Sign in

Raph Koster

@raphkoster.bsky.social
2.5K followers 257 following 237 posts

Videogames: ULTIMA ONLINE, STAR WARS GALAXIES, METAPLACE, STARS REACH (coming soon!), among others. Tabletop: WADDLE. Books: THEORY OF FUN, POSTMORTEMS, SUNDAY POEMS. Music: AFTER THE FLOOD. Also at @raphkoster@mastodon.gamedev.place

PostsRepliesMedia
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The full EDGE piece on game industry challenges is out now, has a lot of smart people in it (and me) & I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the games biz. knowledge.edge-online.com/p/the-game-i...
knowledge.edge-online.com
The game industry is broken – can we fix it?
1133
Reposted by Raph Koster
But Why Tho? @butwhytho.net · 25/07/2026
Stars Reach feels like it might be a giant leap for MMORPGs. Read Eddie's thoughts on the upcoming game here:
butwhytho.net
‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression
Stars Reach feels like it might be a giant leap for MMORPGs. Read Eddie's thoughts on the upcoming game here:
031
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
This is a good talk. It also echoes some things I have been saying for years (I stole @bruces.bsky.social 's line about musicians long ago, probably back when we hung out in Austin)... Back in 2005, I wrote a blog post called "The Future of Content" that ended with:
1173
Reposted by Raph Koster
/noclip @noclipvideo.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
🚨NEW DOC ALERT🕹️ The History & Evolution of Massively Multiplayer Games We talk to @raphkoster.bsky.social about the history of group play, how MUDs became MMOs and the evolution of online worlds. WATCH HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHu7...
youtube.com
The History & Evolution of Massively Multiplayer Games (with Raph Koster) - /noclip
YouTube video by /noclip
111438
Reposted by Raph Koster
/noclip @noclipvideo.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
[EARLY ACCESS] The History & Evolution of Massively Multiplayer Games For Early Access Patrons (our 2nd most popular tier) is our second video with @raphkoster.bsky.social, about the history of play, and the evolution of MMOs. Support /noclip and give it a watch. www.patreon.com/noclip/posts...
patreon.com
[EARLY ACCESS] The History & Evolution of Massively Multiplayer Games | /noclip
[EARLY ACCESS] The History & Evolution of Massively Multiplayer Games by /noclip on Patreon. Join /noclip's community for exclusive content and updates.
0555
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
This is out now and @noclipvideo has done their usual stellar job!
1141
Reposted by Raph Koster
But Why Tho? @butwhytho.net · 12/06/2026
‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression
dlvr.it
‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression
I’m skeptical of the proposed technology behind Stars Reach, but what I saw feels like the next big step in cultivating a virtual life in online gaming. The post ‘Stars Reach’ Shoots For The Stars With Exploration And Player Expression appeared first on But Why Tho?.
062
Reposted by Raph Koster
Hayes Madsen @solfleet.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
I also got to play a bit of Stars Reach, and see its impressive simulation elements. It's exceedingly hard to preview an MMO, always has been, but I genuinely dig what I've seen and heard www.consolecreatures.com/stars-reach-...
consolecreatures.com
Stars Reach Wants to Bring MMORPGs Back to Their Sandbox Roots, and It's Got All the Right Ideas | Console Creatures
Stars Reach is an ambitious new MMO from the creator of Ultima Online that hopes to bring the genre back to its more creative and open-ended roots.
0105
Reposted by Raph Koster
Controlled Chaos @controlledcha0s.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Stars Reach put out an update that improves clouds, underwater rendering, and more. youtu.be/22bfaxMWfdc @playstarsreach.bsky.social #starsreach #mmo
youtu.be
Stars Reach Pre-Alpha: Better Clouds & Water
YouTube video by Controlled Chaos Gaming
053
Reposted by Raph Koster
MMORPG.com @mmorpg.com · 17/06/2026
Hands-On Preview: Stars Reach Represents The Dream MMOs Have Promised For Decades, And I Can't Contain My Excitement www.mmorpg.com/previews/han...
