Fred Z.
fred-zed.bsky.social
Fred Z.
@fred-zed.bsky.social
Game designer, adventurer, occasional karaoke host, and American immigrant. I contain multitudes, but usually talk about writing and designing for games. See my longer form stuff at https://fredzed.substack.com/
Interactive media requires writers to give up some control to the player. But why would a writer want to do that in the first place? And what does it require from the players who take that extra agency?
The Trade-Offs of Interactive Media
What game writers give up, all in hopes of reaching a deeper connection
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Game design, bones, and AI slop. Why it’s troubling when a studio head says they’re using AI “but it won’t be in the final game.”

(with thanks to @unburntwitch.com for inspiring me to write this, and to @jasonschreier.bsky.social for the original interview)
Do the Work
The bones of a game, AI slop, and how an idea becomes reality
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM