iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Something ends, something else begins. This episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary is the last one. We visit a burning city, observe great politics, and face the Grand Master. It was a great half a year. I hope you had at least as much fun as I did :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwRt...

youtube.com

Ep. 26 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Epilogue

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

031

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, after A LOT of tactical errors and preventable deaths, we finally kill Azar Javed, and learn who's behind the Salamandra. And it seems that in the next episode we’ll be finishing the game. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W5H...

youtube.com

Ep. 25 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 5 (part 3)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

120

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary we scare drowners and save princesses. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmx1...

youtube.com

Ep. 24 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 5 (part 2)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

000

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we have a close encounter with a goddess, kill a god, and learn that even when we're not interested in politics, politics can be interested in us. And we finish Chapter 4. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghq5...

youtube.com

Ep. 22 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 6)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

010

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we talk about midpoints, suffer an awkwardly-written scene, listen about the Holy Grail, and repair a broken mirror. youtu.be/Q-S8okZ1IP4

youtu.be

Ep. 21 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 5)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

010

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we just chill on the fields, admire the starry sky, and kill some monsters. Nothing at stake, just witcher chapter 4 vibes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFGx...

youtube.com

Ep. 19 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 3)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

000

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we visit a village, foreshadow some family drama, meet a very beautiful cow, and discuss Polish literature. www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0v1...

youtube.com

Ep. 18 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 2)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

020

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary we explore a lakeside, and talk with a grumpy fisherman, a jaded witcher, and some scantily clad ladies. youtu.be/j58zsroEqUg

youtu.be

Ep. 17 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 1)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

000

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we explore a lakeside, learn foreign languages, meet two scantily clad ladies, a talkative fisherman, and one jaded witcher. www.youtube.com/watch?v=j58z...

youtube.com

Ep. 17 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 4 (part 1)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

0321

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

In today’s episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we lift a curse, talk to a king, and kill a queen www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSvW...

youtube.com

Ep. 16 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 3 (part 6)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

030

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

In this episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary, we rudely interrupt an online meeting, talk to a king, and meet a werewolf. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWPP...

youtube.com

Ep. 15 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 3 (part 5)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

030

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

In today’s episode of The Witcher witch a designer’s commentary, we assist in a bank robbery and make other important life choices. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqwf...

youtube.com

Ep. 14 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 3 (part 4)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

030

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

In today’s episode of The Witcher with a designer’s commentary we talk to a ghoul, explore old ruins and go to a posh party, where we meet a princess www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Oe...

youtube.com

Ep. 13 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 3 (part 3)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

030

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

In our The Witcher play through with a designer’s commentary we finally finish the beautifully messy Chapter 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEsn... #witcher #thewitcher #gamedesign #narrativedesign

010

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

I stumbled upon a real treasure (well... my mom did, while cleaning, and she let me know about the finding) – a 2007 publication by CD Projekt advertising an upcoming game called The Witcher. #thewitcher What a fascinating piece of video game history! www.the-narrative-designer.com/the-witcher-...

091

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

In another episode of our "The Witcher" adventure, we are trying to solve the investigation in Vyzima, only to realise that we must go back to the swamp forest. Again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wwim... #witcher #thewitcher #geralt #gamedesign #narrativesedign

youtube.com

Ep. 7 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 2 (part 4)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

031

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

In today’s episode of the Witcher play-though with a designer's commentary, we visit the confusing and mosquito-ridden swamp forest. #witcher #thewitcher #gamedesign #narrativedesign youtu.be/nfAcEpPOJek?...

youtu.be

Ep. 6 –The Witcher with a designer's commentary: Chapter 2 (part 3)

YouTube video by Artur Ganszyniec

050

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Continuing our The Witcher play-through with a designer's commentary we dip our finger in the Temple Quarter of Vizima, meet two the-witcher-team lookalikes and help some working girls. Enjoy :) youtu.be/AO-zY0dGY8U #witcher #thewitcher #gamedesign #narrativedesign

040

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

In the third episode of playing The Witcher 18 years after the release, we uncover dark secrets, continue romancing in suspicious circumstances and finish our adventure in the Outskirts of Vizima. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQiV... #thewitcher #witcher #gamedesign #narrativedesign

