Getting stuck. And getting through.
Why people get stuck: in games, in systems, in transitions.
And what helps.
I write and report on friction: the moments where players quit, communities turn hostile, systems fail, and people in transition lose their footing. Waycleft.com is where I collect that work: essays, field notes, research threads, and the projects growing out of them.
What I study
Games
How do players get stuck in videogames? And what hint design, graduated support, and thoughtful mechanics can do about it.
Communities
How do online communities become toxic? And what moderation, facilitation and organisational design can change.
Institutions
How do organisations freeze instead of adapt? And what participatory formats,
transition design, and OE practice can enable.
Transitions
How do people arrive in new roles or places without truly belonging? And what
formats, reflection spaces, and peer processes can support.
Current Projects
Toxic Spaces
Research into why online communities turn hostile. And what changes that. Status: Research phase
LandingSoft
A research project on arrival processes for mobile adults in European cities.
Recent Writing
- Built for Distance
A field note from Tallinn: e-Residency is built for distance, not for arrival. On the gap between logging in and belonging. - A Foyer and a Tram in Brno, and the Gaps In Between
Two conversations at Game Access 2026 in Brno, one in a foyer and one in a tram, and the pattern they revealed: an industry that is learning to listen, but not yet in the moment when it matters most. - Stuck in the Game: What Happens When Players Can’t Find Help Without Getting Spoiled
Players don’t quit because a game is too hard. They quit because the moment they needed help, the game had nothing to say, and everything else said too much. - Trust Is a Design Decision
One day in Tallinn, one government office, one question: how does trust work when it’s built into infrastructure? A field note on X-Road, human presence as last resort, and what game developers might learn from Estonia. - The Real AI Question in Game Development Isn’t Efficiency. It’s Trust.
Europe is quietly reframing the AI debate in games: from speed to accountability. That shift is where 2026 is actually happening. - Toxic Behavior in Online Games: What Actually Helps
Toxic behavior in online games affects 82% of players. What actually helps: proactive moderation, community design, and trust, not just the ban hammer.