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Luna Javier

@lunajavier.com
629 followers 570 following 209 posts

🇵🇭 First female #gamedev in the Philippines 🎮 Game design consultant & educator 💼 Monstronauts. Ex-Altitude Games (co-founder), Boomzap, Anino 🌏 Women in Games Asia leadership team 👉 lunajavier.com

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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 16/09/2026
Part of my Writing for New Media class is every week, a student does a presentation on a piece of new media that is viral or recent, and explains why it's well-written and effective As someone who is not on socials much and def not on TikTok, the trends they are bringing to class... 🤯 Whew I am old
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 05/09/2026
The amount of schoolwork I need to do even as a part-time teacher really can't be underestimated 😭 - Making slides for 3 different subjects - Coming up with fun activities so they learn by doing - Setting up the online learning management system - Grading activities and assignments Rinse and repeat
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 28/08/2026
Got this CAPTCHA today: "Pick items that help you stay entertained" I mean yes, obviously video games, but I grew up in the 80s - I can entertain myself with anything 😅
CAPTCHA that says Pick items that help you stay entertained. In a 3x3 grid, there are video game controllers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a shovel
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 22/08/2026
I bought Wingspan, the mobile game by @monstercouch.bsky.social, after @antioedipus3000.bsky.social introduced me to the physical board game last night. Pleasantly surprised to see the Philippine Eagle is in the tutorial for the Asian expansion! 🇵🇭
A screenshot from the mobile game Wingspan. It shows a tutorial about the Philippine Eagle card with a variety of bird cards on the board, including the Philippine Eagle
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 25/07/2026
#PGDX Workshop done, had a blast! People practiced by themselves, in pairs, or in groups. And we had brave volunteers who pitched in front and also did PowerPoint Karaoke! I forgot to take photos lol, if anyone has some, pls share them with me 😅
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 20/07/2026
I'm giving a workshop this Saturday at Philippine GameDev Expo! It's called Level Up Your Pitch: Public Speaking Skills for Game Devs🎙️ You'll learn practical techniques to help improve how you present your ideas - to build confidence, reduce filler words, & connect more effectively with an audience
Workshop schedule for Saturday at PGDX. My workshop is 3pm at Meeting Rooms 4 and 5
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 06/07/2026
Hey all, I'm still here! Just been busy with a lot (a LOT) of game consulting work, and some teaching. I haven't been able to write in my game design blog either, as weekends have been reserved for friends and family. Hoping things slow down enough so I can write and post again 😊
static.klipy.com
Busy Cat Typing on Laptop
ALT: Busy Cat Typing on Laptop
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 13/06/2026
Just finished Act II of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and every time I think it's the end... What do you mean there's another act?!?
static.klipy.com
Esquie Mon Ami Calculating
ALT: Esquie Mon Ami Calculating
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 29/05/2026
Game Writing class is now done! I asked my students if I should keep teaching Inform for the next batch, or stick with Twine. While they liked Inform, it was also difficult to code in. So they would get distracted getting their game to work rather than just writing :( Twine was simpler, easier.
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Southeast Asian Games Showcase (SEAGS) @seagshowcase.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Revealing 10 games that will be featured in this year's Southeast Asian Games Showcase! 🇮🇩 KuloNiku: Bowl Up! 🇵🇭 Until Then 🇲🇾 Overhours 🇹🇭 Nightmare Circus ...and more! Follow to see what other games are participating in the show! ✨👀✨ #SummerGameFest #SEAGShowcase
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 19/05/2026
My husband @carljavier.bsky.social asked economist @jcpunongbayan.bsky.social if he should buy a Switch 2. I am part of his decision 😅 "There’s personal enjoyment, my wife’s enjoyment, and the joy I would also derive from my wife enjoying the console..." technology.inquirer.net/146797/shoul...
technology.inquirer.net
Should I buy a Switch 2 right now?
