Taylor Hardwick
@darthtayrah.bsky.social
Postdoc @RMIT on gender, games and kids’ play cultures 👾
Freeplay board🤘DiGRAA board ⭐️ silly little guy 🤠 she/her 🌿
Freeplay board🤘DiGRAA board ⭐️ silly little guy 🤠 she/her 🌿
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
A friendly reminder to, PREORDER very cool new Parallels T-shirts ･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Caps, totes and stickers will be available for purchase on the night, but T-shirts will have very limited sizing availability - so please be sure to preorder if you don’t want to miss out on your size!
Love freeplay. Xx
Love freeplay. Xx
September 18, 2026 at 1:18 AM
A friendly reminder to, PREORDER very cool new Parallels T-shirts ･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ Caps, totes and stickers will be available for purchase on the night, but T-shirts will have very limited sizing availability - so please be sure to preorder if you don’t want to miss out on your size!
Love freeplay. Xx
Love freeplay. Xx
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
✦ PARALLELS 2026 — THE CALL-OUT IS HERE ✦ Making a game, and wanna yap about it at Parallels 2026? Now is the time to let us know! Speaker submissions close on the 5th of June. That’s THREE WEEKS. Don't overthink it. Just apply here: forms.gle/j8NkrdqMnwoH...
May 19, 2026 at 7:06 AM
✦ PARALLELS 2026 — THE CALL-OUT IS HERE ✦ Making a game, and wanna yap about it at Parallels 2026? Now is the time to let us know! Speaker submissions close on the 5th of June. That’s THREE WEEKS. Don't overthink it. Just apply here: forms.gle/j8NkrdqMnwoH...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Freeplay rules!!!!!! 🥹❤️🔥
Announcing: Freeplay is here to stay. Parallels 2026 is coming and we're advocating for games to be funded as art. Read more and get involved: freeplay.net.au/posts/freepl...
Freeplay | The Shape of Games to Come
talks and games and friends
freeplay.net.au
April 17, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Freeplay rules!!!!!! 🥹❤️🔥
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Roblox is adding two new account types in an effort to improve child protection, as the platform faces regulatory pressure and perceptions of enabling predatory behaviour.
But experts are worried that Roblox's measures just heap more pressure on parents.
www.gadgetguy.com.au/roblox-adds-...
But experts are worried that Roblox's measures just heap more pressure on parents.
www.gadgetguy.com.au/roblox-adds-...
Roblox adds Kids accounts, experts fear for pressure on parents
Roblox is adding a Kids account type to try and protect children online, but experts worry that parents will be left to pick up the slack.
www.gadgetguy.com.au
April 13, 2026 at 10:10 PM
Roblox is adding two new account types in an effort to improve child protection, as the platform faces regulatory pressure and perceptions of enabling predatory behaviour.
But experts are worried that Roblox's measures just heap more pressure on parents.
www.gadgetguy.com.au/roblox-adds-...
But experts are worried that Roblox's measures just heap more pressure on parents.
www.gadgetguy.com.au/roblox-adds-...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Given the news yesterday, I've seen a lot of speculation about the logistics of running events, and I wanted to give some perspective on the challenges of it in the current moment.
madmacsfuryroad.bearblog.dev/the-1000-pro...
madmacsfuryroad.bearblog.dev/the-1000-pro...
The $1,000 Problem
When you run an event, one of the major determining factors of cost is scale.
Let's say you want to run something that only needs (1) a physical space an...
madmacsfuryroad.bearblog.dev
January 21, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Given the news yesterday, I've seen a lot of speculation about the logistics of running events, and I wanted to give some perspective on the challenges of it in the current moment.
madmacsfuryroad.bearblog.dev/the-1000-pro...
madmacsfuryroad.bearblog.dev/the-1000-pro...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
my thoughts on @free-play.bsky.social and why it remains so, so important (especially in the bad times!!!!)
