Leah Miller
@leahmiller.bsky.social
Writing and Narrative Design. previously: Wizards of the Coast, Wildstar, Dark Age of Camelot, Star Wars. now: secret quests at System Era
@culturalgeek on twitter
@culturalgeek on twitter
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Leah Miller
@leahmiller.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Hello New Followers!
I'm Leah, a writer and designer of video games and other things.
I've worked MMOs, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars, and a chaotic jumble of weird projects.
I post about story and character, weird culture, and all the worldly troubles that plague those who have eyes to see.
I'm Leah, a writer and designer of video games and other things.
I've worked MMOs, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars, and a chaotic jumble of weird projects.
I post about story and character, weird culture, and all the worldly troubles that plague those who have eyes to see.
Reposted by Leah Miller
For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper, flows on south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
--Auden, "In Memory of WB Yeats"
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper, flows on south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
--Auden, "In Memory of WB Yeats"
Which lines of poetry live rent-free in your head?
December 6, 2025 at 10:54 PM
For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper, flows on south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
--Auden, "In Memory of WB Yeats"
In the valley of its making where executives
Would never want to tamper, flows on south
From ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,
Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,
A way of happening, a mouth.
--Auden, "In Memory of WB Yeats"
I still think this is one of the biggest discourse generators: games are like 5+ different mediums we use the same word for.
Imagine if we didn't have separate terms for novels, poetry, plays, scripted film/TV, and they were instead all called wordseq (sequential word-based media), and we had people arguing that films weren't actually good wordseq because they didn't focus exclusively on words.
Disco Elysium is a great work of art that is also a relatively weak game, and does not make a strong case that games are art because it doesn't do what the best games do, which is allow meaning to emerge from the intersection of game mechanics and the player's decisions.
December 5, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I still think this is one of the biggest discourse generators: games are like 5+ different mediums we use the same word for.
Reposted by Leah Miller
If we can only have art from people who "aren't in it for the money" that means we can only have art from privileged middle-class dilettantes. Making art being a viable career is responsible for nearly all worthwhile art, and if it's not a viable career any more we will get drastically less of it.
December 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
If we can only have art from people who "aren't in it for the money" that means we can only have art from privileged middle-class dilettantes. Making art being a viable career is responsible for nearly all worthwhile art, and if it's not a viable career any more we will get drastically less of it.
Reposted by Leah Miller
I don't need to write a blog post about this but I feel one building. For years the advice has been to cultivate sparse prose. Remove anything that isn't critical for getting from point A to point B. And now the news is like "85% of Americans are functionally illiterate." These feel connected.
December 3, 2025 at 12:25 AM
I don't need to write a blog post about this but I feel one building. For years the advice has been to cultivate sparse prose. Remove anything that isn't critical for getting from point A to point B. And now the news is like "85% of Americans are functionally illiterate." These feel connected.
Reposted by Leah Miller
The death of Flash basically killing an entire segment of independent and free game development overnight is one of those things that never really gets spoken about, which is a real shame because a lot of that first generation of Newgrounds talent did break into the animation and games industries.
I genuinely think kids in the mid-to-late aughts growing up on emulators (read: piracy) may genuinely have been far, far healthier for the future of the industry than all the kids growing up on stuff like Roblox being the norm.
THIS SHIT'S GOTTA BE RUINING KIDS EXPERIENCES WITH GAMING FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
December 1, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The death of Flash basically killing an entire segment of independent and free game development overnight is one of those things that never really gets spoken about, which is a real shame because a lot of that first generation of Newgrounds talent did break into the animation and games industries.
Every time I go to a new eye doctor they comment on how weird my eyes are. This time I went to a guy who only does weird eyes and even he was like "the machine that reads astigmatism will usually show a little figure 8 shape. but here (gestures at the printout) it doesn't even know what it's seeing"
December 1, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Every time I go to a new eye doctor they comment on how weird my eyes are. This time I went to a guy who only does weird eyes and even he was like "the machine that reads astigmatism will usually show a little figure 8 shape. but here (gestures at the printout) it doesn't even know what it's seeing"
Reposted by Leah Miller
my first trip to GDC was possible because of this scholarship. a truly wonderful group of people work hard to make this happen and to deliver a great experience for anyone who wins it. apply apply apply!! it can change your life!!