I want a Switch 2. I have wanted a Switch 2. I know all the criticisms–I have watched countless hours of YouTube debates. I already have a Switch. And a Steam Deck. But I want a Switch 2. This is a
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 18/05/2026
Just want to shout out to Game UI Database - it's a resource I use frequently to find UI/UX references for games. Tonight I needed to look a screen up on my phone for someone, and of course the site's filters work beautifully on mobile. Thank you @eddcoates.bsky.social 🙏 www.gameuidatabase.com
Screenshot of Game UI Database with filters active: Mobile, Casual/Puzzle, and text "boost" Screenshot of Game UI Database with filters active, showing game screens
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 14/05/2026
New video! The amazing @athanateus.bsky.social interviewed me about game balancing for his book, Playing with Balance: Game Economy Design. I'm a big fan of his, and it was so much fun to geek out about game design with him. Check out our conversation here buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/p... #gamedev
buymeacoffee.com
Playing with Balance: Discussing game balancing with Oscar Clark — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 13/05/2026
It's hard to be excited about anything when this is happening in my country tonight: www.cnn.com/2026/05/13/a... Been watching the livestreams from the media but still no definitive answers.
cnn.com
Gunshots heard in Philippine Senate, says Senate president | CNN
Gunshots have been heard in the Philippine Senate building, the Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said on Wednesday, as a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court is holed up in the build...
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 07/05/2026
New game design blog post, about mobile games this time! 📱 I always record my first session when I’m studying a mobile game, because the first-time user experience (FTUE) is crucial. Here’s why it’s important: buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/m... #gamedev #gamedesign
buymeacoffee.com
Mobile FTUE: Why you should record your first session — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 03/05/2026
I have a bunch of unfinished blog drafts lying around, but there are rare days like today when I spend Sunday afternoon writing one out in one sitting. I wouldn't chalk it up to "inspiration" or "motivation"; it's just a blog post. But sometimes the thoughts come easy? Scheduled for this Thursday!
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 28/04/2026
New game design blog post: It’s been a year since I left my studio to become a game design consultant and educator. So far, no regrets 😊 buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/what-game-design-means-one-year-later #gamedev #gamedesign
buymeacoffee.com
What game design means to me, one year later — Luna Javier
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 23/04/2026
We had a school exhibit today and my students' games were being showcased in a Twine webpage on demo computers. I realized I needed to improve its UX for visitors on the spot. "I knew my Geocities childhood would come in handy someday," I thought to myself as I quickly edited the HTML in Notepad 😅
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 18/04/2026
Gave a career talk about Enderun's Multimedia Arts program today. While making my slides, I realized I've always been a creative. Yes, I've been making games for 20+ years, but I also: - Wrote and directed award-winning short films - Was a music and games journalist - Wrote music and novels for fun
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 11/04/2026
Watching the Artemis stream, I can't breathe aaaaaah (To quote my student this week: "Miss, I think you like space.")
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 10/04/2026
No game design blog post this week. I have a few ideas, but I'd rather write a good one that has my full attention (and not post for the sake of hitting a schedule). This week was full of consulting work, teaching, learning Inform... Plus I finally got an ao3 account and wow that's a rabbit hole 😁
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 03/04/2026
16 years ago today, my article on Gamasutra about prototyping Awakening: The Dreamless Castle came out. I figured it disappeared when the site rebranded to @gamedeveloper.bsky.social. I was wrong: it's still up! Behold, what indie #gamedev looked like in 2010: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/quick...
gamedeveloper.com
Quick and Dirty Prototyping: A Success Story
Boomzap Entertainment has built a work style that emphasizes finding the fun before entering production, and here producer and designer Luna Cruz outlines how this results in high-quality titles.
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 31/03/2026
New game design blog post: I wrote about Slay the Spire by @megacrit.com and why I spent 100+ hours in a roguelike when normally I’d get frustrated and quit. The secret? Making me feel like I’m in control. buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/s... #gamedev #gamedesign
buymeacoffee.com
Slay the Spire: Player control — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 30/03/2026
My students asked me what my first impressions were of Clair Obscur. I said I was a big fan of Charlie Cox so I was enjoying it. They exchanged this look that said, we know something but we can't tell you... Anyway I just finished Act 1 so I know what that look meant now. Joke's on me. 💔
media.tenor.com
a man and a woman are standing next to each other in a dark room in a video game .
