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Widespread love of quality word games has permeated throughout the history of puzzle pastimes. Whether that’s games like Hangman, Crosswords, Scrabble, Boggle, or more recently Wordle, there are limitless variations on finding joy in parsing together pieces of our collective vocabulary and alphabet to accomplish various goals. Entering the scene is a mix of many of those games in “Birdigo”, created by screenwriter John August (Corpse Bride, Charlie’s Angels) and developer Corey Martin (Bonfire Peaks, Pipe Push Paradise). You’ll guide various birds along their migration paths by crafting words using a custom “deck” of letters that you draw from at the start of every turn. Utilizing a healthy dose of Balatro-like elements to boost your scoring power as you guide your bird along a roguelike migration path to reach their final destination, Birdigo excels at providing a simple game concept with satisfying scoring devices and a “one more round” addictiveness that makes it hard to put down.

Heya, Papabear!

I have just recently stumbled upon your website while catching up on my usual fur-media, if you will. :3

While I do have my question, first I would just like to say I really respect and love what you have going on over here. This site is a great resource and I really wish I had found it sooner. So thank you!

I am 17 and have been in the fandom for about 5-6 years now. I truly love it here and finally feel very comfortable in a space I know I will not be judged, ridiculed, teased, or otherwise about who I am. I have always had an odd interest in anthropomorphic characters when I was younger and ever since I found the fandom it all started to make a little more sense lol! Anyhoo, it's safe to say that being a furry is a big part of who I am and my passions. And I don't see it going anywhere, anytime soon. Now, being that I am 17, and still in high school, I live with my mother. (I don’t have contact to my dad). And my mom and her family are not the warmest to the furry community as I have sadly found out. They see the fandom for the complete opposite of what it is, weather it's, “People believing they are animals, dressing up like dogs and barking at people.” Or “Overweight 30 yo men having sex in suit.” All the way to thinking that getting crazy cosmetic surgeries and changes, walking on all fours and whining at their teachers and bosses like an actual animal are what furries are/do. And having news reports at some of the local schools in our area about a few out of hand students that are apart of Otherkin doesn’t really help either.

Other than that, I have heard them talking a number of times about how “strange,” “disgusting,” and “weird” furries are. A lot of them were with me sitting at the table, trying to not get defensive, embarrassed, or act suspicious. They always seem to have something bad to say about them, especially whenever they see a furry-related bumper sticker, event, online account, or God forbid, a fursiuter in public. (I actually happen to live in the same city as one of my favorite furs! Verplex!) I digress, but it honestly breaks my heart to hear how my mom, aunts, and even some of my cousins talk about something that is so dear to me. And all I can do is sit there in my nervous sweat. And knowing how they are, if they found out about me, I would never hear the end of it. I would probably be seen as a freak by the entire family. I am also quite afraid that my mom might take a route that my father had taken. To be honest, the reason why I don't have any contact with my dad is because he no longer wishes to have me in his life. And a big chunk of it was due to him finding out about my hobbies (the fandom) and my sexuality.

Not only is this hard and frustrating to hear others talking bad about something I enjoy and brings me so much more support and love than anyone else ever has, but I am really wanting to get more involved in the community now that I have been a quiet internet fur for a while now. I would love to get some merch, art, go to meets and conventions, and get some real-life friends who also share the interest. Not to mention (out of reach) but eventually commission a fursuit of my sona. But not only living with my parents but unsupportive ones makes that a real challenge.

I do know that I am making it to the later chunk of my teen years, and eventually will have a lot more freedom, but I doubt I'd be able to move out when I hit 18. My childhood and teenage years have been such a struggle for me, and I really would love to try to start to enjoy something before it ends. Asides from that, it would be a huge relief to just break all this tension. Even if I know there will be plenty of moments ahead of me. The best time is always the present.

I'm sure you have gotten a bunch of questions or help letters like this one. And maybe even a sit-down talk would change their minds, but before I go full send on revealing my floofy side, I would love to just get some advice and thoughts. Anything would be appreciated. Thank you.

