Mira Mechtley

@biphenyl

💁‍♀️ she/her/doctor 🔢 Dot Product Enthusiast 👾 Principal Engineer on Bounty Star 🔭 PhD Astrophysics 🎲 Pathfinder 🏳️‍🌈 Ace 🏳️‍⚧️ Mom 👩‍💻 MacOS 🕐 Formerly: Root, Eternal, Quasars, Blurst, a Bluetooth PowerGlove

231 Following268 Followers323 Posts

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Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· 2d

Rolled credits on Big Walk with my 10 year old last night at 18h (still post-game stuff to do). What a game! I don't think I've ever seen the actual cooperative part of co-op executed so satisfyingly. We both had tons of fun and are definitely playing to 100%. Thanks @househouse.com!

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· 7d

Happy International Cat Day from Zozo the cat

A photograph of a short haired calico cat. She has very large ears, white chest and muzzle, and a mottled orange coat with dark brown spots. Her alert yellow eyes and pink nose are staring straight at the camera

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· 7d

Big Walk's linkdead animation is my favorite part (RIP my kid, their Switch battery ran out)

A screenshot from Big Walk of a simple character lying on the ground in a forest. The character's body is stiff with legs extended and arms at its sides, and the eyes have cartoon x's for pupils.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 18

Really great Little Free Library find, Catherine's War by Julia Billet and illustrated by Claire Fauvel. Fictional story inspired by the author's mother of a young jewish girl and her camera, spirited across France in 1942 by those faithful to humanity. Recommended by both me and my 10 year old.

The cover of a graphic novel, Catherine's War by Julia Billet and illustrated by Claire Fauvel. A young woman with dark windswept hair wearing a blue striped dress holding a Rolleiflex camera stands in the foreground. Two other children holding hands run across a field in the background.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 17

First gay sky of the season in Denver for all who celebrate 🌈⛈️

A photograph of East High School in Denver, Colorado, USA. The sky behind has a dark rain cloud transitioning to blue sky near the zenith. A prominent half a rainbow arc extends from the right side of the frame down to the top center of the building.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 4

i've had a roku tv for over 8 years and finally today popped open the remote and cut out the carbon pads for these 4 ad buttons, slitting their digital throats so we can never accidentally press them again. Destroy all ads.

A photo of a section of a Roku television remote, showing the horrible four ad buttons: Netflix, Hulu, Sling, and "Now." They no longer function, unable to be accidentally triggered and install software I don't want, because I slit their digital throats.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 2

It's petty but NYT calling Spirit a "pioneer of low-cost fares" when they started operations eg 20ish years after Southwest is the most east coast-ass take they could put in a headline. (note I do not read the transphobic NYT, I read their headlines to take the temperature on elite transphobia).

A New York Times headline and blurb about the shutdown of Spirit Airlines. It reads:
Spirit Airlines, a Pioneer of Low-Fare Flights, Shuts Down
Spirit once upended the industry by offering very low fares but, after years of struggle, was in its second bankruptcy in two years.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Apr 10

It is especially difficult as someone who does feel romantic attraction toward other women sometimes, and even physical affection. I just don't enjoy boinking and think it's a huge waste of time, with plenty of data to support this conclusion.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Mar 31

Oh yeah and I'm visible

A woman with pink and orange hair standing in a museum parking lot. She is wearing a black T-shirt with David Lynch's portrait that says "Fix your hearts or die"

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Mar 18

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Mar 16

Wasn't at GDC this year anyway but I still wanna participate in #whatagamedevlookslike! Principal Engineer at Dinogod on Bounty Star and an unannounced future project. Ace trans mom of a 10 year old.

A photo of a woman with flat affect wearing purple glasses, with neck-length orange and purple hair.