020

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Today, on the Witcher playthrough with a designer’s commentary, Chapter 1 (part one). youtu.be/_9lANHosFk0 #thewitcher #witcher #gamedesign #narrativedesign

271

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Eighteen years after the release, I play The Witcher, a game I worked on as the Lead Story Designer. Come and watch for designer’s commentary and anecdotes from behind the scenes. The plan is to post new episodes once a week🤞 www.youtube.com/watch?v=epJH... #thewitcher #narrativedesign

083

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Today’s post on The Narrative Designer was triggered by an old photograph, and digs into some ancient gamedev history. I muse about what happened to the team who made the first Witcher game, and how game studios are like the Ship of Theseus. www.the-narrative-designer.com/the-question...

0111

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 21/04/2025

In the newest issue of The Narrative Designer, I write about curiosity-based stories. the-narrative-designer.com #narrativedesign #gamedesign

141

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

My, narrative designerzy, jesteśmy zwykle samoukami. Przy braku formalnej edukacji i platformy do wymiany doświadczeń, wyważamy często drzwi, które inni już nie raz otwarli. Zapraszam na warsztaty z narrative designu przygotowane przez zawodowca dla zawodowców. Więcej na narrativedesign.online

021

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

What keeps us on the edge of our seats is the tension between hope and fear. To feel it, we must understand what the protagonist wants to achieve and what’s at stake if they fail. This is especially true when, as players, we are responsible for carrying out the plan. the-narrative-designer.com

010

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

So far, on the-narrative-designer.com we’ve discussed the big picture: goals, conflicts, protagonists, story structures, and nonlinearity. This week we zoom in on the basic building block of any interactive experience, the triad of crisis, struggle, and resolution... #narrativedesign #gamedesign

000

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Zwolniło mi się parę miejsc na warsztaty z narrative designu, które prowadzę w ten i przyszły weekend. Nie jestem pewien, kiedy będzie kolejna edycja, więc to świetna okazja, żeby rzutem na taśmę dołączyć się do kameralnej grupy i w miłym towarzystwie popracować nad designerskim fachem.

130

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Projektowanie dobrych historii w grach to fach, którego można się nauczyć. Warsztaty z narrative designu: 1-2 i 8-9 marca, od 10:00 do 14:30, piguła wiedzy i praktyki z dwudziestu lat doświadczenia, case studies, dyskusje i czas na przećwiczenie narzędzi. Więcej na narrativedesign.online

narrativedesign.online

Home - Polski - Narrative Design Workshop

Czego sie nauczysz? My, narrative designerzy, bywamy samoukami. Trudno o formalną edukację w naszej specjalności.We własnej praktyce zawodowej często intuicyjnie czułem, które rozwiązania działają, al...

040

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Today on the-narrative-designer.com I share some thoughts on how we can structure nonlinear stories. #narrativedesign #gamedesign

020

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Tanya X. Short @tanyaxshort.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

I wish we had different terms for the different play experiences games offer. not to be a gatekeeper (though inevitably they'd show up) but to genuinely help differentiate EVEN A LITTLE between infinite-rabbithole-sandbox vs two-hour-melt-your-heart-story vs collection-of-little-distractions etc

3578

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Josh Bycer @gwbycer.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

for my latest design piece, I discussed studying game design, why it should be given more respect, and where a lot of developers and critics mess up when analyzing a game game-wisdom.com/critical/str... #indiegamedev

game-wisdom.com

The Struggles of Studying Game Design - Game Wisdom

The ability to study game design continues to elude many people, and I wanted to discuss why this can feel like a mysterious art to some.

0124

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

We are standing on the shoulders of giants. When it comes to shaping stories it’s giants all the way down to Aristotle, who—of course—was standing on top of his own pyramid. More on story structures in the new article on the-narrative-designer.com #narrativedesign #gamedesign #gamewriting

000

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Jane Ng @janeng.com · 01/02/2025

In gamedev, we joke about how we shouldn't care so much because "we ain't curing cancer" so chill, right? But you know what? These last few weeks reminded me that the Arts, esp accessible Art like videogames is incredibly important because games have a big place in sculpting cultural norms.

