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Austin Auclair

@patientrock.bsky.social

140 followers 170 following 640 posts

Quest and narrative designer. Location-based game expert and geocacher. I have too many hobbies. He/him. www.PatientRock.com

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · Nov 11

A hungry crab saves the Chesapeake Bay!

My new video game, Crab Crawl, is now on sale.

🦀 Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/3254550/...

🦀 Itch: patientrock.itch.io/crab-crawl

Scuttle along and buy a copy!

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Reposted by Austin Auclair

The Interactive Fiction Competition @ifcomp.org · 12h

It's the weekend! It's also the FINAL WEEKEND before IFComp 2025 wraps! Remember to get those final votes in. Also, if you are in a position to do so and have not yet contributed to this year's Colossal Fund, we're just a bit short of our stretch goal. Thank you! Have fun!

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 13h

We don’t get a lot of new location based games these days so I gotta play them when one comes up, but this one has dialogue like this and I’m not happy.

The image is a screenshot from the game which features one of the cartoon monsters you capture. Its name is Peeplisk and its dialogue bubble reads, “*splash splash* Hewp! I keep fawwing into the watew! I *glub* can’t swim!”. Sigh.

Reposted by Austin Auclair

Linda Holmes @lindaholmes.bsky.social · 1d

I mean this sincerely: If the presence of the National Guard at Union Station is supposed to make it feel safer, they could patrol the dark parking lot at 10:30 at night instead of hanging out in front of the closed Starbucks or whatever.

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 17h

He’s done an excellent job! Plus he gets to see how much work goes into each post. Not easy!

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 1d

Holyyyyyyyyy

The Onion @theonion.com · 1d

Woman Tends To Do Best Creative Thinking When Backed Into Corner With Livelihood At Stake https://theonion.com/woman-tends-to-do-best-creative-thinking-when-backed-in-1851338274/

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 1d

My 11-year-old has started reading LotR and I asked where he was.

“I don’t know, dad, there’s this guy who sings a lot, he lives in the woods with his wife…”

“Oh, buddy.”

Reposted by Austin Auclair

Lux "Nightmare" Alptraum @luxalptraum.com · 2d

TFW you paid $1400 to see Beckett’s most famous work without knowing anything about it

One Star Review of Waiting for Godot on Broadway
I recently attended Waiting for Godot on Broadway and spent over $1,400 for two Row C seats (103 and 104). I'm a longtime admirer of Broadway productions and even hold a season pass for Shea's Performing Arts Theatre, so I came in with genuine enthusiasm and high expectations. Unfortunately, this show was unlike anything ! have ever experienced —and not in a good way.
What I encountered was not the artistry, music, or emotional storytelling I usually associate with Broadway, but instead what felt like an endless cycle of nonsensical conversation between characters who seemed trapped in their own madness. I tried-truly tried-to find meaning, symbolism, or even a thread of emotional resonance. I stayed through the first half hoping the second would offer clarity. But by intermission, it was clear: this was a waste of both time and money.
Keanu Reeves is an actor I respect greatly, but I cannot fathom why he would agree to participate in such a disjointed, inaccessible production. His talent was lost in a performance that defied reason rather than provoked insight.
To anyone considering attending: unless you are drawn to highly abstract, nearly incomprehensible theater, I strongly caution you against this show. For the average, educated, thoughtful theatergoer, it is far more frustrating than fulfilling. In my opinion, this was the single most disappointing Broadway experience I've ever had - an unfortunate waste of money and, more importantly, of time.

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 3d

@danryckert.com Now that you’re in your Walden era you should check out the game. It’s not great, but I mainly just love that it exists: store.steampowered.com/app/1011700/...

Walden, a game on Steam

Take on Henry David Thoreau’s classic adventure in living simply in nature as you explore this epic open world game based on the story of Thoreau’s life in the woods alone at Walden Pond.

store.steampowered.com

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 3d

Hugs all around.

Reposted by Austin Auclair

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 4d

😭

IG newberlinlibrary

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 5d

I had been saving two new short stories by two of my favorite authors, @marthawells.com and @playwrightsteve.bsky.social, for an emergency (arriving at the airport too early), and I’m glad I did.

🤖 reactormag.com/rapport-mart...

🕵️‍♀️ www.stephenspotswood.com/pentecost-an...

