Mike Bithell
@mikebithell.bsky.social
Director of video games. Most recently TRON: Catalyst, previously Thomas Was Alone, Subsurface Circular etc etc
Reposted by Mike Bithell
Aching to read about the making of top indie gems like Hades, Cuphead, Undertale, and MORE!?
@bitmapbooks.com has found some extra copies of my book down the back of the sofa - live on site now: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
(FYI: this'll be the last few until the 2nd edition restock)
@bitmapbooks.com has found some extra copies of my book down the back of the sofa - live on site now: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
(FYI: this'll be the last few until the 2nd edition restock)
50 Indie Games that Changed the World
Discover the stories behind 50 of the most influential indie games released in the past two decades including Hades, Hyper Light Drifter, Spelunky and more.
www.bitmapbooks.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Aching to read about the making of top indie gems like Hades, Cuphead, Undertale, and MORE!?
@bitmapbooks.com has found some extra copies of my book down the back of the sofa - live on site now: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
(FYI: this'll be the last few until the 2nd edition restock)
@bitmapbooks.com has found some extra copies of my book down the back of the sofa - live on site now: www.bitmapbooks.com/collections/...
(FYI: this'll be the last few until the 2nd edition restock)
AI use: boo
Writing the best final line in videogame history: A+
Writing the best final line in videogame history: A+
greatest steam update of all time, because of one unnecessary detail
January 12, 2026 at 10:21 PM
AI use: boo
Writing the best final line in videogame history: A+
Writing the best final line in videogame history: A+
Hehe, I am disastrously shallow, and an intentionally ugly asset will always demotivate me. I make the best looking thing I can, and put that in, and I’m constantly replacing the worst thing with the new best thing til release. For content made by others, I’ll ask for placeholder wip from them
What's your placeholder philosophy? Do you make everything neon and obviously temp to make sure you don't miss it, or do you go for something more subtle and just make sure everything is tracked properly?
I try to stick to the latter, but sometimes its 3am and I'm doing one last thing before bed...
I try to stick to the latter, but sometimes its 3am and I'm doing one last thing before bed...
January 12, 2026 at 10:53 AM
Hehe, I am disastrously shallow, and an intentionally ugly asset will always demotivate me. I make the best looking thing I can, and put that in, and I’m constantly replacing the worst thing with the new best thing til release. For content made by others, I’ll ask for placeholder wip from them
I start making it. If I’m on a big team with folks then there’s a responsibility to do ‘proper’ preproduction, but I’m much more comfortable making a thing by creating the shit execution of an idea, then fixing it
What's your approach to turning an idea for a project into a coherent vision that you can actually follow?
January 12, 2026 at 10:42 AM
I start making it. If I’m on a big team with folks then there’s a responsibility to do ‘proper’ preproduction, but I’m much more comfortable making a thing by creating the shit execution of an idea, then fixing it
As a general theme, unsurprisingly, I think its biggest weaknesses, from my perspective, are around handling big stacks of content.. I’d love to be able to edit resources simultaneously.
You said you liked Godot, but what is the biggest thing you'd like to see changed about it?
January 12, 2026 at 10:35 AM
As a general theme, unsurprisingly, I think its biggest weaknesses, from my perspective, are around handling big stacks of content.. I’d love to be able to edit resources simultaneously.
Honestly, a cool part of this process has been creating my own versions of stock unity assets, but with features I actually want.. the audio manager for the next thing is hand made on top of godot’s cool audio tools, for example.
Godot also just comes nicely stocked
Godot also just comes nicely stocked
How far have you been able to mimic former tools made for your games in previous engines (don't know if you used other things besides Unity) in Godot?
I mean tools you made for internal use, not other available tools.
I mean tools you made for internal use, not other available tools.
January 12, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Honestly, a cool part of this process has been creating my own versions of stock unity assets, but with features I actually want.. the audio manager for the next thing is hand made on top of godot’s cool audio tools, for example.
