Dr Holly Nielsen
@hollynielsen.bsky.social
Historian of play | AHRC funded PhD on board games & play c.1860-1939 | Game developer | Writer & narrative designer
Repped by Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit
she/her
Repped by Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit
she/her
Pinned
Thought I’d do a little reminder on here-
If you’re curious, these are academic pieces based on my research that I have published so far. (Humanities academic publishing is glacially slow)
If you’re curious, these are academic pieces based on my research that I have published so far. (Humanities academic publishing is glacially slow)
Great day recording with @theflightmusic.bsky.social and Mike Georgiades
November 25, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Great day recording with @theflightmusic.bsky.social and Mike Georgiades
“I thought I’d leave the historical research late as possible to piss off the historians in the audience”
Jon choosing violence with his (excellent) talk
Jon choosing violence with his (excellent) talk
The full stream of #AdventureX talks is up now - below is a link to mine, on story generation from first principles, in twenty minutes, with jokes.
Come for the Muppet Treasure Island, stay for Bob Eurypides.
Come for the Muppet Treasure Island, stay for Bob Eurypides.
AdventureX 2025 — Day 1
01:20 Jon Ingold — Always Trade Up: From Inspiration to Storyline 30:31 Kathryn Vinclaire — Casting Actors For Indie Games - How to Get AAA Results on an Indie Budget 1:31:10 Najmah Salam — How to Position Your Game Like A Pro 2:01:32 Dominic Armato (Keynote) — Defeating Impostor Syndrome: The Threepwood Method 3:42:58 Mairi Nolan — The Diegetic Lock: Designing Puzzles that Belong in Your World 4:20:05 Husban Siddiqi and Adam Riches — From Jam to Launch: A Fireside Chat About Loco Motive 5:13:27 Steph Rennick and Séan Roberts — What’s Going Wrong with Women’s Dialogue in Video Games? 5:48:32 Thomas Regin, Mark Benis, Jade Leamcharaskul & Paul Zimmermann (Panel hosted by Seoirse Dunbar) — Storytelling Through Audio: The Hidden Narrative 7:01:11 John Robertson (Show) — The Dark Room AdventureX is the UK's only convention dedicated to narrative-driven gaming. Since 2011, AdventureX has been bringing together developers & gamers with a passion for interactive storytelling.
m.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 AM
“I thought I’d leave the historical research late as possible to piss off the historians in the audience”
Jon choosing violence with his (excellent) talk
Jon choosing violence with his (excellent) talk
I’ve never used Ch*tGPT. I’ve never wanted to or had a single moment when I thought it would be helpful. I realise my work is very specific, but whenever I see people talk about using it or ‘needing’ it ngl in my head I’m just thinking ‘skill issue’.
November 24, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I’ve never used Ch*tGPT. I’ve never wanted to or had a single moment when I thought it would be helpful. I realise my work is very specific, but whenever I see people talk about using it or ‘needing’ it ngl in my head I’m just thinking ‘skill issue’.
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
Going to shamelessly use this to remind people that if you’d like a historian who is also a writer and narrative designer to bring some of these perspectives to your game, then in the new year I’m available for work
Made my day to read this great post and see this!
November 24, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Going to shamelessly use this to remind people that if you’d like a historian who is also a writer and narrative designer to bring some of these perspectives to your game, then in the new year I’m available for work
I’m on camera tomorrow so of course a huge spot has appeared on my chin.
Considering whether to draw a face on it, say it’s my cohost and charge two fees.
Considering whether to draw a face on it, say it’s my cohost and charge two fees.
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
I’m on camera tomorrow so of course a huge spot has appeared on my chin.
Considering whether to draw a face on it, say it’s my cohost and charge two fees.
Considering whether to draw a face on it, say it’s my cohost and charge two fees.
Found a way to get back to volunteering and helping out with the Solidarity Fund regularly again, and it feels good
November 24, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Found a way to get back to volunteering and helping out with the Solidarity Fund regularly again, and it feels good
Going to shamelessly use this to remind people that if you’d like a historian who is also a writer and narrative designer to bring some of these perspectives to your game, then in the new year I’m available for work
Made my day to read this great post and see this!
November 24, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Going to shamelessly use this to remind people that if you’d like a historian who is also a writer and narrative designer to bring some of these perspectives to your game, then in the new year I’m available for work
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!
Did my one day of socialising at AdventureX yesterday and now I return back to being under my rock
November 23, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Did my one day of socialising at AdventureX yesterday and now I return back to being under my rock
Heading to AdventureX to see fellow narrative nerds
November 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Heading to AdventureX to see fellow narrative nerds
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
There are plenty of links between the anti-trans “women’s rights” movement & anti-feminist conservatism. And opposing abortion is a logical conclusion for a movement that says no, you should not have agency over your own body; no, you do not know best about yourself; no, you have no choice.
No way I’m sharing Stock’s UnHerd article. But I am going to point to this bit which amply demonstrates the anti-trans=>anti-women’s rights pipeline. “Abortions should only be done for a highly restricted set of reasons. They should not be just nodded through for any reason a pregnant woman likes.”
November 22, 2025 at 10:40 AM
There are plenty of links between the anti-trans “women’s rights” movement & anti-feminist conservatism. And opposing abortion is a logical conclusion for a movement that says no, you should not have agency over your own body; no, you do not know best about yourself; no, you have no choice.
