Paul Kirsch
@paulkirsch.bsky.social
Senior Narrative Designer at Obsidian Entertainment. Nebula Award winner, branching dialogue enjoyer, doesn't speak on behalf of employer. (he/him)
https://www.paul-kirsch.com/
https://www.paul-kirsch.com/
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
I love getting to just sit with my friends and talk all of the shop. Thanks @jesawyer.bsky.social! 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlMw...
Creating Engaging RPGs with Obsidian's Josh Sawyer | Game Maker's Notebook Podcast
YouTube video by Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:55 PM
I love getting to just sit with my friends and talk all of the shop. Thanks @jesawyer.bsky.social! 🥰 www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlMw...
Senator Chuck Schumer’s phone number is (202) 224-6542. It is incredibly easy to leave his office a voicemail to remind him that Republicans are liars and the enemy, and that the colleagues he sees every day at the gym or country club will not hesitate to murder his constituents with their vote.
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Senator Chuck Schumer’s phone number is (202) 224-6542. It is incredibly easy to leave his office a voicemail to remind him that Republicans are liars and the enemy, and that the colleagues he sees every day at the gym or country club will not hesitate to murder his constituents with their vote.
Happy almost Halloween 🎃❤️
October 31, 2025 at 5:54 AM
Happy almost Halloween 🎃❤️
Amazon's official statement quoted in this article is incoherent word salad, and I hope they choke on their beloved AI.
Report: Amazon cutting corporate roles across key departments including video games
Report: Amazon cutting corporate roles across key departments including video games
Sources claim the layoffs could be announced this week and impact up to 30,000 people.
www.gamedeveloper.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Amazon's official statement quoted in this article is incoherent word salad, and I hope they choke on their beloved AI.
During the last year of collaboration I've been so impressed by the sequel's Narrative team and the devotion to their work and characters. They genuinely care about what they're doing, and that care is present and significant in all of their writing and design. Cheers and well-done 🥂
Obsidian returns with another branching choice-driven RPG experience that's among the studio's best work.
Review ↓
Review ↓
'The Outer Worlds 2' Is a Quirky, Satirical Space Opera in the Vein of 'Fallout'
bit.ly
October 24, 2025 at 6:06 PM
During the last year of collaboration I've been so impressed by the sequel's Narrative team and the devotion to their work and characters. They genuinely care about what they're doing, and that care is present and significant in all of their writing and design. Cheers and well-done 🥂
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
Many congratulations to my friends on Outer Worlds 2 who I watched toil from afar. Shout out in particular to the narrative designers who kicked ass:
@kdlunas.bsky.social
@joefielder.bsky.social
@hayleystone.bsky.social
@bustedkeyboards.bsky.social
@gspy.bsky.social @paulkirsch.bsky.social
@kdlunas.bsky.social
@joefielder.bsky.social
@hayleystone.bsky.social
@bustedkeyboards.bsky.social
@gspy.bsky.social @paulkirsch.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Many congratulations to my friends on Outer Worlds 2 who I watched toil from afar. Shout out in particular to the narrative designers who kicked ass:
@kdlunas.bsky.social
@joefielder.bsky.social
@hayleystone.bsky.social
@bustedkeyboards.bsky.social
@gspy.bsky.social @paulkirsch.bsky.social
@kdlunas.bsky.social
@joefielder.bsky.social
@hayleystone.bsky.social
@bustedkeyboards.bsky.social
@gspy.bsky.social @paulkirsch.bsky.social
Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire is the snowglobe that will roll out of my hands at the moment of my death.
October 21, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire is the snowglobe that will roll out of my hands at the moment of my death.
Hilariously my first ending was the "shoot the hologram child" ending, which is probably the worst outcome. But in retrospect I do see it as the "I reject this entire premise" ending.
