iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

New Kaleidiscope Episode! WHY I LOVE TEXT PARSERS Creativity, craft, and designing for text parsers, with the Crimson Diamond's creator @juliaminamata.bsky.social www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 28/09/2026

What's the minimum you need to make a story feel like a story? @joshmlabelle.bsky.social walks us through it: The full ep is here! www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 24/09/2026

"... I have... questions." "Answers will come. In time."

A Heaven's Vault robot, with a damaged chassis and a somewhat rounded, sleeker face. This definitely isn't Six.

As a little bonus for reading this, here's a quick fable from the Nebula. Skip it if you like.

Once there was a fisherman whose sole possession was a tiny, flat-bottomed boat. He would row out into the middle of the vast watery lake on whose shores he lived, and then ship the oars and peer out over the side, gazing down through the layers and layers of the clear water below.
He would watch the strange creatures that crawled across the deepest rocks. He would follow the fish that swam above them, birds through a liquid sky. And then, when a fish swam close enough to shadow of his boat, he would raise a sharp-pointed metal spear and plunge it into the water, skewering his prey from above.

The fisherman was patient and precise, but also vain: he considered himself to be like a God to the creatures beneath: unrelenting in his observation, ruthless in his judgement. He saw himself, not as hunter, but as a guardian, keeping the lower world firmly in its proper place.

After many years of patient hunting the fisherman began to grow angry. First at his boat - it rocked! - then at the water - so cold! - and finally at the fish themselves. Why did they not respect him? Why did they wait so long before rising up to greet his shadow? Why did they not flock to him, turning sideways to expose their delicate gills to his spear? He decided, eventually, to punish them: he would watch over them no more. He would leave them to attend to themselves. He did not even push his boat out into the water: instead he shattered it, and threw the pieces away. Then he sat on the sloping shore by the lapping lake and waited for the fish to come to him.

When finally he died of hunger, his body slid down into the water, and there was skewered from below by a thousand tiny, beautiful teeth.

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inkle @inkle.co · 23/09/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! Set-ups, Attempts, Complications and Pay-Offs @joshmlabelle.bsky.social talks us through the process of managing expectations so that we start off strong, and end with a bang. www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 22/09/2026

Today is the ten year anniversary of the completion of the Sorcery! series! What began as a pitch for a "Discworld companion app" to a publisher grew - thanks to Steve Jackson's trust! - into a massive, sprawling, open-world interactive fiction adventure. If you came for the ride - thank you!

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inkle @inkle.co · 21/09/2026

The core question in our conversation with @jigu.com.br - should game studios setting up outside of the global north try to blend in, or should they try to stand out? (Full ep here - www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... - and 15% off the book this week with PUBLISHER15)

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inkle @inkle.co · 16/09/2026

New Kaleidoscope! Can you believe we're up to thirty episodes already? @jigu.com.br joins us to talk about drawing on broader cultural sources while working in a worldwide market. (Also; get 10% of the book this week with the code BACKLIST10.)

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inkle @inkle.co · 09/09/2026

New Kaleidoscope! A magical episode where poet and professor @axjacobs.bsky.social discusses the uses of poetry and spoken performance in game writing to deepen the world of the game, and to draw the player in. Listen here - www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 02/09/2026

New Kaleidoscope! @wallstormer.bsky.social talks to us about working in a fraught political climate, and how a vulnerable approach to writing can lead to richer stories. Listen here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 01/09/2026

The couple-based gameplay in GTA VI is very cool but meanwhile, have you played 80 Days by inkle studios ltd

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inkle @inkle.co · 26/08/2026

New Kaleidoscope! This week the excellent @emmakidwell.bsky.social (Civ VII, Midnight Suns) talks us through the art of the quiet moment - how a pause in the action can let the characters shine. 🎧 www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 19/08/2026

New Kaleidoscope! This week we talk to acclaimed TTRPG designer @grahamwalmsley.bsky.social (Cthulu Dark, Cosmic Dark) about the creation of tabletop games. How do we create a coherent world when don't have control? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 12/08/2026

New Kaleidoscope! @jillscharr.bsky.social (Destiny 2, The Lamplighters League) talks about getting aligned: with the game, the vision and the team. How do we get up to speed fast? And how do promote good on-boarding for the writers who come on after us? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 07/08/2026