A photo of a woman on a snowy ski slope wearing a black helmet and goggles and teal jacket. Her child stands in the mid-ground wearing teal ski gear including helmet, googles, and skis, and holds an adult sized ski pole.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Mar 6

I no doubt forgot like 30 that belong in the top 9, but these 9 certainly belong in the top 9. my9games.com

Cover art from 9 videogames that affected me greatly, in no particular order. Riven: The Sequel to Myst, Super Metroid, Life is Strange, NieR: Automata, Dishonored Death of the Outsider, Horizon Forbidden West, Chrono Trigger, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Ultima Online

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Feb 18

The thing about making a playlist of entirely defiant bangers is once I start listening to it I don't want to stop.

A screenshot of the Music app on an iPhone. Currently playing is Rebel Heart by Djerv, from the Arcane soundtrack. Next up are Unlimited Dark Paths by Sleigh Bells, The Men Who Rule the World by Garbage, Seneca Falls by The Distillers, and There's No Future in Optimism by Garbage.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Feb 5

HER. I love co-op lfg.

A screenshot from the Horizon Hunters Gathering teaser, showing a lithe young woman with a polearm doing a three point landing in the middle of an arena. She wears a white bandeau and large, poofy yellow pants. She has pink hair with a blue streak and a pink and blue gradient tattoo down her arm that screams TRANS RIGHTS.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Dec 20

The image from the OP with black flame menacing over supergirl in a glass jar, but the speech bubble now says "Want to read my toxic yuri supergirl fanfics???

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Nov 29

My 10 year old just chewed through @gregvaneekhout.bsky.social's The Ghost Job which they recommend as a very fun paranormal heist story with techbro necromancers and savvy kids who know wage theft when they see it.

The cover of the book The Ghost Job by Greg van Eekhout, showing four kids glowing with ectoplasmic auras. One has a key levitating above her hand as they stand poised to defend themselves from canine shadows with red eyes in front of a large vault covered in runes.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Nov 29

My lyric for the last 15 or 20 years as I leave the house has been "keys, wallet, phone, before you leave home" but i guess "phone, wallet, keys, don't forget these" could work just as well

A screenshot of puzzmo's mini crossword for the day. 1-across is highlighted. The clue is _____, wallet, keys, and phone is filled into the grid for the item missing in the blank.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Nov 11

One of my favorite parts of Bounty Star is when Clem receives the Revisitor from Teddy Cotton, which lets her perform inscrutable and frightening explorations of self (replay old missions)

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Nov 2

That's one for the record books folks! #Baseball #BountyStar #Videogames #IndieGames

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Nov 1

Happy Halloween, I'm Mira.

A photo of me, Mira, dressed as Mira from K-Pop Demon Hunters, wearing a "Won't Miss" T-shirt, yellow skirt with red norigae, pink hair, choker, and a 72 inch gok-do.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Oct 27

I linked to the Playstation version because 60% of its ratings are 5 stars so it must be the best version (the game is the same on all platforms). Not sure what's going on over on Steam and Xbox! (I have a pretty good guess of what's going on over on Steam and Xbox)

The user ratings breakdown for Bounty Star on Playstation. 96 users have rated it, with 57% 5-star ratings, 16% 4-star, 11% 3-star, 5% 2-star, and 10% 1-star.

The user ratings breakdown for Bounty Star on Xbox. 283 users have rated it, with 27% 5-star ratings, 9% 4-star, 12% 3-star, 16% 2-star, and 36% 1-star.

The Steam reviews line for Bounty Star. It says for all-time reviews: Mixed (61% of 81).

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Oct 27

Bounty Star is now out on PS5, Steam, Epic, and Xbox! It is a game driven by its narrative that I still find highly affective even after working on it 5+ years and is even more relevant in 2025 than when we started it. Please leave a review if you enjoy it! store.playstation.com/en-us/concep...

