John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
@spacegoblingames.com
Indie text game developer, creator of Seedship and Beyond the Chiron Gate. Now working on a pulp sci-fi adventure narrated by the villain!
Website: https://www.spacegoblingames.com/
Blog: https://write.as/johnayliff/
Header and avatar by Tom Morley
Website: https://www.spacegoblingames.com/
Blog: https://write.as/johnayliff/
Header and avatar by Tom Morley
Pinned
Space Goblin Diaries
John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games) is a creator of text-based games and interactive fiction
write.as
Coming soon* from Space Goblin Games:
(* when it's done)
"Foolish Earth Creatures: You Cannot Defeat ME!"
An interactive pulp sci-fi adventure narrated by the villain!
Follow the developer diaries here: write.as/johnayliff/
(* when it's done)
"Foolish Earth Creatures: You Cannot Defeat ME!"
An interactive pulp sci-fi adventure narrated by the villain!
Follow the developer diaries here: write.as/johnayliff/
I've just released Beyond the Chiron Gate version 1.1.7. As well as fixing some minor bugs, this should make the layout adapt to phone screens with inset cameras so the camera doesn't hide part of the interface.
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
Beyond the Chiron Gate by Space Goblin Games
Text-based space exploration game
spacegoblingames.itch.io
January 15, 2026 at 2:10 AM
I've just released Beyond the Chiron Gate version 1.1.7. As well as fixing some minor bugs, this should make the layout adapt to phone screens with inset cameras so the camera doesn't hide part of the interface.
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
Vancouver people: The Vancouver School Board is planning to introduce generative AI into classrooms, here's a petition to ask them not to.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/vo...
actionnetwork.org/petitions/vo...
Voice AI Concerns to Vancouver School Board
Vancouver School Board (VSB) are planning to collaborate with Microsoft to introduce Generative AI into classrooms.
As parents and guardians of children at VSB schools, we do not consent to our child...
actionnetwork.org
January 12, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Vancouver people: The Vancouver School Board is planning to introduce generative AI into classrooms, here's a petition to ask them not to.
actionnetwork.org/petitions/vo...
actionnetwork.org/petitions/vo...
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
Discord wants to know how you feel about AI.
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com
January 10, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Discord wants to know how you feel about AI.
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Go tell them: discord.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
The No ICE in Minnesota charity bundle submission period is now open: itch.io/jam/no-ice-i...
All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome
Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February
All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome
Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February
January 7, 2026 at 10:32 PM
The No ICE in Minnesota charity bundle submission period is now open: itch.io/jam/no-ice-i...
All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome
Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February
All games, free and paid, TTRPG and browser based-alike are welcome
Submissions are open until January 26 & the charity bundle supporting a Minnesota based Immigrants' rights org will go live in February
Just read a story where the heroes climbed a mountain and it was so vividly described that it triggered my fear of heights.
January 8, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Just read a story where the heroes climbed a mountain and it was so vividly described that it triggered my fear of heights.
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
The Spanish version is “the left liberates, the right oppresses” and once I learned that, both screws and politics made more sense
the single line that has saved me the most hassle in my life is "lefty loosey righty tighty"
January 7, 2026 at 3:47 PM
The Spanish version is “the left liberates, the right oppresses” and once I learned that, both screws and politics made more sense
Ah yes the story arc in which Judge Dredd gets a Bluesky account:
Mike McMahon’s fabulous cover for 1984’s Titan Books reprint collection “The Chronicles of Judge Dredd: Blockmania”.
January 7, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Ah yes the story arc in which Judge Dredd gets a Bluesky account:
I'm sorry but why wouldn't right-wingers like a story about natural hierarchical power structures being restored and evil lesser races being put in their place?
Sure there's a bit about little guys succeeding where big heroes fail, but overall it's deeply conservative.
Sure there's a bit about little guys succeeding where big heroes fail, but overall it's deeply conservative.
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
How did The Lord of the Rings end up so beloved by the right wing?
www.independent.co.uk
January 6, 2026 at 8:24 PM
I'm sorry but why wouldn't right-wingers like a story about natural hierarchical power structures being restored and evil lesser races being put in their place?
Sure there's a bit about little guys succeeding where big heroes fail, but overall it's deeply conservative.
Sure there's a bit about little guys succeeding where big heroes fail, but overall it's deeply conservative.
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
1. Headlines everywhere today read "Grok apologizes."
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
January 3, 2026 at 12:12 AM
1. Headlines everywhere today read "Grok apologizes."
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
I wrote about Grok's CSAM problem and how journalists keep fumbling the story
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
Grok Can't Apologize. Grok Isn't Sentient. So Why Do Headlines Keep Saying It Did?
Elon Musk’s chatbot has been “undressing” women and children in public. Journalists are letting xAI off the hook by pretending the bot is responsible.
www.readtpa.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:58 PM
I wrote about Grok's CSAM problem and how journalists keep fumbling the story
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
www.readtpa.com/p/grok-cant-...