Fundamentally every ending to ME3 asks you to concede that the Reapers are a bad solution to a real problem & propose an alternate solution to that problem. But the entire story up to that point was one long argument that the problem wasn't real except insofar as the Reapers caused it on purpose
legitimately one of the most insanely left-field endings to an rpg i can recollect
the entire series is about shepard finding ways for people to live together despite their differences and the ending is like "actually that's impossible. now choose your preferred explosion color"
the entire series is about shepard finding ways for people to live together despite their differences and the ending is like "actually that's impossible. now choose your preferred explosion color"
October 20, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Hilariously my first ending was the "shoot the hologram child" ending, which is probably the worst outcome. But in retrospect I do see it as the "I reject this entire premise" ending.
1/ Things I really love about Silent Hill f, a thread. No spoilers.
A LOT of early game conversations only make sense on subsequent playthroughs once you get what's going on. The confidence to do that with players is inspiring.
A LOT of early game conversations only make sense on subsequent playthroughs once you get what's going on. The confidence to do that with players is inspiring.
September 29, 2025 at 5:21 PM
1/ Things I really love about Silent Hill f, a thread. No spoilers.
A LOT of early game conversations only make sense on subsequent playthroughs once you get what's going on. The confidence to do that with players is inspiring.
A LOT of early game conversations only make sense on subsequent playthroughs once you get what's going on. The confidence to do that with players is inspiring.
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
Robert Redford playing a gentle incarnation of death, coming for a frightened old woman in The Twilight Zone episode "Nothing in the Dark" (1962). An extraordinary performance then, terribly bittersweet today
September 16, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Robert Redford playing a gentle incarnation of death, coming for a frightened old woman in The Twilight Zone episode "Nothing in the Dark" (1962). An extraordinary performance then, terribly bittersweet today
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
VENUS
a mini comic about girls night uniting us all
1/2
a mini comic about girls night uniting us all
1/2
August 11, 2025 at 1:48 AM
VENUS
a mini comic about girls night uniting us all
1/2
a mini comic about girls night uniting us all
1/2
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018)
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
August 31, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (2018)
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment.
I've now been a full-time Narrative Designer for ten years 😊 Every project is still full of unique challenges that force me to learn and adapt. But a few ideas I picked up along the way remain constant:
July 29, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I've now been a full-time Narrative Designer for ten years 😊 Every project is still full of unique challenges that force me to learn and adapt. But a few ideas I picked up along the way remain constant:
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
"Writing is like religion. You go there to pray, you don't work at the church." My mentor was gently steering me away from writing as a career. I still think about it often, and my interpretation of following that advice is to be a very different kind of writer in my personal vs. professional time.
What’s an unconventional piece of writing advice that’s really worked for you? #WritingPrompt
July 23, 2025 at 4:48 PM
"Writing is like religion. You go there to pray, you don't work at the church." My mentor was gently steering me away from writing as a career. I still think about it often, and my interpretation of following that advice is to be a very different kind of writer in my personal vs. professional time.
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
I thought I'd share some screenshots from The Prisoner, one of the best shows ever made. (1/3) popheist.com/category/tv/...
July 16, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I thought I'd share some screenshots from The Prisoner, one of the best shows ever made. (1/3) popheist.com/category/tv/...
Just finished the demo of Last Report and immediately installed the full game. Similar vibe as Papers, Please and Firewatch. Cozy, oppressive, pixelated. Stay spooky 🔦🌳
store.steampowered.com/app/3209480/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3209480/...
Save 20% on Last Report on Steam
Last Report is a dark horror game where you play as a night shift park ranger. While monitoring the camera footage, you start noticing strange events. Uncover the terrifying secret of the National Par...
store.steampowered.com
July 12, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Just finished the demo of Last Report and immediately installed the full game. Similar vibe as Papers, Please and Firewatch. Cozy, oppressive, pixelated. Stay spooky 🔦🌳
store.steampowered.com/app/3209480/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3209480/...