Freeplay is one of Australia's most important creative festivals, so why is its future in doubt? | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
Freeplay, one of the Australia's longest-running game festivals, remains an essential platform for bold, creative, and compelling art.
www.screenhub.com.au
January 20, 2026 at 4:06 AM
my thoughts on @free-play.bsky.social and why it remains so, so important (especially in the bad times!!!!)
Freeplay rules! Fund art!!!!!
An update: Unfortunately Freeplay didn’t secure multi-year funding and is potentially looking at its last year of operation. We’re exploring what comes next & want your input.
Read our full statement here: www.freeplay.net.au/survey2026
Help us decide our next step here: forms.gle/W4ZSns1bGCX1...
Read our full statement here: www.freeplay.net.au/survey2026
Help us decide our next step here: forms.gle/W4ZSns1bGCX1...
Freeplay | 2026 Survey
An Update from Freeplay
www.freeplay.net.au
January 20, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Freeplay rules! Fund art!!!!!
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Delphinium's Kickstarter will go live on October 27th, 9:00AM ACDT 🩵💫
October 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Delphinium's Kickstarter will go live on October 27th, 9:00AM ACDT 🩵💫
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Announcing... DOGPILE!!! ✨🦴
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
September 30, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Announcing... DOGPILE!!! ✨🦴
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder about merging DOGS. Play dogs, get money, customize your dogs with special traits, refine your deck, PLAY MORE DOGS!
Free demo is live on Steam, WISHLIST NOW!!!
store.steampowered.com/app/3839300/...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Great to collab with colleagues at Sydney. Global video game/loot box policy evaluation is an international collaborative effort. Would be great to work with German 🇩🇪, Spanish 🇪🇸, and Brazilian 🇧🇷 colleagues to check (forthcoming) national rules. Please do get in touch with us if interested! 👋🏻
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Loot boxes are still rife in kids’ mobile games, despite ban on ‘gambling-like’ features
Games with ‘loot boxes’ should be classified for over-15s – but a new study shows many of the most popular mobile games completely ignore the rules.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Great to collab with colleagues at Sydney. Global video game/loot box policy evaluation is an international collaborative effort. Would be great to work with German 🇩🇪, Spanish 🇪🇸, and Brazilian 🇧🇷 colleagues to check (forthcoming) national rules. Please do get in touch with us if interested! 👋🏻
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Loot boxes are still rife in kids’ mobile games, despite ban on ‘gambling-like’ features
Games with ‘loot boxes’ should be classified for over-15s – but a new study shows many of the most popular mobile games completely ignore the rules.
theconversation.com
September 30, 2025 at 1:18 AM
New article in @theconversation.com today reflecting on Australia’s 2024 loot box regulations and how, 1 year later, there remains widespread non-compliance - and generally really confusing age ratings for mobile games on the App Stores!
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
theconversation.com/loot-boxes-a...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Letters to Arralla is OUT NOW on Steam with a limited time 20% launch discount!! 🏝️💌
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
Letters to Arralla OUT NOW!
YouTube video by Little Pink Clouds
youtu.be
September 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Letters to Arralla is OUT NOW on Steam with a limited time 20% launch discount!! 🏝️💌
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
After 5 long years of development and lots of fruit & veggies eaten to power our developers, this cheeky game is finally ready to be delivered directly into your hands!! ☺️ Play now on Steam!
youtu.be/7GbGTEpsoIM
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Frosty is back to celebrate the coolest upcoming and recently released games made in Australia & Aotearoa, this December 🍦🥳
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
September 15, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Frosty is back to celebrate the coolest upcoming and recently released games made in Australia & Aotearoa, this December 🍦🥳
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
We’ll be featuring exclusive reveals, announcements, and updates. Developers can submit their games now until Sep 30! ⤵️
forms.gle/tt8y9N1dPweS...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself.
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
Charlie Kirk died in the America he wanted
I mourn the loss of human life. I feel compassion, empathy and grief at an inexcusable killing. But I find nothing to lionise in his legacy.
amyremeikis.substack.com
September 15, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Given this is making some waves - here is the piece and you can judge for yourself.