Years ago I was in a UK train station and an obviously robot voice announced some delay, and then said "I apologise for any inconvenience."
And that bothered me, because who had apologised? It wasn't a corporate "we", it was "I". *No one* had apologised.
Thinking about that now for some reason.
And that bothered me, because who had apologised? It wasn't a corporate "we", it was "I". *No one* had apologised.
Thinking about that now for some reason.
This is a thread of major media outlets falsely anthropomorphising the "Grok" chatbot program and in doing so, actively and directly removing responsibility and accountability from individual people working at X who created a child pornography generator (Elon Musk, Nikita Bier etc)
#1: Reuters
#1: Reuters
January 2, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Years ago I was in a UK train station and an obviously robot voice announced some delay, and then said "I apologise for any inconvenience."
And that bothered me, because who had apologised? It wasn't a corporate "we", it was "I". *No one* had apologised.
Thinking about that now for some reason.
And that bothered me, because who had apologised? It wasn't a corporate "we", it was "I". *No one* had apologised.
Thinking about that now for some reason.
New developer diary in which I take a brief look at my progress over the past year: write.as/johnayliff/f...
Foolish Earth Creatures: December 2025
I have always said it, I will continue to say it, we are limiting the productive potential of millions of freaks by demanding they earn a wage to survive instead of enabling them to do whatever thing their brain is broken for
December 22, 2025 at 12:45 AM
I have always said it, I will continue to say it, we are limiting the productive potential of millions of freaks by demanding they earn a wage to survive instead of enabling them to do whatever thing their brain is broken for
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
PLEASE COPY OR SHARE THIS! University of Carnegie Mellon are doing a research to see how generative Al has (or has not) impacted your work and/or sentiments in the industry. Folks in creative fields only, please consider filling this out: cmu.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
cmu.ca1.qualtrics.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:15 AM
PLEASE COPY OR SHARE THIS! University of Carnegie Mellon are doing a research to see how generative Al has (or has not) impacted your work and/or sentiments in the industry. Folks in creative fields only, please consider filling this out: cmu.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Happy Winter Sale! Beyond the Chiron Gate is 50% off on itch, Steam, and ios
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
Beyond the Chiron Gate by Space Goblin Games
Text-based space exploration game
spacegoblingames.itch.io
December 18, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Happy Winter Sale! Beyond the Chiron Gate is 50% off on itch, Steam, and ios
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
spacegoblingames.itch.io/beyond-the-c...
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
RIP Gil Gerard, star of the 1970s Buck Rogers TV show.
I've been slowly working my way through the show lately and it's still very enjoyable today, thanks in part to Gerard's performance.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/g...
I've been slowly working my way through the show lately and it's still very enjoyable today, thanks in part to Gerard's performance.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/g...
Gil Gerard, Star of ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,’ Dies at 82
He battled a weight problem for decades and talked about it on the reality series 'Action Hero Makeover.'
www.hollywoodreporter.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:30 AM
RIP Gil Gerard, star of the 1970s Buck Rogers TV show.
I've been slowly working my way through the show lately and it's still very enjoyable today, thanks in part to Gerard's performance.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/g...
I've been slowly working my way through the show lately and it's still very enjoyable today, thanks in part to Gerard's performance.
www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/g...
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
I've famously told this story on podcasts a number of times, but I met Gil Gerard as a kid at a celebrity tennis tournament and he tried to pick up my mom right in front of me. Was I mad? No. Buck Rogers tried to fuck my mom, which is the most Buck Rogers thing he could do. Lived up to the legend.
December 17, 2025 at 4:12 AM
I've famously told this story on podcasts a number of times, but I met Gil Gerard as a kid at a celebrity tennis tournament and he tried to pick up my mom right in front of me. Was I mad? No. Buck Rogers tried to fuck my mom, which is the most Buck Rogers thing he could do. Lived up to the legend.
Guess what, I am evolving into someone who no longer uses Firefox
December 17, 2025 at 4:42 AM
Guess what, I am evolving into someone who no longer uses Firefox
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
It's important to remember that most cop shows are "copaganda" and give a very inaccurate picture of what police are like. For example, almost no real police departments have a neurodivergent civilian consultant who helps them solve puzzle murderers.
December 14, 2025 at 1:08 AM
It's important to remember that most cop shows are "copaganda" and give a very inaccurate picture of what police are like. For example, almost no real police departments have a neurodivergent civilian consultant who helps them solve puzzle murderers.
Reposted by John Ayliff (Space Goblin Games)
Happy 100th birthday Dick Van Dyke, I've spent most of my life confusing you with Rip Van Winkle and thinking you were a fictional character.
December 13, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Happy 100th birthday Dick Van Dyke, I've spent most of my life confusing you with Rip Van Winkle and thinking you were a fictional character.