Alexander King
@literallyaking.com
Game Designer, Economy/System Design. Adjunct Professor at NYU Game Center & Parsons DT. Staff Data Analyst for ACT-UAW Local 7902. Spreadsheet aficionado.
(He/Him)
(He/Him)
Hey if you're attending Roguelike Celebration, I'm giving a talk in about an hour, watch it live on the @roguelike.club stream at 6:45pm Eastern! I'm giving a little lightning talk on an underused mechanic for deckbuilders
October 26, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Hey if you're attending Roguelike Celebration, I'm giving a talk in about an hour, watch it live on the @roguelike.club stream at 6:45pm Eastern! I'm giving a little lightning talk on an underused mechanic for deckbuilders
Don't be insulting my man Cassius. You gotta remember they're from, like, the Victorian era. Put in their proper context, they're not any less kitsch, but are much more hilarious. You've got Picasso starting his rose period or whatever, and Coolidge is over here banging out masterpieces like this-
October 18, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Don't be insulting my man Cassius. You gotta remember they're from, like, the Victorian era. Put in their proper context, they're not any less kitsch, but are much more hilarious. You've got Picasso starting his rose period or whatever, and Coolidge is over here banging out masterpieces like this-
A typical day for Shanon, Chong and Susannah:
October 16, 2025 at 7:19 PM
A typical day for Shanon, Chong and Susannah:
This has been my go-to, using the whole body of the vehicle to clamp onto the object, then lifting it up to clear the ground. I've been using variants of this for most jobs (or mainly a bigger version with more wheels and pistons etc), it works great, but can't do the soft or multi-piece ones
October 11, 2025 at 8:58 PM
This has been my go-to, using the whole body of the vehicle to clamp onto the object, then lifting it up to clear the ground. I've been using variants of this for most jobs (or mainly a bigger version with more wheels and pistons etc), it works great, but can't do the soft or multi-piece ones
Can't wait to get an AI signed copy of my AI generated issue of ... wait a minute... bonerme?
October 10, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Can't wait to get an AI signed copy of my AI generated issue of ... wait a minute... bonerme?
Fantastic piece about the unionization victory of teachers at the Manhattan School of Music. Some really far-ranging takeaways, definitely relevant to other precarious lines of work like games-
brooklynrail.org/2025/10/fiel...
brooklynrail.org/2025/10/fiel...
October 2, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Fantastic piece about the unionization victory of teachers at the Manhattan School of Music. Some really far-ranging takeaways, definitely relevant to other precarious lines of work like games-
brooklynrail.org/2025/10/fiel...
brooklynrail.org/2025/10/fiel...
This picture makes me laugh every single time I read my kid's book about visiting the doctor. She looks like a "without downloading new pictures how are you feeling?" meme that's come to life
September 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM
This picture makes me laugh every single time I read my kid's book about visiting the doctor. She looks like a "without downloading new pictures how are you feeling?" meme that's come to life
Lot of interesting stuff in this survey-
Looking through it, another one that jumped out at me is the "Is there anyone who speaks for people like you?". 60% of all respondents say no. Of Democrats Bernie is the top answer (at 4%), AOC is 3rd, and Mamdani places ahead of basically all elected Dems.
Looking through it, another one that jumped out at me is the "Is there anyone who speaks for people like you?". 60% of all respondents say no. Of Democrats Bernie is the top answer (at 4%), AOC is 3rd, and Mamdani places ahead of basically all elected Dems.
September 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Lot of interesting stuff in this survey-
Looking through it, another one that jumped out at me is the "Is there anyone who speaks for people like you?". 60% of all respondents say no. Of Democrats Bernie is the top answer (at 4%), AOC is 3rd, and Mamdani places ahead of basically all elected Dems.
Looking through it, another one that jumped out at me is the "Is there anyone who speaks for people like you?". 60% of all respondents say no. Of Democrats Bernie is the top answer (at 4%), AOC is 3rd, and Mamdani places ahead of basically all elected Dems.
Whoops cropped the question out of the survey data. Here it is with the question-
September 27, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Whoops cropped the question out of the survey data. Here it is with the question-
Hmm, although it makes me wonder how much of this is just colored by "progressive" being a much more nebulous designation vs "democratic socialist" being very specific, especially absent a choice for "liberal". Like here is how that question was actually asked:
September 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Hmm, although it makes me wonder how much of this is just colored by "progressive" being a much more nebulous designation vs "democratic socialist" being very specific, especially absent a choice for "liberal". Like here is how that question was actually asked:
One the things I'm really loving about Consume Me is how unmistakably it takes place in NYC, in subtle but detailed and grounded ways. Reading on the subway, going on dates at museums, the manhattan mall, doing laundry in the basement. I grew up here too, and I never see the city shown like this.
September 26, 2025 at 2:38 PM
One the things I'm really loving about Consume Me is how unmistakably it takes place in NYC, in subtle but detailed and grounded ways. Reading on the subway, going on dates at museums, the manhattan mall, doing laundry in the basement. I grew up here too, and I never see the city shown like this.
Interesting preview of the bubble collapse here. Nvidia is sort of paying to rent their own GPUs from the companies that buy those GPUs to resell compute, so that those companies can raise more debt, to buy more GPUs. It's driving demand by using debt, whole thing seems liable to topple over.
