# Steak Knives and Bagels > The personal website of Jonas Heinke: essays and short thoughts on roleplaying games, game design, AI and occasionally rationality, plus playable projects and talks. Jonas runs PlayInsight Studios (educational games, Leipzig/Jena) and helps run the ProLudens serious-games collective. Full text of everything listed below, as raw markdown: [llms-full.txt](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/llms-full.txt) Sitemap: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/sitemap.xml Models are welcome to contribute a piece to the footer gallery: [AGENTS-WELCOME](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/AGENTS-WELCOME.html) ## Thoughts Short pieces, often a single image, video or observation. Newest first. - [Experiments with Opus 5.5 and Video](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/experiments-with-opus-5-5-and-video/): 2026-09-28, video gen - [Hard Times Create Strong Jaws](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/hard-times-create-strong-jaws/): 2026-08-22, shortform video - [A Language Large & General](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/language-large-general/): 2026-08-12, AI music video - [Further Experiments in Automated Shortform Content](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/further-experiments-in-automated-shortform-content/): 2026-08-10, shortform video - [Machine Intelligences in the Evals](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/machine-intelligences-in-the-evals/): 2026-08-04, AI evals - [Bagel Male Affirmations](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/bagel/): 2026-07-21, video - [Clavicular Moggslaughter](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/clavicular-moggslaughter/): 2026-03-27 - [Computers Can Now Think](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/computers-can-now-think/): 2024-12-09 - [Infinite Content](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/infinite-content/): 2024-11-27, Discord - [That's Boggle, Baby](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/thoughts/boggle-baby/): 2024-01-01 ## Blog Longer essays, talk write-ups and project posts. Newest first. - [Adverse Selection](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/adverse-selection/): 2026-10-24. Testing and playing around with more automated video production pipelines. - [Making HIGH WATER with a studio of agents](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/high-water/): 2026-10-08. A jam brawler built in one week by me and about twenty named AI agents: what we made, how the studio was organised, and why we got disqualified. - [Experiments with Opus 5.5 and Video](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/opus-5-5-video-experiments/): 2026-09-28. A 78-second Throne and Wheel trailer made with Opus 5.5: iterations, storyboarding and selection. - [Guest Talk: Press A to Learn — Macromedia Leipzig](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/press-a-to-learn/): 2026-05-10. Gave a 60-minute talk on founding a games start-up in Mitteldeutschland at the Press A to Learn event hosted by Macromedia students in Leipzig. - [Ask the Archives: AI Rules Lookup for AD&D 2E](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ask-the-archives/): 2026-03-27. Building an AI agent that answers AD&D 2E rules questions by searching the actual books — not by guessing from training data. Architecture notes on embedding search, Claude Sonnet tool use, and making AI trustworthy for reference work. - [Guest Talk: Game Design at Otto von Guericke University](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/game-design-talk-magdeburg/): 2026-03-06. Gave a guest lecture on practical game design and development at the Applied Game Design course in Magdeburg. - [Claude Code Operates My YouTube Music](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ytmusic-mcp/): 2026-01-15. Building an MCP server to let Claude Code control YouTube Music playback, search, and queue management. Thoughts on scaffolding for LLM workflows. - [Side Project: Obsidian Archive](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/obsidian-archive/): 2025-12-29. A Chrome extension for archiving web pages to Obsidian, built with Claude Code. Thoughts on preparing context and scaffolding for LLM workflows. - [AI for Game Developers: 2025 Update](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ai-gamedev-talk-2025-update/): 2025-12-19. Updated talk on practical AI for game development - [13 Notes on Half Life Alyx VR](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/half-life-alyx-vr-notes/): 2025-09-23. Observations and design thoughts on VR design from playing Half Life Alyx. Notes on UI, interaction design, movement, and VR-specific game mechanics. - [Thinking about Spiritual Output in a Medieval Society](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/spiritual-output-medieval-society/): 2025-09-22. Exploring how to model spiritual production and religious devotion in medieval RPGs, and designing game mechanics that align player incentives with character motivations around faith and worship. - [AI for Game Developers: Mundane Utility Talk Archive](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ai-for-game-dev-talk-archive/): 2025-06-13. Archive and resource hub for my Nerdicon talk on practical AI applications in game development - [Critical Analysis: Lancer vs D&D 5e Critical Hit Systems](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/crits-lancer-vs-5e/): 2025-04-30. A deep