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
(I'm fine, there are no issues - right wing ecosystem just doing what right wing ecosystem does).
Take care of you - it's rough out there! Ax
amyremeikis.substack.com/p/charlie-ki...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
September 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
September 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
✨I’m recruiting for a research project on game monetisation!✨
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
I’m keen to chat to game devs about how monetisation shapes the dev process. Interviews will be 60mins via Zoom. To learn more, head to bit.ly/40mOB3f
if you'd like to participate, shoot me a DM or email [email protected] 😊
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
FREAKON IS BACK
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
FREAKON 2025 ANNOUNCED - SEASON OF DECAY
We’re looking around at a world rife with rot. More layoffs, more greed, and the birth of a whole new type of AI guy have filled the air with a foul stench. It’s tempting to imagine our community coul...
www.freakon.com.au
September 5, 2025 at 4:53 AM
FREAKON IS BACK
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
www.freakon.com.au/blogs/news/f...
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
August 11, 2025 at 1:40 PM
We’ll be hosting GachaCon 2026, a hybrid academic conference on gacha games with Genshin Impact as the theme, on 12–13 February 2026 at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong. 🇭🇰🇨🇳
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
Call for Papers: tinyurl.com/gachaconcfp
You can take a girl out of Dubbo but you can’t stop Dubbo from following the girl forever and ever and ever (team Freeplay @ Dubbo skate park tho)
i found a website thats like r/place but you draw on the world map so im making a freeplay logo at dubbo because i had no idea what else to do
August 7, 2025 at 3:41 AM
You can take a girl out of Dubbo but you can’t stop Dubbo from following the girl forever and ever and ever (team Freeplay @ Dubbo skate park tho)
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
The return of Waypoint Constellations✨
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
August 4, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The return of Waypoint Constellations✨
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
🎫 events.humanitix.com/waypoint-con...
A close collaboration with @serenade.games to celebrate Sydney's games and creators.
🗓️On Oct 14th just before SXSW's games festival begins
Follow and sign up for more info as we tease out the secrets of this event.
Freeplay 💕💕💕
A sample* of academic style with Jacqui Moran @mahliann.bsky.social @darthtayrah.bsky.social @cassiebara29.bsky.social
#fashionOfFreeplay
* statistical significance has not yet been established (n = 4)
#fashionOfFreeplay
* statistical significance has not yet been established (n = 4)
August 2, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Freeplay 💕💕💕
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
The Freeplay Angles 2025 schedule is now online, and tickets are on sale! Angles runs from 31st July - 2nd August at Science Gallery Melbourne.
www.freeplay.net.au
www.freeplay.net.au
July 7, 2025 at 3:26 AM
The Freeplay Angles 2025 schedule is now online, and tickets are on sale! Angles runs from 31st July - 2nd August at Science Gallery Melbourne.
www.freeplay.net.au
www.freeplay.net.au
Reposted by Taylor Hardwick
If you liked or hated my takes on ‘deprofessionalisation’, I went into a lot more detail in this great chat with @pushtotalk.gg for his newsletter.
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Gaming’s Great Downsizing and the Garage-Band Game Economy
Brendan Keogh explains the post-2008 collapse of the Australian games industry and how it might prefigure changes coming for the rest of the world
www.pushtotalk.gg
May 24, 2025 at 12:30 AM
If you liked or hated my takes on ‘deprofessionalisation’, I went into a lot more detail in this great chat with @pushtotalk.gg for his newsletter.
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Connected what’s going on now to what I observed in the Australian industry in the 2010s
www.pushtotalk.gg/p/gamings-gr...
Super excited to present our research on how children perceive & experience harm resulting from game monetisation at #CHI2025 today! Co-authored with @marcuscarter.com @saharkin.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social & @benegliston.bsky.social - check it out here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...
April 30, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Super excited to present our research on how children perceive & experience harm resulting from game monetisation at #CHI2025 today! Co-authored with @marcuscarter.com @saharkin.bsky.social @tianyizhangshao.bsky.social & @benegliston.bsky.social - check it out here: dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...