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Show HN: Autism Simulator

• MisterTea 1y ago
  I don't like this - there are things that really bother me. It is also very much one persons perspective and very specific. With that said here's my opinion: I have issues including high anxiety and it's very clear that the author is not properly dealing with their anxiety which is driving their decision making process. It is a common comorbidity and this game feels a lot like anxiety - "do I do this or that" never knowing or trusting the answers. The decision to not take or half take meds is a red flag. I am on meds that will make me feel like dog shit before noon If I don't take them. It's a worse feeling than any discomfort that comes from taking them, brain fog and headaches included. No way should you cold turkey these things. They may be on the wrong medication or an improper dose. Are they being honest with their doctor? Are they comfortable with their doctor and feel they are helping? Anxiety will prevent people from being honest with doctors and even themselves. There is also a lot of mistrust in doctors and some neurodivergent people are outright hostile towards doctors which is a problem they need to overcome. There are good and bad doctors like there are good and bad pizza joints - find a better doctor (or pizza.) Telehealth is a god send - more options to talk to professionals. There are specialists who are tuned into your issues and some even suffer the same! Meds also fuck up your appetite - don't forget to eat which kills your mental state. Another thing is are you hydrated enough? I get this hyper focus where I WONT move. Like I wont get up for hours until I am or practically pissing or shitting my pants because I cant stop what I am doing. I have found this leads to dehydration and hunger that is ignored which severely degrades my mental state. I have learned to use a few simple methods to break this state and I have gotten better at consciously recognizing this state and take a short break. Masking sucks. Don't bother cosplaying other people or trying to find normal because I got news for you: no one is really normal. Just be yourself but do be mindful of your interactions. I used to be so anxious around people that I would never look them in the eye or say hello and avoided contact. Now I make an effort to say hello, look them in the eyes, and during conversation focusing on their words while maintaining eye contact as much as possible. I would fidget and make noise to distract myself - even in meetings, likely some stimming thing, which then distracts others pissing them off. I love to doodle so I used that to my advantage and doodle in a notepad I take with me to occupy my fidgety hands so I'm not tapping or banging pens or phones. When I want to sing I keep it low and do it on a quick break, like get up and take a walk around the building while quietly singing a song or talking to myself. We are animals and we train ourselves in all of the bad habits we have. Anxiety is a great trainer of avoidance which is massively harmful. Anxiety will make you take the path of least resistance every single time which leads to a life where you don't feel in control where every little thing becomes a trigger in this fragile state. It's mentally exhausting and you burn out. If you give in you will wind up a helpless mess. There are a lot of mental exercises that WILL help you but it takes time and effort. I used to think those self affirmations and other mind exercises were bullshit but you know what, they are only bullshit if you tell yourself that over and over (again, training.) I see too many neurodivergent people outright dismiss a lot of help and seek shelter in communities which are echo chambers that reinforce negative behaviors and even stir up anger issues leading to hostile behavior. Bad stuff. I've learned I am not weak because of my brain chemistry and that I have the power to overcome a lot of my issues. I am not ashamed of who I am because I have no control over that aspect. It's not a perfect life but I aim to try and be as happy as I can. There is no magic pill that will cure all symptoms but some pills can tackle your most debilitating symptoms. You will not go to a therapist/psych and come out a new person in a day, week, month, or year. It is a constant state of being mindful of your mental state and developing skills to deal with these states in a positive and healthy way. You will fail along the way and that is okay - failure is natural and normal. Just get back up and try again. People respect tenacity and honestly, little by little it makes you feel better. Believing in yourself and investing the effort and time becomes rewarding. Even if its just little bits and pieces at first - it adds up. I used to think I was better off dead and that scared me which led me to make changes and seek real help. It takes time. lots of time. But it's well worth it. I will never wear my brain chemistry as some badge of honor or costume - it's merely a part of what makes me whole. There is so much more to me (and you!) than divergent brain chemistry.
• p_ing 1y ago
  > Someone from the "People Team" appears at your desk with a bright smile and a clipboard. THE WORST! Why can't we just work?! Do stuff, make money, get the f- out.
  • ge96 1y ago
    let's put a pin in that, circle back
    • joshcsimmons 1y ago
      We're a family here.
    • Liquix 1y ago
      looping in Useless Manager Alice and Useless Manager Bob, let's get some time on the calendar to discuss
    • p_ing 1y ago
      Let me double click on that before you pin it and circle back.
  • KPGv2 1y ago
    I agree, which is why it drives me crazy to be on HN and see people be like "if you want to work as a programmer you must live breathe eat sleep code and have a resume of Github commits three miles long." It's a job, not a religion.
    • encom 1y ago
      Boy, that's a straight shooter with upper management written all over him!
    • bonoboTP 1y ago
      Seems like an unrelated (maybe even opposite direction) complaint. Plenty of autists are obsessed with programming and technology.
