James Youngman
@jyoungman.bsky.social
He/him Game Designer, composer, writer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
Reposted by James Youngman
I think the corollary that a lot of people miss about "write what you know" is that *you have the power to know more things.* Research and talking to people are a central part of writing!
“write only what you know” is bullshit because a man wrote silent hill f and this shit rocks!!!! its feminist core resonates SO strongly if you’re a woman!!!!
November 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
I think the corollary that a lot of people miss about "write what you know" is that *you have the power to know more things.* Research and talking to people are a central part of writing!
Not sure what to make of GDT's Frankenstein and Roofman having the same second act.
November 30, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Not sure what to make of GDT's Frankenstein and Roofman having the same second act.
Reposted by James Youngman
Absolutely co-signed. Glory’s arc in Dragonfall is one of my high water marks for NPCs/companions, but there’s a lot of good stuff on an arc by arc basis. (Samuel Beckenbauer is my favorite minor NPC that I can think of right now.)
If you're trying to get better at writing interactive dialogue, it's hard to beat the Shadowrun games by Harebrained Schemes as a reference point. Every dialogue has some element of conflict and tension, and some interesting choice about which way you push the relationship with the NPCs.
November 28, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Absolutely co-signed. Glory’s arc in Dragonfall is one of my high water marks for NPCs/companions, but there’s a lot of good stuff on an arc by arc basis. (Samuel Beckenbauer is my favorite minor NPC that I can think of right now.)
Reposted by James Youngman
Just a reminder to leave a rating/review on all the games you’re picking up in these sales.
Taking two seconds to leave a 5 star rating can and will help that creator immensely.
That one rating you leave could be the tipping point in the algorithm that gets that game seen by far, far more people.
Taking two seconds to leave a 5 star rating can and will help that creator immensely.
That one rating you leave could be the tipping point in the algorithm that gets that game seen by far, far more people.
November 29, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Just a reminder to leave a rating/review on all the games you’re picking up in these sales.
Taking two seconds to leave a 5 star rating can and will help that creator immensely.
That one rating you leave could be the tipping point in the algorithm that gets that game seen by far, far more people.
Taking two seconds to leave a 5 star rating can and will help that creator immensely.
That one rating you leave could be the tipping point in the algorithm that gets that game seen by far, far more people.
Reposted by James Youngman
Also I love when I’m browsing in a store and the owner/person helping me can recommend something based on a combination of MY interests and THEIR expertise; then when I buy that comic/record/book it comes imbued with a memory of my interaction with another human, which is incredibly cool ✨
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Also I love when I’m browsing in a store and the owner/person helping me can recommend something based on a combination of MY interests and THEIR expertise; then when I buy that comic/record/book it comes imbued with a memory of my interaction with another human, which is incredibly cool ✨
Reposted by James Youngman
the fact that dealing with rampant lying and its much worse downstream consequences involves cultivating values rather than just imposing formal frameworks or rules (legal or otherwise) is a tough pill to swallow for some. but it is indeed medicine
Pointing out that something is incorrect definitely isn't sufficient - the *culture* of "it is bad to make incorrect statements, good to promptly and clearly retract and apologize for them, and disqualifying to keep making them deliberately" is the framework needed for fact-checking to plug into.
November 28, 2025 at 3:40 PM
the fact that dealing with rampant lying and its much worse downstream consequences involves cultivating values rather than just imposing formal frameworks or rules (legal or otherwise) is a tough pill to swallow for some. but it is indeed medicine
Reposted by James Youngman
It was Downey who coined the phrase in the LEVERAGE writers room “future episodes do not win out over present episodes”. Trust me, you’ll have more ideas. You’ll die full of them.
WRITING TIP, something simple but it catches many of us out: if you have a great/fun idea for your story, *use it now*.
Don’t save your ideas for some nebulous other story you might write tomorrow. I promise you’ll have more.
Break your story’s status quo. Go a step further. Use the big idea.
Don’t save your ideas for some nebulous other story you might write tomorrow. I promise you’ll have more.
Break your story’s status quo. Go a step further. Use the big idea.
November 29, 2025 at 2:42 PM
It was Downey who coined the phrase in the LEVERAGE writers room “future episodes do not win out over present episodes”. Trust me, you’ll have more ideas. You’ll die full of them.
Live and make art with my community. Video games, music, books...
I think most game designers, most artists, will have the same answer. There's a Renaissance waiting on the other side of UBI.
I think most game designers, most artists, will have the same answer. There's a Renaissance waiting on the other side of UBI.
