Scholar
LightNews

Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

Videos

Noah Wardrip-Fruin is a professor in the Computational Media department of the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is an… more

H-index: 27
Computer science 46%
Sociology 15%
more

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

aarontram.bsky.social
🎉🔥🎉ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉🔥🎉DAY🎉🔥🎉

Jonathan Rey Lee’s book on CATAN is almost out. It’s the first in the Tabletop Gaming series that Paul Booth and I have been hard at work editing this past three years. Anyway, the book is fantastic. Please consider it and share with the right people.
3 41 110

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

quakefultales.bsky.social
Hey narrative folks my team is looking for a narrative designer to come work with me in Iceland! If you have solid storytelling fundamentals, some technical experience, and live ops or adjacent experience, we are looking for someone like you!

careers.ccpgames.com/en/postings/...
Narrative Designer
Job Opening: Narrative Designer at CCP Games in Reykjavík.
careers.ccpgames.com
13 120 150

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

mackeza.bsky.social
Waterstones are doing 25% off preorders on my book Super Nintendo this week, alongside other 2026 titles. Preorders are super important for authors so please, buy your future self some cool books! www.waterstones.com/book/super-n...
Use the code OCTOBER25 for 25% off Super Nintendo, out February 2026
2 4 18

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
And as your kid grows a little older, I recommend things like Knights and Bikes foamswordgames.com/knights
Knights And Bikes - Video game — Foam Sword
Knights And Bikes is a hand-painted, Goonies inspired video game about two girls cycling around a Cornish island in the 1980s searching for treasure.
foamswordgames.com
1

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
If you have two Switches, I also think the multiplayer for Animal Crossing: New Horizons is great with young kids. Unfortunately, with just one Switch it's kind of a letdown (e.g., only the "lead" player gets to keep what they collect)
1 1

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
It's a really different game, but around that age we played a lot of Play With Gilbert in my house: jourev.wixsite.com/playwithgilb...
Home | playwithgilbert
jourev.wixsite.com
1 1

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
That would be great!
1

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
It’s very different from my other books. Kind of a “scholarly memoir” of the early Covid pandemic, the waning days of the first Trump term, and playing games with my kids as a disabled dad — all leading to passionate feelings about Animal Crossing
1

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

catacalypto.bsky.social
I have a theory that when designing a social simulation / generator, it can be useful to keep in mind a story you’d like your system to be able to organically generate. not every system should generate the same story but I have a short list of high-salience interesting stories I reach for. (1/2)
11 37 370

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
30% off and free shipping on my new book 😀
uchicagopress.bsky.social
The University of Chicago Press @uchicagopress.bsky.social · 8d
The Society for the History of Technology meeting is underway! You can check out our featured books and get 30% off & free US shipping with promo code EX58160 at our virtual exhibit: bit.ly/UCPEXSHOT #SHOT2025
1 1 3

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
It's the #BookBirthday of Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Can a Game Take Care of Us?

If you were one of the players swept up in the embrace of #ACNH, or one of the people puzzled by the whole phenomenon, I hope this book reveals something new.

Thanks to everyone at @uchicagopress.bsky.social
Book held open by hand, with two images of Animal Crossing, one on each page. There is text below the images, which begins: In time we got more rambunctious. We would run around playing tag and follow-the-leader, narrowly skirting the flower beds. He'd run laps around Resident Services, then suddenly head off toward another area of the island. I'd have a hint that he was about to climb a cliff or jump a stream, because I'd see a ladder or vaulting pole appear in his character's grip. He'd zig and I'd take a risk on zagging, opening or closing the distance between us. The game kept our running speed the same. I might tire out mentally, but I sure lasted longer than I would have physically.
1 1 9

by Anastasia Salter — Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

anasalter.bsky.social
My new book Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope? is out today from the @uchicagopress.bsky.social Replay series, which is dedicated to short, personal takes on games. I hope it invites readers to visit (or revisit) the Underground and befriend some fabulous monsters. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Replay book: Undertale - Can a Game Give Hope? with some absolutely fantastic University of Chicago Press wrapping paper.
11 23

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

uchicagopress.bsky.social
The Society for the History of Technology meeting is underway! You can check out our featured books and get 30% off & free US shipping with promo code EX58160 at our virtual exhibit: bit.ly/UCPEXSHOT #SHOT2025
4 2

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
I’m so glad it resonated with you!
1

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

thevideogamelibrary.org
Just wrapped this one up from @n-w-f.bsky.social and loved it.

I too found solace in ACNH during the pandemic, and while I’m neither a father nor living with a disability, this memoir resonated deeply with me.

Will share a full review in an upcoming newsletter.

Add this to your must-read list 🙏
1 2 12

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin, Maarten Vink, Robert B. Reich , and 6 more

bookshop.org
Can’t decide what to buy on Prime Day?

Try: absolutely nothing, and then go support indie bookstores instead 📚
63 2.8K 7.8K

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

shanedenson.bsky.social
The film|minutes video|graphic workstation is a tool for reading AND writing minute-by-minute analyses of moving-image media. (Thread)
1 3 6

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin, Anastasia Salter

thevideogamelibrary.org
Kicking things off with this exciting new REPLAY series

Thank you so much to @uchicagopress.bsky.social for this one 🙏

“ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS - CAN A GAME TAKE CARE OF US?”

