James Youngman
@jyoungman.bsky.social
He/him Game Designer, composer, writer
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ten-lessons-over-ten-years
http://jamesyoungman.bandcamp.com
https://jyoungman.itch.io
Senior Tech Designer at Elsewhere. All opinions my own.
#gamedev | #gamedesign
Reposted by James Youngman
Been thinking about Highguard and the impermanence of games these days (which is to say, moreso that usual)
February 13, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Been thinking about Highguard and the impermanence of games these days (which is to say, moreso that usual)
Reposted by James Youngman
I hate having to do it all by myself. I can build a game engine, which is what I've done, but I'm not good at UI design, or marketing, or writing, or sound design, and I wish I could hire Some Guy (gender neutral) for those tasks
"There should be a balance between 'work for free, you will get paid at the end, pinky promise' and 'become an one-man and do it all because you cant pay others, then explode'" I keep saying to myself, but dunno, all feels bleak in a space where the mere concept of keeping your job, is almost utopic
February 13, 2026 at 5:06 AM
I hate having to do it all by myself. I can build a game engine, which is what I've done, but I'm not good at UI design, or marketing, or writing, or sound design, and I wish I could hire Some Guy (gender neutral) for those tasks
Reposted by James Youngman
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
CBP didn’t give her or anyone any water; she asked 3 times accg to other reports. CBP killed a 7yr old.
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
“8 hours after the girl & her father were taken into custody, she began having seizures & her body temperature was measured at 105.7 degrees by emergency medical technicians. shorturl.at/d2OTJ
7-Year-Old Migrant Girl Dies Of Dehydration And Shock In U.S. Border Patrol Custody
The girl's death underscores the crisis precipitated by large groups of families seeking asylum where there are inadequate facilities to detain them.
shorturl.at
February 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Every single time a story like this is reported, we must assume that there are many many more that do not.
Reposted by James Youngman
“Scholarly attention has rightly focused on the forced reproduction of enslaved Black women, but that focus need not come at the expense of understanding the position of enslaved Black men, who were also denied sexual autonomy, including the ability to choose with whom they would have children.”
Black Men Endured Sexual Exploitation Under Slavery. Their Story Is Rarely Told.
Historian Thomas A. Foster discusses his new book Rethinking Rufus: Sexual Violations of Enslaved Men.
truthout.org
February 12, 2026 at 10:31 PM
“Scholarly attention has rightly focused on the forced reproduction of enslaved Black women, but that focus need not come at the expense of understanding the position of enslaved Black men, who were also denied sexual autonomy, including the ability to choose with whom they would have children.”
Reposted by James Youngman
I once again feel compelled to remind folks that you feel science news/new scientific developments are bad and destructive because you are not reading science news: You are reading techbro press releases, regurgitated uncritically by outlets that long ago fired all their science/tech beat reporters.
February 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM
I once again feel compelled to remind folks that you feel science news/new scientific developments are bad and destructive because you are not reading science news: You are reading techbro press releases, regurgitated uncritically by outlets that long ago fired all their science/tech beat reporters.
Reposted by James Youngman
This is mostly a good thread, but this is some victim-blaming.
I agree that Zionist conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism makes it harder to *fight* antisemitism, but the antisemitism was always there.
I agree that Zionist conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism makes it harder to *fight* antisemitism, but the antisemitism was always there.
The exact thing that antizionist/non-Zionist Jews have been warning would happen, is happening — thanks to the Israeli government's insistence that Israel, by definition, speaks for world Jewry and that any criticism of Israeli's policies is antisemitism.
This inevitably LEADS to antisemitism.
This inevitably LEADS to antisemitism.
February 12, 2026 at 5:03 PM
This is mostly a good thread, but this is some victim-blaming.
I agree that Zionist conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism makes it harder to *fight* antisemitism, but the antisemitism was always there.
I agree that Zionist conflation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism makes it harder to *fight* antisemitism, but the antisemitism was always there.
Reposted by James Youngman
Can I offer you a queer teen romcom in this trying time?
February 12, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Can I offer you a queer teen romcom in this trying time?
February 12, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Friendly reminder that you can use Thunderbird instead of Google's email clients
Holy shit gmail is not even asking if you want AI to write a reply
It HAS GONE AHEAD and read the email and already composed a ‘suggested reply’ waiting at the bottom of the email for you
Then, when you ignore it, it pops up with a Help Me Write prompt
It is we who are being prompted
It HAS GONE AHEAD and read the email and already composed a ‘suggested reply’ waiting at the bottom of the email for you
Then, when you ignore it, it pops up with a Help Me Write prompt
It is we who are being prompted
February 12, 2026 at 4:23 PM
Friendly reminder that you can use Thunderbird instead of Google's email clients
Reposted by James Youngman
feels like i should re-post this every few weeks
NEW: Substack founders finally respond to Substackers Against Nazis. They say Nazis publishing and earning money on their platform is fine with them.
Their full statement here: substack.com/@hamish/note...
Their full statement here: substack.com/@hamish/note...
February 12, 2026 at 4:17 AM
feels like i should re-post this every few weeks
Reposted by James Youngman
On Lincoln's birthday, it's useful to remember he believed the primary goal of the American experiment was to guarantee "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and the best way to achieve that goal was through free and fair elections. It's basically the thesis of the Gettysburg Address. 1/2
February 12, 2026 at 12:43 PM
On Lincoln's birthday, it's useful to remember he believed the primary goal of the American experiment was to guarantee "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and the best way to achieve that goal was through free and fair elections. It's basically the thesis of the Gettysburg Address. 1/2
Reposted by James Youngman
Know anyone interested in writing video games? I'm chatting about it next Thursday, 6PM at MIT, so plan ahead #writing #gamedev
www.meetup.com/bostongamede...
www.meetup.com/bostongamede...
[BPM] AAA Q&A: Discussing Game Writing with Anna Megill, Thu, Feb 19, 2026, 6:00 PM | Meetup
The BPM crew sit down with Anna Megill, a multi-award winning AAA game writer, to discuss her career, writing for games, and working within the AAA space. We will also have
www.meetup.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Know anyone interested in writing video games? I'm chatting about it next Thursday, 6PM at MIT, so plan ahead #writing #gamedev
www.meetup.com/bostongamede...
www.meetup.com/bostongamede...
Reposted by James Youngman
Perhaps related: in Washington state, the clerk or bartender who serves an underage person is personally liable for the fine. There’s a lesson in there for people who wonder whether personal liability might focus the mind of corporate decision makers.
February 12, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Perhaps related: in Washington state, the clerk or bartender who serves an underage person is personally liable for the fine. There’s a lesson in there for people who wonder whether personal liability might focus the mind of corporate decision makers.
Reposted by James Youngman
Congrats to all our friends in Virginia! Ranked Choice Voting has passed the Virginia Senate in a vote of 21-19 on the S.B. 176 Bill. @upvoteva.bsky.social @rankedchoiceva.org
February 12, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Congrats to all our friends in Virginia! Ranked Choice Voting has passed the Virginia Senate in a vote of 21-19 on the S.B. 176 Bill. @upvoteva.bsky.social @rankedchoiceva.org
Reposted by James Youngman
My point here is that when we live service games launching then weeks later laying off staff or closing the studio, and that becomes a repeat occurrence, thats not just because of a missed expectation at launch - the expectation should have always been to spend months growing and building postlaunch
February 12, 2026 at 2:16 PM
My point here is that when we live service games launching then weeks later laying off staff or closing the studio, and that becomes a repeat occurrence, thats not just because of a missed expectation at launch - the expectation should have always been to spend months growing and building postlaunch
Reposted by James Youngman
This also has achievements now, with no one having done most of them including the nightmarishly hard "clear all 8 courses with <1000 total strokes"
"Damien Crawford's Golf Experience 2024" is on sale for 30% off (only $2.79), so it's a great time to check out a golf game as a rank amateur where you have to physically track down the ball and not understand wind or slopes
store.steampowered.com/app/3245790/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3245790/...
