Ian Thomas
@wildwinter.bsky.social
Games, books, larp, films, rats, and shoggoths. Narrative Director @ The Chinese Room. Brit in Stockholm. He/him.
Narrative Articles: https://wildwinter.medium.com/
Narrative Tools: https://github.com/wildwinter
Narrative Articles: https://wildwinter.medium.com/
Narrative Tools: https://github.com/wildwinter
Reposted by Ian Thomas
All these grok things remind me of nothing more than the Arnold Rimmer song… youtu.be/E4TLto-nKfU?...
The Arnold J Rimmer Song
YouTube video by MrsMac5
youtu.be
November 21, 2025 at 7:04 AM
All these grok things remind me of nothing more than the Arnold Rimmer song… youtu.be/E4TLto-nKfU?...
A quick update - I've altered my simple mini-storylet-and-JS example to support multiple maps and locations. With it you can very easily put together a mini map-based story game using Ink.
Hope it's useful to someone!
wildwinter.medium.com/map-based-in...
Hope it's useful to someone!
wildwinter.medium.com/map-based-in...
Map Based Ink/JS Storylets
A simple explorable map sample in Javascript using Ink storylets.
wildwinter.medium.com
November 8, 2025 at 4:20 PM
A quick update - I've altered my simple mini-storylet-and-JS example to support multiple maps and locations. With it you can very easily put together a mini map-based story game using Ink.
Hope it's useful to someone!
wildwinter.medium.com/map-based-in...
Hope it's useful to someone!
wildwinter.medium.com/map-based-in...
Reposted by Ian Thomas
i owe so many video game designers an apology
November 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
i owe so many video game designers an apology
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Solo devs and very small teams often have this inherent cringe about the idea of making people pay $20 or $10 or even $5 for their little game and I can't emphasize enough how much you have to grab that cringing impulse within yourself and strangle it to death
October 24, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Solo devs and very small teams often have this inherent cringe about the idea of making people pay $20 or $10 or even $5 for their little game and I can't emphasize enough how much you have to grab that cringing impulse within yourself and strangle it to death
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Reposted by Ian Thomas
The Nighthawks demo has arrived!
During Steam Next Fest, seize the night as a modern monster, stepping out of the shadows to build a thriving nightclub empire through fear, seduction, and forbidden supernatural gifts.
Your second life begins tonight!
store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/...
During Steam Next Fest, seize the night as a modern monster, stepping out of the shadows to build a thriving nightclub empire through fear, seduction, and forbidden supernatural gifts.
Your second life begins tonight!
store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/...
October 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The Nighthawks demo has arrived!
During Steam Next Fest, seize the night as a modern monster, stepping out of the shadows to build a thriving nightclub empire through fear, seduction, and forbidden supernatural gifts.
Your second life begins tonight!
store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/...
During Steam Next Fest, seize the night as a modern monster, stepping out of the shadows to build a thriving nightclub empire through fear, seduction, and forbidden supernatural gifts.
Your second life begins tonight!
store.steampowered.com/app/1221950/...
Reposted by Ian Thomas
“Changing narrative is easiest”
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 12, 2025 at 2:09 PM
“Changing narrative is easiest”
Reposted by Ian Thomas
I saw this and immediately thought, this film has got me written all over it.
October 10, 2025 at 10:23 AM
I saw this and immediately thought, this film has got me written all over it.
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Reposted by Ian Thomas
In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:
October 2, 2025 at 3:17 PM
In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:
Reposted by Ian Thomas
The Steam Autumn sale has BEGUN!
All our games are up to 70% off until October 6!
store.steampowered.com/developer/Wa...
All our games are up to 70% off until October 6!
store.steampowered.com/developer/Wa...
September 29, 2025 at 7:33 PM
The Steam Autumn sale has BEGUN!
All our games are up to 70% off until October 6!
store.steampowered.com/developer/Wa...
All our games are up to 70% off until October 6!
store.steampowered.com/developer/Wa...
Is a Swedish pleasure house where a wide variety of different entertainments are on offer a smörgåsbordello?
September 28, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Is a Swedish pleasure house where a wide variety of different entertainments are on offer a smörgåsbordello?
"We would listen to the swashbuckling fisherman, and his tales of herring-do."
September 27, 2025 at 9:24 AM
"We would listen to the swashbuckling fisherman, and his tales of herring-do."
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Dutch late night TV has its take
September 19, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Dutch late night TV has its take
Amen to this thread.
Game writing is so often panicked patching and working around.
Many, many scripts go straight to recording without polish or solid editing.
Time to revise and edit shouldn't be a luxury, but it so often is.
Game writing is so often panicked patching and working around.
Many, many scripts go straight to recording without polish or solid editing.
Time to revise and edit shouldn't be a luxury, but it so often is.
One issue generally overlooked in the whole screenwriter vs gamewriter, discussion is time.
Beyond anything to do with training, ability, style etc is the amount of time screenwriters get to invest in a script.
Whilst there are time pressures on any writer, the vast amounts of script that-
1/9
Beyond anything to do with training, ability, style etc is the amount of time screenwriters get to invest in a script.
Whilst there are time pressures on any writer, the vast amounts of script that-
1/9
September 16, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Amen to this thread.
Game writing is so often panicked patching and working around.
Many, many scripts go straight to recording without polish or solid editing.
Time to revise and edit shouldn't be a luxury, but it so often is.
Game writing is so often panicked patching and working around.
Many, many scripts go straight to recording without polish or solid editing.
Time to revise and edit shouldn't be a luxury, but it so often is.
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 176:
Don't underestimate your reader. Give them space to imagine; to dream. You don't need to tell them everything; just the things they need to know.
Don't underestimate your reader. Give them space to imagine; to dream. You don't need to tell them everything; just the things they need to know.
September 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Unsolicited writing advice, no. 176:
Don't underestimate your reader. Give them space to imagine; to dream. You don't need to tell them everything; just the things they need to know.
Don't underestimate your reader. Give them space to imagine; to dream. You don't need to tell them everything; just the things they need to know.
Have decided that there are two types of people.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Mission Impossible theme tune as their soundtrack.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Pink Panther theme tune.
(And then young people, obviously.)
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Mission Impossible theme tune as their soundtrack.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Pink Panther theme tune.
(And then young people, obviously.)
September 6, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Have decided that there are two types of people.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Mission Impossible theme tune as their soundtrack.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Pink Panther theme tune.
(And then young people, obviously.)
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Mission Impossible theme tune as their soundtrack.
Those who, when sneaking from point A to point B, imagine the Pink Panther theme tune.
(And then young people, obviously.)
Reposted by Ian Thomas
Reposted by Ian Thomas
TIL that the French for "dropped in at the deep end" is "plongé dans la marmite".
August 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
TIL that the French for "dropped in at the deep end" is "plongé dans la marmite".
As you get older you realise it's Maslow's Hierarchy of Knees.
August 30, 2025 at 1:54 PM
As you get older you realise it's Maslow's Hierarchy of Knees.
That is a wrap for Igor: Unplugged. 4 performances of the story that started out as a short musical film and ended up as a stage show in Stockholm.
The first time I've written music and lyrics for a movie. And now the first stage musical I've directed.
Now sleep.
The first time I've written music and lyrics for a movie. And now the first stage musical I've directed.
Now sleep.
August 24, 2025 at 12:59 PM
That is a wrap for Igor: Unplugged. 4 performances of the story that started out as a short musical film and ended up as a stage show in Stockholm.
The first time I've written music and lyrics for a movie. And now the first stage musical I've directed.
Now sleep.
The first time I've written music and lyrics for a movie. And now the first stage musical I've directed.
Now sleep.
Brian is just *so* good.
To celebrate the publication of a new edition of ‘You Took the Last Bus Home’ later this week, I’m going to share a poem each day from it. This one is called ‘Jessica Fletcher Investigates’.
In other news, today is Bad Poetry Day apparently.
In other news, today is Bad Poetry Day apparently.
August 18, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Brian is just *so* good.