I’m Sidney Icarus.
I design and deploy games to make better worlds.

CURRENT MAIN

Healthcare Support

Buffs · Haste

Game Changers

Play that made a difference

Kickstarted in eight hours, then named Australia’s Independent RPG of the Year

1.

The backyard climate resilience exercise that went international

Decaying Orbit (with Storybrewers Roleplaying, 2023)

2.

The Adaptation Game (with Amble Studio and Collabforge, 2024)

Narrative downscaling engages users and offers path to change

3.

Participatory Storyworlds (with B. Pederick, et al, 2025)

  • "Sidney brought a combination of tough questions and helpful heuristics that helped us navigate some thorny design challenges. TAG is a more targeted, streamlined game as a result."

    Hailey Cooperrider, Amble Studio

  • "Working with Sidney was transformative for my game design process. [...] Sidney’s thought-provoking discussions helped me distil exactly what I wanted players to experience and which mechanics would best serve that design intent. My game is so much better because of their influence and I am a better designer for going through this process with them."

    Gold-ENNIE winner Kimi Hughes, Golden Lasso Games

  • "What impressed us most was Sidney’s ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with our team. Whenever challenges arose, they provided tailored solutions promptly, addressing project needs with ease. [...] Sidney brought a fresh, deeply thoughtful perspective to every aspect of the project."

    Vee Hendro, Storybrewers Roleplaying

Latest Ludosophy:

Ludosophy
Angular Deviation and the Impact of Rules

Every game has a direction play wants to travel. In this post, I map how rules bend that path, from tiny nudges to complete derailment, and why good pacing needs both.

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Conspicuous Mechanics

Some mechanics stop play and demand interaction before the game can continue. Good design needs to use that friction well, and understand what using it will cost the players.

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