Sorry for the long letter, I know how these can get overwhelming. I hope all is well, especially In these crazy times! >~

Thanks again.
Best,
Pi Husky

* * *

Hi, Pi,

Quick question: Are you familiar with VRchat and/or Second Life?

Papabear

* * *

Hi again!

Yes, I used to play a little bit of VRchat, back when I had a capable setup. Only heard of Second Life. Don’t know what it is though.

Thanks!

Pi

* * *

Hi, Pi (I like saying that, hi pi ;)

Second Life is a virtual world that is still around but was much more popular than it is now because VRChat has sort of one-upped it by offering 3D capabilities. You don't need a 3D VR visor to use VRChat, but it's nice if you do.

Anyway, although both SL and VRC are for all audiences, there are HUGE furry communities in both with furry worlds and meetup places where furries gather. You can wear an avatar (you can buy them or custom make them) to go with your fursona, you can make friends, buy merch, build yourself a home or other getaway, etc. In VRChat there is even an annual convention called Furality that you can attend (there is a fee). The cool thing about a virtual con is that you don't have to pay for travel, hotel, food etc. Last year, 21,000 furries attended Furality.

Here's the point: If you're having trouble being furry in the real world, opt for the virtual world. You don't have to do the SL or VRC thing, of course. If you're a gamer, I recommend having a Discord account where you can play furry-related games with lots of furries. And there are popular sites like FurAffinity, SoFurry, and the phone app Barq!

Tell me, what websites, apps, etc. related to furries are you already familiar with?

Papabear

* * *

Haha it’s got a nice ring to it! (Hi, Pi) :P

Anyway, I actually am quite familiar with most of these! I used to even have a original Oculus Quest (before they changed to Meta) and an HTC Vive, along with my PC rig. But I had just never realized the vastness of the furry side of VR. Especially being I didn’t play that much VRchat. I would love to get back into it and finally experience more of VRchat, but just recently in a move, I had my PC and both VR headsets stolen from a PODs container, amongst other things. I am a bit struck for money at moment so I haven’t really had a chance to get some stuff back. But I do have Discord and I'm quite active on the Instagram and Barq side of the fandom. I just really wish I could get more involved socially into the fandom instead of being limited to things like Discord. I'm sure you know how my family's perspective on the community is right now. And being that Im at a stage in life where travel is not in my favor, my family would certainly have to know where I'd be going if I were to go to a con, meet, etc.

But if you happen to know any good Discord servers it would be greatly appreciated! I do plan on getting a computer soon so that will make life a whole lot easier in regards to VR, etc. maybe I'll be able to make it to Furality! 

Thanks again!

Pi

* * *

Then I would recommend you learn about getting into furry worlds on VRChat. This is definitely where a TON of young furries hang out, so there is no end of socializing. As for Discord, you're writing to an old greymuzzle who mostly uses Facebook because I'm an antique LOL, so I really don't hang much in Discord servers, but I'm sure you can ask around on other media sites and there will be furries who know more.

As for your parents, like many parents, they just get caught up in the BS that media sites and misinformed people tell them, which is all the bad stuff and none of the good stuff.

If you're interested in getting DEEP into research on what furries REALLY are, and sharing that with your parents, download this FREE book here New Furbook available for download, and it's free! - Furscience

I am also working on a book about the fandom that I hope to finish the end of the year. It won't be free, but it will be more relevant to all audiences and not just furries or serious researchers like the above link. Go to www.unclebearpublishing.com for updates on that.

Write again if you have more questions!

Stay Furry,
Papabear

* * *

Thank you so much for your advice! I'm definitely going to look into VR more. I'm also quite interested in that book you’re writing. Would love to check it out when it’s finished. Knowing my family, I think I might just keep it from them until another time, if ever lol. As many say, it is just a hobby after all. Pretty soon I won't have to worry about their views as much, being that soon I’ll be a legal adult. But I’ll definitely be checking out those links for some friends that I have. And if it ever comes to it, I’ll have some backup solutions for my parents. xD 

Stay safe in these crazy times! communities including this fandom need more people like you!