1186559774

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

David Pierce @davidpierce.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Thinking a lot lately about the idea of “authorial voice” and “system rhetoric” in game design. What are we saying about the world (however indirectly) through our mechanics and systems? (From: How and Why We Make Games, Marta Fijak and Artur Ganszyniec)

141

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Anna 🌿👁️ @annacwebs.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Sad to see that the GDC State of the Games Industry '25 confirm what I have suspected for a while: narrative roles particularly hard-hit by layoffs in the industry. Narrative is sometimes seen as expendable on a project: when the reviews of our story come out, are we still on the team?

2380098

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

A new article on the-narrative-designer.com just dropped. The lead is a bit clickbaity, I admit, but I hope that you find the contents respectable enough :)

010

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Rudolf Thomas INDERST (he|him) @gamestudies.bsky.social · 18/09/2024

I talked to Marta Fijak & Artur Ganszyniec about their new book "How and Why We Make Games. The Creative Confusion" (CRC Press) on "Game Studies" (New Books Network). Please like, listen & share! #gamestudies #podcast newbooksnetwork.com/how-and-why-...

newbooksnetwork.com

Marta Fijak and Artur Ganszyniec, "How and Why We Make Games" (CRC Press, 2024) - New Books Network

041

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Starting the #narrativedesign Foundations series on the-narrative-designer.com with a seemingly oversimplified definition of a story. "The definition is as follows: a story is the protagonist overcoming obstacles to reach their goal." I found it a useful starting point, and I am writing about why.

100

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

As a New Year resolution, I decided to trick myself into writing more about narrative design. The trick took the form of an online publication focused on the art and craft of my chosen profession. #gamedev #narrativedesign #gamedesign

2101

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Marta F. @yeristr.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Read the book and want to get a horrible drawing of an animal? You know what to do! But seriously, those things help a lot in this algorithmic world, so thank you in advance!

151

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Here’s a list I made, to keep tabs on authors of various books about game design. #gamedesign #narrativedesign #books #gamesdev bsky.app/profile/did:...

162

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

The new Witcher book just dropped in Poland, and I really enjoyed reading it. Not very long but very well written, and surprisingly… wholesome? #thewitcher #book #sapkowski

090

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Związek Pracowników Branży Gier / Polish Gamedev Workers Union @polishgamedevunion.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Our union is now officially present in GOG. And just as GOG attempts to keep games running – we reach out to workers who keep GOG running, to preserve the talent that makes the company tick.

0165

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

You can get "How and Why We Make Games: Creative Confusion", the book we wrote with the one and only @yeristr.bsky.social at the publisher's site: www.routledge.com/How-and-Why-... Or on Amazon: www.amazon.com/How-Why-We-M... #gamedev #gamedesign #howandwhywemakegames #books 🧵

140

Reposted by Artur Ganszyniec

Jon Ingold @jon.inkle.co · 28/11/2024

One thing that bothers me about detective games is the lack of stakes for the detective. Rebus knows the killer will kill again. Marlowe’s always getting punched. Holmes looks like an ass when fails. One of the best Poirot novels is the one where he bets his moustache he can solve the crime.

media.tenor.com

a man in a tuxedo with a mustache is giving a thumbs up sign .

ALT: a man in a tuxedo with a mustache is giving a thumbs up sign .

3454

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

When @yeristr.bsky.social finishes working on our book, the year is 2023, November. The Israeli attack on Palestine is in full swing. The Russian-Ukrainian war is reaching its second year. The world is on track for 2.5°C of global warming by the end of the century. #gamedev #gamedesign 🧵1/5

152

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

My exploration of the concept of Slow Games started a few years ago when I turned 40—a perfect moment to indulge in self-reflection. #gamedev #gamedesign #howanndwhywemakegames #slowgames 🧵1/6

160

Artur Ganszyniec @agansz.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

Death Stranding, a game by Hideo Kojima, was made by around 80 people. American McGee’s Alice was made by around 90 people. Sid Meier’s SimGolf was done by around 106 people. #gamedev #gamedesign #howandwhywemakegames 🧵1/5

1102