GDC 2026 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN 📣
Our alumni say it best!
🗣️"This opportunity allowed me to connect with other marginalized game designers, who helped me navigate challenging experiences in AAA & continue to act as mentors for me."
✏️ www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship
#GDC2026 #gamedev
Our alumni say it best!
🗣️"This opportunity allowed me to connect with other marginalized game designers, who helped me navigate challenging experiences in AAA & continue to act as mentors for me."
✏️ www.gamedevsofcolor.org/scholarship
#GDC2026 #gamedev
December 1, 2025 at 8:12 PM
my first trip to GDC was possible because of this scholarship. a truly wonderful group of people work hard to make this happen and to deliver a great experience for anyone who wins it. apply apply apply!! it can change your life!!
Reposted by Leah Miller
hahahahaha
Guy 1: [sneezes]
Guy 2: are you gonna make it?
Guy 1: OHHH MY GOD maybe not!
Guy 1: ...every time I sneeze it falls on you, eh?
Guy 1: [sneezes]
Guy 2: are you gonna make it?
Guy 1: OHHH MY GOD maybe not!
Guy 1: ...every time I sneeze it falls on you, eh?
December 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
hahahahaha
Guy 1: [sneezes]
Guy 2: are you gonna make it?
Guy 1: OHHH MY GOD maybe not!
Guy 1: ...every time I sneeze it falls on you, eh?
Guy 1: [sneezes]
Guy 2: are you gonna make it?
Guy 1: OHHH MY GOD maybe not!
Guy 1: ...every time I sneeze it falls on you, eh?
Reposted by Leah Miller
I’ve played a lot of simcity but I didn’t know you could go pro
November 27, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I’ve played a lot of simcity but I didn’t know you could go pro
Reposted by Leah Miller
(holding up the phone to my 3yo) these women sealed the honmoon long before huntrix ever existed
3yo: what are their names
me: this is scary spice, there’s also posh, baby, sporty and ginger
3yo: what are their names
me: this is scary spice, there’s also posh, baby, sporty and ginger
November 30, 2025 at 9:40 PM
(holding up the phone to my 3yo) these women sealed the honmoon long before huntrix ever existed
3yo: what are their names
me: this is scary spice, there’s also posh, baby, sporty and ginger
3yo: what are their names
me: this is scary spice, there’s also posh, baby, sporty and ginger
Reposted by Leah Miller
I kept putting this off like "oh yeah yeah no I'll get around to it" but then realized that TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO KEEP YOUR OG ACCOUNT
It's the LAST DAY to save your connection to everything on your @giantbomb.bsky.social profile before the freeze.
If you don't opt in right now, you'll need to make a new account on the new site. Even if you haven't used the site in a long time, do it just in case.
www.giantbomb.com/account/tos-...
If you don't opt in right now, you'll need to make a new account on the new site. Even if you haven't used the site in a long time, do it just in case.
www.giantbomb.com/account/tos-...
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November 30, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I kept putting this off like "oh yeah yeah no I'll get around to it" but then realized that TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO KEEP YOUR OG ACCOUNT
Reposted by Leah Miller
top notch mascottin'
November 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
top notch mascottin'
Reposted by Leah Miller
oh no
November 30, 2025 at 4:06 AM
oh no
Reposted by Leah Miller
I think a big thing I struggle with, and something that is an important thing for people of my generation to attempt to understand, is separating toxic nostalgia from knowledge of the actual ways in which American life has gotten appreciably worse in my lifetime
it’s so weird to look around and realize like, tech and media are materially worse than a decade ago
November 30, 2025 at 5:37 AM
I think a big thing I struggle with, and something that is an important thing for people of my generation to attempt to understand, is separating toxic nostalgia from knowledge of the actual ways in which American life has gotten appreciably worse in my lifetime
Reposted by Leah Miller
I GENUINELY HATE THAT WE USE THE SAME TERM TO REFER TO THE PLAGIARISM SLOP MACHINE AND THE CODE THAT MAKES TAILS FOLLOW YOU AROUND IN SONIC 2.