• WASDAai 1y ago
  Nice game this is all i can say
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thank you so much!
• steeleyespan 1y ago
  What is the medication you're supposed to take? Ritalin or something?
  • p_ing 1y ago
    Xanax, Zolpidem, Belsomra, and a fifth of your favorite.
    • fragmede 1y ago
      Nitrous oxide, ketamine, buspirone (not buproprion), gapapentin, abilify, lamigtal. No alcohol. Also look at your environment and its stressors. Moving out was one of the best things I did for my mental health. My food can touch without me melting down, so I'd consider it a win. This is not medical advice.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Autism is a super diverse condition so varies pretty wildly person-to-person.
    • stego-tech 1y ago
      This. I have no medication as I built up immense resiliency and masking mechanisms over the course of my life. Others may take a cocktail of meds just to make it to lunch. It’s a condition that exists on a spectrum, as does its treatments or coping mechanisms. That said, I’m the “take my assigned medication” type, so I always took the full dose in the game.
  • cratermoon 1y ago
    Do you view autism as a pathology or a difference?
    • joshcsimmons 1y ago
      I'm pretty strongly in the difference camp. It giveth and taketh away. I can't get through a full meal hearing people chew food without some background noise going but I also completed my PhD before I was 30 so it feels wrong to call it a pathology ya know?
• rasengan 1y ago
  Cool game. That said, autism is a spectrum. You can’t just say “this iz wut autism like.”
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thanks for playing and agreed! I have a disclaimer in the [About] modal Autism is an extremely diverse and complex phenomenon. No two autistic people experience the world in the same way. This simulation is based on the experiences of a single autistic individual and is not representative of all autistic people, although, I suspect many autistic people will recognize some aspects of their own experience in this simulation.
  • athorax 1y ago
    Thats a bit uncalled for. This is a game made by someone shaped by their perspective on the world. It can be appreciated as such without applying your own additional intent.
  • kraig911 1y ago
    I think masking is pretty general across the board. Even severe Autism. My daughter acts completely different in different contexts. Some could say we all do but you'll know it when you see it esp when the mask is gone.
• qwertytyyuu 1y ago
  Wait sleeping doesn’t restore eneger to people who have autism wha?
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/sleep https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physica...
• slaterbug 1y ago
  I feel called out :)
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    I see u
• cgio 1y ago
  Is it supposed to work. I am in the spectrum and I feel like while energy may go to zero, there is in reality a separate resilience masking, where you actually keep up for the rest of the day. Also cannot relate to medication. I don’t think that’s a necessary part of the experience.
  • nemo 1y ago
    I don't really relate to a lot of it, it's mostly a crude caricature of my experience, though it's still funny.
  • GenerocUsername 1y ago
    Agree. The idea that autististics rely on a large box of daily pills is insane. -chugs coffee
    • carom 1y ago
      I was just going to fill it out how I would normally live Self Care > No Medication and immediately failed. That makes it feel like it has an agenda.
    • mayhemducks 1y ago
      I'm in this sentence and I don't like it. :)
  • kokey 1y ago
    The only medication I know about that some people on the spectrum take are antipsychotics and that's for specific situations, but maybe if you're in that situation life seems even more like a dystopian text based adventure game.
    • thyristan 1y ago
      I know of some taking antidepressants (for obvious reasons, because depression is a common effect). And I know of some taking ADHD meds for their co-morbid ADHD (autists have a higher probability for ADHD).
• mustaphah 1y ago
  Autism may be the price of human intelligence [1] [1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250927031224.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250927031224.h...
  • bagful 1y ago
    I dare say autism is the pride of human intelligence.
  • beeflet 1y ago
    Or this could be another cope
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    I paid the price. I still haven't received the intelligence.
    • reactordev 1y ago
      I was about to say, when do I get my prize?
      • lstodd 1y ago
        You're posting here, this is the prize. Consider how many people cannot even know what ycombinator is. Harsh as this sounds, this is the truth.
        • reactordev 1y ago
          Yeah but, intelligence isn’t exactly rewarded in society, execution is. And this site takes away time from that… :P
          • lstodd 1y ago
            Reward was never promised. Life is strange.
• ajmurmann 1y ago
  Is it possible to even make it through day 2?
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Maybe if you're very careful but probably not. There are point diffs on your stats each turn. The positive diffs are always the same for the same choices regardless of day. The negative choices have an additional 25% added to them each day, so -10 the first day for a choice would be -12 (floor) the second day, -15 the third day, etc.
• skylurk 1y ago
  What's it like for people not on the spectrum? Can someone share a "Normal Simulator"?