021
Reposted by Raph Koster
Console Creatures @consolecreatures.com · 18/06/2026
“It Isn’t the Way You Influenced the Next Designer to Do What You Did, It’s How You Influenced Those Who Got to Play” — Raph Koster on the Legacy of Star Wars Galaxies, the State of MMOs, and His Ambitious New Game Interview: www.consolecreatures.com/raph-koster-...
consolecreatures.com
"It Isn't the Way You Influenced the Next Designer to Do What You Did, It's How You Influenced Those Who Got to Play" — Raph Koster on the Legacy of Star Wars Galaxies, the State of MMOs, and His Ambi...
We talk to Raph Koster, the creator of Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies, about his ambitious new MMO and how the genre at large can survive.
042
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
I did this interview a while ago and had forgotten it was coming out!
1192
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
As usual I have signed all the copies of my books at the @officialgdc.bsky.social bookstore!
0461
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
Today I came across a project that rebuilt all of Tatooine from SWG in VRChat, and another that is recreating all of UO as a Valheim mod. Kind of wild to see.
0110
Reposted by Raph Koster
Daniel Cook @danctheduck.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
My obsession for a decade: Parts of games are real, not fiction. Like, you are not really becoming a powerful knight when you gain a virtual level. That's fiction, fantasy. But you DO gain real skills. In manipulating buttons, game tactics etc. In multiplayer games, the friendships are real.
58823
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Recommended posts, 2017-2025 It's been over five years since the last time I gathered up recommended posts in one place and added them to the menu above. I figured I was due. As usual this will include talks and interviews as well as articles. Just think of it as "my take on what the best stuff to…
raphkoster.com
Recommended posts, 2017-2025
It's been over five years since the last time I gathered up recommended posts in one place and added them to the menu above. I figured I was due. As usual this will include talks and interviews as well as articles. Just think of it as "my take on what the best stuff to look at on the site is."
060
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
I never posted widely about the public health simulator design I wrote as Covid was shutting down the world. Until now.
raphkoster.com
Looking back at a pandemic simulator
It's been six years now since the early days of the Covid pandemic. People who were paying super close attention started hearing rumors about something going on in China towards the end of 2019 -- my earliest posts about it on Facebook were from November that year. Even at the time, people were utterly clueless about the mathematics of how a highly infectious virus spread.
071
Reposted by Raph Koster
Stars Reach @playstarsreach.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Today we reveal our Stars Reach development roadmap. More than a timeline, this is a full-featured living document. Click on individual cards for more information. Watch as cards move between categories as development progresses. We want your feedback. starsreach.com/roadmap/
191
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
This update went in today. Can't wait to see what people do...
070
Reposted by Raph Koster
MassivelyOP @massivelyop.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Stars Reach’s latest patch adds Star Wars Galaxies-esque player cities to the alpha
massivelyop.com
Stars Reach’s latest patch adds Star Wars Galaxies-esque player cities to the alpha
021
Reposted by Raph Koster
Stars Reach @playstarsreach.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
In Stars Reach, every action or interaction with the planet affects its environment, fauna, flora, and players who play and live in it. But not everybody likes what you do… youtu.be/nq92JvBVmoM
youtu.be
The Servitors - 🧪 Stars Reach Lab #004
YouTube video by Stars Reach
041
Reposted by Raph Koster
Phil Gross @mistergross.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Time for the annual rewatch of the @raphkoster.bsky.social gdc talk on creativity 🎲✂️
171
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
This is unexpected. Not one, but three versions, and of course I am far from the only author whose quotes are for sale on canvas prints. Looks like three different manufacturers, and no, I do not get a cut. Fair use, I assume :D
060
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Haha, playing Geoguessr in UO. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG1I...
