André Almo

🐞Create nature corridors in cities

🌾Allow nature to take back nooks & crannies (sometimes called “weeds”)

🦋Mow your lawn infrequently & do not fertilise it, to encourage plant diversity & 🦋

🅿️ Convert paved front gardens back to nature

Gardeners urged to collaborate to help moths and hover flies thrive in cities Researchers found moths and hover flies are more negatively affected by urbanisation than bees

“… for every 10% increase in impervious surfaces – such as roads and building cover – there was a reduction of up to 7.5% in the variety of pollinating species…”

Cities need more green & blue spaces for nature (and people) to thrive.

Builds Swamp Bakery by almoghost

This was a fun little holiday project!

Please pay a virtual visit to the Swamp Bakery. 🥖✨🐸

This was supposed to be a simple web development exercise, but I just couldn't resist and ended up illustrating all characters and menu items...

www.codedex.io/us3sQYJhIPB2...

Living Beeings: Pollination Adventure - Dublin Maker Living Beeings: Pollination Adventure

Me and Maíra Amaral will be in Dublin Maker 2025 bringing the Living Beeings game to one more venue in Ireland! 🐝🇮🇪

Join us on the 30th and 31st of August in Leopardstown to play a board game about creating a bee-friendly garden. 🪴🌼

#DublinMaker

dublinmaker.ie/makers/livin...

A-Side / B-Side: On Games as Split EPs and Slam Poems Phantom Interviews #4

Just published an interview with comfiedev (Samuli Pietikäinen) on experimental game design, spoken word pacing, and building digital split EPs.

We talked about his recent game releases and what it means to make small, strange games.

Read it here: open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

But isn't capitalism = free market? 😭

Verse, Code, and Constraint: Game Design as Poetic Practice Phantom Interviews #3

After being introduced to the concept of game poems, I've been neck deep in this small, niche space. I've recently had a conversation with Brendan Allen, writer and game developer, discussing his work and how constrained engines can bring out creativity.

open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

I've recently concluded my research placement at @uni-graz.at, as part of my PhD at @tudublin.bsky.social! 🇮🇪🇦🇹

I was hosted by @manuelninaus.bsky.social at the Digital Psychology Lab, which focuses on developing digital learning technologies, including video games, as well as evaluating them.

Me and Maíra Amaral recently presented the 'Living Beeings: Pollination Adventure' game again, at the 2nd Geogames Symposium, hosted at the @molimuseum.bsky.social! 🐝🌸♟️

It was really enriching to show and talk about our game with fellow educators, researchers and game designers!

Eu faria isso se tivesse um emprego permanente...

Was a pleasure to be interviewed! Thank you for the opportunity!

A World Inside an Old PC: A Look at mobOS Phantom Interviews #2

mobOS isn’t just a game — it’s a full-blown operating system that brings that early 2000s internet back: desktop pets, dodgy downloads, and a programming language you can use to build games inside the game.

Read my full interview with @palmonds.dev: open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

Playable Poetry: Exploring the Concept of "Game Poems" Phantom Interviews #1

I’ve played games all my life, studied them in my PhD, and always thought about how many possibilities there were in game design — and Jordan Magnuson’s concept of "game poems" makes that range even greater.

Full piece here 👉 open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

That's sounds like a fun *ba dum tss* approach to science communication!

The Van, The Brave, and The Doomed Tales from the Crypt #8

Phasmophobia is a superb game, and a few years ago, I went digital ghost hunting with two friends. We were a good team – a coward, a daredevil, and a runner. But one of us didn't make it. 👻

open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

Temporary Treasures: Game Rent Nostalgia Tales from the Crypt #7

Before the days of digital subscription services, the best way to get access to movies and games was paying a visit to your local video rental store. 🕹 🎮

I've wrote about my experiences during this short moment in history in this week's 'LudoSpectre': open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

Living Code: Digital Beings and the Real World Cultural Séances #4

I grew up being obsessed with Tamagotchi, Digimon, and Mega Man (maybe this all led me to a PhD in Computer Science).