Excited to see @n-w-f.bsky.social and @anasalter.bsky.social headline this launch!
The book cover for animal Crossing New Horizon‘s can a game take care of us. It is sitting on a wooden table with a blurred background. The cover is a series of 4 o’clock’s with one of the hands being a heart shape.
1 6 31

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

jkmahal.bsky.social
What movie do you consider to be “perfect?”
1 2

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
Faculty job — please help spread the word!

At UC Santa Cruz we have two games degrees, one in Engineering and one in Arts. This is a job with the Arts folks, who include super cool creators like @mattiebrice.bsky.social & @swensen.bsky.social

recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01998
Assistant Professor of Interactive Art, Performance & Games (Initial Review Date 11/14/25)
University of California, Santa Cruz is hiring. Apply now!
recruit.ucsc.edu
10 15

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
Just arrived!

With this book, @paulcornell.bsky.social & @rachaelsmith.bsky.social have established the genre of "cute cryptid whodunnit." It's about as far from the drumbeat of bad news as I can imagine.

I can't wait to discover Who Killed Nessie!
The cover of Who Killed Nessie by Paul Cornell and Rachel Smith
2 6

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

jzagal.bsky.social
Well, well, well played @nintendousa.bsky.social ! @benjedwards.com and I wouldn't have predicted THIS banger of an announcement... We should plug our @mitpress.bsky.social book "Seeing Red: Nintendo's Virtual Boy" at this point., no?

www.youtube.com/live/tWIEv_a...
Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025
YouTube video by Nintendo of America
www.youtube.com
2 5 8

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
How did Animal Crossing: New Horizons come to mean so much to so many? Travel back in time with me, five long years back, to the early days of ACNH and the Covid pandemic
Front cover of Animal Crossing: New Horizons book by Noah Wardrip-Fruin
6 18

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

getwired.com
Overheard someone saying their doctor told them to skip the Covid vaccine this year since it’s so mild.

If your doctor says that, you should probably get a different doctor.

I have several friends down with it right now… and it sure as hell doesn’t sound mild and irrelevant to me.
24 110 460

by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
It’s an honor to help launch this series with @anasalter.bsky.social
anasalter.bsky.social
Anastasia Salter @anasalter.bsky.social · Sep 9
The first copies of my next book, a short reflection on the lasting impact of indie game Undertale, have arrived at @uchicagopress.bsky.social and are in good company with @n-w-f.bsky.social's upcoming book on Animal Crossing. Find both at: press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/se...
First books upcoming in University of Chicago Press's Replay series: Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope? and Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Can a Game Take Care of Us?
1 6

by Anastasia Salter — Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

anasalter.bsky.social
The first copies of my next book, a short reflection on the lasting impact of indie game Undertale, have arrived at @uchicagopress.bsky.social and are in good company with @n-w-f.bsky.social's upcoming book on Animal Crossing. Find both at: press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/se...
First books upcoming in University of Chicago Press's Replay series: Undertale: Can a Game Give Hope? and Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Can a Game Take Care of Us?
14 59

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
I agree that 5E D&D (as a system) lacks narrative nuance. But at the same time, I feel that the ability to mentally grasp incredible breadth is the core experience of BG3. For me, the breadth (without emptiness) is a marvel, almost sublime
1 3

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

lainenooney.bsky.social
THIS Friday online game history journal ROMchip hosts @aarontram.bsky.social for a talk abt his recent book THE PRIVILEGE OF PLAY and the racialized history of hobby games
LIVE on TWITCH FEB 16 @ 2PM EST.

RSVP: www.tickettailor.com/events/romch...

FOLLOW US ON TWITCH: www.twitch.tv/romchipjournal
Join the guestlist – ROMchip Presents: Aaron Trammell on The Privilege of Play – Twitch
ROMchip Presents: Aaron Trammell on The Privilege of Play – Twitch, Fri Feb 16, 2024 - Join us Friday, February 16, as ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories hosts games studies scholar Aaron Trammell f...
www.tickettailor.com
4 8

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

n-w-f.bsky.social
Defeated the monsters — that didn't snap her out of it. Defeated Swann. (Maybe he's the big bad?) No dice. She kept attacking. Had to kill her

Reading later, *there is no way you can help* unless you approach her as a character w/ the [Scholar] tag
1

Reposted by Noah Wardrip‐Fruin

mariafarrell.bsky.social
This time 4 years ago I had covid

Hi, past self! in 2 months you'll write a viral piece about convalescing and how ME/CFS shows rest - real, serious rest - is the only treatment we have for Long Covid

This is still true

In 6 mths your lungs will still be fucked

In 2 yrs you'll get covid again.
Indefinitely Ill – Post-Covid Fatigue
What to do when your body forgets how to be well OK well this is going to be tricky to write because I’m not a doctor and it’s not medical advice, and the more I read around in the displaceme…
crookedtimber.org
5 19 63

References

Fields & subjects

Updated 1m