youtube.com
🌎I PLAYED GEOGUESSR... BUT IT'S IN ULTIMA ONLINE!!! #nostalgia #mmorpg
YouTube video by Blade Spirit
2215
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Well, this landed on the front page of Hacker News! news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4584...
news.ycombinator.com
Game design is simple | Hacker News
2120
Reposted by Raph Koster
Stars Reach @playstarsreach.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
We are happy to announce a new Stars Reach Video Series that we are going to name Community Power. This first episode will feature the GUNC guild and what they've built on Akacala... but what is GUNC, who are they, when did everything start? youtu.be/nzIhxevUwAU
youtu.be
GUNC Guild on Akacala - ✨ Stars Reach Community Power #001
YouTube video by Stars Reach
042
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.
raphkoster.com
Game design is simple, actually
So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not useful for getting better at making games, which is usually why people read articles like this. The fun of a bit of confetti exploding in front of you, and the fun of excruciating pain and risk to life and limb as you free climb a cliff are just not usefully paired together.
3377101
Reposted by Raph Koster
MassivelyOP @massivelyop.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
Stars Reach’s visual upgrades ensure it barely looks like the same game introduced last year
massivelyop.com
Stars Reach’s visual upgrades ensure it barely looks like the same game introduced last year
0103
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
We've been working on overhauling the visuals in STARS REACH for a while. Here's a look at what's coming up!
raphkoster.com
Stars Reach visual upgrades
For months now, we have been working on a big overhaul to the visuals in Stars Reach. This has involved redoing most of the shaders in the entire game, and going back and retouching every asset. We started by redoing all the plant life and flora, and we have hundreds of those assets that had to be redone. Further, they all need to grow, change in response to seasons, be able to catch fire and burn, freeze, shed leaves and die, and so on.
090
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
Heh, I just got this reply on a Reddit thread about MMO design. :)
1362
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
I've been bad about blogging when stuff got added to my site. So here's a catalog of the last couple of years including a bunch of podcasts and talks!
raphkoster.com
New stuff on the site
I really have been neglecting the blog lately. But that doesn't mean I haven't been adding content to the site all along. I figured it might not hurt to do a little summary of items that have been added over the last year and a half or more. The last talk I posted up was my GDC talk from 2024…
070
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
We have been working for a while on visual upgrades for STARS REACH, and are releasing our first video of those enhancements today! More to come! :)
0110
Reposted by Raph Koster
Jeremy Ray @thejunglist.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
Take that game idea in the back of your head -- how could it communicate its core idea through mechanics and systems, before aesthetics and narrative? @raphkoster.bsky.social on the difference between thematic experimentation vs mechanical experimentation.
072
Reposted by Raph Koster
Jeremy Ray @thejunglist.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
I greatly enjoyed this chat with @raphkoster.bsky.social about fun, cognitive theory, and the massive 3D cellular automata powering the @playstarsreach.bsky.social galaxy. Broad simulation, player control, and emergent behaviour ➡️ the best stories in games.
youtube.com
Playing God with Galactic Cellular Automata in Stars Reach - Raph Koster | grokludo 11
YouTube video by The Junglist
061
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
Site updates It's been quite a while since the site was refreshed. I was forced into it by a PHP upgrade that rendered the old customizable theme I was using obsolete. We're now running a new theme that has been styled to match the old one pretty closely, but I did go ahead and do some…
raphkoster.com
Site updates
It's been quite a while since the site was refreshed. I was forced into it by a PHP upgrade that rendered the old customizable theme I was using obsolete. We're now running a new theme that has been styled to match the old one pretty closely, but I did go ahead and do some streamlining: way less plugins (especially ancient ones), simpler layout in several places, much better handling of responsive layouts for mobile, down to a single sidebar, and so on.
060
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
We recently showed off STARS REACH at a local IGDA meetup, and I also got to do an hour long talk about the history of online worlds, from PLATO to looter-shooters and beyond!