July 29, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I GENUINELY HATE THAT WE USE THE SAME TERM TO REFER TO THE PLAGIARISM SLOP MACHINE AND THE CODE THAT MAKES TAILS FOLLOW YOU AROUND IN SONIC 2.
Reposted by Leah Miller
This is why Batman needs Alfred.
rich dudes got freakier after butlers fell out of fashion, like say what you will about having domestic servants but clearly it was some sort of moderating force on old rich dudes having a fancy man follow you around saying shit like "oh dear sir, that wouldn't be very becoming"
November 29, 2025 at 9:16 PM
This is why Batman needs Alfred.
Reposted by Leah Miller
True freedom is the skill where not maxing it out at chargen will lock you out of the main quest twenty hours later and the skill that has exactly one (1) non-trivial check in the entire game both costing one point per rank.
November 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
True freedom is the skill where not maxing it out at chargen will lock you out of the main quest twenty hours later and the skill that has exactly one (1) non-trivial check in the entire game both costing one point per rank.
Reposted by Leah Miller
No, I 100% agree that computer RPGs these days have too much handholding. I, too, yearn for the days of being able to spend hours crafting my perfect build from hundreds of available options, only to discover that it mathematically cannot survive the mandatory rat fight portion of the first dungeon.
November 28, 2025 at 5:18 PM
No, I 100% agree that computer RPGs these days have too much handholding. I, too, yearn for the days of being able to spend hours crafting my perfect build from hundreds of available options, only to discover that it mathematically cannot survive the mandatory rat fight portion of the first dungeon.
Reposted by Leah Miller
"The stand user could be anyone"
when trying on pants, do this in the store. then tell the sales associate "the menswear guy told me to do this."
IG mr.funkys0ul
IG mr.funkys0ul
November 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
"The stand user could be anyone"
Reposted by Leah Miller
i actually enjoy malort and even i think this is abominable
I once tried something at a bar called "Nashville Hot Malört" and it was exactly as bad as you'd expect.
November 28, 2025 at 6:35 AM
i actually enjoy malort and even i think this is abominable
Reposted by Leah Miller
its so crazy that young people became less interested in movies & tv at the same time weird tech guys mostly started deciding what gets made
November 27, 2025 at 3:42 AM
its so crazy that young people became less interested in movies & tv at the same time weird tech guys mostly started deciding what gets made
Reposted by Leah Miller
bonus tracked pelican diving in front of a sunset with ~ORANGE SPLASH BABEEYY!!!!~
I'm gonna go take a nap. or just straight up sleep. im very tired. love each other. be venomous to our enemies. together 🥰
also remember to not buy starbucks through the duration of @sbworkersunited.org' ULP strike!
I'm gonna go take a nap. or just straight up sleep. im very tired. love each other. be venomous to our enemies. together 🥰
also remember to not buy starbucks through the duration of @sbworkersunited.org' ULP strike!
November 26, 2025 at 3:31 AM
bonus tracked pelican diving in front of a sunset with ~ORANGE SPLASH BABEEYY!!!!~
I'm gonna go take a nap. or just straight up sleep. im very tired. love each other. be venomous to our enemies. together 🥰
also remember to not buy starbucks through the duration of @sbworkersunited.org' ULP strike!
I'm gonna go take a nap. or just straight up sleep. im very tired. love each other. be venomous to our enemies. together 🥰
also remember to not buy starbucks through the duration of @sbworkersunited.org' ULP strike!
Reposted by Leah Miller
