Florence Smith Nicholls
@florencesn.bsky.social
Video game archaeologist + game dev//
PhD on archaeogaming as play preservation + procgen//
Prev: Story Tech @gutefabrik.bsky.social, Planning Archaeologist at Museum of London Archaeology
they/them
💾 florencesmithnicholls.com
PhD on archaeogaming as play preservation + procgen//
Prev: Story Tech @gutefabrik.bsky.social, Planning Archaeologist at Museum of London Archaeology
they/them
💾 florencesmithnicholls.com
Pinned
~Thread of my past publications~
"Virtual Dark Tourism in The Town of Light"
2018, Routledge
In this book chapter I argue that video games marketing a setting associated with historical suffering can be considered dark tourism experiences.
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
"Virtual Dark Tourism in The Town of Light"
2018, Routledge
In this book chapter I argue that video games marketing a setting associated with historical suffering can be considered dark tourism experiences.
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
I feel you, ancient Mongolian ceramic hedgehog. I feel you.
November 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM
I feel you, ancient Mongolian ceramic hedgehog. I feel you.
Got a piece on three-sided football in tomorrow's Bathysphere! Looking into it has made me want to read more situationist theory
November 26, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Got a piece on three-sided football in tomorrow's Bathysphere! Looking into it has made me want to read more situationist theory
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
obsessed with the Roseisle pictish silly goose
November 26, 2025 at 12:04 PM
obsessed with the Roseisle pictish silly goose
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
There should be more games inspired by avant-garde stage design.
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
There should be more games inspired by avant-garde stage design.
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Handing back student work that’s been written by ChatGPT with a 0 followed by the comment “This essay will never stand in authentic wonder before the Beauty of God’s creation.”
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
“Please sit down before you read the next sentence. The BBC Written Archives Centre has no catalogue of its holdings available to the public…Earlier this year, the BBC suddenly announced that it was altering its archival access policy. Enquiries from the general public are now ignored.”
🗃️
🗃️
Who controls the past
The BBC is restricting access to its archives
app.the-tls.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:19 PM
“Please sit down before you read the next sentence. The BBC Written Archives Centre has no catalogue of its holdings available to the public…Earlier this year, the BBC suddenly announced that it was altering its archival access policy. Enquiries from the general public are now ignored.”
🗃️
🗃️
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Leslie Scott, the creator of Jenga, has been working on collection of texts on play for years. She has launched a "loose-leaf collection of writings that view play from every angle & and all life through the lens of play". Sign up for the free substack here: boundlessplay.substack.com/about
About - Boundless Play
A loose-leaf collection of writings that view play from every angle & all life through the lens of play - Curated by Leslie Scott. Click to read Boundless Play, a Substack publication. Launched 2 mont...
boundlessplay.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Leslie Scott, the creator of Jenga, has been working on collection of texts on play for years. She has launched a "loose-leaf collection of writings that view play from every angle & and all life through the lens of play". Sign up for the free substack here: boundlessplay.substack.com/about
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
November 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
I'm a BAFTA Breakthrough 2025!
I'm honoured to be amongst such an incredible cohort, and for BAFTA to recognise my work on Old Skies!
As a disabled, female, performer-writer in games, I am so proud to show what we can do, and with BAFTA's support the sky's the limit!
www.bafta.org/stories/brea...
I'm honoured to be amongst such an incredible cohort, and for BAFTA to recognise my work on Old Skies!
As a disabled, female, performer-writer in games, I am so proud to show what we can do, and with BAFTA's support the sky's the limit!
www.bafta.org/stories/brea...
November 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM
I'm a BAFTA Breakthrough 2025!
I'm honoured to be amongst such an incredible cohort, and for BAFTA to recognise my work on Old Skies!
As a disabled, female, performer-writer in games, I am so proud to show what we can do, and with BAFTA's support the sky's the limit!
www.bafta.org/stories/brea...
I'm honoured to be amongst such an incredible cohort, and for BAFTA to recognise my work on Old Skies!
As a disabled, female, performer-writer in games, I am so proud to show what we can do, and with BAFTA's support the sky's the limit!
www.bafta.org/stories/brea...
