Cat Manning
@catacalypto.bsky.social
narrative director at Firaxis. emergent/systemic storytelling. nominated for awards and things. lit PhD. awful at Greek. better profile coming soon.
Pinned
Cat Manning
@catacalypto.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Hi to new people leaving the other place!
I’m Cat Manning, currently narrative director on Civ 7. Worked at Riot and on some indie games previously (most notably Pathologic). I have a Lit PhD and a background in classics.
Here I talk about emergent narrative, games, poetry, possums, and perfume.
I’m Cat Manning, currently narrative director on Civ 7. Worked at Riot and on some indie games previously (most notably Pathologic). I have a Lit PhD and a background in classics.
Here I talk about emergent narrative, games, poetry, possums, and perfume.
Reposted by Cat Manning
Well it's my birthday this week and I'm actually taking some time off.
In the meantime we've kicked off 50% off annual subs to @aiandgames.com meaning you can support us for like less £3/$4 a month.
Help us combat the nonsense AI hype and highlight the good work people do in the sector!
In the meantime we've kicked off 50% off annual subs to @aiandgames.com meaning you can support us for like less £3/$4 a month.
Help us combat the nonsense AI hype and highlight the good work people do in the sector!
December 4, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Well it's my birthday this week and I'm actually taking some time off.
In the meantime we've kicked off 50% off annual subs to @aiandgames.com meaning you can support us for like less £3/$4 a month.
Help us combat the nonsense AI hype and highlight the good work people do in the sector!
In the meantime we've kicked off 50% off annual subs to @aiandgames.com meaning you can support us for like less £3/$4 a month.
Help us combat the nonsense AI hype and highlight the good work people do in the sector!
Reposted by Cat Manning
I read this article every time I see it.
see, the only things I know about it is in this article about this guy's stupid horse that everyone hates
www.polygon.com/2019/2/28/18...
www.polygon.com/2019/2/28/18...
Everyone hates my big stupid horse in Red Dead Online
He is my friend
www.polygon.com
December 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM
I read this article every time I see it.
Reposted by Cat Manning
Reposted by Cat Manning
Reposted by Cat Manning
To be very clear, Kennedy's team is messing with a vaccine which has led to a 99 percent drop in the incidence of hepatitis B, which kills, early and painfully, 25 percent of the people who get it as children. lnk.thebulwark.com/3Xt957M
RFK’s Anti-Vax Team Readies Its Next Moves
“Their game is, let’s really destabilize trust in the vaccine, and make people really anxious about it.”
lnk.thebulwark.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:00 AM
To be very clear, Kennedy's team is messing with a vaccine which has led to a 99 percent drop in the incidence of hepatitis B, which kills, early and painfully, 25 percent of the people who get it as children. lnk.thebulwark.com/3Xt957M
Reposted by Cat Manning
i want you to do something. this is important for your health. okay: go to the library and find a book, movie, cd... anything that you've never seen or heard of before. something that grabs you. DON'T seek other people's opinions yet — engage with whatever you've chosen 100% of the way through first
December 4, 2025 at 5:15 AM
i want you to do something. this is important for your health. okay: go to the library and find a book, movie, cd... anything that you've never seen or heard of before. something that grabs you. DON'T seek other people's opinions yet — engage with whatever you've chosen 100% of the way through first
Reposted by Cat Manning
problematic spotify listening age gap
December 4, 2025 at 6:24 AM
problematic spotify listening age gap
Reposted by Cat Manning
This is what the prediction markets people want! You know how you absolutely *hate* that every sports broadcast is loaded up with ads for draftkings and shit? They want you to have that feeling but for everything everywhere.
Fuckin people watching Netflix making prop bets on what minute of the episode we’re first gonna see Vecna. People betting on whether it’s gonna be a Toyotathon commercial or an Activia commercial. Just a little QR code in the bottom corner of every show asking you to bet on everything.
December 4, 2025 at 3:44 AM
This is what the prediction markets people want! You know how you absolutely *hate* that every sports broadcast is loaded up with ads for draftkings and shit? They want you to have that feeling but for everything everywhere.
Reposted by Cat Manning
It's not about if Horses is good or if you like it, it's about the world we're in where a few companies have control over who gets to make money and which artists get to continue working.
Stores can stock whatever they want, but if you don't understand the broader picture you shouldn't speak.
Stores can stock whatever they want, but if you don't understand the broader picture you shouldn't speak.
December 4, 2025 at 4:38 AM
It's not about if Horses is good or if you like it, it's about the world we're in where a few companies have control over who gets to make money and which artists get to continue working.
Stores can stock whatever they want, but if you don't understand the broader picture you shouldn't speak.
Stores can stock whatever they want, but if you don't understand the broader picture you shouldn't speak.
Reposted by Cat Manning
Bluesky wrapped but it’s just every cat picture you interacted with all year.
bluesky wrapped but it's how many meaningless arguments you got into. and also your win/loss ratio
Bluesky Wrapped and it's how many times your own joke was explained to you
December 4, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Bluesky wrapped but it’s just every cat picture you interacted with all year.