  • spicyusername 1y ago
    This is one of those things where I think autism has become a tag for the shared experiences of things like awkwardness, feeling out of place, or running out of the desire to socialize. Everyone wants an answer for why they have unpleasant experiences that aren't, "That's just life". There is no normal experience, only the kinds of experiences that people have. Some people have buckets of experience that are worse or more challenging than others, everyone has shared experiences that cross-sect. These labels are useful insofar as grouping experiences together that tend to co-occur makes it easy to talk about certain categories of aggregate experiences or strategies for navigating life, but I think too many people relegate too much importance to these arbitrary labels, like "autism", derive too much of their identity from them, and too often use them as excuses to not deal with life's challenges and complexities head on.
    • JohnMakin 1y ago
      Then there's actually people who live their entire existence and every waking moment on the spectrum, and compensating for it - which is what the topic of discussion is. You minimizing it or thinking it isn't real isn't entirely helpful to discussion and frankly is pretty insulting.
      • spicyusername 1y ago
        Every waking moment on the spectrum If it's a spectrum, everyone is on it somewhere. thinking it isn't real isn't entirely helpful I neither said the category of shared experiences we typically call "autism" wasn't real nor said it wasn't helpful to use labels like autism.
        • JohnMakin 1y ago
          No, you're just heavily implying it and minimizing it. I'm telling you it's extremely insulting. You can take that for what it is or don't, I don't really care.
• cratermoon 1y ago
  The blinking Autism Simulator text, in black on yellow, in the upper left is very distracting.
  • maleldil 1y ago
    Maybe that's the point? I heavily dislike it when people put blinking stuff on websites.
    • cratermoon 1y ago
      > Maybe that's the point? It very likely is!
• beeflet 1y ago
  Autism is as difficult as the oregon trail. Woe is me.
• barrenko 1y ago
  This may be incredibly offensive, but how big could a potential overlap be between ADHD and autism?
  • dr-detroit 1y ago
    [dead]
  • VPenkov 1y ago
    One is impulsive, the other requires structure. The two are not mutually exclusive though, because both conditions are pretty diverse. AuDHD is a term used to describe people with both.
    • soulofmischief 1y ago
      This is a massive oversimplification of both autism and ADHD which approaches uselessness. Impulsivity is one possible symptom of ADHD, but doesn't even begin to describe the experience, and by itself paints an incorrect picture of the experience. Same for autism and structure. I know plenty of people with autism who absolutely do not deal in structure. I know it feels nice to be able to craft a simple narrative, but this narrative feels more harmful and misconstrued than useful.
      • al_borland 1y ago
        I have autism and have a lot of trouble with routine and rigid timelines. But I also have ADHD, so I suspect there is some internal struggle there. I want to have routine for a lot of things, I just can’t seem to make it happen.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Not at all - the stat I've heard is that 30-50% of autistics also have ADHD
  • tux3 1y ago
    I've seen Twitter use "AuDHD" for the intersection. It's big enough to have its own label and subgroup who identify with it.
• _fat_santa 1y ago
  Question: are there any good resources out there for leading those that are neurodivergent? I haven't led anyone that's neurodiverent yet but it's something I think alot about.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Great question - been hoping people reply to this comment with resources.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• marky1991 1y ago
  I swear I went home from work but then got fired from my job for falling asleep at my desk. I don't understand what happened. (And even if I did fall asleep at my desk, who fires an employee for falling asleep once?)
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Bummer - this has been the hardest code I've ever had to write test coverage for. I'm using https://www.inklestudios.com/ink/ https://www.inklestudios.com/ink/ for the story routing with inkjs so I'm not surprised that there are some lingering weird-paths.
  • criddell 1y ago
    > who fires an employee for falling asleep once? Happened to my grandfather even though he was probably the best damned cab driver in all of Michigan.
    • cratermoon 1y ago
      > best damned cab driver Did he fall asleep at the wheel, while driving? I can see that being a fireable offense.
      • gadders 1y ago
        New screen for the game: >> Someone posts an old joke on Hacker News >> You interpret it literally.
        • cratermoon 1y ago
          > be me > see old joke > attempt to make ND meta joke > see allistics not get it
          • gadders 1y ago
            This is getting too meta for me.
• ikerino 1y ago
  Eh, this just feels like "software engineering simulator." I don't have autism but a good bit of this feels familiar (am I on the spectrum?) I'm an introvert and have struggled to cope with corporate work for a while. What helps: - Challenging the idea that you need to mask to be successful. If masking is a recipe for burnout, then it actually seems like it's a strategy that will lower your chance for success. How much of the need here is self-imposed? - Owning your calendar and timing for meetings to better suit your energy. - Regular therapy and reflection, honestly. - Regular exercise, doesn't matter who you are or what form, this is essential. I can respect that this "simulation" fosters empathy, but worry that it also awfulizes/catastrophizes solvable problems. Figuring out functional routines and managing burnout is just as big a part of the job as writing code. It's very much a personal responsibility, maybe not in the job description, maybe harder for some than others, but it is our responsibility.
  • baggachipz 1y ago
    The reason it's called a "spectrum" is that everyone's on it. :)
    • SkyPuncher 1y ago
      Eh. No not really. There is a threshold to even be considered on the spectrum. Most people have 2 legs and 2 arms. Some people don't (birth defects, injuries, accidents, disease, etc). There is a spectrum of missing appendages, but to say everyone is missing at least part of an appendage is not correct. This is currently how autism is viewed.
      • baggachipz 1y ago
        Ok, I'll bite. What's that threshold to be considered "on the spectrum"? Is there a threshold on the other end? If so, what is that? My point is that everybody exhibits some of the symptoms typically associated with autism or Asberger's. For example: getting exhausted from being around people; sensory overload; pattern-finding in everything. It differs for each person. I frequently look for visual patterns around me, and it's satisfying to find one. Does that put me "on the spectrum"? Some sounds make me cringe. What about that? How many do there have to be? The whole reason it's called a "spectrum" is that there is no one thing that can define it.
• stego-tech 1y ago
  Solid slice of the more extreme side of the autism spectrum for those who can still function within “normal” society, albeit with some assistance and tolerance. I’m lucky enough to be on the lower/moderate side of things, but man all of this stuff hit home in its own way. Annoying noises (for me it’s the whine of cheap electronics or the chaotic bass of some music genres/upstairs neighbors), the forceful imposition of others in my space (“cameras on!”, scented cleaners, voluntold activities), and the daily task micromanagement to get by (do I call a friend/family member since they’ve texted me three times today about a trivial matter, or do I watch comfort shows and work on a personal project?). This shit is hard, and adding in the requirement to engage in political maneuvering to succeed and thrive makes it exponentially worse. I just want to do a good job and go home to live the best life I can. I suspect most autists are the same.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    You are most definitely not alone! There's many of us.
• mrjay42 1y ago
  Whoever chose flashy colors for this is a motherfluffer :')
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    It's a default Neovim theme: murphy
    • mrjay42 1y ago
      Oh well: "ouch" is all I my eyes have to say ^^
• deleted 1y ago
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• deleted 1y ago
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• incomingpain 1y ago
  I died of dysentery. I didnt know that was even possible.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Based hidden burnout scenario
• reactordev 1y ago
  Ugh, it’s like replaying the trauma of my life the last ten years… 10/10.
• yucia999 1y ago
  [flagged]
  • deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    genuinely unhinged take
• 5350-uiop-1130 1y ago
  good writing. you should write a short story. i would read.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thank you :) My book is available on Amazon. Not sure if I'm allowed to directly link in comments but search "ex nihilo simmons"
    • zuno 1y ago
      Thank you! I reckon it is this one? https://www.amazon.com/-/hi/Dr-Josh-C-Simmons-ebook/dp/B0FN2JT93B https://www.amazon.com/-/hi/Dr-Josh-C-Simmons-ebook/dp/B0FN2...
• jchip303 1y ago
  [dead]
• twalla 1y ago
  The back-to-back Robert Caro mention and unskippable ADHD Wikipedia popup hit too close to home.
  • tclancy 1y ago
    Now I'm wondering how far on the spectrum Robert Moses was.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    We might be best friends.
• gadders 1y ago
  Did you use HN as training data?
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    I'm on HN pretty regularly so, in a sense, yes
• KPGv2 1y ago
  This was too real thanks I hate it.
• onraglanroad 1y ago
  I'm not autistic but in the intro it says "promtotions" instead of "promotions". I think that's the most I can deal with today ;)
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Hahaha good catch will patch this.
• Fokamul 1y ago
  Bro, I'm not autistic, but 99% events in this game would trigger me even more than in your game. Eg.: party near my desk (near my office, even in my office) I will personally cancel their "party", or message each of their bosses etc. I think, the best thing you can do is to don't care about anybody, "I'm (we're) here to work, if you're not here to work then GTFO". "Let's have camera's on"...ehm no thanks ;-) etc. I'm still polite though, I would say highly polite, but if anyone behaves like an idiot, then they will have a problem with me. Is really being autistic, meaning you take shit from other people all the time? I'm not sure.
  • moduspol 1y ago
    I mean they say it's a spectrum.
  • steeleyespan 1y ago
    Maybe you are just not diagnosed LOL
  • asacrowflies 1y ago
    This is actually a huge part of "getting better" as an autistic. A large amount of this masking is a trauma response from childhood when authority figures were a threat and not understandable so you pretend and "mask" and appease. But once you are older and able to sieze your own power and set your own boundaries? The healthiest high functioning autist I know share this "don't give a fuck " attitude. Very sad for the hell lower functioning ones must live in... Almost like the horror stories of locked in comas.
• b3lvedere 1y ago
  Nice game, but indeed simplified. Did not make it to day 2. Autism is a huge spectrum. I have a family member who needs constant care in a facility because he will try and destroy everything he does not like, but also another one who has light Asperger’s syndrome and functions like society would like him to be as long as you respect his social capabilities. As with most mental things, because people can’t see or sense it, they don’t understand and it gets very very difficult to even acknowledge or respect it.
  • nis0s 1y ago
    > As with most mental things, because people can’t see or sense it, they don’t understand and it gets very very difficult to even acknowledge or respect it. Compounding this issue is the fact that people often refuse to accept that a mental thing is actually a physiological thing, albeit harder to fix because it’s currently poorly understood. People’s mental models of brain-related conditions often create a separation of the person from their physical self, either due to some subconscious or conscious belief in a metaphysical representation of the condition.
  • cantor_S_drug 1y ago
    I think this clip of Man of Steel did a very good job of showing how Autistic people get bombarded with sensory information. There are comments under the video claiming that this mirrors their experience. Man of Steel - The World's Too Big, Mom https://youtu.be/VcdFURryKjA https://youtu.be/VcdFURryKjA Zack Snyder described perfectly the ADHD/ Autistic experience growing up in one single scene. Intentionally or not. This movie made me feel less alone in this world. Superman helped me realize that wasn't a freak. I just perceived the world differently. Thank you Zack. I will forever be grateful for Man of Steel for many years to come
• SubiculumCode 1y ago
  Autism is not one thing.
• yreg 1y ago
  I think this is nice as it underlines how certain seemingly small things can feel incredibly disturbing to another individual (non-autistic one as well!) It seems like one of those games that I'm going to recall in various situations in the future. The ADHD modal is hilarious.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thank you I was quite proud of it. The popup topics are from various special interests of mine :)
    • ParetoOptimal 1y ago
      Yeah... you captured it very well. Another idea might be having it do a jarring transition to another topic, speed up a bit, go to another topic, etc. The snap back to "now it's time to give your morning standup update" hit hard btw :)
    • elcritch 1y ago
      It made me laugh as an ADHDer. Totally what it's like sometimes! Though it took me a second because the page was St Anthony IIRC. I'm Eastern Orthodox so for a second I was like "how did my ADHD-self open this here, wtf?!". Then I laughed once I got it.
    • mordae 1y ago
      ADHD is nothing like this. After returning from dayjob, you spend until past midnight on your pet project. For months. And then simply abandon it without a second thought.
• voodooEntity 1y ago
  Remove the medication part than this seems like a normal day in IT as a single man.
• ryandrake 1y ago
  Getting "old internet" vibes from this one. Good job. I'm not at all familiar with Autism, and I have no idea what "Masking" means at all, but every option I choose seems to lower that stat, to the point where I never make it to day 2. Is there a cheat sheet that lists the "correct" selections at each step?
  • dietr1ch 1y ago
    Masking is just acting in a way that you normally wouldn't, but have to. Think of a spy blending in avoiding to get caught, it's a conscious effort not to screw up and it takes more energy/willpower from you than not having to pretend to be someone else. I guess it gets harder the more different from yourself you have to act, like having an itch you can't scratch or will get "punished" somehow, damn.
    • chamomeal 1y ago
      Even just learning that there’s a word for this has kinda opened my eyes
  • giantrobot 1y ago
    Masking is someone suppressing their natural autistic behaviors. It's not even necessarily conscious but it takes a large toll on mental energy. Besides the energy required for the masking itself there's the compounding effect of setting unrealistic expectations in others. The better someone is at masking the more is expected of them which creates an even larger drain on mental energy.
    • kbelder 1y ago
      >Masking is someone suppressing their natural autistic behaviors. Well, masking is done by everybody, not just autists, but in this game it's used to refer to that specifically. Arguably autists have to do it more, or feel the exhaustion from it more strongly.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    > Getting "old internet" vibes from this one. Good job. Thank you. Neovim has radicalized my design sensibilities and I really miss the internet I used in the 90s as a kid. > I'm not at all familiar with Autism, and I have no idea what "Masking" means at all, but every option I choose seems to lower that stat, to the point where I never make it to day 2. Is there a cheat sheet that lists the "correct" selections at each step? I got a chuckle out of this because it's how I felt IRL for a long time. Especially "every option I choose seems to lower that stat" This is a good rundown https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behaviour/masking https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/behavio... No cheatsheet but I'll opensource the code in a few days when i clean it up a bit
• giantg2 1y ago
  "Since you've decided to not disclose your autism at work, you'll be raw dogging it today and every other day. This seems marginally better than the alternative of being potentially passed over for promtotions or raises." I was passed over without disclosure. When I did disclose, they tried to fire me. It would be great if they add a feature where you're told for a decade by peers, leads, and managers that you're at the next level, but never actually get there. Then they try firing you while the internal interviews give feedback about how you're likely overqualified for roles at your level. How's your mental health doing after that? The game should add a part about wanting to get hit by a bus during your commute so you cana avoid the torture.
  • immibis 1y ago
    Non-autistic people also get this. It's in your salarypayer's best interest to keep you thinking you're on the precipice of getting a raise (so you work harder), but without actually giving you one (so they don't have to pay up). This is just ordinary capitalist paperclip-maximization, and we need way more people to realize their employers are not their friends, and it's a simple exchange of money for work where at least one party employs people whose entire job is to shift the exchange rate in their favour while convincing you they aren't.
    • novemp 1y ago
      The difference, I think, is that non-autistic people aren't as inclined to believe the same lie when it's told over and over for years.
      • boogieknite 1y ago
        my personal experience is this is usually something i see well meaning religious people caught up in. when ive met autistic people in similar situations they have been vocally agitated and frustrated by it, which i would say is the first step in learning to work around it
    • tptacek 1y ago
      That's a Manichean perspective that probably applies in a lot of workplaces, but definitely doesn't uniformly apply to competitive software jobs. In a competitive software shop, your employer is probably motivated more by retention, churn, and motivation concerns than they are over whether they can hold on to the extra comp money it would cost to raise your level. Losing a performing developer is very expensive. I don't doubt at all that a lot of software developers have had the experience you describe, but when you describe it as intrinsic to the economics of commercial software development, I think you're bound to end up in some weird places.
• deepsun 1y ago
  Game just _assumes_ you drink coffee. That's a big decision, and I'd say coffee wears you down at least as much as everything else on the long run. Sure, short-term effects can be good, same as alcohol. Seriously. Skip coffee.
  • maleldil 1y ago
    Moderate consumption of coffee is fine. I'm not aware of any severe damage from drinking a cup a day. I don't think the comparison with alcohol is apt.
    • deepsun 1y ago
      Not for everybody on the spectrum. I certainly see the difference if I go a week with coffee and no coffee -- the weardown and overwhelming effects slowly accumulate with coffee. If the author feels overwhelmed, I'd say coffee should be tried first. It's not easy (caffeine addiction is real, especially for the spectrum), but it gets easier and easier with time.
• ammanley 1y ago
  I could hear the misophonia dialogue
• hartator 1y ago
  Is it possible to win? Most I was able to do is day 2. Probably realistic.
• throwhn43642 1y ago
  Yeah the modern workplace is a nightmare for me with all the get togethers and reasons to be forcefully happy about everything. I functioned reasonably well in places without all those shenanigans and the ability to work quietly. Or where they just happen once a year or something. Remote was a true game changer but it's not the same. Also I wonder about the meds part, I haven't been prescribed any despite getting a diagnosis But generally a cool idea, I like the graphics and how the energy inevitably goes down. I think it's more of a US office experience though
• kokey 1y ago
  I love it, I have been meaning to put together a similar simulation to demonstrate the effects of interruptions and context switches on developers. Something like the following: - a game or puzzle which requires working memory, like matching pairs or some puzzles that need a lot of working memory and/or flipping between screens - this gets interrupted by fullscreen interruptions of someone's face, and text asking questions, or announcing something, and you have to pick an answer or a reaction (multiple choice) - it could start with questions like 'hi, are you busy?' or 'can I ask you a question?' - answers which tries to end the conversation quickly could lead to even more demanding reactions or questions - interruptions stating there is an emergency can lead to a lot of questions and answers which then leads you to discover than it is in fact not an emergency - once one of these engagements finish you can return to the game and try to complete it - you'll get multiple interruptions like this - other interruptions can also flash up, like a notification that a meeting is due in x minutes - it could then have a short simulated meeting, perhaps just a line by line scroll of dialogue between others, where you need to say nothing - however, at some point someone will ask you directly about one of the items discussed, and you will be given a set of fairly ambiguous multiple choice answers which you will have to try out until you get to the 'correct' one - at the end of the meeting you return to the working memory task/game - this gets interrupted by someone then asking you about the action points in the meeting - return to the game - get notifications about the end of your work day coming up - more interruptions, etc.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    I will share the source code in a few days once it's cleaner. It'd be relatively easy to fork it and plug a new story into the code :)
    • beacon294 1y ago
      Would love an adhd one.
      • FuckButtons 1y ago
        I’m sure someone will build one, one of these days, when they get around to it...
• byte_0 1y ago
  Very nice game. Barely made it to getting to the office and receiving orders from a manager. I could completely relate to the "hot desk" experience, that's something that would irritate me. I do not claim to be in the spectrum, nor have any diagnosis to claim or reject it. Again, congratulations for the game and the feeling.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thank you! Hot desking is a nightmare regardless of if you're on the spectrum or now.
• tithos 1y ago
  If you've met on autistic person you have met exactly on autistic person. this is a fun idea and I like it. You're experience wont be the same as my.
• deleted 1y ago
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• deleted 1y ago
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• sim7c00 1y ago
  amazing. realistic too. i had a burnout after 2 moves
• p_ing 1y ago
  This is one audiovisual representation of Autism that some of us can relate to. https://psyche.co/videos/enter-the-sensory-world-of-an-overstimulated-autistic-mind https://psyche.co/videos/enter-the-sensory-world-of-an-overs...
• lq9AJ8yrfs 1y ago
  I tried this -- I am undiagnosed, but my kids are diagnosed. On one hand I thought parts over-dramatized, on the other hand I thought parts were watered down. Misophonia for me does not give me any choice. Either the noise stops or I am leaving. If necessary I will explain later. If the noise stops I am possibly leaving anyway in case it starts again. Fortunately in my case the trigger is pretty obscure, like nails on a chalkboard type of rarity -- people don't actually do that so often. The explanations I thought were dramatized. One of the challenges I think people with autism have is trying to explain their reactions and coming up with things that neurotypical people cannot relate to. It is more like reflexes. I'd be slack-jawed if my co-worker asked me to explain why my leg moved when the doctor hits my knee, "it just does that when you hit it that way", "probably something to do with ligaments, or tendons? IDK". Could you make an "undiagnosed" mode where your scores just go up and down? And the options -- when the people team came through at $bigcorp and announced tiny hotdesking, I filed all the necessary paperwork, gave constructive feedback, worked with my manager etc, but started looking for new work immediately and noped out at the first opportunity. The people team was happy to close the file which was growing fat with demerits like not hanging my coat the right way, but my peers and reports were upset. well done people team! This was at a company that professed to be supportive of neurodivergence.
  • ecshafer 1y ago
    I am not autistic in any way afaik, but "tiny hotdesking" sounds like a torture come up in the seventh circle of hell. > This was at a company that professed to be supportive of neurodivergence. No company is supportive of neurodivergence, if it actually causes a difference. They are supportive if your issue is you need to wear noise cancelling headphones, and they can put your photo on the careers page about how they support neurodivergence.
    • lq9AJ8yrfs 1y ago
      Something I am not quite able to compute is why they are so rigid. I paid for a house with enough rooms that I turned one into a generous office. My peers tell me my hobby productivity is off the charts. There is / was no price at which I could solve for an acceptable office environment at this company. At any company I have worked with or heard of. I get that there is back biting and intensive score-keeping, resentment etc, but the act of putting everything on a synchronized linear scale (with sub linear progression) seems cruel. Some people like tchotchkies, some people don't like those esoteric office snacks, some people like mouthwash and shoe polish and fancy towels in the restroom. Why gatekeep it all and shove the same exact bundle of goods down everyone's throats? If they were really minimaxing your next unit of work, this is not an optimal strategy. It's just lazy, a children's tale of how an office might be.
• rustystump 1y ago
  Sad that autism has become such a trend. I have a niece on the spectrum and it was obvious at a very young age luckily she is more high functioning now via years of therapy. No one wants to hear it but there is a vast difference between those on the spectrum and those not. I am in tech and i have never met anyone autistic. This is because the sad reality is that autism makes it that hard to hold down a job even if high functioning. It is grossly over exaggerated by many and used as an excuse. This is not saying anyone here does that but in media it is extremely common. This only makes it harder for those who do suffer from it. The majority of autism stereotypes are almost all on the high functioning side. Closer to the low functioning side, it is very sad.
  • bonoboTP 1y ago
    People are tired of being forced to do bullshit meaningless or net negative stuff, obey people they don't respect on a deeper level etc. People live in a way like captive animals in a zoo. Everything is urgent, the sky is falling, but all behind a glass screen. But the only vocabulary they have to express all this is therapy speak and mental health. So everyone has ADHD, autism, PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar and more. When it's often actually a lack of purpose, a lack of enduring value, being a standardized cog in a machine, ripped of context and roots, atomized, etc. But this is not valid vocabulary, we are modern people, we have chemical imbalances and not nonsense medieval concepts. Medical labels still have power even in a lifeless bureaucratic corporate HR hellscape. Medical diagnoses and credible claims of unsafe work environments. Anything else, they sleep. These two and they listen.
    • cardanome 1y ago
      > we have chemical imbalances and not nonsense medieval concepts That is not how the brain works. The whole chemical imbalances thing is a gross over-simplification. Honestly how it is used in pop science is often very analogues to the medieval theory of Humorism. > When it's often actually a lack of purpose, a lack of enduring value, being a standardized cog in a machine If you are subjected to an toxic environment it is a very healthy and good reaction to be unhappy about this. Yes, psychologist mostly focus on the individual. That is their job. They can't fix unemployment, alienation of labor and so on. Those are societal issues that need political solutions. However, this does not mean ADHD, autism, PTSD and so on are not real issues. If I lived in a perfect utopia, I would still have ADHD. If ADHD were made up, why do my genetic children also have a 40% chance of having ADHD? Why would that not be true if I adopted someone? These are real and disabling things that need specific treatment.
