Great news! I actually stuck to a self-imposed deadline for once in my life!
Other great news -- my new explorable explanation, on the game theory of cooperation & social trust -- is OUT NOW!
👉 THE EVOLUTION OF TRUST (30 min to read/play)
Thank you so much for all your encouragement, feedback, and support throughout this whole project! (By the way, for those who picked a backer reward, your name/...
2017-07-25 20:35:41 +0000 UTC
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JULY 25TH, TUESDAY.
That's in ten days. That's the day The Evolution of Trust will come out! Unless I screw up, but I feel like setting a deadline for myself and publicly committing to it should help me not screw up.
Look at the GIF above! (or check out this higher-quality .mp4 I posted on Twitter) There's a few big changes I want to talk about: 1) It's a...
2017-07-15 15:25:46 +0000 UTC
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Whew, the hardest part is finally done: I've finished the Sandbox Mode for The Evolution of Trust! See: the GIF above, or if that isn't loading for you, here's a higher quality .mp4 I posted on Twitter:
The Evolution of Trust: SANDBOX MODE
(Also, if you chose the $10/month+ backer reward, I just sent out an email to you asking for a reference photo of you/the c...
2017-07-01 15:59:09 +0000 UTC
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Now we're getting to the real meat of this explorable explanation! In the above GIF, you'll see an evolving ecosystem of players – cheating dominates in the short run, but the long run, fairness wins.
(For a higher quality version, I also posted an .mp4 on Twitter)
Thank you again so much for your feedback on the Patreon-exclusive prototype! ...
2017-06-24 15:24:30 +0000 UTC
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First off, thank you for the wild response to the Fireflies project! It hit 1200 points on Hacker News and got a couple hundred retweets – not bad for a one-week side project.
As I mentioned before, I needed to take a break for a side project, because I was getting stuck on my main project. I'll be honest: I may have to reboot the whole thing. But before I do that, I'd like to share with you what I'd made so far! Here it is:
2017-06-06 14:57:59 +0000 UTC
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Hi y'all! Just thought I'd surprise you with a short, sweet, serene simulation, before the end of the month.
FIREFLIES: and what they can teach us about, well, everything.
There's a few things I wanted to try with this project: 1) to challenge myself to make a meaningful interactive in less than a week. 2) this new minimalist format, where it's just one big fullscreen simulation. 3)...
2017-05-31 13:33:18 +0000 UTC
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The above GIF: the intro screen of my upcoming interactive, about the game theory of cooperation and trust! (can't see the GIF? here's a link)
A Patreon-exclusive prototype should be out in a couple weeks, and the full game should be out sometime next month. Then again, that's also what I said two weeks ago. Once more I am reminded of Hofstadter's Law:
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes long...
2017-05-20 13:19:40 +0000 UTC
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At last! Here's the very first preview of my next explorable explanation – on the game theory of trust!
[If you can't see the above/below GIF, here's a link]
It'll be an adaptation of Robert Axelrod's landmark book The Evolution of Cooperation. I love this book so much, not just for its groundbreaking work in game theory, but because it shows – mathe...
2017-04-29 14:28:41 +0000 UTC
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You know how I said I made LOOPY so I can create interactives more often than once every three months? Well, here's a new interactive, made with LOOPY, out well before three months!
ENVIRONMENT ⇆ ECONOMY : on feedback loops and win-win solutions
Hope you enjoy it! And I hope you learn not just about the environment & economy, but also the mental tools of finding feedback loop...
2017-04-14 14:25:20 +0000 UTC
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Hi all! First off, I want to take an opportunity to thank you again for helping me make LOOPY a success, I'm humbled by all the love it's gotten, you're probably sick of hearing me thank you over and over again, and so on. <3
Anyway! What should I make next?
POLL: https://ncase.typeform.com/to/JukQW6
These three ideas kept naggin...
2017-04-01 14:09:40 +0000 UTC
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That's right, I used LOOPY itself to make a post-mortem of LOOPY! Also in the post-mortem, five big design lessons I learnt, and a personal story of how "thinking in systems" has helped me on a deep, emotional level:
LOOPY: A POST-MORTEM
This is the first of a few interactive essays I'm going to be making with LOOPY. There's so many topics...
2017-03-28 15:49:45 +0000 UTC
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So all this time I've been making educational simulations? Well, at long friggin' last, I've made a tool for you to easily make your own educational simulation!
LOOPY, a tool for thinking in systems
Thank you so much for sticking with me the last three months as I made this project, I really couldn't do it without your support and feedback. (Did I mention Patreon is currently my only source of ...
2017-03-23 12:36:53 +0000 UTC
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LOOPY was almost feature-complete –– you could draw feedback loops, simulate them, share them –– but something was still missing. Yes, there needed to be a way for a user to add their own commentary, their own personal touch.
That's why, this week, I added the ability to add text labels anywhere in your simulation! This way, you can better explain the parts of your model, or give a broader context... or just place emojis everywhere.
2017-03-11 15:12:19 +0000 UTC
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First off, I'm super excited – LOOPY should be out in TWO WEEKS. I gathered all your feedback (thank you!! <3), implemented fixes, and even added one more major feature. (which I'll show you this Screenshot Saturday. ooh teaser)
All that's left to do is polish up the user interface, create a website + documentation, and... draw your Custom Character rewards!
. . .
So, this reward is a $10+/mo tier thing, but I just realized that a...
2017-03-08 15:33:29 +0000 UTC
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Actually, you're getting to try out not just one beta version, but two! That's right – I totally can't decide between two different interfaces, so I'm passing the buck over to you:
LOOPY [BETA]
That page has a video (ugh my voice sucks), with links to the two different versions of LOOPY. The first version shows cause & effect slowly, as "step-by-step". The ...
