Nathan Savant
@baldsavant.bsky.social
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
✍️ Systemic Narrative Designer
🧭 Quest designer and world builder
🧠 Psychology and Sociology in #GameDesign
🧙♂️ Wizard in need of a pointy hat
Currently @ Unemployed
He/Him
✍️ Systemic Narrative Designer
🧭 Quest designer and world builder
🧠 Psychology and Sociology in #GameDesign
🧙♂️ Wizard in need of a pointy hat
Currently @ Unemployed
He/Him
Pinned
Nathan Savant
@baldsavant.bsky.social
· Oct 10
Systemic Narrative: A How-To Guide
After my last blog post on Donkey Kong Bananza, I threatened to take what I’d learned and tell you how to do that for yourself. Well here I am, looming in the shadows with the knife of knowledge in my hand. Waiting just for you.Now you may look at this blog title and think to yourself “But Nathan, Bananza doesn’t really have a systems-driven narrative, why are you talking about that topic?!” and to you I would say “welcome to my unhinged corner of the internet, you must be new here!”. Donkey Kon
www.nathansavant.com
NEW BLOG POST!
This time I'm talking about systems-driven narrative design and how YOU can tell a story with your gameplay, whatever that gameplay happens to be. We start from Bananza and build into a systemic approach anyone can use.
www.nathansavant.com/post/systemi...
This time I'm talking about systems-driven narrative design and how YOU can tell a story with your gameplay, whatever that gameplay happens to be. We start from Bananza and build into a systemic approach anyone can use.
www.nathansavant.com/post/systemi...
Reposted by Nathan Savant
November 11, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Reposted by Nathan Savant
Welp not a conspiracy anymore
November 10, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Welp not a conspiracy anymore
Just your regular reminder that while things suck, there is also progress happening within that.
It seems crucial (and long overdue) that our national political discourse has finally shifted from an obsession with "the economy" to what actually matters: whether people can afford the basic things they need to live.
November 10, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Just your regular reminder that while things suck, there is also progress happening within that.
Reposted by Nathan Savant
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
The model of holding individual senators responsible is broken here. The retirees clearly agreed to take the fall. Which is why the nos should get no credit for voting no unless they move to oust Schumer
November 10, 2025 at 3:47 AM
🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯
Reposted by Nathan Savant
In a normal democracy, a total collapse of party leadership would result in an no-confidence vote and immediate snap elections to find leaders who can lead
November 10, 2025 at 3:18 AM
In a normal democracy, a total collapse of party leadership would result in an no-confidence vote and immediate snap elections to find leaders who can lead
Repeat that for the men in the back!
Anyone appealing to your masculinity is trying to use your insecurity against you to sell you something!
Anyone appealing to your masculinity is trying to use your insecurity against you to sell you something!
I think an important part of becoming an adult male is realizing that anyone appealing to your ‘masculinity’ is trying to use your insecurity against you to sell you something. Don’t fall for this shit! You’re fine just the way you are, these assholes can all get fucked.
I’m sorry, but a goofy looking guy who grew up a privileged son of a pediatrician and has a phd in social theory from the university of Goethe and started in tech by investing an inheritance left to him by his grandfather talking about being a “dude” is very, very funny to me.
November 10, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Repeat that for the men in the back!
Anyone appealing to your masculinity is trying to use your insecurity against you to sell you something!
Anyone appealing to your masculinity is trying to use your insecurity against you to sell you something!
Reposted by Nathan Savant
Oh no. Oh god. I think I cracked the "Hero's Journey As A Core Loop" thing that inflicted itself upon my mind a while back.
Someone send a team, I need to be stopped.
Someone send a team, I need to be stopped.
November 8, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Oh no. Oh god. I think I cracked the "Hero's Journey As A Core Loop" thing that inflicted itself upon my mind a while back.
Someone send a team, I need to be stopped.
Someone send a team, I need to be stopped.
Reposted by Nathan Savant
'Human nature' is the capacity to categorize others as part of self. Extending the boundaries of concern, people often help strangers in emergencies.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
‘Heroic actions are a natural tendency’: why bystander apathy is a myth
Modern research shows the public work together selflessly in an emergency, motivated by a strong impulse to help
www.theguardian.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:31 PM
'Human nature' is the capacity to categorize others as part of self. Extending the boundaries of concern, people often help strangers in emergencies.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
It's true!
Rules are good if you need them to figure out where to go next, but you can always just play and find the fun organically. This is healthy too!
Rules are good if you need them to figure out where to go next, but you can always just play and find the fun organically. This is healthy too!
HOT TAKE: modern insistence that theres a 'right' way to design games is leading to homogenised cookie cutter games.
That's why every game you played in the 1990s was a weird, enchanting delight and everything now is a bit stale and makes you feel like you've played it before.
END HOT TAKE
That's why every game you played in the 1990s was a weird, enchanting delight and everything now is a bit stale and makes you feel like you've played it before.