ALT: a man and a woman are standing next to each other in a dark room in a video game .
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 28/03/2026
I used to make fun websites in high school using html in Notepad (Geocities, anyone?) - but it still took me three hours to figure out how to make an email newsletter for my game design blog 😅 A Saturday morning well-spent, but sheesh! (It needs a bit more testing, and then I'll post the link!)
media.tenor.com
a black cat is playing with an apple laptop computer .
ALT: a black cat is playing with an apple laptop computer .
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 26/03/2026
Trying something new! I'm sharing a #gamedesign exercise I give at workshops: use playing cards to design a party game 🃏 It's fun to watch participants discover that their game ideas fall apart once they're in players' hands 😁 buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/exercise-playing-card-party-game #gamedev
buymeacoffee.com
Exercise: Playing card party game — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Women in Games @womeningames.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Announcing the 'Careers in Play' panel at the upcoming Women in Games Careers Expo! This 45-minute panel will explore real-world soft skills, the rise of generalist roles, graduate launchpads, and how to navigate unconventional entries into the industry. ⬇️
Promotional graphic for a "Women in Games" event titled "Careers in Play: Skills, Pathways & Possibilities" featuring portraits of four speakers. The event is a free online session taking place on Thursday, March 26th, 2026, via RingCentral.
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 25/03/2026
Sometimes I wonder what the point of all this is, as gas prices go up, horrible people in power make horrible decisions, and I lose myself in yet another video game. But where else am I to go except art? To restore my faith in humanity, and believe that good can prevail in the face of all this evil
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 24/03/2026
New blog post! 🎉 I write about Journey by @annapurna.com @thatgamecompany.com and how it's a great example of emergent storytelling, on my little game design blog: buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/j... #gamedev #gamedesign
buymeacoffee.com
Journey: Emergent storytelling — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Southeast Asian Games Showcase (SEAGS) @seagshowcase.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
The Southeast Asian Games Showcase is BACK this Summer! Submissions are now open to Southeast Asian based developers + Southeast Asian led teams. The showcase goes live in June during the week of Summer Game Fest ☀️ 🗓️ Submit your game by March 31st via the form below!
Southeast Asian Games Showcase

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Southeast Asian Games Showcase is now accepting submissions from game developers until March 31st.
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 22/03/2026
I have several unfinished drafts for blog posts - too many ideas, excited about all of them, but easily distracted by urgent work things. Husband finally said: "Sunday is writing day. We will both sit down and write." And it worked 😅 I finished a post. I just got project-managed y'all
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 18/03/2026
Today was the first day they saw Inform and they are excited yahoooooo
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 17/03/2026
Got an idea for next week's game writing class: Narrative Method Bingo. Students will play a co-op game, yell out if they see a narrative method being used (e.g. Dialogue! Props! Audio!), and then cross it out on my custom cards But then I realized... I may have to explain to them what bingo is 😭
media.tenor.com
a man is holding a bingo card in his hand
ALT: a man is holding a bingo card in his hand
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 17/03/2026
Started Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 last weekend! Yes, it's gorgeous and wonderful and Charlie Cox and Kirsty Riders's voice performances are amazing... Also it's been a while since I had to Google "beginner tips" for a game but here we are 😅 I know I'll get the hang of it soon enough
media.tenor.com
a woman in a hooded jacket is looking at a man in the dark .
ALT: a woman in a hooded jacket is looking at a man in the dark .