How should we think about history when using it games? Look at what historians actually do, suggests @peterpunk.bsky.social The whole interview is a really fascinating dive into a very intelligent design process: catch it here www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 05/08/2026

New Kaleidoscope! Narrative designer @peterpunk.bsky.social (Football Drama, Becoming Saint) talks to us about designing from the theme downwards, and the portrayal of history in games. 👂 www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 29/07/2026

New Kaleidoscope ep! Pip Warr (Little Kitty, Big City, A Monster's Expedition) joins us for a fun chat about localisation. Can digging into your script in immense detail make you a better writer -- or will it drive you mad? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 22/07/2026

New Kaleidoscope! This week, we have a playful and insightful look at developing characters and dialogue through theatrical techniques, with @annacwebs.bsky.social. Check out the conversation here, or subscribe to never miss an ep! www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 15/07/2026

New Kaleidoscope ep! This week, @nessathewriter.bsky.social (Borderlands 4) talks about how writing fast, scrappy Twine games can build your skills and your portfolio at the same time. Turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... for the ep, or subscribe in your favourite podcast app!

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inkle @inkle.co · 13/07/2026

The trick for a good set of dialogue choices? Set them up, says @fiddlecub.bsky.social Hear the whole conversation at www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope..., and if you're picking up the book, it's 15% off with the code BOOKPITCH15 this week.

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inkle @inkle.co · 08/07/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! Larian writer @fiddlecub.bsky.social (Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity Original Sin 2) joins us to discuss "Two Tips for Better Dialogues"... and gives us many more than two. Listen in at www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope..., or subscribe via your podcast player!

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inkle @inkle.co · 01/07/2026

New Kaleidoscope ep! Deborah D'Antonio L.B. Almeida joins us to talk about designing interesting choices, and using a structure-first approach for writing. Check it out, here! www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 29/06/2026

Cities are big spaces, and we want to feel that scale when we play in them -- @konstantinosd.bsky.social tells us how a dog can help. For the full chat, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 24/06/2026

This week, on the Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, @konstantinosd.bsky.social (Zero Parades) joins us to talk about game cities: how we design them, how we bring them to life, and how we make them feel like real spaces. Enter the discussion, here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 22/06/2026

There's a core thing you have to check before your write dialogue for your NPC... For the full conversation with @iamleyeti.bsky.social, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 17/06/2026

This week, on the Game Narrative Kaleidoscope - @iamleyeti.bsky.social (Night Call, Flat Eye) calls for silence: how do encourage players to hold back, and let the other characters do the talking? Find out - if you'll only listen! - here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 15/06/2026

A game's economy is a mine of untapped potential for worldbuilding - rdemiranda.bsky.social lays out why. For the full story, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 10/06/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! Narrative designer @rdemiranda.bsky.social joins us to discuss the untapped potential of in-game economies to build the fiction of the world - and to drive the story, too. Listen here, or on any podcast platform: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 08/06/2026

Protagonists don't have to be shining examples of humanity - in fact, maybe they *shouldn't* be. We get into it with @stirpicus.bsky.social here - www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast (oh, btw, if you're ordering the book this week, use the code PAGES10 for 10% off)

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inkle @inkle.co · 03/06/2026

RIP John Blanche, whose iconic illustrations for the Sorcery! series defined the style. We never met him, but were lucky enough to be allowed to use his work and creature designs in our adaptation of the series.

A John Blanche illustration: a gnarly Ogre-thing operates a gnarly steampunk-like device that blows steam from a gnarly wooden bench. There are no straight lines in the picture, anywhere.