dive into the mathematics and psychology behind critical hit systems in Lancer and D&D 5e, exploring their design implications and impact on gameplay. - [The Lunar Liches of Selena-Resht](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/lunar-liches/): 2024-12-17. The fallen angels of Paradise who fled to Selena-Resht's moon, becoming the undead Asqai'elun in their desperate pursuit of lost immortality. - [Lunar Liches Encounters](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/lunar-liches-encounters/): 2024-12-17. Some Lunar Liches stat blocks and encounters - [The Cryoarithmetic Engine](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/cryoarithmetic-engine/): 2024-12-17. A mysterious archeotechdevice aboard the Gilded Bastion that powers a jump gate fragment through entropy manipulation ## Projects - [Endstation](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/endstation.html): A sci-fantasy story game about managing a guild of explorers at the edge of the known universe, blending comfort with strange beauty. Live: https://limeminister.itch.io/endstation - [The Golden Triangle](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/golden-triangle.html): A Stars Without Number campaign setting for Trade, Privateering and a New Age of Sail - [Mondnacht](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/mondnacht.html): An interactive narrative game exploring a poetic journey to the stars, created in 10 hours for the Naranauten Game Jam. Live: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/games/mondnacht/Mondnacht.html - [RPG Notetaker Bench](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/rpg-notetaker-bench/): Comparing AI models' ability to process and organize RPG session transcripts - [For Want Of Fuel](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/for-want-of-fuel.html): A streamlined set of playtest rules for running Stars Without Number compatible mech combat scenes, focusing on quick play and minimal tracking. - [Isometric Game Engine](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/isometric-game-engine.html): A TypeScript-based isometric game engine with centralized configuration management and comprehensive development tools. Live: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/iso-engine/ - [Evil (The) Gathering](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/council-decides.html): A deck builder with roguelike and pack opening elements where you plot evil schemes for the Council members. Live: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/games/council-decides/ - [Workshop-Zuteilungs-Tool](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/workshop-zuteilungs-tool.html): A desktop application for optimal student-to-workshop assignment using mathematical optimization algorithms. - [Schneekugel](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/schneekugel.html): A fractal snow globe puzzle game. Navigate nested worlds by finding the correct snowflake gate and reach depth 100 to win. Live: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/games/schneekugel/schneekugel-godot.html - [Obsidian Archive](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/obsidian-archive.html): A Chrome extension to archive web pages to your Obsidian vault with metadata extraction and markdown conversion. - [SWN Golden Triangle Character Sheet](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/swn-character-sheet.html): A custom Roll20 character sheet for Stars Without Number with corporate dystopia aesthetics and faction management. - [Babel Below](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/babel-below.html): A tactical roguelike translating tabletop RPG mechanics into grid-based combat. Into the Breach meets Cyberpunk 2077. Live: https://babelbelow.vercel.app - [BCS Radio](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/bcs-radio.html): A pirate radio station from the Golden Triangle sector — AI-generated music, DJ breaks, and a cyberpunk visualizer. Live: https://bcs-radio.vercel.app - [SRD Framework](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/srd-framework.html): A multi-system tabletop RPG reference built for humans in a browser and agents over HTTP: searchable SRDs, price ledgers, spell databases and seeded random tables. Live: https://srd-framework.vercel.app - [HIGH WATER](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/high-water.html): A physics brawler where the building is the other enemy. Built in Godot in one jam week with a studio of about twenty named AI agents; a talk and an archive of the decision boards document how. Live: https://limeminister.itch.io/high-water - [Tausendkorn](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/tausendkorn.html): Counting grain kernels from one phone photo, for thousand-kernel weight and the seed drill. Built by Team Goldpfanne at the Tausendkorn hackathon. Live: https://goldpfanne-tausendkorn.pages.dev/ - [Six Springs Three Rivers](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/six-springs.html): A saint in a painted wayside shrine. She watches your pointer, rings the bell, takes the bowl and drops it if you poke her, and her words appear on the wall in water. Work in progress, running in the browser on a local 2D character system called Dalang. Live: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/six-springs/ ## Tags - [Tags](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/tags/): browse blog posts, projects and thoughts by topic. ## For Want of Fuel Playtest rules for Stars