Godot also just comes nicely stocked
Godot also just comes nicely stocked
Train AMA, let’s gooooo
January 12, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Train AMA, let’s gooooo
Reposted by Mike Bithell
The developers of PEAK explain pricing
January 12, 2026 at 7:01 AM
The developers of PEAK explain pricing
This. Realising in my mid 30s that my brain basically took to the task it was given, and maybe I should not give it the task of obsessing about every potential negative outcome, saved my life. Not true of all brains etc etc, but I could have had a far more chill 20s if I’d gotten there sooner
Watching doc about resilience that reaffirms many changes I made last few years to my mental outlook (I read a LOT of brain books). Brains are hallucination engines. If the story is the world is shit, everything is fucked, brain reframes every interaction this way. It impacts behavior; shuts us down
January 11, 2026 at 10:57 PM
This. Realising in my mid 30s that my brain basically took to the task it was given, and maybe I should not give it the task of obsessing about every potential negative outcome, saved my life. Not true of all brains etc etc, but I could have had a far more chill 20s if I’d gotten there sooner
Many months in and I’m an annoyingly big Godot fan. Just a lovely tool, smartly produced and maintained. Excited to see what the next few years hold for it, and happy to be a part of that community. Looking forward to shipping something built with it.
January 11, 2026 at 6:33 PM
Many months in and I’m an annoyingly big Godot fan. Just a lovely tool, smartly produced and maintained. Excited to see what the next few years hold for it, and happy to be a part of that community. Looking forward to shipping something built with it.
Reposted by Mike Bithell
Twitter is the world’s largest generator of CSAM & non-consensual porn by a margin of about 8000%, and somehow… MSM isn’t even reporting on it.
(also includes advice for reporting ‘deepfake harassment’ to police if it escalates to a point where restraining order is necessary)
youtu.be/p71qQKmIGhQ
(also includes advice for reporting ‘deepfake harassment’ to police if it escalates to a point where restraining order is necessary)
youtu.be/p71qQKmIGhQ
I'm angry.
YouTube video by Charalanahzard
youtu.be
January 11, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Twitter is the world’s largest generator of CSAM & non-consensual porn by a margin of about 8000%, and somehow… MSM isn’t even reporting on it.
(also includes advice for reporting ‘deepfake harassment’ to police if it escalates to a point where restraining order is necessary)
youtu.be/p71qQKmIGhQ
(also includes advice for reporting ‘deepfake harassment’ to police if it escalates to a point where restraining order is necessary)
youtu.be/p71qQKmIGhQ
Reposted by Mike Bithell
Hi #PortfolioDay ! I'm Jeremy, I like drawing scifi. My contract ended recently, and I'm currently looking for work.
October 16, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Hi #PortfolioDay ! I'm Jeremy, I like drawing scifi. My contract ended recently, and I'm currently looking for work.
This menu is my ‘all men think about Rome at least once a day’
January 10, 2026 at 8:26 AM
This menu is my ‘all men think about Rome at least once a day’
I’ve seen a lot of exceptionally smart peers buy this idea without interrogating it. If these models could be trained solely on even medium sized data sets, the consumption race between the big players wouldn’t be happening.
There are 2-3 companies that own an amount of assets that even gets close
There are 2-3 companies that own an amount of assets that even gets close
I cannot stress this enough: this is not possible
in a literal technological sense: you cannot train an AI and expect even comprehensible results with under ~1 million pieces of data, nobody can supply all that with the variance needed. You can only achieve it through wanton scraping
in a literal technological sense: you cannot train an AI and expect even comprehensible results with under ~1 million pieces of data, nobody can supply all that with the variance needed. You can only achieve it through wanton scraping
Larian CEO says Divinity could have gen AI assets in it but only if the tools are trained on the studio's own data.
"If we use a GenAI model to create in-game assets, then it'll be trained on data we own."
https://kotaku.com/divinity-gen-ai-larian-bg3-reddit-ama-2000658429
"If we use a GenAI model to create in-game assets, then it'll be trained on data we own."
https://kotaku.com/divinity-gen-ai-larian-bg3-reddit-ama-2000658429
January 9, 2026 at 9:09 PM
I’ve seen a lot of exceptionally smart peers buy this idea without interrogating it. If these models could be trained solely on even medium sized data sets, the consumption race between the big players wouldn’t be happening.
There are 2-3 companies that own an amount of assets that even gets close
There are 2-3 companies that own an amount of assets that even gets close
Reposted by Mike Bithell
I am so proud to help announce a new video game website! In the year 2026!
@midimyers.com and @zoehhannah.com join Post Games to talk about mothership.blog. Plus, they share a history of women in games media!
You'll love this one! And so will your friends!
@midimyers.com and @zoehhannah.com join Post Games to talk about mothership.blog. Plus, they share a history of women in games media!
You'll love this one! And so will your friends!
Mothership and a History of Women in Games Media
A new gaming website?! In this economy?!
postgame.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:03 PM
I am so proud to help announce a new video game website! In the year 2026!
