Ben Taels

Some talks that I have given: Reward in games (without the dopamine neurotrash): youtu.be/xkg9ocYDLr8?... Human Error and game design: youtu.be/JyuR2fKvQ20?... What road safety can teach us about reducing toxicity in games: youtu.be/WMYoCuZ3Fa8?...

Voter enrolments have closed and Advance Voting has begun. It's time to Party Vote Green and tax the ultra-rich. #nzpol #votegreen

Welp powers out so no more games or recording anything for today.

It's a dead space and its closure will have no great impact.

I recorded myself playing a game demo and taking over it from a UX perspective. Only to find after I was done that Windows had swapped my input device and none of what I said was recorded. Classic windows. A good reminder to check my levels before I hit record.

GENERAL ELECTION 2026 VOTING IS NOW OPEN Find a booth near you here: https://vote.nz/2026-general-election/voting-in-the-election/find-a-voting-place #nzpol

In a skill tree adding a picture of the skill in action can help with understanding and improve UX. A video can be better and an option to actually try out the skill before committing can really improve things. #Gamedev #UX

Shout out to all the staff who are helping with the elections ❤️ #nzpol

do you think somewhere out there there's a guy who plugged their PS5 controller into their PC and said "oh thank god, my video game controller took control of my audio settings"

100 days of bird art

The Government™ has made an ad about all these protests happening around the world, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative.

How brave of the NZ Herald to publish this editorial the day after voter enrolment closed, when it can have literally zero impact. (And it's *still* not criticising the government for changing the law to make it harder to vote, it's just the usual "better civic education" pleasantries.)

I have started playing Magic the Gathering Arena again. It reminds me that I enjoy the bigs in the game where you get mana and use cards. But I am absolutely awful at deck building!! So I am just playing with a White/Black starter. So far I am winning about 80% of the time.

It is important to separate the idea of a "clean UI" from a clear or usable UI. "Clean UI" is an aesthetic choice and not intrinsically more usable. It may be less clear (e.g. have hidden functions and/or lack labels). To check clarity and usability you need to test with players. #Gamedev #UI

just a reminder that the nappies allegedly causing "hundreds painful infant skin reactions" (via consumerreports.org) are yet another ZURU product from the mowbray billionaires (who are currently getting involved in new zealand's upcoming election: www.webworm.co/elections)

A useful prompt to get someone to critically evaluate a report, design doc, or presentation they are making (or have made) is to ask them "What is the story/are the stories this is telling?" If they can't easily answer then the document may be hard to understand/lacking clear outcomes #Gamedev #UX

My first 5 TTRPGs, in the order I played them: 1. D&D Basic (Pink Box) 2. TMNT and Other Strangeness 3. Middle Earth Role Playing (MERPs) 4. AD&D 2nd Edition 5. Heroes Unlimited

Conservation in Aotearoa. We're seeing the payoff of efforts that started when I was born. Kakapo at record numbers, kiwi being reintroduced across the country, development of cative breeding programmes for many insects, and so much more. Long way to go, but it's my main source of good news.

if you have ever taken anything from webworm, consider coming on board: www.webworm.co/webwormsos/

The whole world no longer smells like cigarettes.

A fantastic and well written piece.

✨ UPDATE YOUR PLEX ✨

Lots of neutral responses in a survey question can sometimes indicate that you have forgotten to provide a "NA/I haven't done this" option. #Gamedev #UX

One of my biggest *putting on the They Live glasses* moments was realizing that these firms are not trying to impress us as consumers with these products and announcements, but instead are trying to convince investors that they are a growth stock

My take a on a Vyper deadlock redesign~

v1.136 is live! Introducing: Profile links We want independent writers, artists, developers, and creators to be able to build and fund sustainable projects on Bluesky. Help your followers know how to support you by adding buttons for Patreon, Ko-fi, your newsletter or website, and more.

Well this certainly passes the vibe check.

Take advantage of real world analogs and affordances when designing items. A health kit heals, gold has value, armor plates add armor, etc The same thing applies with names of items. Most people can guess what a "Heath Potion" does. #Gamedev #UX

In 2016, we published potentially the largest single feature to ever appear in Game Informer magazine with a full oral history of the legendary studio, BioWare. We've made that feature available online following reports of the studio's impending closure. gameinformer.com/feature/2026...

We come back to the idea of Execs who really don't understand art or why people make art, in any way, finding ways to absolutely annihilate those that do, in a death of a thousand cuts and then one big 400-person cut. It's heartbreaking. The western games industry kills a NIntendo every year.