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Gil Hova

@gil.hova.net

2.1K followers 1.1K following 3.4K posts

He/him. JC/NYC. Game designer rebooting, robot fight facilitator at NHRL, weird/noisy music, ferret fan. Still not a negotiable Final Fantasy currency. All my links: https://gil.hova.net

gil.hova.net

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 8d

Here it is! Ferret Frenzy, the push-your-luck card game I designed with Channing Shattuck about the best pets in the world, is live on KS (and Channing is killing it with the campaign, he's way better than I ever was): www.kickstarter.com/projects/sha...

FERRET FRENZY: A Party Game of Risk, Reward & Ridiculousness

Unleash the push-your-luck thrill of Blackjack with the grabby chaos of Spoons in this wild game of SPEED and GREED.

www.kickstarter.com

Reposted by Gil Hova

Marceline Leiman (High Tide, available now!!) @marcelineleiman.bsky.social · 21h

This weekend we watched @nhrl.bsky.social games on YouTube for the first time and were blown away by this whole world of robot battling.

I first learned about it from @gil.hova.net who works for the org.

We enjoyed it so much, and we are planning to go see the games IRL!

Let’s go Jelly Baby!!!!

October's Final Rounds: Prime Time | NHRL 2025 Round 6, Oct 4th from 7pm ET

YouTube video by NHRL

www.youtube.com

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 1d

It's fantastic! Gobbler will break your heart!

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 1d

This is like Samuel Beckett giving a young Andre the Giant rides to school in rural France

Reposted by Gil Hova

Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 2d

Want to understand why users have lost faith in Bluesky's leadership?

Or what the deal with waffles was about?

Or why users are up in arms about a beloved activist and community builder was banned for criticizing Bluesky's CEO?

Nico Mara-McKay 🦇 (they/iel) @nicomaramckay.com · 2d

tl;dr: Bluesky began with genuine promise: a new social media platform where users could feel safer, but inconsistent moderation quickly eroded trust.

When systemically marginalized users pushed back, Bluesky’s leadership minimized concerns and began to target them for bans.

Bluesky’s CEO meltdown: How leadership continues to fail its most marginalized users

tl;dr: Bluesky began with genuine promise: a new social media platform where systemically marginalized users could feel safer, but…

plutopsyche.medium.com

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 2d

Same. I've learned to let my brain work on anything it wants to, as long as there's no impending deadlines. If I try to force it to do something else, I get so much less done overall.

In fact, I can sometimes use the momentum gained from personal projects to slingshot to a more "practical" task.

Gnome Anne @annethegnome.bsky.social · 2d

I wish time blocking worked for me but my brain is a temperamental toddler and as soon as I’m like “ok! 6pm! now it’s time to work on this project” it just screams and then lies down on the floor and won’t move.

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 3d

To make it clear: this piece of music has a BIG-TIME CW for cancer and death.

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 3d

I'm always happy to find music that kicks the shit out of me emotionally. This particular piece is amazing if you want a good ugly cry. 10/10 Kleenex boxes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZz0...

The Sacred Veil: I. The Veil Opens

YouTube video by Eric Whitacre - Topic

www.youtube.com

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 3d

Lyrics here if you want to point the dagger directly to your heart www.charlesanthonysilvestri.com/the-sacred-v...

Sacred Veil | Tony Silvestri

www.charlesanthonysilvestri.com

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 3d

I'm always happy to find music that kicks the shit out of me emotionally. This particular piece is amazing if you want a good ugly cry. 10/10 Kleenex boxes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZz0...

The Sacred Veil: I. The Veil Opens

YouTube video by Eric Whitacre - Topic

www.youtube.com

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 3d

It was fantastic, and Jake is a hero.

Now to sleep for a week.

L.C. Webs, Now With Extra Spoopy @lcwebsxoxo.bsky.social · 3d

Ngl, Jake made me cry a little there at the end. #NHRL

@gil.hova.net thanks for another fabulous show!

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 8d

Thank you for the reminder, now I have as well!

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 8d

Channing's done an amazing job with the KS!

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 8d

FERRET FRENZY: A Party Game of Risk, Reward & Ridiculousness

Unleash the push-your-luck thrill of Blackjack with the grabby chaos of Spoons in this wild game of SPEED and GREED.

www.kickstarter.com

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

Thank you!

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

And of course, it's about ferrets. I've always wanted to make a game about ferrets, for obvious reasons. I think the game is every bit as adorable, chaotic, loving, and messy as these critters are are.

/🧵

a snake is crawling on a wooden floor in a room .

Alt: GIF: A pregnant ferret scampers towards the camera on a wood floor, and suddenly drops to a rest on the floor. She looks like a tiny furry speed bump. (Many ferrets do this, it's usually called a "splot")

media.tenor.com

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

Don't be too put off by how the game is presented as frantic and real-time. We're putting finishing touches on the non-real-time version, which my various game groups and I prefer to play. If you like push-your-luck games like Dead Man's Draw or Circus Flohcati, this is worth your attention.

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

I'll start with the most important bit: I have no significant role in running the Kickstarter, production, fulfillment, or anything like that. Those days are long over for me, thank goodness.

My role here was primarily design, with the occasional piece of advice for the business end.

A portion of an email I sent to my co-designer Channing (who is handling publication of the game):

"Also, I came up with the BEST tagline for the game:

Like Wingspan, but stinkier.

(Please don't use it.)"

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

I'm posting this too late, and it feels bizarre to be saying this, but:

I have a game going up on Kickstarter tomorrow. reserve.ferretfrenzy.com

🧵

Find out which of your friends need serious help in this wild party game of risk, reward & ridiculousness.

reserve.ferretfrenzy.com

5 8 39

Reposted by Gil Hova

Mischa Krilov @mdk.bsky.social · 9d

If you are reading this, I want to do voice work for your Kickstarter.

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

Refs are more of a "The Room" vibe, tho

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

Sports fans, if you want to see the football equivalent of "Manos: The Hands of Fate", the Jets-Dolphins game is delivering

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

This is such a good reminder that what we think of as “sports” is relatively recent. Like 150 years old. Before then, sports looked different for a lot of people.

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

This album has been going through my head all of the past week. Grateful that we got to hear one last blast of Tim Smith's otherworldly musical visions.

The Quietus @thequietus.com · 9d

'LSD is a trip, a technicolour experience for the inner eye that only reveals the full richness of its sound and imagery with repeated listening.'

#Cardiacs - LSD is a Quietus Album of the Month for September 2025

buff.ly/PjjYVm4

Cardiacs LSD album cover. Colourful painting of a kangaroo with thistle-like flowers contained within an organic circular border.

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

Excellent! Best of luck with the robot.

Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

YESSSS

Which bot?

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Gil Hova @gil.hova.net · 9d

(The one we're running on Wednesday was my personal highlight of the year. No spoilers if you haven't seen it yet)