common-or-garden Mads 🦆
@madmacsfuryroad.bsky.social
Mads Mackenzie 💀 narrative game dev, mundane birdwatcher, sometimes cosplayer 💀 co-director @ Freeplay 💀 they/them, icon by Penta
Pinned
since my bio on here didn't have enough space and I have some new-new followers
hi, I'm Mads, I'm director/narrative designer at @fine-fiends.bsky.social and co-director at Freeplay
outside games work I'm into cosplay, and I love horror and birdwatching
hi, I'm Mads, I'm director/narrative designer at @fine-fiends.bsky.social and co-director at Freeplay
outside games work I'm into cosplay, and I love horror and birdwatching
I set myself a work goal this month knowing it would be stressful and woke up this morning like 'why am I so stressed???'
could it perhaps be...???
could it perhaps be...???
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 AM
I set myself a work goal this month knowing it would be stressful and woke up this morning like 'why am I so stressed???'
could it perhaps be...???
could it perhaps be...???
all time great character design. I've still got a figure of this guy by my desk 20+ years later. also? his subplot was an all timer too.
(honourable mentions to garudamon and skullgreymon)
(honourable mentions to garudamon and skullgreymon)
November 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
all time great character design. I've still got a figure of this guy by my desk 20+ years later. also? his subplot was an all timer too.
(honourable mentions to garudamon and skullgreymon)
(honourable mentions to garudamon and skullgreymon)
I'm getting a good grade in upsetting endings 🎊 yaaay
November 25, 2025 at 11:33 PM
I'm getting a good grade in upsetting endings 🎊 yaaay
failed in my original quest but achieved something different so. still a win!
November 25, 2025 at 6:58 AM
failed in my original quest but achieved something different so. still a win!
it is my birthday and my Birthday Quest for the year is: figuring out whether any local stores have the new volume of the bad dracula manga in stock!
November 25, 2025 at 12:45 AM
it is my birthday and my Birthday Quest for the year is: figuring out whether any local stores have the new volume of the bad dracula manga in stock!
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
RIP Udo Kier, a true original
📽️
his one and only social media post:
📽️
his one and only social media post:
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 AM
RIP Udo Kier, a true original
📽️
his one and only social media post:
📽️
his one and only social media post:
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
Vesna is now fully readable at www.readvesna.com!
November 24, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Vesna is now fully readable at www.readvesna.com!
a lot of the responses to this are fixated on 'but [parity of main characters]', when I assume it's more the 17-30% effect, where people will typically perceive any group that's 17-30% women as being 50% women
so, if on average 70-83% of random questgivers and NPCs are men...
so, if on average 70-83% of random questgivers and NPCs are men...
The proportion of female to male dialogue in Final Fantasy. #advx25
November 23, 2025 at 9:43 AM
a lot of the responses to this are fixated on 'but [parity of main characters]', when I assume it's more the 17-30% effect, where people will typically perceive any group that's 17-30% women as being 50% women
so, if on average 70-83% of random questgivers and NPCs are men...
so, if on average 70-83% of random questgivers and NPCs are men...
finished a drac scene that was originally meant to be short and straightforward but evolved into the absolute longest scene in the game so far. i am really proud of it!! but also it has a lot that i'll be nervous about until we do playtesting and i'm able to see whether it works for other people.
November 22, 2025 at 2:54 PM
finished a drac scene that was originally meant to be short and straightforward but evolved into the absolute longest scene in the game so far. i am really proud of it!! but also it has a lot that i'll be nervous about until we do playtesting and i'm able to see whether it works for other people.
soul of sovereignty good. everyone should give it a try. you can meet loic, who got entered into the 'most divorced man of all time' contest against his will and unfortunately for him stands a good chance of winning, and ysme, a hot evil clown woman with a two whole different types of god complex.
soul of sovereignty chapter 3 is out now! #soulsov gigidigi.itch.io/soulsov
November 22, 2025 at 1:17 AM
soul of sovereignty good. everyone should give it a try. you can meet loic, who got entered into the 'most divorced man of all time' contest against his will and unfortunately for him stands a good chance of winning, and ysme, a hot evil clown woman with a two whole different types of god complex.
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
soul of sovereignty chapter 3 is out now! #soulsov gigidigi.itch.io/soulsov
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
soul of sovereignty chapter 3 is out now! #soulsov gigidigi.itch.io/soulsov
report: the flavour is authentically crimpy but they're like 20% smaller than normal shapes and it feels uncanny
November 21, 2025 at 4:30 AM
report: the flavour is authentically crimpy but they're like 20% smaller than normal shapes and it feels uncanny
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
one of the underrated advantages of having (1) a set player character (2) in a text-driven game (3) where you can make terrible choices is when you get to position the player as the character's worst impulses and do unique exploratory stuff with their decision making
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 AM
one of the underrated advantages of having (1) a set player character (2) in a text-driven game (3) where you can make terrible choices is when you get to position the player as the character's worst impulses and do unique exploratory stuff with their decision making
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
Sharing the opening pages of Strange Bedfellows to convince you to buy it day one:
November 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Sharing the opening pages of Strange Bedfellows to convince you to buy it day one:
the thing about making a dracula game. is that dracula is there. and characters will be expressing a serious and sincere personal issue. and dracula will be like 'wow! that sucks. i am dracula'. because he is dracula and he is there. in the dracula game.
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
the thing about making a dracula game. is that dracula is there. and characters will be expressing a serious and sincere personal issue. and dracula will be like 'wow! that sucks. i am dracula'. because he is dracula and he is there. in the dracula game.
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
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 5:42 PM
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...
Just saw Wicked Pt 2... choices were made. What a movie.
November 19, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Just saw Wicked Pt 2... choices were made. What a movie.
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
Another cool games story up today Mietta Adams and Charlie McLean in the Pilbara office.
Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards
With only eight fluent Nyiyaparli speakers remaining, an Aboriginal group is racing against time to save their 41,000-year-old language.
www.abc.net.au
November 19, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Another cool games story up today Mietta Adams and Charlie McLean in the Pilbara office.
Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
Game designed to save dying Aboriginal language wins global awards www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...
the council will determine my fate
November 19, 2025 at 1:49 AM
the council will determine my fate
Crow Country!! yeehaw!!
November 19, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Crow Country!! yeehaw!!
at the point in Drac route where the branches are branching such that I can, back-to-back, end up writing the most overt horror sequence to date and then hard pivot to the cutest scene yet. the variety is good but phwoar.
November 18, 2025 at 3:16 PM
at the point in Drac route where the branches are branching such that I can, back-to-back, end up writing the most overt horror sequence to date and then hard pivot to the cutest scene yet. the variety is good but phwoar.
at long last... they're real
November 18, 2025 at 7:20 AM
at long last... they're real
Reposted by common-or-garden Mads 🦆
I HAVE QUESTIONS, 1910 WANT AD
November 18, 2025 at 5:07 AM
I HAVE QUESTIONS, 1910 WANT AD
the problem with doing research and looking at comp texts for Drac in my old field of study is that I keep thinking 'wow! I could write an essay about this!'... but NO. I must instead write a game about this.
November 18, 2025 at 4:30 AM
the problem with doing research and looking at comp texts for Drac in my old field of study is that I keep thinking 'wow! I could write an essay about this!'... but NO. I must instead write a game about this.