Ben Kirman
@ben.kirman.org
Postdisciplinary games academic: Make/study/teach the playful, weird, wonderful and radical. (he/him)
#criticaldesign #speculativedesign #designfiction #gamedesign
Projects:
https://ben.kirman.org
#criticaldesign #speculativedesign #designfiction #gamedesign
Projects:
https://ben.kirman.org
Biffa bins offer just two types of zone. Choose wisely ♻️
February 6, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Biffa bins offer just two types of zone. Choose wisely ♻️
profound insight needs no context!
February 6, 2026 at 12:10 PM
profound insight needs no context!
all thought comes back to tea towels
February 6, 2026 at 11:56 AM
all thought comes back to tea towels
Not... yet! The dice are part of a slightly bigger project I need to actually finish and get out of my brain.
I did think about that copy of Meal Deal in the game cafe. Little bits of subtle action, not *against* the venue (e.g. breaking their HP licensed games) but a bit like flyering somehow.
I did think about that copy of Meal Deal in the game cafe. Little bits of subtle action, not *against* the venue (e.g. breaking their HP licensed games) but a bit like flyering somehow.
February 6, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Not... yet! The dice are part of a slightly bigger project I need to actually finish and get out of my brain.
I did think about that copy of Meal Deal in the game cafe. Little bits of subtle action, not *against* the venue (e.g. breaking their HP licensed games) but a bit like flyering somehow.
I did think about that copy of Meal Deal in the game cafe. Little bits of subtle action, not *against* the venue (e.g. breaking their HP licensed games) but a bit like flyering somehow.
Reposted by Ben Kirman
London & London commutable playful folks… the CAR BOOT CASINO will soon be opening its doors once more!
If you’ve a homebrew card or bluffing game you’d be up for showcasing & running a table then drop me a line
If you’ve a homebrew card or bluffing game you’d be up for showcasing & running a table then drop me a line
February 4, 2026 at 4:24 PM
London & London commutable playful folks… the CAR BOOT CASINO will soon be opening its doors once more!
If you’ve a homebrew card or bluffing game you’d be up for showcasing & running a table then drop me a line
If you’ve a homebrew card or bluffing game you’d be up for showcasing & running a table then drop me a line
Wasn't everyone at the table a winner, really, when Brucie is involved?
January 21, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Wasn't everyone at the table a winner, really, when Brucie is involved?
Need to share what will likely be my lifetime's finest #boardgame victory, but will be utterly incomprehensible to explain: We were playing 13 Beavers (boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42...), and not only did I correctly get through the "Tempting Tunnel", to win I had an 11, chose HIGHER, and drew a 13.
13 Beavers
Players must navigate the board with luck and nerve to reach Beaver Paradise.
boardgamegeek.com
January 21, 2026 at 3:45 PM
Need to share what will likely be my lifetime's finest #boardgame victory, but will be utterly incomprehensible to explain: We were playing 13 Beavers (boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/42...), and not only did I correctly get through the "Tempting Tunnel", to win I had an 11, chose HIGHER, and drew a 13.
That's the downside unfortunately - might be video playthroughs and AARs on BGG? Closer to home, and more digital games, theres interesting folks at donau-uni.ac.at/ags that might be interesting to chat with (volunteer to do a talk! academics and students would be interested to hear from you!)
Zentrum für Angewandte Spieleforschung
Das Zentrum für Angewandte Spieleforschung beschäftigt sich mit Fragen der Übertragung von aktuellen Ergebnissen in der Erforschung interaktiver visueller Medien auf die professionelle Praxis. Im Mitt...
donau-uni.ac.at
January 20, 2026 at 3:43 PM
That's the downside unfortunately - might be video playthroughs and AARs on BGG? Closer to home, and more digital games, theres interesting folks at donau-uni.ac.at/ags that might be interesting to chat with (volunteer to do a talk! academics and students would be interested to hear from you!)
Also shout out to the group at Kings in London, they recently had an event about social justice in board games with a good collection and great discussion: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/gamin... and Games Transformed festival: www.instagram.com/gamestransfo...
Select tickets – Gaming Social Justice – REACH Space
Gaming Social Justice – REACH Space, Fri 14 Nov 2025 -
‘Let the children once see clearly the gross injustice of our present land system and when they grow up, if they are allowed to develop naturall...
www.tickettailor.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Also shout out to the group at Kings in London, they recently had an event about social justice in board games with a good collection and great discussion: www.kcl.ac.uk/events/gamin... and Games Transformed festival: www.instagram.com/gamestransfo...
Great recommendations - telling that there is a bunch of @hollandspiele.bsky.social titles here, they do amazing work. Also strong recommend for @amabel.bsky.social 's book "Cardboard Ghosts" which is about pretty much exactly this topic (plus her Youtube channel).
January 20, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Great recommendations - telling that there is a bunch of @hollandspiele.bsky.social titles here, they do amazing work. Also strong recommend for @amabel.bsky.social 's book "Cardboard Ghosts" which is about pretty much exactly this topic (plus her Youtube channel).
Yep, this is another case where people will find them if they actually look for them. Plenty of people out there making radical political games, crowdfunding, running jams, making zines, doing events.
January 20, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Yep, this is another case where people will find them if they actually look for them. Plenty of people out there making radical political games, crowdfunding, running jams, making zines, doing events.
