Kaizen
@scarredkaizen.bsky.social
Technical Narrative Designer, D&D Dungeon Master, Mixed Media Artist, Writer (she/they)
Currently working on: Stormgate
Currently working on: Stormgate
Reposted by Kaizen
Humans: "humans are trash, I hope we all die"
Literally all other animals: "shit, I need some help, I should go find one of those giant terrifying apes, they'll fix it for me, cause that's what they do"
Literally all other animals: "shit, I need some help, I should go find one of those giant terrifying apes, they'll fix it for me, cause that's what they do"
we were out hill-walking once when I was a teenager, and a little grey cat started following us in the village, then followed us all the way up the hill. we stopped for a picnic and she came to curl up and sit in our laps. when we went down to the village again she meowed and went her own way.
this made me so happy
December 23, 2025 at 6:16 AM
Humans: "humans are trash, I hope we all die"
Literally all other animals: "shit, I need some help, I should go find one of those giant terrifying apes, they'll fix it for me, cause that's what they do"
Literally all other animals: "shit, I need some help, I should go find one of those giant terrifying apes, they'll fix it for me, cause that's what they do"
Reposted by Kaizen
Bringing back Limewire to illegally rip copies of reporting suppressed by the government is definitely some cyberpunk shit
December 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Bringing back Limewire to illegally rip copies of reporting suppressed by the government is definitely some cyberpunk shit
Reposted by Kaizen
AAA video game character going to the toilet: "I'll take these stairs." "Ah, there it is, the bathroom." "Better open the door." "The door's open, nice." "Gonna pull my trousers down now." "Sitting down." "Okay, here we go." "I needed that." "Okay, time to fl
December 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
AAA video game character going to the toilet: "I'll take these stairs." "Ah, there it is, the bathroom." "Better open the door." "The door's open, nice." "Gonna pull my trousers down now." "Sitting down." "Okay, here we go." "I needed that." "Okay, time to fl
Reposted by Kaizen
If we’re going to get really no quarter about genAI usage, I’m going to need people to learn the difference between AI and genAI real fast.
December 21, 2025 at 5:19 PM
If we’re going to get really no quarter about genAI usage, I’m going to need people to learn the difference between AI and genAI real fast.
Reposted by Kaizen
Reposted by Kaizen
After this week's Larian debacle and the ensuing discourse, this is so refreshing and such a relief. I really hope more people take a stand like this. Generative AI has no place in video games (or anywhere else for that matter)! Also, wild that Sandfall probably lied, which led to the retraction.
The IGAs Nomination Committee is officially retracting Debut Game and Game of the Year, awarding both categories to new recipients. Additionally, we are retracting one of the Indie Vanguard recipients.
Full details can be found in our FAQ under Game Eligibility: www.indiegameawards.gg/faq
Full details can be found in our FAQ under Game Eligibility: www.indiegameawards.gg/faq
December 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
After this week's Larian debacle and the ensuing discourse, this is so refreshing and such a relief. I really hope more people take a stand like this. Generative AI has no place in video games (or anywhere else for that matter)! Also, wild that Sandfall probably lied, which led to the retraction.
Reposted by Kaizen
The act of researching, collecting reference material, writing a brief, or actually making (not generating) a rough sketch as a non-artist helps you hone in exactly what is important to share and what is open for the artist's interpretation
Shortcutting this via genAI makes for lazy communication
Shortcutting this via genAI makes for lazy communication
December 18, 2025 at 7:17 PM
The act of researching, collecting reference material, writing a brief, or actually making (not generating) a rough sketch as a non-artist helps you hone in exactly what is important to share and what is open for the artist's interpretation
Shortcutting this via genAI makes for lazy communication
Shortcutting this via genAI makes for lazy communication
Isn't this the place where people were going to the hospital from crunching too hard?
NEW: For the last seven weeks, Naughty Dog has enacted mandatory overtime for staff to finish an internal demo of their next game, Intergalactic. The game won't be out until 2027, leaving some staff wondering: If they're crunching now, what will next year be like? www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Naughty Dog Studio Orders Employee Overtime for ‘Intergalactic’
The Sony-owned gamemakers have been racing to hit a December deadline
www.bloomberg.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Isn't this the place where people were going to the hospital from crunching too hard?
Reposted by Kaizen
I appreciate when there's an audience backlash to this because what's happening from a dev perspective is that its gradually being normalized across many studios, through similar thinking and top-down culture-setting as revealed by these interviews.
this is a good battle to pick. the CEO mentioned using "AI" and got so much shit for it immediately that he's rattled and backpedaling. easy win there
this shit, despite its faults, is not going anywhere and people are going to have to pick their battles
December 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
I appreciate when there's an audience backlash to this because what's happening from a dev perspective is that its gradually being normalized across many studios, through similar thinking and top-down culture-setting as revealed by these interviews.
Reposted by Kaizen
People wonder why a lot of games use dialogue to just spell out the plot or character motivations — this is often why. Because you’ve cut off the writer’s ability to use action, setups and layoffs, visuals, etc if you lay out a whole level and THEN bring them in
December 17, 2025 at 9:39 AM
People wonder why a lot of games use dialogue to just spell out the plot or character motivations — this is often why. Because you’ve cut off the writer’s ability to use action, setups and layoffs, visuals, etc if you lay out a whole level and THEN bring them in
Reposted by Kaizen
Any game that has the least bit of generated AI in the art, text, voice acting, or promo materials - should never win awards.
but here we fucking are lol
but here we fucking are lol
December 12, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Any game that has the least bit of generated AI in the art, text, voice acting, or promo materials - should never win awards.
but here we fucking are lol
but here we fucking are lol
Reposted by Kaizen
My brain still gets hooked on individual pieces of concept art from #DragonAge or #MassEffect, because they weren't just a Cool Image for the sake of cool imagery: they were an additional window into the world of the game, created by someone who understood how that world could grow.