END HOT TAKE
November 8, 2025 at 7:42 PM
It's true!
Rules are good if you need them to figure out where to go next, but you can always just play and find the fun organically. This is healthy too!
Rules are good if you need them to figure out where to go next, but you can always just play and find the fun organically. This is healthy too!
Reposted by Nathan Savant
warner brothers trickster figures explained
November 8, 2025 at 3:23 AM
warner brothers trickster figures explained
Reposted by Nathan Savant
your country should be massively overprovisioned for food and electricity or you have done it wrong
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co
November 6, 2025 at 3:56 PM
your country should be massively overprovisioned for food and electricity or you have done it wrong
Reposted by Nathan Savant
Gotta say, I’m not so confident that you do
November 7, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Gotta say, I’m not so confident that you do
I am ALSO into this kind of SolarPunk!
November 7, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I am ALSO into this kind of SolarPunk!
Reposted by Nathan Savant
virtue signalling is good actually
Performative decency is actually *so* important for this reason.
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
It tricks the 10% of ghouls into thinking that there are only 1% of ghouls.
And it makes the 30% of people that don't care one way or another follow the mostly decent crowd
November 7, 2025 at 7:59 PM
virtue signalling is good actually
When I say every game has a story whether you realize it or not, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN.
The events of your game will always create a story, and that story will either support or contradict whatever writing you may have, so you gotta make sure you're aware of it and working with it.
The events of your game will always create a story, and that story will either support or contradict whatever writing you may have, so you gotta make sure you're aware of it and working with it.
ECONOMICS GAMES ARE NOT ABOUT MONEY AND I CAN PROVE IT BY SHOWING THIS ALIEN BABY ABSOLUTELY BEEFING IT AND LOSING ALL AUTONOMY AND LIVELIHOOD IN SPACE WARLORD BABY TRADING SIMULATOR.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
November 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
When I say every game has a story whether you realize it or not, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN.
The events of your game will always create a story, and that story will either support or contradict whatever writing you may have, so you gotta make sure you're aware of it and working with it.
The events of your game will always create a story, and that story will either support or contradict whatever writing you may have, so you gotta make sure you're aware of it and working with it.
Reposted by Nathan Savant
ECONOMICS GAMES ARE NOT ABOUT MONEY AND I CAN PROVE IT BY SHOWING THIS ALIEN BABY ABSOLUTELY BEEFING IT AND LOSING ALL AUTONOMY AND LIVELIHOOD IN SPACE WARLORD BABY TRADING SIMULATOR.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
November 6, 2025 at 10:55 PM
ECONOMICS GAMES ARE NOT ABOUT MONEY AND I CAN PROVE IT BY SHOWING THIS ALIEN BABY ABSOLUTELY BEEFING IT AND LOSING ALL AUTONOMY AND LIVELIHOOD IN SPACE WARLORD BABY TRADING SIMULATOR.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
I GROW MORE NORMAL BY THE DAY.
Reposted by Nathan Savant
"Frequent follows, posts, and likes" - bruh. That's called social media. LOOK AT ME, ALL THE ENGAGEMENT FARMING I'M DOING
November 7, 2025 at 4:46 PM
"Frequent follows, posts, and likes" - bruh. That's called social media. LOOK AT ME, ALL THE ENGAGEMENT FARMING I'M DOING
Reposted by Nathan Savant
Reposted by Nathan Savant
Miss World Chile did is in a metal band. This was her talent portion at Miss World
www.instagram.com/reel/DQuI2W7...
www.instagram.com/reel/DQuI2W7...
November 7, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Miss World Chile did is in a metal band. This was her talent portion at Miss World
www.instagram.com/reel/DQuI2W7...
www.instagram.com/reel/DQuI2W7...
Reposted by Nathan Savant
If sandwich shops don’t start offering a sandwich named “the acquittal” then what are we even doing
November 6, 2025 at 9:27 PM
If sandwich shops don’t start offering a sandwich named “the acquittal” then what are we even doing
Brb, bout to join the Starmie cult!
November 6, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Brb, bout to join the Starmie cult!
So are Pokemon conscious while inside of pokeballs or is this like a Severance situation for them now?
November 6, 2025 at 4:53 AM
So are Pokemon conscious while inside of pokeballs or is this like a Severance situation for them now?
Reposted by Nathan Savant
"Hope is not blind optimism or uncritical belief in a political savior. Hope, to me, means the ability to imagine a better world is possible and then work to build it brick by brick. It is, as @prisonculture.bsky.social says, not an emotion but a discipline—one we must practice every single day."
Mayor Mamdani redefines what it means to hope
His victory has created a harsh contrast between the world we want and the world we have.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 6, 2025 at 1:08 AM
"Hope is not blind optimism or uncritical belief in a political savior. Hope, to me, means the ability to imagine a better world is possible and then work to build it brick by brick. It is, as @prisonculture.bsky.social says, not an emotion but a discipline—one we must practice every single day."