Best,

Pi ​

Dear Readers:

​It's true that things are bad right now. There is a noticeable difference between these times and the rise of Nazi Germany and Italy, however. Back in the 1930s, you would not have seen the huge protests against Hitler and Mussolini that you do against Trump and his cronies today, nor would there have been all the satire and outright hate posted publicly for the world to see. This gives me some hope that, while destructive, we will get through this.

America will not be the same, but maybe that is a good thing. The curtain has been pulled aside to reveal not a kindly old man from Kansas but a putrid, hateful, moronic, despicable man AND an entire corrupt white supremacist government that has ALWAYS been there; it's just that now it no longer pretends it is a just and free democracy.

Whatever comes after this, I think this has been a necessary step. Sort of like when a person vomits violently after eating rotten food. It's sickening and painful while you're heaving, but when it's done and you've flushed all the foul goop down the toilet, you feel so much better.

Courage, my friends. Trump is old, sick, senile and mental. Yes, once he is gone, people like Vance will try to continue Project 2025, but they will no longer have a cult following. By then, 80% or more of Americans will be against them as will the entire world with the exception of Russia, and Putin is about to fall, too, so they won't be able to continue their campaign to ruin our country from the outside.

Everything will be okay in the end, and if it's not okay, then it is not the end. Until then, keep the faith.

Blessed Be,
Papabear

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 27 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 28 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.

It’s that time again fellow trainers! A new Pokémon Presents premiered on July 22nd. While on the shorter side, it did showcase a few cool projects in the works and even revealed bits of new info for upcoming games. Let’s take a look at some highlights!

In 2019 The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy garnered numerous awards and nominations as an illustrated book — and it did so again in 2022 when it was made into a 2D animated short film. Now the author is bringing us a sequel — with the rather long title of Always Remember: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, The Horse, and The Storm. “Charlie Mackesy’s four unlikely friends are wandering through the wilds again. They’re not sure what they are looking for. They do know that life can be difficult, but that they love each other, and cake is often the answer. When the dark clouds come, can the boy remember what he needs to get through the storm?” This new hardcover is due in October.

image c. 2025 Penguin Publishing Group

MoonSpice Games, the creators of the upcoming collectathon Dillo’s Dilemma, featuring an innovative and inventive armadillo, gave us the opportunity to ask some questions about the new game to their Project Lead, Zakhar Sheyko, and their team. We “rolled” our way through the areas presented in the demo, enjoying Dillo’s fun game design and creative puzzle solving challenges, and are excited to learn more about what went into designing this indie adventure!

Back in my high school years, me and my friends, whenever we were on the computers, always played whatever game we found on Shockwave or that someone had downloaded and passed around to us, with the biggest being the original Halo: Combat Evolved. But, one we sank the most hours in was a small title called Pocket Tanks, where the objective was to get more points by hitting the opponents tank with whatever weapon you have, be it explosives or other wild weaponry. Why do I bring up Pocket Tanks? Well, at the time, I had no idea it was inspired by an older game called Scorched Earth, which in turn inspired another game and the subject of today’s review: Worms, in particular Worms Armageddon: Anniversary Edition and, I’m not going to lie, if you were a fan of the original, then this game’s for you. But for newcomers, not so much.

TigerTails Radio Season 16 Episode 26 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf Join the Telegram Chat: https://t.me/+yold2C77m0I1MmM0 Visit the website at http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of any song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. Credits: Opening music: Magic by Hedge Haiden (Double Hedge Studios) Character art: Fitzroy Fox - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lunara-toons / https://bsky.app/profile/fitzroyfox.bsky.social Background art: Charleston Rat - https://www.furaffinity.net/user/charlestonrat / https://bsky.app/profile/charlestonrat.bsky.social If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.