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Felipe Pepe @felipepepe.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
If you're looking for RPGs to play, I just finished the RPG Codex's 2025 GOTY: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... The winner was Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, but the real reason why I like doing the poll is charting this graph to visualize hits & hidden gems (of a very particular audience, ofc)
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 13/03/2026
My 9 games I agonized over which games to pick for this 😅 But I suppose there'll never be a perfect list? I explain more about each game and why I love it so much in my shiny new game design blog: buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/m... What are your 9 games? #my9games
My 9 games: Mass Effect 2, Journey, Thousand Arms, WarCraft III Frozen Throne, RF Online, Donkey Kong Country, Mirror's Edge, The Dig, and Final Fantasy XII
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 12/03/2026
I did it! I made a space to share my game design thoughts 😊 Will start posting more soon, and I'll link here whenever I do. buymeacoffee.com/lunajavier/hello-world-4541896
buymeacoffee.com
Hello, world! Welcome to my game design blog 👾 — Luna Javier
Post by Luna Javier
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 10/03/2026
Not at GDC but this is #WhatAGameDevLooksLike Hi, I'm the first female game dev in the Philippines! Game designer, writer, producer for 23+ years. Currently running my own game design consultancy and teaching higher ed part-time. Also building a more inclusive industry through Women in Games Asia 💖
Luna Javier, a Filipina with dark brown hair and glasses, smiling in a black Boston Raiders shirt
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 10/03/2026
"Embrace the placeholder (and also make it so obvious it's placeholder that it can't slip by your final checks)." - @rockpapershotgun.bsky.social on Slay the Spire 2 www.rockpapershotgun.com/slay-the-spi...
rockpapershotgun.com
Slay The Spire 2's placeholder art should be a lesson to all the developers caught up in AI-generated nonsense
Rather than get caught up in the generative AI debate, Slay The Spire 2's developers have worn their placeholder art on their sleeves
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 08/03/2026
For everyone who's afraid to put their games up for early feedback because the art is "not done": If Slay the Spire 2 can do it, so can you. These epoch thumbnails have zero impact on gameplay and even add some charm. So don't wait for perfection: get feedback from your players early! #gamedev
Screenshot of Chapter 6 Tricked epoch with a handdrawn imageScreenshot of Chapter 4 Underdocks epoch with a handdrawn imageScreenshot of Chapter 5 epoch with a handdrawn image
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 06/03/2026
Just finished Is This Seat Taken?; that was a super satisfying puzzle game. Am on a roll right now playing and enjoying all the indie games I've missed. And I got to teach Florence and Journey this week in class, too! Hmm, what to play next...
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 02/03/2026
Thinking of starting a little game design blog where I post short thoughts on game design and narrative. Like cool things a game is doing, dev tips from my experience, creative exercises, things like that. Not long-form. Short and sweet. Would anyone be into that? 🤔 #gamedev #gamedesign
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 25/02/2026
Update: I had my husband play Journey too just so I could have someone to talk to about the ending. He is almost at the end now aaaaaah
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 23/02/2026
LF @godotengine.org #gamedev in the Philippines Hello! Some colleagues of mine are looking for a part-time Godot developer for their game demo. This is paid work, remote, flexible hours (~20 hrs per week). The project is a game about the life of Filipino seafarers and the challenges they face (1/2)
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 21/02/2026
Holy shit. I just finished Journey. I cried near the end. And my mouth fell open when I saw the credits. (Not spoiling, even though maybe the rest of the world has already played this.) This game was incredible. Thank you, @thatgamecompany.com @annapurna.com
media.tenor.com
a drawing of a person standing on a sand dune with a scarf around their neck
Alt: a drawing of a person standing on a sand dune with a scarf around their neck
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 18/02/2026
Sent my level design students to go around campus for 20 minutes and take photos of textures to tell a story. I gave them secret themes. Did the exercise myself over lunch break to test, and it's fun but hard 😅 Here's what I found for "cozy magical school", from a box, a chair, and my water bottle.
A dragon on a purple starry backgroundA red and gold embroidered patternStars on a purple background
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 14/02/2026
Playing Outer Wilds for the first time. Spent almost five hours struggling with controlling anything, until finally things clicked and now I'm properly exploring 😍 Good thing I Googled and everyone's posts were basically: "Yes, this is normal, don't give up" 🚀
media.tenor.com
a frog sits around a campfire in a video game
Alt: a frog sits around a campfire in a video game
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 13/02/2026
Between rewatching Heated Rivalry and studying Love and Deepspace, I've been away from reality for a bit... *peeks at the real world* *hides again*
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 03/02/2026
I'm early at GameDev Summit as I accompanied student volunteers here; we left Manila at 5am (I got up at 315 😴) If anyone is going to GDS, say hello! Preferably with coffee ☕
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Luna Javier @lunajavier.com · 01/02/2026
After the crazy January we've had? I'm here for this
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