Honest question: If everyone got Universal Basic Income, no strings attached, what would YOU do with it?
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
Re-post with your quote or drop your take below.
November 29, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Live and make art with my community. Video games, music, books...
I think most game designers, most artists, will have the same answer. There's a Renaissance waiting on the other side of UBI.
I think most game designers, most artists, will have the same answer. There's a Renaissance waiting on the other side of UBI.
Had a blast at @twentysidedtavern.bsky.social tonight! Great cast, and the collective audience participation was really cool!
November 29, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Had a blast at @twentysidedtavern.bsky.social tonight! Great cast, and the collective audience participation was really cool!
Reposted by James Youngman
Don't fine ICE, put ICE agents who did crimes in jail.
Don't fine companies, put CEOs who gave the president obvious bribes in jail.
And so on.
Don't fine companies, put CEOs who gave the president obvious bribes in jail.
And so on.
November 28, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Don't fine ICE, put ICE agents who did crimes in jail.
Don't fine companies, put CEOs who gave the president obvious bribes in jail.
And so on.
Don't fine companies, put CEOs who gave the president obvious bribes in jail.
And so on.
Reposted by James Youngman
The aim should be for individual, not institutional, accountability.
Did a university obviously violate the first amendment rights of its faculty to suck up to Trump? Don't seek to fine the university, *seek to jail its president and trustees.*
People make decisions, people bear consequences.
Did a university obviously violate the first amendment rights of its faculty to suck up to Trump? Don't seek to fine the university, *seek to jail its president and trustees.*
People make decisions, people bear consequences.
November 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
The aim should be for individual, not institutional, accountability.
Did a university obviously violate the first amendment rights of its faculty to suck up to Trump? Don't seek to fine the university, *seek to jail its president and trustees.*
People make decisions, people bear consequences.
Did a university obviously violate the first amendment rights of its faculty to suck up to Trump? Don't seek to fine the university, *seek to jail its president and trustees.*
People make decisions, people bear consequences.
Reposted by James Youngman
A significant part of recovering from Trump 2.0 is going to be prosecuting its lawbreaking and the non-administration officials who aided it.
I'm not a lawyer but the 'Conspiracy against rights' statute (18USC241) seems like it could be a vehicle for pursuing non-state actors in this regard.
I'm not a lawyer but the 'Conspiracy against rights' statute (18USC241) seems like it could be a vehicle for pursuing non-state actors in this regard.
November 28, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A significant part of recovering from Trump 2.0 is going to be prosecuting its lawbreaking and the non-administration officials who aided it.
I'm not a lawyer but the 'Conspiracy against rights' statute (18USC241) seems like it could be a vehicle for pursuing non-state actors in this regard.
I'm not a lawyer but the 'Conspiracy against rights' statute (18USC241) seems like it could be a vehicle for pursuing non-state actors in this regard.
Reposted by James Youngman
Enjoy "Toward the Sun", my entry for the #JellyfishWaltz challenge from @musicweeklies.bsky.social! Photo credit Yu-Chan Chen.
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
November 27, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Enjoy "Toward the Sun", my entry for the #JellyfishWaltz challenge from @musicweeklies.bsky.social! Photo credit Yu-Chan Chen.
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
It's Creator Day on itch, which makes it the perfect day to pick up an adventure blending sci-fi and folk monsters to read!
jyoungman.itch.io/vampires-of-...
jyoungman.itch.io/vampires-of-...
November 28, 2025 at 5:21 PM
It's Creator Day on itch, which makes it the perfect day to pick up an adventure blending sci-fi and folk monsters to read!
jyoungman.itch.io/vampires-of-...
jyoungman.itch.io/vampires-of-...
Reposted by James Youngman
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
November 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I don’t know if anyone else notices or cares, but when I see a presentation in which the speaker uses obviously generated-AI images to illustrate their slides, it makes me immediately less confident in whatever other content they’re presenting.
Reposted by James Youngman
A *huge* vaccine victory. I've been writing on this for years; Australia has seen remarkable progress in cervical cancer prevention with the HPV vaccine. I love seeing science triumph like this.
Australia recorded ZERO cases of cervical cancer in women under 25 for the first time since they started tracking the cancer in the 80s.
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
This is the power of vaccines.
The HPV vaccine is extremely effective at preventing cancer.
