Clara Fernandez-Vara
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clarafv.bsky.social
Clara Fernandez-Vara
@clarafv.bsky.social
2.2K followers 1.9K following 390 posts
NYU Game Center faculty & Narrative design & game writing at Fiction Control. Media scholar, cinephile, puzzle head, mystery wrangler.
https://clarafv.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
clarafv.bsky.social
"[W]orkload creep can in turn lead to cognitive fatigue, burnout, and weakened decision-making. The productivity surge enjoyed at the beginning can give way to lower quality work, turnover, and other problems."
hbr.org/2026/02/ai-d...
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It
One of the promises of AI is that it can reduce workloads so employees can focus more on higher-value and more engaging tasks. But according to new research, AI tools don’t reduce work, they consisten...
hbr.org
February 10, 2026 at 5:10 PM
clarafv.bsky.social
👇 This, forever ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
markfrost.bsky.social Mark Frost @markfrost.bsky.social · 1d
To paraphrase: If you can’t embrace BB’s message for all of us, FIX YOUR HEARTS OR DIE. #LoveNotHate
February 9, 2026 at 1:50 AM
clarafv.bsky.social
Can’t go out today unless I get one of those Olympic Games coats to brave the cold and wind in NYC. (Temperature in Celsius.)
Temperature in NYC is -12 Celsius, feels like -25. Model in the Olympic winter games Ceremony wearing an extreme winter coat that reaches the floor.
February 7, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
katexe.bsky.social
Unfortunately we've had a last-minute loss from the Routledge Companion to Video Games and History, and so if there is anyone who'd be interested in contributing a chapter on the history of India in video games (from any perspective, range of case studies welcome) please get in touch asap with me!
May 15, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
brianschung.bsky.social
We just released the 2025 Impact Report for Game Devs of Color. It's 39 pages of what we accomplished in 2025, since founding, and priorities for 2026 and beyond. Grateful to work with such a brilliant team.

The 2026 GDoCExpo is Sep 22 - 25, with speaker & game applications opening late Feb!
gdocexpo.com Game Devs of Color Expo @gdocexpo.com · 4d
The 2025 Game Devs of Color Impact Report is here! 📈

🎮 300+ games featured in our Steam sale
▶ 40+ games showcased in our Direct
💰 $34,000 in grants, scholarships, & microgrants given to devs of color

…and so much more!

Dive into our report: www.gamedevsofcolor.org/impact-report
Game Devs of Color 2025 Impact Report Built our platform for devs 300+ Games and studios featured and supported worldwide supported creators directly $34K+awarded in grants, scholarships, and microgrants grew our reach for participants 1M+online showcase visitors across our digital events expanded our flagship programs 1200+ conference attendees, plus 14 in-person Watch Parties
February 6, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
yoshiyoshitani.bsky.social
Preorder Now!
- Oracle of the Divine
- Around the Sun: Stories and Symbols from Across the World

I’ve started compiling a list of *some* of the places you can order these from World Wide!

➡️ www.yoshiyoshitani.com/oracle-of-th...

Let me know if there is a country you’d like me to look up/add
February 5, 2026 at 9:15 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
stuarthoughton.bsky.social
This is brilliant and timely but also interesting. The play 'Sir Thomas Moore' was actually by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle but was later revised by other writers, including this bravura section attributed (with some evidence) to Shakespeare. An early example of script doctoring.
lalahaenzy.com Omg. WTF is Happening? @lalahaenzy.com · 5d
Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again.
#Pinks #ProudBlue
February 5, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
grundislav.games
Holding out hope for some kind of tax break or grant for New York indie devs!
jesshaskins.bsky.social Jess Haskins | The Game Editors @jesshaskins.bsky.social · 6d
Applauding MOME's new focus: from making "NYC a global production hub" to ensuring "creatives can afford to live and work" here 👏👏👏
New MOME Commissioner Announced: • On Monday, January 12, Mayor Mamdani announced the appointment of Rafael Espinal as the Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. • As Commissioner, Espinal will advance the Mamdani administration’s agenda to ensure New York City remains a place where artists and creatives can afford to live and work. Espinal will report to Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su. • Rafael Espinal is the current Executive Director of the Freelancers Union, where he has advanced the protections and rights of independent workers nationally. In 2019, there were 1.3 million freelancers — around 34% of the workforce — in New York City, many of whom work in the city’s creative industries. As Commissioner, Espinal will work closely with Mayor Zohran Mamdani to ensure that the workers who make up this industry can live in the city they have been so essential to creating. Previously, Espinal served on the New York City Council, representing Bushwick, Brownsville, Cypress Hills, and East New York. As a Council Member, he championed the rights and protections of artists and small businesses. • Current MOME Commissioner, Pat Swinney Kaufman, will be retiring after serving 30+ years working on both the State and City levels in the media and entertainment industries. She leaves behind a career spent advocating and working to make NYC a global production hub. The entire staff of MOME wishes her the best in her retirement.
February 4, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
chellaramanan.bsky.social
Do I know any South Asian game writers/narrative designers looking for a full-time contract?
a woman wearing a wig is singing holla !
Alt: a woman wearing a wig is singing holla !
media.tenor.com
February 3, 2026 at 8:22 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
inkle.co
❄️ Update: The GAME NARRATIVE KALEIDOSCOPE ❄️ will be published soon - we just sent a proof to the authors.

400 pages - 100k+ words - 118 authors - including the writers from several well-beloved games and major franchises.