September 20, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Interesting preview of the bubble collapse here. Nvidia is sort of paying to rent their own GPUs from the companies that buy those GPUs to resell compute, so that those companies can raise more debt, to buy more GPUs. It's driving demand by using debt, whole thing seems liable to topple over.
Mario accurately reflecting the findings of "10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Man" (2014)
September 7, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Mario accurately reflecting the findings of "10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Man" (2014)
Some further detail of the monkey heroism which the mural commemorates.
August 31, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Some further detail of the monkey heroism which the mural commemorates.
I noticed this mural at the Prospect Park zoo of... monkeys fighting a mountain lion? It feels like a monument that monkeys themselves commissioned to celebrate some epic battle.
Can't find out anything about it, but it's New Deal era. This is why we need publicly funded arts programs people!
Can't find out anything about it, but it's New Deal era. This is why we need publicly funded arts programs people!
August 31, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I noticed this mural at the Prospect Park zoo of... monkeys fighting a mountain lion? It feels like a monument that monkeys themselves commissioned to celebrate some epic battle.
Can't find out anything about it, but it's New Deal era. This is why we need publicly funded arts programs people!
Can't find out anything about it, but it's New Deal era. This is why we need publicly funded arts programs people!
Fantastic show! Lot of great games and I saw lot of folks playing the Suzzzy Show by @bugfoe.lol!
August 23, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Fantastic show! Lot of great games and I saw lot of folks playing the Suzzzy Show by @bugfoe.lol!
There's a lot of interesting data in this, but the one most interesting to me is this one.
It's funny that 7 is such an overwhelming winner, but it's a "lucky number", so maybe that makes sense. But look close, and all the odd numbers are locally favored over the even numbers-
It's funny that 7 is such an overwhelming winner, but it's a "lucky number", so maybe that makes sense. But look close, and all the odd numbers are locally favored over the even numbers-
August 17, 2025 at 8:43 PM
There's a lot of interesting data in this, but the one most interesting to me is this one.
It's funny that 7 is such an overwhelming winner, but it's a "lucky number", so maybe that makes sense. But look close, and all the odd numbers are locally favored over the even numbers-
It's funny that 7 is such an overwhelming winner, but it's a "lucky number", so maybe that makes sense. But look close, and all the odd numbers are locally favored over the even numbers-
Not sure what use it'll have exactly, but a weird and fun peripheral for someone to play around with.
August 12, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Not sure what use it'll have exactly, but a weird and fun peripheral for someone to play around with.
We played a game of smash bros to test it out (@tigerthelion.bsky.social quickly beating @phyrex.bsky.social and I). The LCD screen looks pretty good straight on, but gets quite a red blurry glare from the sides. So, maybe better for playing like, Metroid Prime on the go, I guess.
August 12, 2025 at 7:38 PM
We played a game of smash bros to test it out (@tigerthelion.bsky.social quickly beating @phyrex.bsky.social and I). The LCD screen looks pretty good straight on, but gets quite a red blurry glare from the sides. So, maybe better for playing like, Metroid Prime on the go, I guess.
Made a fun donation to the Game Center library today, a quarter-century-old Intec mobile LCD screen for Game Cube! (or really my partner's donation, found in an attic from her childhood).
It (conceivably) would let you play in your car, powered by the cigarette lighter! Still works and sounds great-
It (conceivably) would let you play in your car, powered by the cigarette lighter! Still works and sounds great-
August 12, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Made a fun donation to the Game Center library today, a quarter-century-old Intec mobile LCD screen for Game Cube! (or really my partner's donation, found in an attic from her childhood).
It (conceivably) would let you play in your car, powered by the cigarette lighter! Still works and sounds great-
It (conceivably) would let you play in your car, powered by the cigarette lighter! Still works and sounds great-
Haha yeah, I'm so glad they found a home so quick! I really thought it was a longshot anybody would want em.
And I didn't even mention, but some of the covers are thematically relevant for the Game Center as well, eg-
And I didn't even mention, but some of the covers are thematically relevant for the Game Center as well, eg-
August 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Haha yeah, I'm so glad they found a home so quick! I really thought it was a longshot anybody would want em.
And I didn't even mention, but some of the covers are thematically relevant for the Game Center as well, eg-
And I didn't even mention, but some of the covers are thematically relevant for the Game Center as well, eg-
Yeah, you're not wrong! It's actually a really weird (/horrifying) part of modern US culture, an exultation to work that is so pervasive that even the wealthiest people overwork.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
August 9, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Yeah, you're not wrong! It's actually a really weird (/horrifying) part of modern US culture, an exultation to work that is so pervasive that even the wealthiest people overwork.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
I love, LOVE learning about games like this. But I also feel an intense sadness that this is the first time I've ever heard about this amazing game and the people who play it, even though my country has been in various states of war with theirs off and on for basically my entire life.
July 30, 2025 at 5:59 PM
I love, LOVE learning about games like this. But I also feel an intense sadness that this is the first time I've ever heard about this amazing game and the people who play it, even though my country has been in various states of war with theirs off and on for basically my entire life.