Raph Koster

Raph Koster

@raphkoster.bsky.social

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

2.5K followers257 following240 posts

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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:

Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW@molleindustria.org

I posted my History of Games keynote: - A materialist reexamination of the canonical game crises from a developer's POV - Thoughts on the ongoing game industry restructuring - Indiepocalypse, AAApocalypse, deprofessionalization, games at the knitting stage www.molleindustria.org/HistoryOfGam...

molleindustria.orgA History of Games Through Mass ExtinctionsA transcript of Paolo Pedercini’s History of Games Conference keynote (2026).
View full thread
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

And there are some sorts of games just demand larger investment (money or sweat equity) than others. It wouldn't be the first time that genres died at the hands of business realities, as @molleindustria.org notes. But it'll be the first time in a while that it's the commercial core of the artform.

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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:

Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW@molleindustria.org

I posted my History of Games keynote: - A materialist reexamination of the canonical game crises from a developer's POV - Thoughts on the ongoing game industry restructuring - Indiepocalypse, AAApocalypse, deprofessionalization, games at the knitting stage www.molleindustria.org/HistoryOfGam...

molleindustria.orgA History of Games Through Mass ExtinctionsA transcript of Paolo Pedercini’s History of Games Conference keynote (2026).
View full thread
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

For all the wonderful quirkiness that's out there, the culture of "every successive game in a genre must encompass everything offered by all previous genre titles, with better graphics" is still very much there. Games culture has been driven by tech progress for so long.

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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:

Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW@molleindustria.org

I posted my History of Games keynote: - A materialist reexamination of the canonical game crises from a developer's POV - Thoughts on the ongoing game industry restructuring - Indiepocalypse, AAApocalypse, deprofessionalization, games at the knitting stage www.molleindustria.org/HistoryOfGam...

molleindustria.orgA History of Games Through Mass ExtinctionsA transcript of Paolo Pedercini’s History of Games Conference keynote (2026).
View full thread
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

"Oh, plenty of people will be willing to play, read, or hear their content. The question isn’t whether they can find an audience — on the Internet, everyone can find an audience. No, the question is whether all forms of fixed content will effectively be donations to the common weal."

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

The writing has been on the wall for a long time. I spoke about Moore's Wall in that same year. The big question I have is actually how the *audience* will adapt. For all we speak of the embrace of indie games, the fact is that the audience bar is higher than ever.

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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:

Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW@molleindustria.org

I posted my History of Games keynote: - A materialist reexamination of the canonical game crises from a developer's POV - Thoughts on the ongoing game industry restructuring - Indiepocalypse, AAApocalypse, deprofessionalization, games at the knitting stage www.molleindustria.org/HistoryOfGam...

molleindustria.orgA History of Games Through Mass ExtinctionsA transcript of Paolo Pedercini’s History of Games Conference keynote (2026).
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

"We’ve got two things to look forward to if this particular future comes true: lots of new innovative games coming from the gaming equivalent of John Keats or Michael Hedges; and lots of folks who have to make games on the side while they hold down a day job."

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

"And they’ll probably all have to blog like mad because what will sell will not be just the game, it’ll be the experience of the interaction with that content provider. If there’s one thing that the Web makes possible, it’s enough content to make the typical content creator superfluous."

Raph Koster reposted

/noclip
@noclipvideo.bsky.social

[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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

This is out now and @noclipvideo has done their usual stellar job!

/noclip@noclipvideo.bsky.social

🚨NEW DOC ALERT🕹️ The "Jedi Problem" in Star Wars Galaxies is infamous, but what's the real story behind the legend? Famed designer @raphkoster.bsky.social talks to @jeremybjayne.bsky.social about what this remarkable game design challenge can teach us. WATCH HERE: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAv0...

youtube.comThe Story Behind Star Wars Galaxies' Notorious Jedi Problem - /noclipYouTube video by /noclip

Raph Koster reposted

Hayes Madsen
@solfleet.bsky.social

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.comStars Reach Wants to Bring MMORPGs Back to Their Sandbox Roots, and It's Got All the Right Ideas | Console CreaturesStars 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.

