iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

NOOOOO IT WAS BETTER WHEN I DIDNT NOTICE

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

How dare you make this thread and leave out your best work.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This seems like a sick idea. I love the idea of adding some of the bad cards that have useful kicker like effects (buyback, flashback, rebound) and stuff like that to super power other effects

Also shoutout to @dsb-cubes.bsky.social for the sick trophies, tokens and good vibes all weekend!

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Just got home from INW cube fest. A wonderful time for many reasons, particularly the group of people I traveled and stayed with. But ending the weekend with this made me feel so seen. I really do love every part of this game, even when I’m losing. I’m glad other people can be apart of that. ❤️

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A coin is perfectly balanced but we are not here flipping coins. The texture that creates imbalance and how we play around it is literally the whole point of the game to me.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I have a lot of opinions about balance that basically boil down to “people dont want balance, they want the feeling of balance” and Ive taken cards out of cubes that are perfectly acceptable because of how people perceive balance in a game so deeply effected by variance.

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Genuinely might steal this someday

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Its a very unique environment. Its weird I feel like everyone who has played it likes it more than I do lol. I'm just always nitpicking my own work.

Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This is my most recent cube project I've been testing in paper. Everyone starts with a Birthing Pod in play. It's... something... cubecobra.com/cube/list/Pod

cubecobra.com

Cube Cobra List: Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Every player starts with a Birthing Pod in play. Forests are Banned.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The amount of cards I want to use that just say “wizard” somewhere in the flavor text has killed me

Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

To be clear its not necessarily stuck in the medieval, but very much mundane

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Yes! This is a cube ive been maintaining for a bit over a year now that does a lot of things but a lack of fantasy tropes on the cards is definitely one of them. cubecobra.com/cube/about/A...

cubecobra.com

Cube Cobra: No Anti-War Cube

Francois Truffaut said, "There's no such thing as an anti-war movie." Aesthetics-first cube emulating war-critical media. Plays like a limited format in the Universes Beyond set that will definitely n...

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Reposted by Athena

High Priestess, Low Patience @cheriepriest.com · 04/10/2026

no, she’s the wolf from a 4th or 5th century mosaic depicting the founding of Rome

The she-wolf who nurtured Romulus and Remus, depicted in mosaic form as a maniacal black dog with sharp teeth and white eyes.

My dog, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the maniacal mosaic wolf.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I love seeing the very very different ways people react to being in a Joe photo.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Id tank for awhile and either land on Carrion Feeder or FOMO. But I think the Junji Ito art would send me over the edge

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Tred @tredlocity.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Cartoon wolves used to be horny for human women. But now human women are horny for cartoon wolves. The reason? Woke.

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mishmush.bsky.social @mishmush.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I'm stoked to get in as much cubing as possible. Come cube with me!

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I think now is as good time as any to say; Not everyone who is in community is an ally. Safe spaces need to be maintained and cultivated. Sometimes that means pulling out the weed that you thought was a wildflower. I'm proud to see so many competent gardeners in my community.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

He still made damn good tv though. Thats what makes it so hard for me

Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Id argue it imagined a better world than what we had then as well. Aaron Sorkin had always I think shown politicians to be much more competent and consistent than they actually are

Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

To more directly respond to your post I really feel like Foundations was the closest theyve ever gotten to a cube feel in a set. It felt like a peasant cube with some pet bad mythic rares and I hope they can do it again.

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I honestly have been feeling more and more put off by the extra sheets recently. Even when sets feel decent-ish the idea of any given game have like a 1 in 25 chance of having Mindtwist or Splinter Twin in them removes any amount of investment I have in appreciating the rest of the set.

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Reposted by Athena

Terminally Trish 🏳️‍⚧️🏺 @ghostsharklegs.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The prompt to translate this post into English is sending me

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Oddworld is like at least 62% of why I am the way I am. Perfect game.

s. e. smith @sesmith.lol · 29/09/2026

Reposted by Athena

Hey @erinbiba.bsky.social in this economy?!

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Cage @ridiculouscage.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

"why would I deceive you?"

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Tim Gaedke @timgaedke.com · 26/09/2026

talent is a lie

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Athena @anathemeh.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I'm so ready to be the most annoying person at the next #mtgcube night.

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Anyway, Magic the Gathering is a game and balance is a myth. That's largely why I love it so much.

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I have so much to say on "balance" that is relevant here but will work through another time. If designers are making a game with the intent of seeking "perfect balance", it may be useful to start thinking of that game as a sport. I may even love the idea of using sport as a genre tag for games.

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I love sport. I love the process of improving and the mental fortitude it takes to self reflect under pressure. But I also love having my expectations challenged. The thing that makes games the most beautiful to me is the emotional highs and lows. The complexities that create unique game states.

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A lot of what I've said is obvious and is in line with the GAISF definition of what makes something a "sport". But I think it is missed a lot by game designers. So many are unintentionally creating "sports" by filing off every little interesting edges from the experiences of their games.

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But a game consists of rules or complexities that blur this knowledge. Maybe points are decided subjectively by other players like Cards Against Humanity. Maybe results are unpredictable and swingy like Munchkin. Maybe the primary mechanic flattens skill differences like Mario Kart.

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When you play a sport, for the most part, you are aware of the entire scope of experiences you can achieve in a single game. The rules of tennis are simple, consistent and perfectly balanced. I know what happens if I hit the net with the ball. I know how many games make a set, and sets a match.

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I've been thinking a lot about the line between a sport and a game (specifically competitive games). I think this is a largely semantic difference; but also it partially illustrates certain design heuristics. The line from the perspective of the player is based in expectations.