082
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
They also talk about Theory of Fun. :)
180
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
A giant build done by players in Stars Reach. It’s showing us what we need to optimize! youtu.be/rhvm3enxWkU
youtu.be
This player made freighter in Stars Reach is INSANE!
YouTube video by Controlled Chaos Gaming
140
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Worth reading if you are curious about Stars Reach! hooby.blog/posts/what-y...
hooby.blog
What You Need To Know About Stars Reach
Stars Reach is the lifelong dream of game design legend Raph Koster. In some ways, it’s the game he has wanted to make for over 30 years now. The culmination of all his ideas and ambitions for virtual...
062
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
youtube.com/shorts/HqBm0...
youtube.com
Invasion + Fire 😈 Stars Reach 😈 |25e142| #StarsReach #KAEZLO #twitch
YouTube video by Kaezlo
030
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Stars Reach doesn’t look like you remember I've been remiss in posting updates on Stars Reach here. I mean, the Kickstarter finished back in March (late pledges still accepted)! Today, though, I want to brag about our awesome AI and proc gen driven worlds. Over the last few releases, we have been…
raphkoster.com
Stars Reach doesn’t look like you remember
I've been remiss in posting updates on Stars Reach here. I mean, the Kickstarter finished back in March (late pledges still accepted)! Today, though, I want to brag about our awesome AI and proc gen driven worlds. Over the last few releases, we have been rolling out yet another series of improvements to the look of the worlds. And we're getting to the point where I think the alien worlds are starting to look like the covers of sci-fi novels (especially with some player help building weird structures):
150
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
If you haven't seen Stars Reach in a while, you might be surprised. :)
1141
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
From our daily standup today: Major issues to help track and resolve before playtest: Season Curve causing flora to burst into flames
1120
Reposted by Raph Koster
Stars Reach @playstarsreach.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Want to help build magical new worlds? 🌍✨ Playable Worlds is hiring! Remote roles in Engineering & Design, with full-time and contract options. Great perks, stock options, and a passionate team behind it all. Apply now or send an open app: www.playableworlds.com/careers/
086
Reposted by Raph Koster
Galactic Union of Natural Conservation @gunc-starsreach.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
GUNC Mycityum after 14 hours. Got lots of materials last 3 hours to make Saturday easier so builders can start building their houses at the top!! Can’t wait to see what y’all build, maybe we will see a dev build up there! @playstarsreach.bsky.social #PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG
022
Reposted by Raph Koster
MassivelyOP @massivelyop.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
Former EverQuest Next boss Dave Georgeson is one of the key devs working on Raph Koster's Stars Reach MMORPG - hear him talk about progress in the pre-alpha:
massivelyop.com
Stars Reach game director Dave Georgeson talks material density, XP rates, and skill trees
023
Raph Koster @raphkoster.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
"That's the craziest thing I have ever seen in any video game!" www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTma...
youtube.com
Stars Reach Impact!! Gameplay First Look
YouTube video by Bingohomeslice
042
Reposted by Raph Koster
Galactic Union of Natural Conservation @gunc-starsreach.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Ever wonder why for Hortus Renovare we create garden art and riddles for others to find, well now you can find out from the children’s fable - The Melody of Beauty @playstarsreach.bsky.social #PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG
023
Reposted by Raph Koster
Galactic Union of Natural Conservation @gunc-starsreach.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Here is a story highlighting some of the lore and the spirit of Hortus Renovare 🌸🌺🌼🍓🍫 The Origin of Chocolate Covered Strawberries - A Hortus Renovare Story 🌸🌺🌼🍓🍫 @playstarsreach.bsky.social #PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG
011
Reposted by Raph Koster
Galactic Union of Natural Conservation @gunc-starsreach.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Hortus Renovare, It is about celebrating the enduring hope of a better tomorrow regardless of the struggles we have faced. And in this spirit, we would like to start the festival by taking a look back at the great SR moments! @playstarsreach.bsky.social #PlayStarsReach #StarsReach #MMORPG
001