Raph Koster reposted

Console Creatures
@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 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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

I did this interview a while ago and had forgotten it was coming out!

/noclip@noclipvideo.bsky.social

[noclip EARLY ACCESS] How the Jedi Took Down Star Wars Galaxies We speak to iconic game designer Raph Koster about the design of Star Wars Galaxies and the “Jedi Problem” that contributed to the MMO’s downfall. www.patreon.com/posts/158281...

patreon.com[EARLY ACCESS] How The Jedi Took Down Star Wars Galaxies | /noclip[EARLY ACCESS] How The Jedi Took Down Star Wars Galaxies by /noclip on Patreon. Join /noclip's community for exclusive content and updates.

Raph Koster reposted

Daniel Cook
@danctheduck.bsky.social

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.

Daniel Cook@danctheduck.bsky.social

BTW, Spirit Crossing is coming to Steam. The goal is to create a major Cozy MMO with a huge population of folks making friends in a safe and welcoming space. I deeply believe we can make the world a better place. If this interests you, please wishlist! store.steampowered.com/app/2321960/...

store.steampowered.comSpirit Crossing on SteamBefriend bears, aid lost spirits, ride fluffalo, and build a thriving village with other players in this multiplayer life-sim from the creators of "Cozy Grove." Find endless opportunities to...
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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.comRecommended posts, 2017-2025It'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."
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

I never posted widely about the public health simulator design I wrote as Covid was shutting down the world. Until now.

raphkoster.comLooking back at a pandemic simulatorIt'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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

This update went in today. Can't wait to see what people do...

Stars Reach@playstarsreach.bsky.social

Tomorrow's game update is named GovBot Update. It's mainly focused on setting up township governments but also includes other fixes and changes. For details, see starsreach.com/govbot-update/

starsreach.comGovBot UpdateThe GovBot The GovBot is a Transplanetary League construct that serves two purposes: It’s a sequence of tasks that a group of planetary pioneers can use to establish a township on a new planet, and...
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

Well, this landed on the front page of Hacker News! news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4584...

news.ycombinator.comGame design is simple | Hacker News
Raph Koster@raphkoster.bsky.social

Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.

raphkoster.comGame design is simple, actuallySo, 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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.

raphkoster.comGame design is simple, actuallySo, 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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

We've been working on overhauling the visuals in STARS REACH for a while. Here's a look at what's coming up!

raphkoster.comStars Reach visual upgradesFor 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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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.comNew stuff on the siteI 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…
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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! :)

Stars Reach@playstarsreach.bsky.social

The Visual Upgrade: Jungle Biome - 🧪 Stars Reach Laboratory #002 Welcome back Reachers! Today we want to showcase some new plants and vegetation, while also demonstrating how seasons, light, initial player interactions affect the living world. youtu.be/tZ40i-xLDEY

youtu.beThe Visual Upgrade: Jungle Biome - 🧪 Stars Reach Laboratory #002YouTube video by Stars Reach
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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.comSite updatesIt'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.
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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!

Michael Pusateri@cruftbox.com

A tour de force presentation on The Evolution of Online Worlds by Raph Koster ( @raphkoster.bsky.social ) at IGDA The intertwined history of gaming and social interaction. Slightly older than Raph, this is my lived history from the 70s onwards. www.youtube.com/watch?v=USeg...

youtube.comRaph Koster at the IGDA - The Evolution of Online WorldsYouTube video by Stars Reach
Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

They also talk about Theory of Fun. :)

Get Played@getplayedpod.bsky.social

This week on Get Played Heather, Nick and Matt look back at 40 years of Super Mario Bros! They talk about some of their favorite entries in the series, what makes Mario endure, their first Mario experiences and more! Listen wherever you get tour podcasts headgum.com/get-played

Raph Koster
@raphkoster.bsky.social

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.comStars Reach doesn’t look like you rememberI'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):