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 5d

Hyacinth Bucket was a titan in our house growing up. RIP, Patricia Routledge. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Patricia Routledge: Keeping Up Appearances star dies at 96

She also starred in Alan Bennett's TV monologues and played the BBC's amateur sleuth Hetty Wainthropp.

www.bbc.com

Reposted by Austin Auclair

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 9d

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 9d

If you buy Crab Crawl I’ll fix that typo just for you.

Reposted by Austin Auclair

Porch Weather Games @porchweathergames.com · 11d

You can grab Station Zeta right now in the Steam Autumn Sale for less than the price of a tariff-adjusted cup of coffee. Run, jump, and puzzle your way through the worst station in space today!

store.steampowered.com/app/2950320/...

Save 50% on Station Zeta on Steam

Run, jump, shoot, and think your way to safety in this retro-inspired 2D puzzle-platformer. Station Zeta is out of control, and you'll have to deal with crazed robots, terribly designed station machin...

store.steampowered.com

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 11d

Crab Crawl is always inexpensive but its even cheaper right now.

How about a game that you can finish on a weeknight? Is cheerful? Has got great music? Steam Deck friendly? Play as a crab!

🦀 s.team/a/3254550

Save 10% on Crab Crawl on Steam

A short, cheerful action-adventure game where you guide a crab in search of food. Avoid a variety of predators, sea-born obstacles, litterers, rival crustaceans, and explore the hostile waters to find...

s.team

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Reposted by Austin Auclair

Laura E. Hall @lauraehall.bsky.social · 13d

Just a few days til my month-long October newsletter begins! buttondown.email/31DaysOfHall...

a pumpkin with a face carved into it is lit up

Alt: a pumpkin with a face carved into it is lit up

media.tenor.com

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 12d

Forbidden soda.

We get this olive oil mail-order subscription of Graza olive oil and it’s pretty good! They try and be sustainable but sending refills in aluminum pop-top cans. The cans look strikingly like the apple cider I like to drink so whenever I see this olive oil can in my periphery my brain wants to drink it.

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 12d

A little over two weeks left to vote in IFComp!

Anyone can play and rate at least five games before Oct. 15. There’s a lot of good, weird stuff in there this year!

ifcomp.org/ballot

The Interactive Fiction Competition

ifcomp.org

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Reposted by Austin Auclair

Jason (he/him) @theotterknitter.bsky.social · 13d

I gave myself a sewing challenge to try a dress pattern, and chose the Wrap Dress from a Great British Sewing Bee book. And she’s finished!

There were tears, but I learned a lot. Invisible zip! Gathered sleeves! Facings! Understitching! Definitely worth it.

#sewing #homemade #wrapdress #gaysewist

A wrap dress in floral print featured on a dress form

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Reposted by Austin Auclair

Tabitha (misinformation hater) @tabithawrites.itch.io · 13d

i've been taking a bsky break but popping back on to drop this! tabitha-if.neocities.org/wr_9-27-25

IF Weekly Roundup, Sept 27 2025

This week's IF news

tabitha-if.neocities.org

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Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 15d

Watched the Wolverine (new video game) trailer.

A) I’ve always preferred noir/detective Wolverine over tragic berserker;

B) Superheroes, particularly the X-Men, are interesting beyond punching people in unusual ways and if that’s all your game is, you’ve failed.

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 15d

Holy shit this targeted IG ad got me.

An ad for a doormat featuring a bat drawn by artist Ed Emberley. Emberley released multiple “how to draw” books for kids where he showed how to draw in a doodle style. As someone who could never draw very steadily, but is an excellent doodler, I was instantly smitten. My favorite was his “orange” book which largely featured Halloween themed drawings, including this bat.

Austin Auclair @patientrock.bsky.social · 16d

Eyyyyyy! That’s me!

Bruno Dias @brunodias.bsky.social · 16d

Today on IFComp reviews: two different kinds of sad rainy island, and also the X-Men

azhdarchid.com/reviewing-so...

Reviewing some IFComp Games, part 4 of ???

Today in IFComp reviews: different kinds of sad islands and the X-Men

azhdarchid.com

Reposted by Austin Auclair

Stephen Spotswood @playwrightsteve.bsky.social · 16d

There's a new Pentecost & Parker short story available on my website! Ten minutes; 40 suspects; one corpse face-up on the 2 train. Lillian Pentecost puts Will to the test to solve a killing on the Seventh Avenue Express. Sign up for my newsletter to get the code.

Pentecost and Parker Shorts — Stephen Spotswood

New short fiction featuring our heroes from the Pentecost & Parker mysteries

www.stephenspotswood.com

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