[And now a special guest column by none other than the Ask Papabear guy himself, Grubbs Grizzly.] Mom’s Cat is an intense, yet quiet, short film by Hungarian writer/director Annabella Schnabel, who produced it for her diploma project at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. It has already garnered several awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the 29th Chicago Underground Film Festival, First Prize at the 19th Pannonfíling Film Festival, Best Short Film at the 8th Nefiltravane Kino Film Festival, and Best Young Director at the 13th Short to the Point International Film Festival. I had the opportunity to watch this 18-minute film, and I can say the plaudits are deserved. What impressed me most about this film is how Schnabel packs so much emotion into just a few minutes and with minimal dialog. Every word uttered, every movement the actors make bears weight. Without giving anything away, the story is basically this: 30-something Felix (Attila Fritz) lives in squalid conditions with his mother, who barely tolerates her son and clearly despises him for not being “normal.” One day, Felix gets exciting news that a company wants to hire him to be a kind of mascot-for-hire, which means he can get paid and wear his fursuit! Felix is immensely proud of his fursuit, which he made himself. So, off he goes to his new job, where he meets coworkers who seem shy but admire his fursuit, which is a kind of winged cat. What follows are some ups and downs in his job that adeptly capture the sensitivities of the kind and sweet Felix, who only wants to be happy, and a mother and society that despise him for being abnormal. The conclusion is tragic, sad, disturbing, and oddly sweet. If I could encapsulate all the worst experiences and angst I have encountered in my 13 years as a furry advice columnist into one character, Felix would be that character. Similarly, every scene, every word of dialog, every gesture, and every movement of the well-directed camera compresses a world of misunderstood love like a telegraphed message in which each dot and short dash has a significance. A rose, a hesitant touch, a half-eaten chicken foot, and many other images add to the painting like dots on a pointillist painter’s masterpiece. When Felix explains to his coworkers why his fursuit has wings and why there are stripe marks on the head, for example, Schnabel reveals in a few seconds how a fursuit can contain deep personal meaning for its wearer. It is just one of many poignant scenes here. To be clear, Mom’s Cat is not about the average furry experience, but it is about a side of the fandom that is very true indeed and to which many furries will relate. I would give it two thumbs up, but I’m a bear and don’t have thumbs, so I will give it a big Awoo! instead.

You can read an interview with Schnabel by going here and hitting Translate. There is a link to the movie at the bottom. It’s $5 to watch. [Thank you, Grubbs!]

image c. 2025 by Annabella Schnabel

Papabear,

I am someone who has been dealing with mental health for years. Something I have discovered since last year is I'm still hurting from trauma, narcissistic parents, and unresolved feelings from thing I thought I resolved. Yes, I am currently seeking help in those areas for therapy, but I have to wait till I can see doctors. Writing has been my escape when I just want to be alone and deal with these feelings. I have been working on stories as of recent to tackle some of these things, as well as a VRChat shorts series being scripted.

I set all this exposition up to ask this one major question: How do I just open the flood gates completely, face the demons, and battle them in writing and prose? Something in me is afraid to confront these demons, even when I truly think I am doing so. I know this is such a weird question, but it baffles me that I am ready to go to battle yet one foot is still on the porch telling me to stay where I am.... So, I guess, in my own way, I do while the demons sit there drinking lemonade with me like this is usual. I guess, too, I know the only way to battle these demons is to be able to talk freely and bluntly. Hence, my writing. I think part is the fear of others judging me.

Again, I know this seems like a strange letter, but I deal with things by talking or writing, and I need to stop being so hesitant to confront things. Any advice helps.

Thank you.

Otto Otsky

* * *

Dear Otto,

Writing is an outstanding way of dealing with one's emotions, so kudos to you that you are doing so to help cope with your struggles.

There are two types of writing that are great for this: 1) journaling, and 2) fiction writing. Journaling should not be confused with writing a diary, although they do have some commonalities. Diary writing is basically keeping a record of your day-to-day experiences. Typically, you record events that happen to you, describe scenery perhaps, and you may also not your reactions and feelings about events. Diary writing is fairly structured, therefore. Journal writing includes traditional journaling, bullet journaling, and expressive writing, and it is much more free-form, stream-of-consciousness writing.

Traditional journaling is the type we are most familiar with in which you discuss what has happened to you and talk about your reactions to these events. This serves as a terrific emotional outlet. Bullet journaling is, as you might imagine, more clipped. You put down things in short lists, abbreviated sentences, even incomplete thoughts. Just bam bam bam, a bunch of bullet points or even symbols and drawings expressing yourself in a kind of shorthand way. Expressive writing, however, is rather the opposite of bullet journaling. You write down events and feelings in much more detail and with much more self-reflection.

