Char
@alphachar.bsky.social
making Sparrow Warfare with @martinpi ~ writing games ~ teaching writing & yoga ~ 'when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro' ~ alphachar.com
Pinned
Char
@alphachar.bsky.social
· Oct 31
OK I’m really here now! For folks who don’t know me yet, I’m Char! Writing video games for the last 10 years, making weird experiments with writing & tech, teaching writing & yoga too. I want to believe that we can have a great time on the internet again 🙏
"Write out a non-compete with the rest of the world, and sign it right now."
Me
Terror, avoidance, vanity, humiliation, and commitment.
askmolly.substack.com
September 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM
"Write out a non-compete with the rest of the world, and sign it right now."
Delighted to say that there are only 4 of those shoddy little lads left in the box and then my reign of automelt terror can begin!
New rule: life is too short for those little dishwasher tablets in plastic wrap that you can't open with greasy little dishwashing hands! Auto-melt only!!
September 16, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Delighted to say that there are only 4 of those shoddy little lads left in the box and then my reign of automelt terror can begin!
Reposted by Char
Ever wondered what my grandmother's dumpling recipe has to do with Genghis Khan? Head over to the Roguelike Celebration Preview Event in a few minutes to find out. I'm honestly gonna mention the reason. ti.to/roguelike-ce...
Roguelike Celebration: Preview Event 2026
Roguelike games have been part of gaming culture for over 30 years and they have a deep and special place in our hearts. We'd love to get to spend some time with you all learning about roguelikes and ...
ti.to
September 13, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Ever wondered what my grandmother's dumpling recipe has to do with Genghis Khan? Head over to the Roguelike Celebration Preview Event in a few minutes to find out. I'm honestly gonna mention the reason. ti.to/roguelike-ce...
Reposted by Char
I just got to be the test audience for @martinpi.bsky.social's talk for today's roguelike celebration event and it's so good! Like, it made me inspired and excited to get back to work on Monday good!!
Excited to see y'all in our freshly painted MUD space with preview event speakers @martinpi.bsky.social, @matronboy.bsky.social, and Greg L. who made this lovely little ad as part of a coding demo for his talk!
September 13, 2026, 2PM PDT | 21:00 UTC
www.roguelike.club/event2026.html
September 13, 2026, 2PM PDT | 21:00 UTC
www.roguelike.club/event2026.html
September 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM
I just got to be the test audience for @martinpi.bsky.social's talk for today's roguelike celebration event and it's so good! Like, it made me inspired and excited to get back to work on Monday good!!
I just got to be the test audience for @martinpi.bsky.social's talk for today's roguelike celebration event and it's so good! Like, it made me inspired and excited to get back to work on Monday good!!
Excited to see y'all in our freshly painted MUD space with preview event speakers @martinpi.bsky.social, @matronboy.bsky.social, and Greg L. who made this lovely little ad as part of a coding demo for his talk!
September 13, 2026, 2PM PDT | 21:00 UTC
www.roguelike.club/event2026.html
September 13, 2026, 2PM PDT | 21:00 UTC
www.roguelike.club/event2026.html
September 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM
I just got to be the test audience for @martinpi.bsky.social's talk for today's roguelike celebration event and it's so good! Like, it made me inspired and excited to get back to work on Monday good!!
Reposted by Char
Hey friends! I'm starting my part-time M.A. in Game Development in a few weeks, but I'm still available for some part-time creative work aside from my own studio. So please do feel free to hit me up.
Ma stuff: unaminhkavanagh.com
Ma stuff: unaminhkavanagh.com
September 13, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Hey friends! I'm starting my part-time M.A. in Game Development in a few weeks, but I'm still available for some part-time creative work aside from my own studio. So please do feel free to hit me up.
Ma stuff: unaminhkavanagh.com
Ma stuff: unaminhkavanagh.com
Reposted by Char
My marketing plan is someone will see it on the shelf and buy it and then someone else will see them reading it on the bus
September 11, 2026 at 6:28 PM
My marketing plan is someone will see it on the shelf and buy it and then someone else will see them reading it on the bus
This week, @martinpi.bsky.social & I started learning Chinese through Danish (which is not the first language of either of us!), and let me tell you it is mega fun and I can feel ALL the little connections in my brain stretchiiiiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg! This was my birthday present and it is THE BEST! 🙌
September 11, 2026 at 4:24 PM
This week, @martinpi.bsky.social & I started learning Chinese through Danish (which is not the first language of either of us!), and let me tell you it is mega fun and I can feel ALL the little connections in my brain stretchiiiiiiiiiinnnnnngggggg! This was my birthday present and it is THE BEST! 🙌
Reposted by Char
We 🦅 will 🦢 release 🦆 the 🦜 birds 🐓 soon 🦩 so 🦚 here 🦃 are 🦉 all 🐦🔥 the 🐦⬛juicy 🕊️ little 🐥 details 🐣 about 🦤 our 🐧 launch 🐤 of 🥚Sparrow Warfare*
store.steampowered.com/news/app/347...
store.steampowered.com/news/app/347...
