TL;DR
A blogger reflects on how podcasts and presentation can blur the line between factual and fictional media, recounting examples where fabricated games were treated as real. He explains how a deliberately detailed fake post about a fictional 1989 game, Blue Prince, was widely misread and links the phenomenon to other podcast-driven confusions and creative inspirations.
What happened
In a November 2025 blog post, author David Turner describes repeatedly encountering podcast episodes and posts that present invented games or premises as if they were factual, and how that presentation can mislead listeners and readers. He cites the Imaginary Advice episode about a nonexistent SNES game called A Christmas Carol, noting the episode never signaled the game was fabricated. Turner also recounts his own experience: a detailed, visual post about a fictional 1989 game called Blue Prince drew readers who believed it to be real. He says the apparent deception was unintentional — his visuals were elaborate and some readers missed the satirical intent — and that his critique focused on the game's heavy busywork relative to puzzle content, including a gambling mechanic. Turner connects these moments to other examples from podcasts and games history, and adds technical notes about his tooling choices for the visuals.
Why it matters
- Presentation and production values can make fictional content read as authentic, affecting how audiences interpret material.
- Creators risk unintentional misunderstandings when realistic visuals or earnest tone accompany invented content.
- Podcasts and other narrative media influence both audience perception and other creators’ work, for better or worse.
- Medium and tooling choices (visuals, fonts, formats) shape how historical or retro recreations are perceived.
Key facts
- David Turner listens to podcasts while working on art for a diorama-based game.
- He discovered an Imaginary Advice episode about a nonexistent SNES game called A Christmas Carol; the episode does not indicate the game is fictional.
- Turner struggled with distinguishing joke from reality in other cases, such as Semantle and a Sega pitch for Segagaga that executives reportedly thought was a joke.
- Turner wrote a detailed post about a fictional 1989 game named Blue Prince; many readers interpreted the post as describing a real game.
- Turner intended his Blue Prince commentary as critique, noting a high busywork-to-puzzle ratio and the presence of slot machines as a gameplay element.
- A floppy-disk flipping bit mentioned by readers was not tied to an area Turner had reached; he had not solved that puzzle.
- Turner was inspired by the Karateka upside-down disk Easter egg discussed on the Lateral podcast.
- He cites Adrian Tchaikovsky acknowledging Empire and Revolutions as inspirations for his Philosopher Tyrants series, and notes the Revolutions podcast returned with a season on the Martian Revolution of 2247.
- For visuals, Turner used cool-retro-term rather than RetroArch, explaining that choice affected font accuracy.
- Turner considered an interactive-fiction (IF) version of Blue Prince but felt the map presentation favors the current visual format; he enjoyed an IF-style Blue Prince scene by Egypt Urnash.
What to watch next
- How audiences continue to respond to satirical or fictional media presented in documentary or archival styles.
- Podcast episodes and other media that treat invented cultural artifacts as factual, and any community discussions that follow.
- not confirmed in the source: whether Turner will revisit Blue Prince as an IF adaptation or otherwise expand the project.
- not confirmed in the source: whether creators will adopt clearer signaling practices when presenting fictional works in documentary formats.
Quick glossary
- Podcast: A digital audio program released episodically, often focused on storytelling, interview, or documentary formats.
- Interactive Fiction (IF): A text-driven game or story where the player makes choices that influence the narrative and outcomes.
- Easter egg: An intentional hidden feature or message placed in software, games, or media for discovery by users.
- Retro front-end (RetroArch): Middleware and emulation front-end used to run and manage classic games and system emulators.
- cool-retro-term: A terminal emulator that reproduces the visual aesthetic of vintage computer displays for stylistic presentations.
Reader FAQ
Was the SNES game A Christmas Carol real?
No — the Imaginary Advice episode discussed a fabricated SNES title presented without disclosure.
Did David Turner intend to trick readers with Blue Prince?
According to Turner, misleading readers was accidental; he aimed to critique the game's design and produced detailed visuals that many readers took as authentic.
Why does the font in Turner’s visuals look slightly off?
Turner says he used cool-retro-term instead of RetroArch, which produced a font that isn’t fully historically accurate.
Did the Revolutions podcast return with a fictional season?
The post states that after a hiatus the Revolutions podcast returned with a season on a Martian Revolution of 2247 presented straight-faced.
Is it a joke? November 6, 2025 I listen to a lot of podcasts, because I can listen while making art for the diorama-based game I am working on. I…
Sources
- Is it a joke?
- How YouTube Ate Podcasts and TV
- TIH 619: Jason Pargin on Writing Pop Culture References …
- I Don't Care What We Call Non-Non-Fiction Podcasts
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