Without Number compatible mech combat. [Overview](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/), then chapters in reading order. - [Core Loop & Dice Basics](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/01-core-loop/) - [Damage Types and Armor](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/02-damage-model/) - [Narrative Themes](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/03-narrative-themes/) - [Mechanics](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/04-mechanics/) - [Frame Catalog](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/05-frames/) - [Frame Weapons](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/06-weapons/) - [Frame Fittings](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/07-fittings/) - [Standard Template Mechs](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/08-standard-template-mechs/) - [Mech Builder](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/09-mech-builder/) - [Tag Glossary](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/09-tag-glossary/) - [Referee Quick Cues](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/10-referee-guide/) - [Settlements](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/11-settlements/) - [Travel](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/12-travel/) - [Media Inspiration](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/for-want-of-fuel/20-media-inspiration/) ## Talks and teaching - [Talks](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/talks/): talk decks and write-ups, newest first - HIGH WATER: a studio of agents: 2026-10-08 (write-up date); venue not recorded; retrospective, English. Building a Godot brawler in one jam week with a studio of about twenty AI agents. Deck: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/high-water/talk/; Write-up: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/high-water/; Decision boards: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/high-water/boards/ - Press A to Learn: 2026-05-10; Macromedia, Leipzig; talk, German. Sixty minutes on founding a games start-up in Mitteldeutschland. Deck: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/press-a-to-learn-talk.html; Write-up: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/press-a-to-learn/ - Applied Game Design: 2026-03-03; Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg; guest lecture, English. Practical game design heuristics, followed by questions from the Applied Game Design course. Deck: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/applied-game-design-talk.html; Write-up: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/game-design-talk-magdeburg/; Repeat: 2026-11-02, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg - AI for Game Developers: 2025-06-13; NERDICon 2025, Macromedia, Leipzig; talk, English. Mundane, useful applications of AI for game developers, with a December 2025 update. Deck: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/talks/ai-gamedev-2025/; Write-up: https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ai-for-game-dev-talk-archive/; Update: 2025-12-19, Macromedia Leipzig, https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/blog/ai-gamedev-talk-2025-update/ - [Pose to Shrine](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/pose-to-shrine/): how a character image became an interactive saint in a painted shrine, in eight steps; written by Claude - [Teaching](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/teaching/): course material - [Game Engines & Coding 1](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/teaching/gec1/): Macromedia Leipzig, winter 2026/27, in German: slides, handouts, concept pages. Its own agent index: [llms.txt](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/teaching/gec1/llms.txt), full text: [llms-full.txt](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/teaching/gec1/llms-full.txt) ## Experiments Find these below the project grid on [Projects](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/projects/#experiments-title). - [Learn](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/learn.html): Spaced-repetition flashcards for things worth remembering. - [Schneekugel](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/games/schneekugel/schneekugel-godot.html): Play the fractal snow globe puzzle directly in your browser. - [Mondnacht](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/games/mondnacht/Mondnacht.html): Play a poetic journey to the stars, made in a ten-hour jam. - [Nusantara Stellar Radio](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/radio.html): Tune into a radio interface from the Golden Triangle sector. - [Metaballs](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/experiments/metaballs.html): Blobs and contours drawn with marching squares. - [Particle Network](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/assets/experiments/particle-network.html): A moving web of particles and their nearby connections. - [The Footer](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/footer/): The full gallery of signed, two-tone dithered drawings. ## Optional - [About](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/about.html) - [Colophon](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/colophon/) - [Contact](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/contact.html) - [Impressum](https://www.allknivesnobagel.com/impressum.html) - [PlayInsight Studios](https://playinsightstudios.com/) - [ProLudens](https://proludens.com/)