@midimyers.com and @zoehhannah.com join Post Games to talk about mothership.blog. Plus, they share a history of women in games media!
You'll love this one! And so will your friends!
@midimyers.com and @zoehhannah.com join Post Games to talk about mothership.blog. Plus, they share a history of women in games media!
You'll love this one! And so will your friends!
Get involved in the HFU
friends! acquaintances! help!
i'm looking to hire a game designer (living in the Netherlands) to help build games in The Hidden Folks Universe, starting with a sequel to the indie hit game Hidden Folks.
know someone who's a good fit? pls forward this, ty!
hiddenfolks.com/job-opening/...
i'm looking to hire a game designer (living in the Netherlands) to help build games in The Hidden Folks Universe, starting with a sequel to the indie hit game Hidden Folks.
know someone who's a good fit? pls forward this, ty!
hiddenfolks.com/job-opening/...
Job opening: game designer @ Hidden Folks
We're looking for a game designer in the Netherlands to help build games in The Hidden Folks Universe, starting with a sequel to the indie hit game Hidden Folks.
hiddenfolks.com
January 9, 2026 at 9:33 AM
Get involved in the HFU
I absolutely hate the role ‘my subconscious just kinda got around to figuring it out ten hours after I gave up, midway through watching a movie’ plays in my creative process.
January 9, 2026 at 12:34 AM
I absolutely hate the role ‘my subconscious just kinda got around to figuring it out ten hours after I gave up, midway through watching a movie’ plays in my creative process.
Doing semi regular working play date with @arndreth.bsky.social… I just made the important choice to put on the les mis soundtrack.
January 7, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Doing semi regular working play date with @arndreth.bsky.social… I just made the important choice to put on the les mis soundtrack.
There is nothing more bullishly auteur-ish than checking that your brilliantly clever juxtaposition of themes and world building isn’t being undermined by nobody knowing how to jump. Designing without playtesting is like being a doctor who’s uninterested in the patient’s symptoms.
I see devs get prickly about playtesting because they're afraid of being "focus grouped" or having the edges sanded off.
The point of playtesting is to see if what you intended was what the player actually experienced, and there's no other way to find this out than putting it in front of someone.
The point of playtesting is to see if what you intended was what the player actually experienced, and there's no other way to find this out than putting it in front of someone.
January 6, 2026 at 11:21 PM
There is nothing more bullishly auteur-ish than checking that your brilliantly clever juxtaposition of themes and world building isn’t being undermined by nobody knowing how to jump. Designing without playtesting is like being a doctor who’s uninterested in the patient’s symptoms.
This is the most concise encapsulation of the game industry heading into 2026 I’ve seen.
PlayStation's top five most-played games of 2025 are exactly the same as 2024's
www.eurogamer.net/playstations...
www.eurogamer.net/playstations...
January 6, 2026 at 11:14 PM
This is the most concise encapsulation of the game industry heading into 2026 I’ve seen.
Went to see one of my faves (Billly Crudup) in High Noon on stage in London. A good play, but one that massively reinforces for me how hyped I am for a time (any day now) when American artists can have any other subject to talk about.
January 3, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Went to see one of my faves (Billly Crudup) in High Noon on stage in London. A good play, but one that massively reinforces for me how hyped I am for a time (any day now) when American artists can have any other subject to talk about.
Reposted by Mike Bithell
Really disappointing to see this from the recipient of the prestigious FIFA Peace Prize
Trump just kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela
January 3, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Really disappointing to see this from the recipient of the prestigious FIFA Peace Prize
A crucial piece of the canon.
January 2, 2026 at 9:29 AM
A crucial piece of the canon.
The big traitors twist has some edge cases that make me nervous on a design level. On a storytelling level, I’m not sure the show needed more ambiguity.
A potential over-correction to a balancing issue. Or there’s a cool twist coming.
A potential over-correction to a balancing issue. Or there’s a cool twist coming.
January 1, 2026 at 11:50 PM
The big traitors twist has some edge cases that make me nervous on a design level. On a storytelling level, I’m not sure the show needed more ambiguity.
A potential over-correction to a balancing issue. Or there’s a cool twist coming.
A potential over-correction to a balancing issue. Or there’s a cool twist coming.
I’ve never been up high in London on NYE.. my god. A blanket of fireworks. Have a good year folks.
January 1, 2026 at 12:19 AM
I’ve never been up high in London on NYE.. my god. A blanket of fireworks. Have a good year folks.