A screenshot of the videogame Bounty Star showing a woman with tattoos and a utility belt standing at a metal railing overlooking a large garage space. A humanoid mech dominates the left half surrounded by toolboxes and other maintenance equipment. Other equipment is visible throughout the space including a knee mill and a couple glowing displays. A dusty desert landscape is visible through the open bay doors.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Oct 25

Sexy videogames why do people want shoulder swap

A screenshot of the top of my search history in Safari. The most recent search was "videogames why do people want shoulder swap"

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Oct 19

This game has the most beautiful, reverential treatment of its environment of anything I've played since Horizon Forbidden West. #GhostOfYotei

A screenshot from Ghost of Yōtei, showing Atsu, a woman in a traditional Mino straw cape, looking out over an ocean bay. Fog clings to the water and shore below while craggy rocks jut up from the other side of the bay, crowned by a windswept tree. Snow-capped Mount Yōtei, a perfect specimen of a stratovolcano looms up in the background.

A screenshot from Ghost of Yōtei, showing Atsu, a woman in a traditional Mino straw cape, looking up toward a Japanese castle perched on the top of a cliff. Gray clouds cover the sky, except to the left where clear skies over the sea allow sunlight to provide illumination. Several windswept junipers stand on the edge of a foreground cliff give the impression of bonsai, while the hills beyond are red with maple.

A screenshot from Ghost of Yōtei, showing Atsu, a woman in a traditional Mino straw cape, standing next to a shrine in the foreground. An expansive vista opens before her, with a perfectly blue sky and a Japanese castle perched atop a hill covered in a sea of red maple trees.

A screenshot from Ghost of Yōtei, showing Atsu, a woman in a traditional Mino straw cape, looking out over a valley. The light of golden hour gives everything a deep yellow hue, with the normally fire-red maple leaves appearing orange. Wisps of morning fog cling to forest dells at the foot of a mountain range in the background. A wisp of white smoke rises from a camp or house somewhere near the valley's bottom.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Sep 21

Spent 3 days last week helping chaperone 80 4th graders on an overnight outdoor education field trip. Walked about 30 miles total. Possibly the most exhausting, chaotic 3 days of my life but I thrive in happy chaos and loved every minute. Pay teachers more. ✌️💙

A photograph of a mountain stream gurgling among stones, flanked by aspen, fir, and pine trees. An incredibly blue sky with wisps of white cloud peeks between the treetops in the distance

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Sep 7

doctors I trust more than RFK Jr

A screenshot of the text-to-speech tech demo "DR SBAITSO" shipped with early Sound Blaster sound cards. A DOS window blue background with white text with an ascii art header reading
Sound Blaster
DR SBAITSO
version 2.20
(c) Copyright Creative Labs, Inc 1992. all rights reserved

The program is a rudimentary chatbot in the mod of Eliza that styles itself as a therapist or psychiatrist, but only responds with vague generalities. It speaks all its text using a very early (robotic) consumer speech synthesis model. The current text reads:

Please enter your name ...Mira
HELLO MIRA, MY NAME IS DOCTOR SBAITSO.

I AM HERE TO HELP YOU.
SAY WHATEVER IS IN YOUR MIND FREELY.
OUR CONVERSATION WILL BE KEPT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE.
MEMORY CONTENTS WILL BE WIPED OFF AFTER YOU LEAVE.

SO, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS.

>_

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Aug 5

I got my hair recolored today and accidentally got ace pride hair! 💜🤍🩶🖤

A selfie of a woman with purple glasses and hair hair with purple and black ends and white / gray roots.

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· Jun 1

It's Pride Month again and apparently this is where I was at mentally in my half-sleep this morning. I'm staying here. #PrideMonth #PrideIsPower

A screenshot of a discord message, by "gay as a box of rocks" (me). The text reads:

that's a very nonstandard take on it but i think is pretty interesting. like transition for me was less "this is who i am and i will accept it and more "fuck who i am now even though it's relatively comfortable, i want to meet my potential and ascend to godhood and if i destroy myself in the process so what im already a slowly decaying husk."
prolly it was framed slightly less dramatically in my mind, but same vibe

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 8

I will never, ever be able to top this commit even if I'm doing gamedev from my grave for eternity.

A screenshot of a source control commit authored by me. The commit message reads "microtheros can both fertilize and lay and are capable of parthenogenesis

Mira Mechtley@biphenyl· May 6

Accidentally took a really great rainy day selfie showing another mom my Garbage umbrella.