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Alright, a little late for Monday's lunch hour in most parts of the world, but here's the first part of a five-part video series about making a text-generating bluesky bot. It's quick, assumes almost no knowledge, and is (hopefully) fun. #procjam
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvPJ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvPJ...
Make A Bot In Your Lunch Hour - Part 1/5
YouTube video by Ill Omens
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Alright, a little late for Monday's lunch hour in most parts of the world, but here's the first part of a five-part video series about making a text-generating bluesky bot. It's quick, assumes almost no knowledge, and is (hopefully) fun. #procjam
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvPJ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvPJ...
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
hi everyone. while the industry's still hellbent on calling anyone who makes /weird/ games "not a real dev" @baftagames.bsky.social decided that maybe people making things with three quid and a piece of string know what they're talking about, actually
i'm part of bafta breakthrough 2025
i'm part of bafta breakthrough 2025
November 25, 2025 at 9:30 AM
hi everyone. while the industry's still hellbent on calling anyone who makes /weird/ games "not a real dev" @baftagames.bsky.social decided that maybe people making things with three quid and a piece of string know what they're talking about, actually
i'm part of bafta breakthrough 2025
i'm part of bafta breakthrough 2025
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Do you like weird puzzles? You don't mind playing the first experimental iterations of a game? Like this post and DM me your mail, I'll have a surprise in your inbox everyday of December 🎁✨
November 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Do you like weird puzzles? You don't mind playing the first experimental iterations of a game? Like this post and DM me your mail, I'll have a surprise in your inbox everyday of December 🎁✨
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Need to design a larp, finish my thesis, work on several other things...all within the next few months
November 23, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Need to design a larp, finish my thesis, work on several other things...all within the next few months
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
In The Labyrinth of Time, entering the Ziggurat without a lantern is supposed to show a black screen. However, the developers put in the wrong filename for the black screen, so it fails to render, showing a black screen instead
November 23, 2025 at 9:54 PM
In The Labyrinth of Time, entering the Ziggurat without a lantern is supposed to show a black screen. However, the developers put in the wrong filename for the black screen, so it fails to render, showing a black screen instead
Feeling validated at the mention of the power of ambiguity, using the walking sim Dear Esther as an example, in Antony Johnston's talk
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Feeling validated at the mention of the power of ambiguity, using the walking sim Dear Esther as an example, in Antony Johnston's talk
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
The Edu-Larp Conference will happen again in 2026! On April 15th in Gothenbrg, Sweden! Registration and the call for program is now open. Sent in your program proposal before January 4th.
edularpconference.com
edularpconference.com
Edu-Larp Conference — Gothenburg
Edu-Larp Conference — Lindholmen Science Park, Gothenburg, Sweden. Wednesday 15th April 2026.
edularpconference.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:35 AM
The Edu-Larp Conference will happen again in 2026! On April 15th in Gothenbrg, Sweden! Registration and the call for program is now open. Sent in your program proposal before January 4th.
edularpconference.com
edularpconference.com
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
Made my day to read this great post and see this!
November 23, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Made my day to read this great post and see this!
I am blessed this day
November 23, 2025 at 2:20 PM
I am blessed this day
Annoyed with myself for missing this one!
Now it's Stark Holborn's "Murder She Modularized: Authored Narrative in a Procgen World"
November 23, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Annoyed with myself for missing this one!
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
skull, screenshot, commodore 64 (1984) www.mobygames.com/game/19288/s...
November 23, 2025 at 11:11 AM
skull, screenshot, commodore 64 (1984) www.mobygames.com/game/19288/s...
On episode 2 of Pluribus and I'm sold. Love that Carol has sort of become the haughty antihero from her own books
November 22, 2025 at 9:46 PM
On episode 2 of Pluribus and I'm sold. Love that Carol has sort of become the haughty antihero from her own books
Reposted by Florence Smith Nicholls
I've always dreamed of becoming a skeleton that serves environmental storytelling purposes one day
November 22, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I've always dreamed of becoming a skeleton that serves environmental storytelling purposes one day
Wait should I be studying the player artefacts of Kirby Air Riders
I'm in serious awe of some of the amazing machines that folks have designed within Kirby Air Riders. Love it when a game makes people show off their creativity with restrictive tools.
November 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Wait should I be studying the player artefacts of Kirby Air Riders