Viruses can be oncogenic. Get your vaccines and protect yourself!
newsGP - Australia set for world-first cervical cancer elimination
Vaccination programs have played a key role, and GPs remain ‘instrumental’ in boosting screening rates to reach the 2035 target.
www1.racgp.org.au
November 27, 2025 at 6:12 PM
A *huge* vaccine victory. I've been writing on this for years; Australia has seen remarkable progress in cervical cancer prevention with the HPV vaccine. I love seeing science triumph like this.
Reposted by James Youngman
Happy Victory for US Arms and Down With Treasonous Slavers Day!
Uncomfortable with the First Thanksgiving Narrative? Good News, it’s Actually a Civil War Holiday
Take heart, all you who grow unsettled at the time of year where the narrative of friendly Pilgrims and American Indians is spread around to make us feel good about a brief moment in American histo…
angrystaffofficer.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Happy Victory for US Arms and Down With Treasonous Slavers Day!
Enjoy "Toward the Sun", my entry for the #JellyfishWaltz challenge from @musicweeklies.bsky.social! Photo credit Yu-Chan Chen.
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
November 27, 2025 at 5:35 AM
Enjoy "Toward the Sun", my entry for the #JellyfishWaltz challenge from @musicweeklies.bsky.social! Photo credit Yu-Chan Chen.
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
I want to know about it if you dance to it!
Reposted by James Youngman
"i hate writing NPC dialogue i don't wanna do it i need bobot to do it for me buhhhhh" you are like a little baby
November 26, 2025 at 9:26 PM
"i hate writing NPC dialogue i don't wanna do it i need bobot to do it for me buhhhhh" you are like a little baby
If you'd like to listen to an arrangement with better instruments and a reasonable amount of statements of the melody, here's the rearrangement I did after I got more serious about composing:
jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com/album/forest...
jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com/album/forest...
November 26, 2025 at 11:06 PM
If you'd like to listen to an arrangement with better instruments and a reasonable amount of statements of the melody, here's the rearrangement I did after I got more serious about composing:
jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com/album/forest...
jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com/album/forest...
Reposted by James Youngman
Pro tip: get you a friend whose two settings are "Imma be real with you: no" and "don't you dare talk about my friend [you] that way."
November 26, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Pro tip: get you a friend whose two settings are "Imma be real with you: no" and "don't you dare talk about my friend [you] that way."
I was on a game team in college with a guy who I didn't like, and who didn't like me. I scored that game, and he listened to the thirty second MIDI loop I wrote for my level on loop for so long his roommate, who did like me, got annoyed at both of us
What is the best compliment you ever received? Putting aside whether or not you believed it.
November 26, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I was on a game team in college with a guy who I didn't like, and who didn't like me. I scored that game, and he listened to the thirty second MIDI loop I wrote for my level on loop for so long his roommate, who did like me, got annoyed at both of us
Reposted by James Youngman
Anybody who is like “Piracy is activism!”—trust me, supporting your local library is about 1000% more effective activism, and it’s still free for you and authors still get paid!
November 26, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Anybody who is like “Piracy is activism!”—trust me, supporting your local library is about 1000% more effective activism, and it’s still free for you and authors still get paid!
Reposted by James Youngman
In a similar vein, a lot of independent developers also have other sources of income and/or support. Contracts, consultancies, speaking engagements, freelancing opportunities—its not always just the game that is providing support, but a combination of revenue sources.
almost every novelist you read who's not from the airport fiction or bestseller sections is working a full on day job, including multi-award winners and absolute legends, or they have a spouse or trust that supports them. virtually across the board. just normalize in your mind that's how it works.
I know we know this, but authors need to get better at talking about how they actually make their money. Stop pretending it's from the books.
November 26, 2025 at 2:37 PM
In a similar vein, a lot of independent developers also have other sources of income and/or support. Contracts, consultancies, speaking engagements, freelancing opportunities—its not always just the game that is providing support, but a combination of revenue sources.
Reposted by James Youngman
much of the work on AI-generated misinformation focuses on regular users/communities, while ignoring how political and economic elites can seal themselves into a hermetic slop box -- a repeat of the same mistake we made with radicalization and conspiracism in the previous decade
oh this is absolutely what i think. i think they feed him fake polls and outright AI slop
At this point, I wonder if he isn't lying when he says he has "my highest Poll Numbers, ever" since it's entirely possible that's what his aides are telling him. It's quite likely that there's an entire Potemkin village built around Trump right now.
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
much of the work on AI-generated misinformation focuses on regular users/communities, while ignoring how political and economic elites can seal themselves into a hermetic slop box -- a repeat of the same mistake we made with radicalization and conspiracism in the previous decade