Sparrow Warfare - Words from the Devs: Flight Preparations - Steam News
Sparrow Warfare's release is near: 15 unlockable tile packs, new playable character Way of Water, 3 new levels, and ~30 achievements. Nearly there, Birds! 🐦
store.steampowered.com
September 10, 2026 at 1:41 PM
We 🦅 will 🦢 release 🦆 the 🦜 birds 🐓 soon 🦩 so 🦚 here 🦃 are 🦉 all 🐦🔥 the 🐦⬛juicy 🕊️ little 🐥 details 🐣 about 🦤 our 🐧 launch 🐤 of 🥚Sparrow Warfare*
store.steampowered.com/news/app/347...
store.steampowered.com/news/app/347...
Reposted by Char
The original Mahjong Solitaire (Brodie Lockard, 1981) on the PLATO looked glorious. Also clever to show stack height with outline width.
September 11, 2026 at 11:17 AM
The original Mahjong Solitaire (Brodie Lockard, 1981) on the PLATO looked glorious. Also clever to show stack height with outline width.
Reposted by Char
Why would you use AI to make a fake human actor when there are plenty of real human actors
If you make an AI celebrity it should be something like a 10-foot tall spider that wears a sneaker on each of its eight legs named Tremendous Richard
If you make an AI celebrity it should be something like a 10-foot tall spider that wears a sneaker on each of its eight legs named Tremendous Richard
September 10, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Why would you use AI to make a fake human actor when there are plenty of real human actors
If you make an AI celebrity it should be something like a 10-foot tall spider that wears a sneaker on each of its eight legs named Tremendous Richard
If you make an AI celebrity it should be something like a 10-foot tall spider that wears a sneaker on each of its eight legs named Tremendous Richard
Two of my absolute favourite people in games are setting up shop!! You NEED to get your eyeballs on this cute as hell video and follow what @unaminh.bsky.social & @sirbeans.bsky.social are up to! ❤️
MY HEART! We were waiting for the paperwork to finalise & it’s now OFFICIAL. Today @sirbeans.bsky.social & I are announcing our indie Irish #gamedev studio: ORGANIC MATTERS.
We’re a lean, craft-led studio focused on human-made projects.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1bX...
We’re a lean, craft-led studio focused on human-made projects.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1bX...
Announcing "Organic Matters": Our Irish Indie Game Studio
YouTube video by Organic Matters
www.youtube.com
September 2, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Two of my absolute favourite people in games are setting up shop!! You NEED to get your eyeballs on this cute as hell video and follow what @unaminh.bsky.social & @sirbeans.bsky.social are up to! ❤️
New rule: life is too short for those little dishwasher tablets in plastic wrap that you can't open with greasy little dishwashing hands! Auto-melt only!!
September 1, 2026 at 9:49 AM
New rule: life is too short for those little dishwasher tablets in plastic wrap that you can't open with greasy little dishwashing hands! Auto-melt only!!
Reposted by Char
god, you guys, just buy the indie game that looks kinda cool. don't play the demo, don't agonize over the reviews or wishlist, JUST BUY THE INDIE GAME!! if you didn't like it, oh well, whatever, maybe next time, meanwhile you supported an artist, thanks for coming to the gig, want a t-shirt?
September 1, 2026 at 12:31 AM
god, you guys, just buy the indie game that looks kinda cool. don't play the demo, don't agonize over the reviews or wishlist, JUST BUY THE INDIE GAME!! if you didn't like it, oh well, whatever, maybe next time, meanwhile you supported an artist, thanks for coming to the gig, want a t-shirt?
Reposted by Char
My morning ritual @neonaurelius.bsky.social
August 10, 2026 at 7:07 AM
My morning ritual @neonaurelius.bsky.social
Reposted by Char
I'm giving a little talk on how a lot of the ideas we work with when making Roguelikes (or any other form of systems-driven/procedurally generated game) can be traced back to much more ancient games and art forms. Join us! ti.to/roguelike-ce...