A screenshot from the Steve Jackson's Sorcery adventure game series. This picture shows two pages from the spellbook, with the FOG and MUD spells. Fog shows a weird newt-like creature struggling in darkness, while MUD shows an unfortunate orc-thing in a jester's hat sliding into a pool of quicksand on the floor

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inkle @inkle.co · 03/06/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! We're joined by @stirpicus.bsky.social (Fortnite, Minecraft: Story Mode) to talk about writing protagonists with strong personalities. How do we get the player to connect? And does it allow for more complex - even immoral - characters? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 01/06/2026

Junior writers aren't just the future of the craft - they're a wellspring of great ideas right now as well, says @annamegill.com For the full conversation, flip to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 27/05/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! This week, we talk to narrative powerhouse @annamegill.com (Guild Wars 2, Fable, Control) about drawing narrative from every part of the team. How do we invest in other creatives and integrate ideas without losing the plot? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 20/05/2026

New Kaleidoscope episode! This week, Total War and Star Wars Jedi alumnus @petestewart.bsky.social joins us to dig into worldbuilding: how do we use detail -- and how do we use the empty space? www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 18/05/2026

Everyone likes to do their best, but the best teams know when to do less: and for writers, that can sometimes feel quite strange. @edstern.bsky.social tells us why. For the full conversation, flip to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 15/05/2026

Lots of shipping notices for copies of Heaven’s Vault IV went out today so hopefully books will start arriving after the weekend. Soon people will have the answer to the greatest of all HV mysteries…

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inkle @inkle.co · 13/05/2026

Venerable storyteller @edstern.bsky.social joins us to talk in great detail about understatement, and the craft of putting material in versus holding it back. Turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... to begin!

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inkle @inkle.co · 11/05/2026

When writing for romance, says @storeytell.bsky.social, it's better to think of conflict as "scandal"... For more on writing as entertainment, and as art, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/#podcast

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inkle @inkle.co · 08/05/2026

📜 HEAVEN'S VAULT - BOOK 4 📜 The Rising Light is OUT NOW from the inkle bookshop! 📕 shorturl.at/o6tqJ 📕 The floodwaters have risen. A new threat looms. The only hope is a lost legend. Can a secret be hidden in a single word? Aliya and Six will have to travel beyond the rivers to find out...

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inkle @inkle.co · 06/05/2026

For those of you who have been following the "saga" of Heaven's Vault from its earliest days -- the end is coming, sooner than you might think. forms.gle/DEkeNMu35Vj7...

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inkle @inkle.co · 06/05/2026

New Kaleidoscope ep! This week, @storeytell.bsky.social joins us to talk about writing for romance, ways to stories drive beyond conflict, and finding the sublime within the commercial. Listen at www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope..., or any podcast place!

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inkle @inkle.co · 05/05/2026

Every detail of a game communicates narrative, says @gilesarmstrong.bsky.social - so no writing is too small to be important. For more tips and inspiration, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 30/04/2026

This week's Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast: We're joined by @gilesarmstrong.bsky.social to talk about the craft of incidental dialogue. How can we get the biggest lift from the most disposable bits of writing? Check it out here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... ... or any-podcast-place!

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inkle @inkle.co · 27/04/2026

How do we write for, and about, people other than ourselves? From a place of responsibility, urgency, and focus: @jillmurray.bsky.social explains. For the full conversation, turn to www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 22/04/2026

This week's Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast: Expert writer @jillmurray.bsky.social talks about finishing up. How do you know when something's done? How do you motivate yourself to stop? And... then what? Check it out here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... ... or any-podcast-place!

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inkle @inkle.co · 20/04/2026

When a game provides lore, we should remember to include who in the game-world is saying it - @hollynielsen.bsky.social explains why. For the full conversation visit: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 16/04/2026

🎉 It's Heaven's Vault's 7th birthday today! 🎉 To celebrate we're sharing a first look at the next Heaven's Vault-related release from us the fourth (and final) book in the novellisation sequence. Here's the gorgeous cover, with art from @anastasiawyatt.bsky.social and design by @joe.inkle.co

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inkle @inkle.co · 15/04/2026

This week on the Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast: Historian and game writer @hollynielsen.bsky.social talks about building plausible deniability into your world-building by pinning lore on sources. Check it out here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... ... or any-podcast-place!

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inkle @inkle.co · 13/04/2026

A game can be about more than success or failure: it can be about fun. @wildwinter.bsky.social talks us through an example from live-action roleplay of a design that makes the player complicit in creating enjoyment. Listen to the whole episode here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope...

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inkle @inkle.co · 08/04/2026

This week on the Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast: Veteran narrative designer @wildwinter.bsky.social takes us on a wild tour of the boundaries of story design and LARPs. One for all, and all for one! Check it out here: www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope... ... or any-podcast-place!

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