The fact that the games industry is so dead-set on disregarding Concept Art as being part of the game it helps make is eternally frustrating to me.
If the slop machine extrudes a design for you that you then force an artist to make "real", that still means there's AI generated content in the game.
If the slop machine extrudes a design for you that you then force an artist to make "real", that still means there's AI generated content in the game.
sigh
December 16, 2025 at 7:27 PM
My brain still gets hooked on individual pieces of concept art from #DragonAge or #MassEffect, because they weren't just a Cool Image for the sake of cool imagery: they were an additional window into the world of the game, created by someone who understood how that world could grow.
Reposted by Kaizen
Everyone is more or less okay with it” dude you make people emigrate to work there because you don’t do remote work, they risk having to change countries if they disagree with it
sigh
December 16, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Everyone is more or less okay with it” dude you make people emigrate to work there because you don’t do remote work, they risk having to change countries if they disagree with it
I feel as though I've used up all my creative energy for the year which means it's time to play inspiring games.
I have my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Cipher Zero. Which one should I try first?
I have my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Cipher Zero. Which one should I try first?
December 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
I feel as though I've used up all my creative energy for the year which means it's time to play inspiring games.
I have my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Cipher Zero. Which one should I try first?
I have my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Cipher Zero. Which one should I try first?
Reposted by Kaizen
And the entire Chat lost their minds. #DragonAge #DragonAgeDay
December 5, 2025 at 9:42 PM
And the entire Chat lost their minds. #DragonAge #DragonAgeDay
Reposted by Kaizen
when I tell you this made me tear up 🥺 thank you @jeffberg1.bsky.social for speaking out about it, it's so important 💜
December 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
when I tell you this made me tear up 🥺 thank you @jeffberg1.bsky.social for speaking out about it, it's so important 💜
Reposted by Kaizen
And then you see it. As it strangles and beats your friends to death... the sweetest most courageous people in the world. You see the fear and power in its eyes. Then you *know*. That the bourgeois are not human.
August 23, 2025 at 8:00 AM
And then you see it. As it strangles and beats your friends to death... the sweetest most courageous people in the world. You see the fear and power in its eyes. Then you *know*. That the bourgeois are not human.
Reposted by Kaizen
Everyday for a month I'm like this
April 27, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Everyday for a month I'm like this
It feels more nefarious/worse when there isn't a big to-do about smaller layoffs. Just quietly dumping people into the LinkedIn pile feels bad, man.
Seems like there's a lot of smaller layoffs going around, quieter, not full studio closures but seeing a lot of buds suddenly ending up in the green circle club on linkedin
March 31, 2025 at 8:36 PM
It feels more nefarious/worse when there isn't a big to-do about smaller layoffs. Just quietly dumping people into the LinkedIn pile feels bad, man.
Tbh this is how all high ranking military use signal. I got added to texts like this all the time and you'd be lime O_O "Col XYZ this is not a SCIF"
BREAKING
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included in a Signal group chat with top Trump administration officials, where top-secret war plans related to Yemen were shared.
Full Story: bit.ly/4c4hqW2
Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included in a Signal group chat with top Trump administration officials, where top-secret war plans related to Yemen were shared.
Full Story: bit.ly/4c4hqW2
March 24, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Tbh this is how all high ranking military use signal. I got added to texts like this all the time and you'd be lime O_O "Col XYZ this is not a SCIF"
I am so drained of life. This cat has no idea it's my pool noodle in the ocean.
March 20, 2025 at 11:56 PM
I am so drained of life. This cat has no idea it's my pool noodle in the ocean.
Reposted by Kaizen
Today's been one of those days where you just need to sleep it off and start over again tomorrow 😅
March 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Today's been one of those days where you just need to sleep it off and start over again tomorrow 😅
Reposted by Kaizen
INSULINDIAN PHASMID - And when you fall we will come to raise you up, bud from you, banner-like, blossom from you and carry you apart in a sky funeral. In honour of your passing. (But not me, because I am just a leaf eater.)
March 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
INSULINDIAN PHASMID - And when you fall we will come to raise you up, bud from you, banner-like, blossom from you and carry you apart in a sky funeral. In honour of your passing. (But not me, because I am just a leaf eater.)
Top 5 DA characters:
1. Solas
2. Lucanis
3. Wynne
4. Zevran
5. Thom Rainier
1. Solas
2. Lucanis
3. Wynne
4. Zevran
5. Thom Rainier
top 5 dragon age characters?
mine our
1. Lace Harding
2. Thom Rainier
3. Fenris
4. Leliana
5. Anders
🤗
mine our
1. Lace Harding
2. Thom Rainier
3. Fenris
4. Leliana
5. Anders
🤗
March 16, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Top 5 DA characters:
1. Solas
2. Lucanis
3. Wynne
4. Zevran
5. Thom Rainier
1. Solas
2. Lucanis
3. Wynne
4. Zevran
5. Thom Rainier