iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

From my Pool of Radiance playthrough: We cleared out a graveyard full of undead and returned to Town Hall for our reward. The clerk awarded us one experience point. One. FUCKING. XP. Thanks for recognizing our service. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming #DnD

030

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 8h

I played a 1988 D&D game and kept a death ledger. Favorite entry: "The vampire charmed Mara. She murdered the entire party, then herself. Extremely efficient." 22 party wipes. 18 episodes. I wrote the whole stupid adventure down. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming

041

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 19h

“Stop! Nobody sees the Baron without permission!” “Oh. Can I have permission?” “You need to get permission from the Baron.” “So can I see him to get permission to see him?” “Well, nobody can see the Baron.” “I see we are at an impasse.” #QuestForGlory #RetroGaming

031

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

From my Police Quest playthrough: Then I called Fudley. Fudley. I knew that name. The shower. That was him. The naked man. How many times had I done this? What kind of man was I? Had I dark urges that had yet to surface? I hung up the phone. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming

020

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I started another stupid fucking project. Questionable Authority is my Police Quest playthrough, told by Sonny Bonds himself: bad decisions, Sierra logic and way too much confidence. One badge. Several crimes. Very little oversight. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming #PoliceQuest #Sierra

020

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Not far away, I met a pretty hot centaur selling produce, so naturally I tried the old Brundy charm. “Hey there, sexy! Nice, um… legs!” “Hi!” “So, you selling fruit?” “Yes! Ten apples for one silver!” And that’s how I bought ten apples. #QuestForGlory #RetroGaming #DOSGaming #GamingHumor

152

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

New project: GLORYBOUND. I’m playing all 5 Quest for Glory games, starting with the 1989 EGA original, and carrying the same thief through the whole series. Episode 1 + rules: samthul.com/pages/floppy... #QuestForGlory #RetroGaming #CRPG #AdventureGames #DOSGaming

151

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We walked into a room with a Medusa. Merrick: “DON’T LOOK AT ITS BOOBS!” Lucian: “It is her eyes you’re supposed to avoid.” “I panicked!” The Pools Saga: my 18-episode journal of playing the 1988 DOS D&D game Pool of Radiance. samthul.com

011

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Sometimes context is optional.

012

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We found an item called: “25 Dust Covered Bootss” Bootss. With two S’s. “Hey, Aldren.” “Yeah?” “What’s a bootss?” “A what?” “A BOOTSS.” “Merrick, what the everloving fuck are you talking about?” Pool of Radiance, 1988. #RetroGaming

041

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I fucking finished Pool of Radiance. 18 episodes of a 1988 AD&D game became The Pools Saga: hand-drawn maps, dice decisions, party wipes, and four assholes I somehow ended up caring about. Start at Episode 1: samthul.com/pages/floppy...

052

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I finally fucking finished Pool of Radiance. 18 episodes of hand-mapped DOS D&D, dumb decisions, party wipes, and four idiots becoming characters I actually cared about. Start here: samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming #DnD #DOSGaming

041

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Apparently a bunch of you are visiting The Pools Saga page and then leaving without reading a single episode. What the fuck. 😂 At least read Episode 1 before you shatter my tiny retro-gaming heart. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #RetroGaming #CRPG

151

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It's time for more 'As The Pool Turns'... We asked Ohlo for a little more money. He responded with approximately a fuckton of enemies. Lucian panicked, cast Sleep on himself, then got shot with an arrow. Everybody died. Negotiations went well. #dosgaming #retrogaming #crpg #dnd #retro #dos

074

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I wanted to log my playthrough of the SSI Pools saga, starting with Pool of Radiance (1988). A month later: 75,191 words, and this stupid thing is basically becoming accidental LitRPG. Come read and yell at the party. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #LitRPG

021

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I’ve been playing Pool of Radiance (1988) and writing the whole stupid adventure up as I go. Episode 17 is up: pirates, a diplomatic mission gone to hell, a fort full of corpses, and Merrick dying. Again. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #Retrogaming #DOSGaming

031

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Episode 7. We met a spectre. Every time this asshole touched somebody, they lost TWO LEVELS. He didn’t just kill the party. He erased their fucking résumés. Fuck ghosts. samthul.com/pages/floppy... #DOSGaming #CRPG #RetroGaming #retro #dungeonsanddragons #dnd #indieweb

151

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Uninvited on the Amiga 500 may still be my greatest gaming memory. As a kid I beat it with graph paper, handwritten notes, no internet, walkthroughs or saves. I still remember the dead spider, the occultist, the hidden attic, and being able to pick up fucking everything. What's your gaming memory?

021

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Random share for all my #dungeonsanddragons #dnd peeps out there!

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

I've been turning samthul.com into the kind of website I miss. A webring. A guestbook. The Floppy Files. Old-ass GIFs. Static pages. No algorithm deciding what I see next. Just my little corner of the old web, where I post fuck all. Fuck yeah! Stop by! #OldWeb #RetroComputing #retroweb #fuckyeah

152

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

My party launched one last Hail Mary assault. And then - Nothing. No trolls. No boars. No extra fucking wave. Aldren had 1 HP left, but all four were still standing. They fucking did it. That’s how it goes in Pool of Radiance, an RPG from 1988. #retrogaming #dungeonsanddragons #rpg #litrpg

041

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Been playing the 1988 DOS version of Pool of Radiance. Finally reached Tyranthraxus, Lord of Phlan. Big dramatic showdown. Ancient evil. Final-boss energy. Merrick killed him with a fucking rock. Not a magic sword. Not a Fireball. A rock. I love old games.

031

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

How's it going? Well, we made it back to the kobold king, survived the trolls, the war boars and his stupid ass ballista, got the little bastards to surrender… …and then the game immediately started another fight and made all my characters dead. 1988 did not give a shit about your feelings. 🤣

021

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I finally added Art Fucking Bell to the Digital Attic. Late-night radio, UFOs, ghosts, Area 51, Mel’s Hole, terrified callers, and a voice that could make the whole world feel weird at 2AM. If you remember, you remember. samthul.com/pages/digita...

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Back into the kobold king’s cave we go. Still playing Pool of Radiance like it’s 1988, bad decisions and all. Before we kicked the door in again, Aldren apparently decided this was his Goonies moment. Episode 14: samthul.com/pages/floppy...

021

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I’ve been playing Pool of Radiance, a 1988 D&D computer RPG, the old-fashioned way: graph paper, no walkthrough, no save-scumming, and a dice roll when my party disagrees. We beat 4 trolls and a kobold army. Then came 100 more kobolds. And 5 fucking boars. We died. samthul.com/pages/floppy...

031

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I’m playing Pool of Radiance, a 1988 DOS RPG. A bug left our Fighter completely unable to move. Resting did nothing. Dispel Magic did nothing. So Lucian raised both hands, formed a series of intricate symbols in the air, and cast the ancient spell known as File Explorer. It worked.

011

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I’m playing Pool of Radiance, a 1988 DOS RPG, and finally found the vampire controlling the graveyard. He charmed my cleric. She paralyzed the entire party, murdered them one by one, then killed herself. We reloaded. Again. Nobody is making fucking eye contact this time. #DOSGaming #RetroGaming

041

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Lucian finally used the Fireball scroll. Fire. Fucking everywhere. The local orc population entered a sudden and dramatic decline. Merrick: “You could do that THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME?” Lucian: “I was saving it.” Merrick: “For WHAT? Our fucking funerals?” #RetroGaming samthul.com/pages/floppy...

052

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Playing Pool of Radiance with a Decision Die because we can’t be trusted to make our own choices. We found an elf’s skeleton in Sokal Keep. The die decided Mara should smash it. Mara smashed it. Archaeology was briefly attempted. #DOSGaming

023

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

There was something magical about listening to Art Bell in the middle of the night. No video. Just Art, some lunatic calling from the darkness, and your imagination filling in the rest. Man, I miss the past. samthul.com/pages/digita...

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Merrick got poisoned by a giant scorpion and died. We discovered resurrection costs 5,500 gold, pooled nearly everything we owned, and brought the bastard back. Merrick opened his eyes. “You should have left me dead.” Pool of Radiance, 1988. samthul.com/pages/floppy...

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Playing Pool of Radiance, a 1988 AD&D DOS RPG, with four humans, random alignments & no rerolls. We asked Ohlo for more money. He responded with approximately a fuckton of enemies. Lucian panicked, cast Sleep on himself, then got shot with an arrow. Everybody died. Negotiations went well.

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

We went looking for Norris. Mara paralyzed him, Lucian put his men to sleep, and Merrick murdered him with a fucking sling. Then we got paid, found a secret hideout, and were promptly murdered by ghouls. Pool of Radiance is going great. 😛 samthul.com/pages/floppy...

012

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

We spent 5,500 gold bringing Merrick back from the dead. He woke up, learned how much we’d spent, stared at everyone for a few seconds and said: “You should have left me dead.” The Pools Saga continues. samthul.com/pages/floppy...

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Aldren stood over the corpse, grinning. “I did it!” Mara yawned. “Lucian could’ve cast Sleep and stabbed him.” “But... I did it?” “Meh. No one cares,” Merrick said, searching the corpse. Aldren lost his smile. samthul.com/pages/floppy...

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Merrick killed a ten-foot ogre chieftain with a rock. Thief gameplay is going extremely well. 😛

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The guestbook on samthul.com is sitting there looking suspiciously underused. Go sign the damn thing. Leave a message, insult my HTML, tell me what game I should play next. Whatever. samthul.com/pages/guestb...

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A tip (and just the tip)… Want to stop biting your fingernails? Get your fingers tattooed. Turns out you care a whole lot more about how your hands look afterwards! 😂

001

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

And THIS is why we can’t go anywhere.

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

022

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Turns out unconscious orcs make excellent tactical furniture. 😂

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Episode 8 of The Pools Saga is live. Merrick got poisoned by a giant scorpion, died for real, and cost us 5,500 gold to resurrect. His response? “You should have left me dead.” samthul.com/pages/floppy...

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

So. That’s a lot of fucking goblins. Pool of Radiance — Episode 2: samthul.com/pages/floppy... What could possibly go wrong?

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Unpopular Amiga opinion: fuck Rick Dangerous. 😂 Hated it as a kid. Hate it even more 35 years later. It’s a memory test disguised as a platformer. There’s no room to creatively solve a problem—you either remember the trap or die. 35 years later, I still say fuck this game. 😂 #Amiga #RetroGaming

010

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

An old man gave us a quest and told Aldren the password was “Ohlo.” Aldren immediately repeated: “Ohlo.” Everyone stared at him. “Not now, you moron. When you get to the Rope Guild.” Our leader, ladies and gentlemen. #PoolOfRadiance #GoldBox #DOSGaming #CRPG #DnD

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Ah, yes, the boss key! This was my fav from LSL 😅

000

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

031

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I remember playing Barbarian on my family’s Amiga 500 — otherwise known as the greatest computer that ever lived. You could cut your opponent’s fucking head off. That’s it. That’s all I needed as a kid. 10/10. Decapitation. 😂 #Amiga #Amiga500 #Barbarian #RetroGaming #80sGaming #RetroGames

030

Sam Thul @samthul.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

My teen years were amazing. Hiking through the woods at night, mountain parties, staying out way too late, and this fucking show right here. Wanna know why everyone my age is a little messed up? We had TV like Sifl and Olly. #SiflAndOlly #90sTV #90sKids #MTV #RetroTV #90sNostalgia

100