2017-02-24 14:29:58 +0000 UTC
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Last month, I started making a tool to simulate feedback loops. Then, I showed off how you could program them by drawing them! Finally, below/above is a GIF showing off how the whole editor works:
The Loopy editor – making a...
2017-02-18 16:46:23 +0000 UTC
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Hi all! I'm almost done with the prototype for LOOPY (a tool to make & simulate feedback loops) but in the meantime, I've revamped my entire Patreon page! There's actually goals now. The campaign description is actually not totally crappy. It even lists my more recent projects, wowwee whodathunk?
But what I'm most excited to share with you today – there's a new $5/month+ patreon reward: GET A POLYGON VERSION OF YOU
2017-02-08 15:30:34 +0000 UTC
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I meant to post this for Screenshot Saturday, but I was out celebrating Chinese New Year, and then the news blew up, and then even more news blew up, and then I forgot. Anyway! Last week I showed off a GIF of a tool I'm making, a tool to let you simulate feedback loops. This week, here's a GIF showing how you'll actually program it.
How? Drag & drop? Nah, too mainstr...
2017-01-30 16:38:59 +0000 UTC
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Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on next – a tool to simulate feedback loops! In case Patreon doesn't show the above (or below?) GIF, here's a link to it:
Loops in ecology, economics, and psychology!
The big goal here is to make a tool so that anyone – why yes that means you, friendo buddy pal! – can easily make an Explorabl...
2017-01-21 17:52:35 +0000 UTC
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Happy (belated) New Year, everyone!
I always get reflective and way too introspective around this time of year. First off – thank you. In 2016, thanks to your support, I released three new Patreon-backed projects! They were:
1. Simulating The World In Emoji
2. We Become What We Behold
3. 2017-01-04 17:37:59 +0000 UTC
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An interactive guide to alternative voting systems
PLAY IT HERE: http://ncase.me/ballot (~25 min to play/read)
Thank you again for all your support, feedback, and patience as I finally friggin' finish this project! If you picked the $2+ reward, your name is credited at the bottom. If you picked the $10+ reward and replied to my email, your custom-drawn character is down there, too! I...
2016-12-11 17:26:26 +0000 UTC
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My new explorable explanation, on alternative voting systems, is coming out sometime next week! I couldn't make these cool lil' interactives without your support, and I want to thank you. And what better way to thank you, than drawing you as a tiny stick figure?
I've increased the limited Get Drawn As A Peep reward from 10 slots to 20 slots! If you want one, select the reward on my...
2016-11-30 19:27:43 +0000 UTC
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Last month, I made a game to reflect on what's going on. Now, post-election, I reflect on that reflection.
We Become What We Behold, a Post-Mortem
Half of this blog post is behind-the-scenes stuff on WBWWB, and lessons I learnt about game design & storytelling. But the other half is me trying to...
2016-11-14 16:29:35 +0000 UTC
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First off, I'm deeply honored and humbled by how much peeps loved We Become What We Behold – so, thank you! It felt really good to make something small, artsy, and timely.
Speaking of timely, here's a Patreon-exclusive sneak peek at my next project, about voting systems! It's an explorable explanation on the spoiler effect, and alternative voting systems that could let us avoid the whole "lesser of the two evils" thing every four years.
2016-11-05 16:50:52 +0000 UTC
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a game about news cycles, vicious cycles, infinite cycles.
Play it here! https://ncase.itch.io/wbwwb (free, wear earphones)
Thank you all again so much for your support and encouragement, it really means a lot to me. Everyone who selected the $2+ Reward is in the credits, and those who picked the limited $10+ Reward got a custom drawn character also in the credits! (I'll send you higher-rez versio...
2016-10-18 17:13:09 +0000 UTC
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My new mini-game about the media & its feedback loops is coming out in a few weeks! And I want to thank you. Only with your support and encouragement, could I explore systems & stories like this. So to thank you, here's them Patron Rewards!
$10+ Reward: You (or some other character of your choice) gets drawn as a peep, and put in the credits of the game! I'll send you an email later today from n@ncase.me asking for a reference pic or description – check yo' spam fold...
2016-10-04 15:18:16 +0000 UTC
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“We become what we behold.” ~ Marshall McLuhan (misattributed)
Hey hey, here's another GIF of my upcoming as-of-yet-untitled game about the news.
THE GIF
This minigame should be out next month! At the very least, I want it out before the 2016 U.S. Election, because – hoo howdy – there's a heavily media-driven conflict right there.
Before this game...
2016-09-17 14:47:59 +0000 UTC
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Y'know, maybe instead of having just one Patreon post a month, I should actually update you peeps more often. So, here's a GIF showing off the main mechanic of my upcoming minigame!
News cycles, vicious cycles, infinite cycles.
After working with PBS Frontline for a while – and they're a great investigative team – I just needed to make a thing to express my/our frustrations with "the media", both trad...
2016-09-10 14:42:07 +0000 UTC
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This month, I moved back to Toronto! Just temporarily, though. I have to hang out in Canada for a while due to work visa reasons.
Anyway, I've been feeling stuck on my main projects lately, so this month, I thought I'd take a quick break to make a bunch of smaller stuff! Here's what I've been up to:
1. [Untitled Game About The News]
Here's a GIF of a prototype in action!
Ve...
2016-08-23 19:06:21 +0000 UTC
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Thank you so much for the support this month!
2016-07-31 23:59:00 +0000 UTC
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