Roguelike Celebration: Preview Event 2026
Roguelike games have been part of gaming culture for over 30 years and they have a deep and special place in our hearts. We'd love to get to spend some time with you all learning about roguelikes and ...
ti.to
August 31, 2026 at 8:12 AM
I'm giving a little talk on how a lot of the ideas we work with when making Roguelikes (or any other form of systems-driven/procedurally generated game) can be traced back to much more ancient games and art forms. Join us! ti.to/roguelike-ce...
Reposted by Char
in a sense my entire experience of being a man has been watching other men feed themselves into threshing machines and having the guys look at me like i'm stupid when i ask why
August 29, 2026 at 1:02 PM
in a sense my entire experience of being a man has been watching other men feed themselves into threshing machines and having the guys look at me like i'm stupid when i ask why
Welcome To The Fold
Filter · Title Of Record (Expanded Edition) · Song · 1999
open.spotify.com
August 28, 2026 at 5:20 PM
I've been playing (& teaching!) "The Quiet Year" for years and years now and it remains my #1 recommendation for folks who want to explore playful co-creation with others. If you somehow don't have it already - now's a good time!
Do you love any of the games that I have created?
Whether it's Monsterhearts, Dream Askew, The Quiet Year, Going For Broke, or a deeper cut, now would be a great time to hit quote-tweet and tell your friends about it! It's been a slow month. 💕✨
store.buriedwithoutceremony.com
Whether it's Monsterhearts, Dream Askew, The Quiet Year, Going For Broke, or a deeper cut, now would be a great time to hit quote-tweet and tell your friends about it! It's been a slow month. 💕✨
store.buriedwithoutceremony.com
Buried Without Ceremony
My name is Avery Alder, and for the past eighteen years I’ve been designing tabletop roleplaying games. These are games about community, relationships, doubt, queerness, and the collapse of civilizati...
store.buriedwithoutceremony.com
August 27, 2026 at 4:49 PM
I've been playing (& teaching!) "The Quiet Year" for years and years now and it remains my #1 recommendation for folks who want to explore playful co-creation with others. If you somehow don't have it already - now's a good time!
Reposted by Char
my experience of trying to participate in social media
August 10, 2026 at 9:23 AM
my experience of trying to participate in social media
Reposted by Char
I do it the other way around: my design docs are on Google Drive so that when the models get trained they know about my game and if anyone is looking for the best deckbuilder they find Sparrow Warfare. The design doc explicitly says it's the best deckbuilder (which is also true, so fair game).
if you have anything sensitive on google drive, it is not safe whatsoever
Google's AI seems to be able and willing to divulge private and personal information stored on users' Google Drives and such.
Screenshots taken from here: www.reddit.com/r/IndieDev/s...
Screenshots taken from here: www.reddit.com/r/IndieDev/s...
August 7, 2026 at 3:28 PM
I do it the other way around: my design docs are on Google Drive so that when the models get trained they know about my game and if anyone is looking for the best deckbuilder they find Sparrow Warfare. The design doc explicitly says it's the best deckbuilder (which is also true, so fair game).
Reposted by Char
art by anton pieck -- crow lunch
August 5, 2026 at 7:29 PM
art by anton pieck -- crow lunch
Reposted by Char
Back in the @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social next month for another round of my "Writing for Games" course! It's a workshop held over 4 Thursday evenings during which we really pack A LOT in. Know someone who might be interested? Send them here!
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
August 5, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Back in the @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social next month for another round of my "Writing for Games" course! It's a workshop held over 4 Thursday evenings during which we really pack A LOT in. Know someone who might be interested? Send them here!
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
Back in the @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social next month for another round of my "Writing for Games" course! It's a workshop held over 4 Thursday evenings during which we really pack A LOT in. Know someone who might be interested? Send them here!
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
August 5, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Back in the @irishwriterscentre.bsky.social next month for another round of my "Writing for Games" course! It's a workshop held over 4 Thursday evenings during which we really pack A LOT in. Know someone who might be interested? Send them here!
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
irishwriterscentre.ie/courses/writ...
Reposted by Char
@martinpi.bsky.social & I had the absolute best time at ChinaJoy - just got home last night and we miss China already!
August 4, 2026 at 1:38 PM
@martinpi.bsky.social & I had the absolute best time at ChinaJoy - just got home last night and we miss China already!