If you want to be notified when it releases, you can add your name below!
Sign up for news about the Game Writing Kaleidoscope
In early 2026 we’ll be publishing The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, a collection of over 100 short essays by game writers about writing. Featuring some very famous names, some highly experienced free...
forms.gle
February 4, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
miguelsicart.bsky.social
As you may know, we are running a conference on games, play, and climate futures in May at the ITU Copenhagen: playingfutures.today
Some news: the deadline for abstracts has been extended to February 20th. Now you have no excuses left not to submit!
Playing Futures
Playing Futures is a conference about the role of games and play during and after the impending climate and energy catastrophes. The goal of the conference is to serve as a meeting point for the commu...
playingfutures.today
February 4, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
exalclaw.bsky.social
BLACK GAME DEVELOPERS, WRITERS, ARTISTS AND CREATIVES AT LARGE I NEED YOU TO BE LOUD THIS MONTH*. I NEED YOU TO SHARE YOUR WORK LIKE YOU WILL DIE OTHERWISE, DO NOT BE PRECIOUS ABOUT ABOUT IT

*This message also applies to every other month of the year, but the extra attention should be leveraged
February 1, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
unaminh.bsky.social
a short piece called Potential Foreigner.

a piece on the question "where are you from?".

audio and written versions below: unaminhkavanagh.com/writing-pote... #writing
Úna-Minh's grandad, mom and herself on a boat. Úna-Minh is about 3 or 4 perhaps in this photo. Her mom is looking at her as Úna-minh drinks from a bottle.
February 1, 2026 at 1:12 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
gcbaccaris.itch.io
We happen to have a few extra passes, so @iftechfoundation.org is doing an IFTF x GDC Pass Scholarship Program!

Check out this link for more info: intfiction.org/t/iftf-x-gdc...
IFTF x GDC Pass Scholarship Program
As part of our previously-announced partnership with this year’s Game Developer’s Conference, we have a small number of conference passes to distribute to our community. If you are interested in a GD...
intfiction.org
January 29, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
aftermath.site
A GDC poll has found that 31% of responding international developers have cancelled plans to attend the event this year, with a further 33% considering it, because people just don't feel safe travelling to the United States right now:

aftermath.site/i-do-not-feel-...
January 30, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
midimyers.com
i wrote about mothership.blog for @theguardian.com today by the way. thanks so much to @mackeza.bsky.social for the opportunity to tell more people about mothership and what we are doing with the site <3 www.theguardian.com/games/2026/j...
Why I’m launching a feminist video games website in 2026
I’ve been a games journalist since 2007, but still there isn’t much video games coverage that feels like it’s specifically for people like me. So I’m creating a home for it: Mothership
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
narrascope.org
Submit your narrative games to the Showcase! We want your cool games! Deadline Jan 31st. #interactivefiction #narrativegames #NarraScope
NarraScope 2026 | Showcase
NarraScope is a conference that brings together the writers, developers, scholars, and players of interactive narrative.
narrascope.org
January 27, 2026 at 5:45 PM
clarafv.bsky.social
The original version of this speech said “Fuck the empire.” #andor
clarafv.bsky.social Clara Fernandez-Vara @clarafv.bsky.social · Jan 8
"There is a darkness reaching like rust into everything around us. We let it grow, and now it’s here. It’s here and it’s not visiting anymore. It wants to stay. The Empire is a disease that thrives in darkness, it is never more alive than when we sleep." www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaKr...
Andor | Maarva Andor’s Monologue | Disney+
YouTube video by Star Wars
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
grundislav.games
Extreme winter weather is coming this weekend, so why not hunker down and settle in with some cozy adventure games?

store.steampowered.com/curator/4430...
A Golden Wake - 80% Lamplight City - 40% Rosewater - 25%
January 24, 2026 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
greyalien.bsky.social
We just updated the Forbidden Solitaire Demo on Steam after an incredible week of streamer coverage and wishlists gained.

Thanks everyone!

Get your eyeballs on this:
store.steampowered.com/app/3414580/...

#ScreenshotSaturday
January 24, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
rutxigarcia.bsky.social
Tengo la fortuna de participar con un capítulo sobre la imagen interactiva jugable y compartir plantel con tanta gente guapa e interesante. Es el libro que me hubiera gustado leer cuando empecé.

#GameStudies #libro #book #ImagenInteractivaJugable #InteractivePlayableImage
January 23, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
justdave.bsky.social
January 23, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
thinkygames.com
Mark your calendars! The 3rd Annual Thinky Awards are on February 4th! 🎉

thinkygames.com/news/join-us...
Join us on February 4 for the 3rd annual Thinky Awards results! · Thinky Games
It’s that time of the year again! We’re ready to announce the winners of the latest Thinky Awards. Our 3rd edition of this amazing annual event celebrates the very best thinky games that were released...
thinkygames.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:22 PM
clarafv.bsky.social
Happy to see Sinners and Frankenstein being recognized during award season. Horror helps us tackle what makes us afraid, hits us in our very soul, and gets us through times of crisis. Good horror is political and should be uncomfortable beyond blood and guts. Long live horror!
January 23, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Clara Fernandez-Vara
lainenooney.bsky.social
📡 Signal blasting for new followers: I wanna do a lil intro abt ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories @romchip.bsky.social b/c we got an important fundraiser coming up in a few weeks.

It's a free, open-access journal dedicated to game history, and if you love games, here's why you should care 🕹️🎲🀄🎯
January 22, 2026 at 4:27 PM