Yep, that was how I tried to jog their memory - "its the film with a robot, a problematic stereotype, and steve guttenberg" but that describes a lot of 80s films
January 16, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Yep, that was how I tried to jog their memory - "its the film with a robot, a problematic stereotype, and steve guttenberg" but that describes a lot of 80s films
Ahh I forgot that some of them are password protected, sorry. I think they are just waiting for a final bit of polish. @dorukb.bsky.social will you release your son soon? :)
January 16, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Ahh I forgot that some of them are password protected, sorry. I think they are just waiting for a final bit of polish. @dorukb.bsky.social will you release your son soon? :)
A bunch of interesting games at the IGGI Game Jam this week: itch.io/jam/iggi-jam...
Highlights are the (3!) Qualtrics games, as well as Hemomaxxing, a game where you try and increase blood flow to your face, and "i believe in you my idiot son" where you build a son to be proud of.
Highlights are the (3!) Qualtrics games, as well as Hemomaxxing, a game where you try and increase blood flow to your face, and "i believe in you my idiot son" where you build a son to be proud of.
Submissions to IGGI Jam 2026
itch.io
January 16, 2026 at 12:12 PM
A bunch of interesting games at the IGGI Game Jam this week: itch.io/jam/iggi-jam...
Highlights are the (3!) Qualtrics games, as well as Hemomaxxing, a game where you try and increase blood flow to your face, and "i believe in you my idiot son" where you build a son to be proud of.
Highlights are the (3!) Qualtrics games, as well as Hemomaxxing, a game where you try and increase blood flow to your face, and "i believe in you my idiot son" where you build a son to be proud of.
(It's a bit route-1 and really needs much more polishing and narrative development, but its enough for a playful jam effort I think). Originally the story was that you played Johnny 5, who is still alive, and still hungry for input. Unfortunately none of the students I asked had seen Short Circuit!
January 16, 2026 at 12:09 PM
(It's a bit route-1 and really needs much more polishing and narrative development, but its enough for a playful jam effort I think). Originally the story was that you played Johnny 5, who is still alive, and still hungry for input. Unfortunately none of the students I asked had seen Short Circuit!
Had a great time with the @iggi-phd.bsky.social jam this week. One of the suggested constraints was to use Qualtrics (survey platform) as a game engine, and it piqued my interest so I put a small game together. It's called Research Survey - benkirman.itch.io/research-sur...
Research Survey by benkirman
A survey to collect data that is important for research.
benkirman.itch.io
January 16, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Had a great time with the @iggi-phd.bsky.social jam this week. One of the suggested constraints was to use Qualtrics (survey platform) as a game engine, and it piqued my interest so I put a small game together. It's called Research Survey - benkirman.itch.io/research-sur...
happy 40th birthday to this top lad. he's still h̖̠͎̩ṳn͎͎g̗͙̟r̥͓͔̻͕y͓̟̮͙
January 15, 2026 at 2:23 PM
happy 40th birthday to this top lad. he's still h̖̠͎̩ṳn͎͎g̗͙̟r̥͓͔̻͕y͓̟̮͙
People aren't wrong about Home Assistant being the most haunted platform to tinker with. The clothes dryer keeps switching on whenever the Red Arrows fly past.
January 10, 2026 at 6:04 PM
People aren't wrong about Home Assistant being the most haunted platform to tinker with. The clothes dryer keeps switching on whenever the Red Arrows fly past.
Reposted by Ben Kirman
If you see this post, you are blessed with a prize from the FUN CHICKEN
November 29, 2025 at 12:23 AM
If you see this post, you are blessed with a prize from the FUN CHICKEN
Big fan of game rulebooks that forbid shitty people from playing. Just a couple of sentences in the preamble setting out the most basic rules in case anyone forgot. (Hope is for the Dead by Wird Designs)
January 8, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Big fan of game rulebooks that forbid shitty people from playing. Just a couple of sentences in the preamble setting out the most basic rules in case anyone forgot. (Hope is for the Dead by Wird Designs)
If you fancy doing a "little" puzzle (that will take HOURS) I can recommend this: thomaswc.com/2025.html
Sort 2025 things into 45 categories of 45 items each. Very USA-centric but clever how it pans out, it gets easier, then a lot harder as you go.
Sort 2025 things into 45 categories of 45 items each. Very USA-centric but clever how it pans out, it gets easier, then a lot harder as you go.
2025
thomaswc.com
December 31, 2025 at 12:01 PM
If you fancy doing a "little" puzzle (that will take HOURS) I can recommend this: thomaswc.com/2025.html
Sort 2025 things into 45 categories of 45 items each. Very USA-centric but clever how it pans out, it gets easier, then a lot harder as you go.
Sort 2025 things into 45 categories of 45 items each. Very USA-centric but clever how it pans out, it gets easier, then a lot harder as you go.
My nephew saw this at a buffet, his eyes went really wide and with awe and delight he whispered "gravy fountain"
December 29, 2025 at 1:29 PM
My nephew saw this at a buffet, his eyes went really wide and with awe and delight he whispered "gravy fountain"
A blessing on folks that have out of office messages like "I'm out of the office until X. Bye." with no apologies, no alternative contact, and especially no promise to "read your email when I return". ✨
December 15, 2025 at 3:10 PM
A blessing on folks that have out of office messages like "I'm out of the office until X. Bye." with no apologies, no alternative contact, and especially no promise to "read your email when I return". ✨
Got this little bugger working again after ~15 years. He's gone the colour of a pub ceiling and mainly speaks french, but his ears still work! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabaztag
December 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Got this little bugger working again after ~15 years. He's gone the colour of a pub ceiling and mainly speaks french, but his ears still work! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabaztag
Dr Waluigi only works thursdays unfortunately
November 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Dr Waluigi only works thursdays unfortunately