Watching Lewis play Year Walk for the first time, and his reaction to it will impact whether our almost decade long relationship will continue
November 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Watching Lewis play Year Walk for the first time, and his reaction to it will impact whether our almost decade long relationship will continue
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
November 21, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door.
This is who it was:
This is who it was:
The Roblox stuff is horrifying and unsurprising. When I have the time (and someone pays me to do so) I really want to write about the history of gambling, children and games.
November 21, 2025 at 7:06 PM
The Roblox stuff is horrifying and unsurprising. When I have the time (and someone pays me to do so) I really want to write about the history of gambling, children and games.
Watching Labour stumble even further right as if that’s going to stop “the far right from winning” when everything going further right shows that they’ve already won.
They win by dragging everything right and they’ve been successful at doing that for a long time.
They win by dragging everything right and they’ve been successful at doing that for a long time.
November 21, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Watching Labour stumble even further right as if that’s going to stop “the far right from winning” when everything going further right shows that they’ve already won.
They win by dragging everything right and they’ve been successful at doing that for a long time.
They win by dragging everything right and they’ve been successful at doing that for a long time.
It’s frustrating that the academic positions I’ve been approached about are in the US and there’s *no way* I’m going to the US.
November 21, 2025 at 1:11 PM
It’s frustrating that the academic positions I’ve been approached about are in the US and there’s *no way* I’m going to the US.
If you want to catch me at AdventureX you will be able to tomorrow
(But not Sunday as in my current form I will need it to recuperate)
(But not Sunday as in my current form I will need it to recuperate)
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 AM
If you want to catch me at AdventureX you will be able to tomorrow
(But not Sunday as in my current form I will need it to recuperate)
(But not Sunday as in my current form I will need it to recuperate)
In a strange turn of events my voice is in the next Inkle game
Featuring:
- voices by @pabosher.com, @paulwarren.bsky.social and @rmcloughlin.bsky.social
- music from @composerchapman.bsky.social
- additional VO from @sallybeaumont.bsky.social, @hollynielsen.bsky.social, @daddycheese.bsky.social & @tomgranger.bsky.social
- words from... we don't know
- voices by @pabosher.com, @paulwarren.bsky.social and @rmcloughlin.bsky.social
- music from @composerchapman.bsky.social
- additional VO from @sallybeaumont.bsky.social, @hollynielsen.bsky.social, @daddycheese.bsky.social & @tomgranger.bsky.social
- words from... we don't know
November 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM
In a strange turn of events my voice is in the next Inkle game
👀
November 20, 2025 at 6:03 PM
👀
My DMs are open so that people can reach out about access to my academic publications - not for random men to try to hit on me.
November 20, 2025 at 11:41 AM
My DMs are open so that people can reach out about access to my academic publications - not for random men to try to hit on me.
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
This thing took so much work, from so many people - RPGs have so many little working parts, and we did so much to try to make this world feel alive. The team is just vibrating right now, seeing how this all goes, but for now it's great to just have it out there, in people's hands.
Demonschool: Is OUT. It's out. Finally it is out. We hope you enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This thing took so much work, from so many people - RPGs have so many little working parts, and we did so much to try to make this world feel alive. The team is just vibrating right now, seeing how this all goes, but for now it's great to just have it out there, in people's hands.
It’s out!! So excited for this.
Demonschool: Is OUT. It's out. Finally it is out. We hope you enjoy it.
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/...
store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...
www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
November 19, 2025 at 6:57 PM
It’s out!! So excited for this.
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
The Adventure X sale has started - and there are a tonne of inkle games in it (and many other games besides!)
We’ll be there all weekend too so come say hi if you’re around!
We’ll be there all weekend too so come say hi if you’re around!
AdventureX 2025 Event
AdventureX - The Narrative Games Convention
store.steampowered.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The Adventure X sale has started - and there are a tonne of inkle games in it (and many other games besides!)
We’ll be there all weekend too so come say hi if you’re around!
We’ll be there all weekend too so come say hi if you’re around!
Reposted by Dr Holly Nielsen
Hey so Neurocracy is still being written as we speak 👀
The Omnipedia forum remains active with players posting wild theories and debating each other 🔥
A whole new narrative layer that serves as another entry point to the near future of 2049 and a record of the three live seasons that shaped it 🌐
The Omnipedia forum remains active with players posting wild theories and debating each other 🔥
A whole new narrative layer that serves as another entry point to the near future of 2049 and a record of the three live seasons that shaped it 🌐
November 19, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Hey so Neurocracy is still being written as we speak 👀
The Omnipedia forum remains active with players posting wild theories and debating each other 🔥
A whole new narrative layer that serves as another entry point to the near future of 2049 and a record of the three live seasons that shaped it 🌐
The Omnipedia forum remains active with players posting wild theories and debating each other 🔥
A whole new narrative layer that serves as another entry point to the near future of 2049 and a record of the three live seasons that shaped it 🌐
Writing games is just coming up with as many silly scenarios as possible that a bunch of people can get into hijinks with.
November 19, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Writing games is just coming up with as many silly scenarios as possible that a bunch of people can get into hijinks with.