February 12, 2026 at 7:04 AM
This also has achievements now, with no one having done most of them including the nightmarishly hard "clear all 8 courses with <1000 total strokes"
Oh you helped Joni Mitchell when she thought she was falling in love again?
I made Tobias Sammet believe in my love.
I made Tobias Sammet believe in my love.
Oh you helped Bono find what he was looking for?
I helped Joni Mitchell when she thought she was falling in love again.
I helped Joni Mitchell when she thought she was falling in love again.
Oh you got Mick Jagger some satisfaction?
I helped Bono find what he was looking for
I helped Bono find what he was looking for
February 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Oh you helped Joni Mitchell when she thought she was falling in love again?
I made Tobias Sammet believe in my love.
I made Tobias Sammet believe in my love.
Did they not know any cats?
February 12, 2026 at 7:05 AM
Did they not know any cats?
*laughs in Angelino*
Who's the most famous alum of your high school?
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
I'll go first: David Draiman of Disturbed
guys i just found out i went to the same high school as howard lutnick. please respect my privacy at this time.
February 12, 2026 at 6:44 AM
*laughs in Angelino*
Reposted by James Youngman
one thing I’ve noticed in talking to people is that they really are not aware of how meteoric the increase in storage has been, or what that means for renewable energy
This is incredible. Like the previous few years, near all of the electricity capacity added to the grid was clean energy. The Inflation Reduction Act helped this - it made solar & wind cheaper but it also for the first time had a standalone incentive for grid storage. Look at the growth in storage!
Final EIA-860 is out, and 2025 really did it: 54 GW of new U.S. electric capacity, 96% clean. Solar again carries the offense, and we built more storage in 2025 than the cumulative total through 2023. More and more and more additions... but also record low retirements.
February 12, 2026 at 5:46 AM
one thing I’ve noticed in talking to people is that they really are not aware of how meteoric the increase in storage has been, or what that means for renewable energy
Reposted by James Youngman
It's been a long day, but people are getting weird about this.
Yes, there is antisemitism on the left. And the center left. And the right. It's not...apolitical per se, but we'll get to that.
No, people aren't going to bring up examples on demand because they don't know how genuine you're being.
Yes, there is antisemitism on the left. And the center left. And the right. It's not...apolitical per se, but we'll get to that.
No, people aren't going to bring up examples on demand because they don't know how genuine you're being.
I have so many thoughts on how people are reacting to the concept of antisemitism on the left, but I guess because of how today is structured, I'll have to actually let my thoughts percolate before saying anything concrete.
The horrors!
The horrors!
February 12, 2026 at 3:00 AM
It's been a long day, but people are getting weird about this.
Yes, there is antisemitism on the left. And the center left. And the right. It's not...apolitical per se, but we'll get to that.
No, people aren't going to bring up examples on demand because they don't know how genuine you're being.
Yes, there is antisemitism on the left. And the center left. And the right. It's not...apolitical per se, but we'll get to that.
No, people aren't going to bring up examples on demand because they don't know how genuine you're being.
Reposted by James Youngman
I don’t think it’s been great for video games to be on the stock market
February 6, 2026 at 8:44 AM
I don’t think it’s been great for video games to be on the stock market
This is the type of thing I say sarcastically to mock people making outrageous demands
insane to be reporting this stuff with a straight face. like what are we doing here man
February 11, 2026 at 11:44 PM
This is the type of thing I say sarcastically to mock people making outrageous demands
February 11, 2026 at 11:37 PM
Thread
tbh I think one of the reasons I just can’t forgive AI use is my first political “thing” was when I was 12 and heard a power plant was going to be built near my school that was big enough to fuck with the weather and everyone thought it was so cute when I went to a town hall to ask them not to do it
February 11, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Thread