicely. If you get it in hardback it can be used to smush bugs with a VERY ironic smek.
www.harpercollins.com/products/pes...
Have you considered gifting My Book for your Gift Event?
My Book is great! It wraps nicely. If you get it in hardback it can be used to smush bugs with a VERY ironic smek.
www.harpercollins.com/products/pes...
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
a couple days left to order a copy of Cardinal and still receive it in time for the holidays
December 1, 2024 at 9:50 PM
a couple days left to order a copy of Cardinal and still receive it in time for the holidays
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
One week left to order Volumes 1 through 6 of the not-available-anywhere-else MTMTE Notebooks, filled with the raw material (pitches, ideas, character breakdowns etc) that evolved into MTMTE and Lost Light
November 23, 2024 at 10:08 AM
One week left to order Volumes 1 through 6 of the not-available-anywhere-else MTMTE Notebooks, filled with the raw material (pitches, ideas, character breakdowns etc) that evolved into MTMTE and Lost Light
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
🍩NYU Game Center Lecture Series Presents Tj Hughes🍩
Thursday, Dec. 5th, 7pm - 8:30pm
370 Jay Street, Lecture Hall 202
(and live at twitch.tv/nyugamecenter)
Tj Hughes, creator of Nour, will be visiting for a guest lecture and Q&A as our last Lecture Series for Fall 2024! RSVP at the link in our bio.
Thursday, Dec. 5th, 7pm - 8:30pm
370 Jay Street, Lecture Hall 202
(and live at twitch.tv/nyugamecenter)
Tj Hughes, creator of Nour, will be visiting for a guest lecture and Q&A as our last Lecture Series for Fall 2024! RSVP at the link in our bio.
November 25, 2024 at 10:41 PM
🍩NYU Game Center Lecture Series Presents Tj Hughes🍩
Thursday, Dec. 5th, 7pm - 8:30pm
370 Jay Street, Lecture Hall 202
(and live at twitch.tv/nyugamecenter)
Tj Hughes, creator of Nour, will be visiting for a guest lecture and Q&A as our last Lecture Series for Fall 2024! RSVP at the link in our bio.
Thursday, Dec. 5th, 7pm - 8:30pm
370 Jay Street, Lecture Hall 202
(and live at twitch.tv/nyugamecenter)
Tj Hughes, creator of Nour, will be visiting for a guest lecture and Q&A as our last Lecture Series for Fall 2024! RSVP at the link in our bio.
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Do you hunger for even more PLAYFUL ART~GAMES?! Come hang out with us next Saturday 11/23 for NO QUARTER, our annual exhibition of new games with work by Bahiyya Khan + @robdubbin.bsky.social + @iznaut.com + @holywowstudios.bsky.social
November 12, 2024 at 6:44 PM
Do you hunger for even more PLAYFUL ART~GAMES?! Come hang out with us next Saturday 11/23 for NO QUARTER, our annual exhibition of new games with work by Bahiyya Khan + @robdubbin.bsky.social + @iznaut.com + @holywowstudios.bsky.social
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
There's a thing where experienced fighting game players have to constantly remind viewers on their streams that the talent of the player is more important than the relative strength of their character, and I feel like game dev YouTubers need to give similar reminders about game engines.
February 19, 2024 at 8:32 PM
There's a thing where experienced fighting game players have to constantly remind viewers on their streams that the talent of the player is more important than the relative strength of their character, and I feel like game dev YouTubers need to give similar reminders about game engines.
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
This is very true. Everything you want to learn about any art or craft is freely available on YouTube. The problem is, you then have to do the work, which is the sticking point for many.
December 12, 2023 at 3:29 PM
This is very true. Everything you want to learn about any art or craft is freely available on YouTube. The problem is, you then have to do the work, which is the sticking point for many.
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
I remember Brenda Clough being on a panel where advice was being dispensed to young hopeful writers. When asked what was the most important thing for a writer to have she said, "A spouse with medical insurance." It got a laugh but she backed it up with, "Seriously."
November 28, 2023 at 7:55 PM
I remember Brenda Clough being on a panel where advice was being dispensed to young hopeful writers. When asked what was the most important thing for a writer to have she said, "A spouse with medical insurance." It got a laugh but she backed it up with, "Seriously."
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Don't give up your day job, health insurance and 401(k), folks. Nearly every single writer you've heard of had a day job until their writing careers took off - and some of them kept their days jobs after that too, because they liked them, or they knew pro publishing is a fickle beast. Don't starve!
Just saw the WORST advice to give on a general level, which is to just quit your day job, willy-nilly, to become a writer. The suggestion was to let yourself go feral/get backed into a corner and figure it out.
And oh my god,can we just KILL the idea that one has to struggle/starve to make art? No.
And oh my god,can we just KILL the idea that one has to struggle/starve to make art? No.
November 28, 2023 at 5:47 PM
Don't give up your day job, health insurance and 401(k), folks. Nearly every single writer you've heard of had a day job until their writing careers took off - and some of them kept their days jobs after that too, because they liked them, or they knew pro publishing is a fickle beast. Don't starve!
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
The reason I wish more creators could be more open about having other means of floating a career is not to shame or out them -- I mean, ffs there's no sin in having a spouse with a good job, a trust fund, supportive family, etc -- but to help young creatives understand the playing field better. (1)
November 28, 2023 at 10:24 PM
The reason I wish more creators could be more open about having other means of floating a career is not to shame or out them -- I mean, ffs there's no sin in having a spouse with a good job, a trust fund, supportive family, etc -- but to help young creatives understand the playing field better. (1)
Reposted by Tom Sarachan
Hey NYC people... this Thursday evening marks the return of @flantz.bsky.social to the NYU Game Center for the launch his new book, the Beauty of Games. Come hang out with us & talk aesthetics & meaning! RSVP link here: www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launc...
October 9, 2023 at 9:45 PM
Hey NYC people... this Thursday evening marks the return of @flantz.bsky.social to the NYU Game Center for the launch his new book, the Beauty of Games. Come hang out with us & talk aesthetics & meaning! RSVP link here: www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launc...