Dr. James Pennebaker researched expressive writing in the 1980s, discovering that his patients who used this practice required fewer therapy sessions to achieve the same results as patients who did not journal. There are three types of expressive writing:
 

1. Standard Expressive Writing: Writing about your personal experiences
2. Exposure Writing: Writing down your thoughts and feelings
3. Cognitive Processing: Reasoning out the consequences of your experiences and feelings to derive insights about them.

A mix of all three is probably the best strategy. It is rather like having a therapy session in which you also take on the role of therapist. Granted, it's not a complete substitution for having a therapist, but as Pennebaker found out, it helps tremendously.

Fiction writing is also useful. Unlike journaling, which is more of a reaction to real-life events, with fiction writing you are in control of what happens and what the reactions to events are. Many great authors have confessed that their novels and short stories were their way of dealing with emotions of all sorts. Some of these notable names include Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Franz Kafka, C. S. Lewis, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Sinclair Lewis, Anne Sexton, Leo Tolstoy, and many more.

These authors and others would take their own emotional and mental struggles and transfer them onto a fictional character, then write about how they would cope (or not cope) with their problems. By putting a protective mask between you, the author, and the fictional character, it makes the pain easier to deal with because the author feels less exposed to outside criticism (i.e., e.g., "It's not me dealing with schizophrenia or the death of my wife or the pain of extreme poverty or unrequited love, it's my character doing it). In a way, there are parallels here between what authors do and what furries do. Furries can become more themselves and more open about their emotions through their fursonas just as authors can do so through fictional characters. 

In addition to forming this protective barrier of judgment that allows you to more honestly express your feelings, story writing has the advantage of being able to control situations that, in real life, you cannot command. You get to create the situations to be overcome; you get to add helpers (minor characters) to aid in the main protagonist's quest; and you get to write a conclusion and have closure to the story. So, you see, you can take the material from real life that feels chaotic and beyond your control and impose an order upon it in order to make it manageable and more comprehensible. Pennebaker also wrote about this, saying that writing brings coherence to your emotional crisis as well as perspective. You write the plot, and, as narrator outside the story, you gain a new perspective upon it.

(Quick dig at AI: Here is a great argument against AI writing stories. You don't benefit from writing something from the heart if a machine is doing all the work.)

Your question does not strike me as weird at all. In fact, I congratulate you on discovering for yourself a great way of managing your mental distress. As for others judging you, well, first of all, just because you write a story doesn't mean you have to publish it. Second of all, this isn't about having an audience; this is about you. You know, if everyone worried about people judging them for every action they performed, nobody would do anything in this world and life would be a waste.

Therefore, write your heart out. Write for yourself. And continue talking to other people. Bottling things up never helped anyone. And, once you let yourself go, you'll see that you are not different from anyone else. You'll see that many people have had experiences comparable to your own and have the same feelings you do. Sharing that with others is immensely therapeutic.

Good job!

Hugs,
Papabear

You don’t often expect the level of world-building and story-crafting woven into games like Back to the Dawn, a gritty, engrossing, and multi-layered RPG game by Metal Head Games that just released out of Early Access. But I found myself locked inside the prison escape narrative just like its protagonists. Featuring fantastic game design and narrative pacing with just the right amount of quirkiness, Back to the Dawn can go lots of ways in its main campaigns, and it's hard not to wonder if you’re making the right move as your fate becomes more and more unpredictable.

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

As we get into our 6th season groove we try out a few new things. Let us know if you liked the new segments.  Taebyn takes a long look back at their notes from seasons gone by, TickTock brings us furry news, Cheetaro reviews another furryesque movie, and Bearly tries to keep the train on the rails!  We tell jokes and puns and generally confuse everyone. So tune in for another confusing episode of BFFT. Moobarkfluff everyfur!

This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

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Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting S6E2 - It’s “Pun”ishment