Reposted by Paul Kirsch
Carl Sagan on why books are human’s greatest invention:
July 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Carl Sagan on why books are human’s greatest invention:
This book looks fabulous, and it needs pledges to help it across the finish line ❤️ I'm doing my part! Three days remain.
Who doesn't want a 370+ page illustrated novel jam-packed with two doomed henchmen desperately trying to carve out a happy ending for themselves?
We're at the ONE WEEK mark to get this print run funded (and to hit some sweet stretch goals!!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bon...
We're at the ONE WEEK mark to get this print run funded (and to hit some sweet stretch goals!!)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/bon...
The Traitor & The Wretch - An Illustrated Novel
A dark fantasy with queer romance that asks: in a world of heroes and prophecies, can a couple of henchmen get a happy ending?
www.kickstarter.com
July 7, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This book looks fabulous, and it needs pledges to help it across the finish line ❤️ I'm doing my part! Three days remain.
Describe your favorite movie in the most misleading way possible:
Gentlemen yearn for each other away from the prying eyes of civilization.
Gentlemen yearn for each other away from the prying eyes of civilization.
June 12, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Describe your favorite movie in the most misleading way possible:
Gentlemen yearn for each other away from the prying eyes of civilization.
Gentlemen yearn for each other away from the prying eyes of civilization.
Tyranny mentioned ❤️ I still remember the first time I heard the main theme. I dropped my coffee cup and stared off into the middle distance like the end of The Usual Suspects.
Color me delightfully surprised to see that after 9 years, the OST to Tyranny from Obsidian is available to stream today 😮
Of all the things to wake up to this morning, this would not have been my first guess!
If you're looking for the JBell deep cut? This is it for sure
Of all the things to wake up to this morning, this would not have been my first guess!
If you're looking for the JBell deep cut? This is it for sure
May 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Tyranny mentioned ❤️ I still remember the first time I heard the main theme. I dropped my coffee cup and stared off into the middle distance like the end of The Usual Suspects.
Alan Wake makes me grateful for the medium. It's like a tech demo showing how one's dark creative impulses and joyful sense of humor can occupy the same story simultaneously. Aspirational. Happy 15 years, @remedygames.com!
Alan Wake was released 15 years ago. Little did we know that beyond the lake we called home lies a deeper darker ocean green. Thank you for joining us on this journey through the night to its ports. @remedygames.com
May 15, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Alan Wake makes me grateful for the medium. It's like a tech demo showing how one's dark creative impulses and joyful sense of humor can occupy the same story simultaneously. Aspirational. Happy 15 years, @remedygames.com!
🍃 Happy Mother’s Day 🍃
May 11, 2025 at 5:56 PM
🍃 Happy Mother’s Day 🍃
1000xRESIST was an outstanding surprise. What a thoughtful game told in such an unexpected way. Finishing it left me with the same emotional wreckage of having reached the end of a great novel. Best of all, it makes me want to write. 10/10.
Set in an impossible future, experience ALLMOTHER's memories and uncover her lies.
💠 Relive a 1000-year-old memory
💠 Reclaim a 1000-year-old legacy
💠 RESIST a 1000-year-old lie
The hyper-cinematic narrative adventure #1000xRESIST is available now:
💠 bit.ly/1KXRSteam
💠 Relive a 1000-year-old memory
💠 Reclaim a 1000-year-old legacy
💠 RESIST a 1000-year-old lie
The hyper-cinematic narrative adventure #1000xRESIST is available now:
💠 bit.ly/1KXRSteam
May 9, 2025 at 5:40 PM
1000xRESIST was an outstanding surprise. What a thoughtful game told in such an unexpected way. Finishing it left me with the same emotional wreckage of having reached the end of a great novel. Best of all, it makes me want to write. 10/10.
*returning my shopping cart, somberly* For those who come after.
May 8, 2025 at 5:06 PM
*returning my shopping cart, somberly* For those who come after.