Reposted by Cat Manning
I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that complementing a creative person for their work is less sophisticated or desired than discussion or debate about it but very often the best thing you can say to them is hell yeah and that doesn’t make you dumb it just makes you nice
December 4, 2025 at 3:05 AM
I’ve sometimes fallen into the trap of thinking that complementing a creative person for their work is less sophisticated or desired than discussion or debate about it but very often the best thing you can say to them is hell yeah and that doesn’t make you dumb it just makes you nice
Reposted by Cat Manning
people, you have the chance to put my book ahead of Olivia Nuzzi’s on the bestseller list. put aside all other considerations and think how objectively funny this would be. #1, that Mountain Goats guy. #2, Antivax Man Has My Heart. funniest list of the century. We can do this if we try
December 4, 2025 at 3:47 AM
people, you have the chance to put my book ahead of Olivia Nuzzi’s on the bestseller list. put aside all other considerations and think how objectively funny this would be. #1, that Mountain Goats guy. #2, Antivax Man Has My Heart. funniest list of the century. We can do this if we try
Reposted by Cat Manning
read a little bit of the pdf and Olivia Nuzzi is the kind of writer Caroline Calloway wants to be
December 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
read a little bit of the pdf and Olivia Nuzzi is the kind of writer Caroline Calloway wants to be
Reposted by Cat Manning
Reposted by Cat Manning
bluesky wrapped but it's the top 10 people who unfollowed you
bluesky wrapped but it's how many meaningless arguments you got into. and also your win/loss ratio
Bluesky Wrapped and it's how many times your own joke was explained to you
December 4, 2025 at 1:44 AM
bluesky wrapped but it's the top 10 people who unfollowed you
Reposted by Cat Manning
I think the truest thing that’s been said about this whole thing is that Valve’s moderation policy is “don’t make us do work”.
December 4, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I think the truest thing that’s been said about this whole thing is that Valve’s moderation policy is “don’t make us do work”.
Reposted by Cat Manning
i'm surprised you've gotten so far in life with no one telling you, so i'll do the honors:
sometimes art depicts things you find distasteful. this depiction is not necessarily an endorsement. it's totally fine to decide that art isn't for you, that doesn't justify banning the art altogether.
sometimes art depicts things you find distasteful. this depiction is not necessarily an endorsement. it's totally fine to decide that art isn't for you, that doesn't justify banning the art altogether.
Horses shows "abuse, gory imagery (mutilation, blood), depictions of slavery, physical and psychological torture, domestic abuse, sexual assault, suicide"
It also implies someone is r*ped until they die. It's implied someone comitts necrophillia on the corpse.
Why are we mad about this ban?
It also implies someone is r*ped until they die. It's implied someone comitts necrophillia on the corpse.
Why are we mad about this ban?
December 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
i'm surprised you've gotten so far in life with no one telling you, so i'll do the honors:
sometimes art depicts things you find distasteful. this depiction is not necessarily an endorsement. it's totally fine to decide that art isn't for you, that doesn't justify banning the art altogether.
sometimes art depicts things you find distasteful. this depiction is not necessarily an endorsement. it's totally fine to decide that art isn't for you, that doesn't justify banning the art altogether.
Reposted by Cat Manning
a videogame has content in it that i personally dont like which of course mirrors what i see as objectively good and moral so it's a net good i think it was banned
December 4, 2025 at 12:49 AM
a videogame has content in it that i personally dont like which of course mirrors what i see as objectively good and moral so it's a net good i think it was banned
Reposted by Cat Manning
One of the many things worth thinking about re: Steam's ban on Horses is how it highlights is the centralization problem caused by having such a monolithic (and maybe mono-something-else) retail giant.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
December 4, 2025 at 12:41 AM
One of the many things worth thinking about re: Steam's ban on Horses is how it highlights is the centralization problem caused by having such a monolithic (and maybe mono-something-else) retail giant.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Independent studios with even humble commercial aspirations are chained to Valve's whims.
Reposted by Cat Manning
I hope people take two minutes to listen to this shocking display of bigotry. It brings clarity to what we are fighting against. We should all be sick to hear such un-American drivel from the President of the United States.
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I hope people take two minutes to listen to this shocking display of bigotry. It brings clarity to what we are fighting against. We should all be sick to hear such un-American drivel from the President of the United States.
Reposted by Cat Manning
I do think if anyone in your life is using Polymarket to bet on the Game Awards, you are going to have to lock them in a freezer for however many months it takes for them to forget they like gambling. That might take a really long time, but if you care, you’ll do the work.
December 4, 2025 at 12:14 AM
I do think if anyone in your life is using Polymarket to bet on the Game Awards, you are going to have to lock them in a freezer for however many months it takes for them to forget they like gambling. That might take a really long time, but if you care, you’ll do the work.
Reposted by Cat Manning
I’m not anti-gambling in totality and even think a basic level of regulated sports gambling isn’t the worst thing in the world. But it’s pretty astounding how quickly the current system careened toward turning every dumbass bet you might casually make with your friends into multimillion dollar pots.
Hi. There has been $38 million worth of activity on the game of the year results on gambling platform Polymarket.
December 4, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I’m not anti-gambling in totality and even think a basic level of regulated sports gambling isn’t the worst thing in the world. But it’s pretty astounding how quickly the current system careened toward turning every dumbass bet you might casually make with your friends into multimillion dollar pots.
Reposted by Cat Manning
Reposted by Cat Manning
Spoilers for Horses, but like... this is it. This is the game.
December 3, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Spoilers for Horses, but like... this is it. This is the game.