Looking back now more than ever, these stories offered more than nostalgia. Check my full piece about these fictional digital companions: open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

Me in academia

Louder for the people in the back!!

King of the Valley — Money and private funding in Stardew Valley Cultural Séances #3

Stardew Valley is a cosy farming sim, but why does Pelican Town rely so much on one farmer’s generosity?

In LudoSpectre’s first guest post, Vladimir Pedro explores the game’s hidden economic themes!

🔗 open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

#StardewValley #GameAnalysis #LudoSpectre #IndieGames

Optimising the Farm Life Sim Equation Cultural Séance #2

🌾 What makes farm life sims so captivating? In my latest text for LudoSpectre, I explore the genre’s roots, its biggest hits, and the latest buzz!

📖 Read here: open.substack.com/pub/andrealm...

#LudoSpectre #FarmLifeSim #StardewValley #FieldsOfMistria #GameAnalysis

AI and robotics

This chimes with a chat myself and @charlietaylor.bsky.social had in the latest episode of the Connected AI Podcast, in light of the UK creative industry's pushback on AI models gobbling up their work.

Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/3pPc...

that's really nice to read! I'm happy the text made you see something new in the game you had already beat.

I always toggle between English and Portuguese when I'm playing just to see the items and slangs they're using!

pooo, massa! depois me diz o que achou, foi minha primeira análise!

BRPG: Ball in Brazil is a serious matter and I’m not talking about football Cultural Séances #1

🎮✨ LudoSpectre’s first Cultural Séance is here! ✨🎮

I explored Dodgeball Academia, an over-the-top, super-powered sports RPG, through its cultural ties.

Check it out: andrealmo.substack.com/p/brpg-ball-...

What other games capture their cultural essence in a unique way? Let me know! 👀

LudoSpectre | André Almo 👻 | Substack Haunting the crossroads between games, culture and storytelling. Click to read LudoSpectre, by André Almo 👻, a Substack publication. Launched 9 days ago.

I'm thrilled to announce LudoSpectre! 🎮👻

A newsletter exploring the spooky crossroads of games, comics, animation, culture & storytelling. Expect game analyses, personal tales, and eerie pop culture insights.

Subscribe if you dare: andrealmo.substack.com 🎮✨

Non-EU PhD Experience in Ireland Thank you for participating in this survey focused on the experiences of non-EU PhD researchers in Ireland. By non-EU, we are referring to researchers who do not hold citizenship/passport from any EU ...

📢 Non-EU PhD researchers in Ireland, we need your input!

The Postgraduate Workers Organisation is collecting responses to understand your experiences and challenges. Help us make Ireland more competitive for international research talent.

docs.google.com/forms/d/13g3...

André presenting the Seven Spells game.

Muhammad H. Al Omoush presents a prototype of a robot for engaging maths education.

I had a blast last week presenting the Seven Spells game from the Happy Maths project as part of the U First Programme at Dublin City University! 🧮🇮🇪

Secondary school students participated in several events and saw the university up close. They also got to play for a bit, as well as see some code! 👾

A beginner’s guide to AI The Connected AI Podcast · Episode

I just gave this a listen; it's a great start to the podcast with a brief history and an overview of the current landscape of AI by Elaine Burke, Charlie Taylor and Alan Smeaton! 🎙️

Looking forward to the next episodes!

open.spotify.com/episode/4tRU...

A panel discussion on 'The Forest Midwife' documentary.

A folder about the event being held in front of the panel.

Beta Bajgart, director and producer of 'The Forest Midwife', discusses her movie.

Another picture of the panel.

Happy to have been in this session at Technological University Dublin! 🍩

We discussed Doughnut Economics, sustainability, and watched 'The Forest Midwife', a documentary by Beta Bajgart, following Catherine Cleary on her journey to create a forest reserve in Roscommon. 🌱🇮🇪