• pona-a 1y ago
  Have you heard of Depression Quest? It's a very similar idea: a text adventure about managing depression. It faced some controversy in its day. Do you think now is a better time for games like this?
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    I must have vaguely remembered it. I knew I had seen this idea before with some other thing but couldn't place it. What was the controversy?
    • weberer 1y ago
      https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/gamergate https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/gamergate
• zwaps 1y ago
  Wait, this isn’t normal?
• artur_makly 1y ago
  love the ADHD popup intrusion.
• FrustratedMonky 1y ago
  lol, failed immediately, you have to be honest
• boogieknite 1y ago
  not autistic but i also mask like crazy at work. my experience is its the default mode in consulting the first 2 years i had a sense that i needed to read between the lines in many conversations and asking for clarity on topics of budget, clients, and contracts was not done. to be clear: asking for details on requirements is completely normal and encouraged ive become competent at compartmentalizing after 5 years. ive offered unsolicited advice to my less socially aware coworkers which only lead to more confusion as they had not noticed things said "between the lines" and have almost no interest in clients i cant imagine having to mask through day-to-day life and a job which demands masking by people without disability. no wonder i didnt make it to dinner in the sim
• latexr 1y ago
  > To keep your job and avoid conflict, you must "mask." Masking means hiding your natural habits and feelings, while imitating the social behaviors that coworkers expect. Why do both eating a proper breakfast and skipping breakfast affect your masking negatively? No one is around, what difference does it make?
  • fmbb 1y ago
    Also, everyone has to mask at work.
    • ActorNightly 1y ago
      If you feel like this, you may be on the spectrum (not an insult btw). Masking for neuro typical people is very easy, even if emotionally draining. My wife is the perfect example - her personality is to be nice to everyone and to connect with people. A lot of times this leads to prolonged conversations with people, which then she complains about, but its basically like saying you are tired after going on a long bike ride - there is some enjoyment in the activity. Whereas for neuro-spicy people, masking is the equivalent of spilling seeds on the floor and having to pick up each one with tweezers to put them back. Its both exhausting and not enjoyable.
      • idiotsecant 1y ago
        Yes, it's performing tasks in software that most people perform in hardware.
      • gffrd 1y ago
        No, parent is right: everybody "masks" at work. Call it putting on a persona, playing a role, whatever - but as you said, it's less effortful for some than others.
        • ActorNightly 1y ago
          I wouldn't even say its less effort. Its a whole different kind of effort. A social neurotypical person willingly engages in interactions and "masks". A person on the spectrum only engages because they have to.
• semiinfinitely 1y ago
  > To keep your job and avoid conflict, you must "mask." Masking means hiding your natural habits and feelings, while imitating the social behaviors that coworkers expect. is this even autism specific?? ha
  • forinti 1y ago
    "I was ashamed of myself when I realised life was a costume party and I attended with my real face" ― Franz Kafka "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth" - Oscar Wilde
  • ocschwar 1y ago
    It's things like having a grating monotone, and having to pause before speaking and willing yourself to adopting the right tone for your state of mind and the effect you want to have on your audience. Every. Time. You. Speak. It's like being an actor, except the whole world is your stage, and you have to be conscious of your character, lines, and motivation, the entire time you're awake.
• fifilura 1y ago
  That desk thing hits a nerve as someone on the other side of it. It is not about "hot desk" but just not being able to see that some time you will need to reorganize how you sit. And not everyone will get the perfect spot. Is it really a thing for some people that you need to sit on the same place always? I was never sure how much it offended some people or if they were just being comfortable.
  • wingworks 1y ago
    > Is it really a thing for some people that you need to sit on the same place always? Yes, yes it is.
    • fifilura 1y ago
      Even though it affects the comfort of your colleagues? I was hoping for more information than that answer because i have heard that type of answer before.
      • wingworks 1y ago
        Sorry, thought someone else would chime in. But I've known people who need to sit in the same place. Doesn't need to be the "best" spot, just the same spot. Not all autistic people are like that. From my personal experience most can be flexible, they may have a preference (stronger than "normal" people) to xyz spot, but will sit elsewhere if it's already taken.
• sigfubar 1y ago
  I’ve learned so much, and it took only a few minutes. What a treat. I had no idea about masking, even though I’ve been doing it for as long as I remember being alive. Aaaah, it’s so draining. When I was younger (in my 20s) I used to think there’d come a time when I’d finally come out of my shell. I’m pushing 40 now, but the shell is only thicker, the cave deeper, the walls taller. Instead of dreaming that one day I’ll be “like everyone else”, I’m contemplating the day I’ll cease to exist. Funny.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Please talk to someone about it. Living with autism doesn't have to be horrible. Even if you can't change everything to fit right now you can always take small steps in the right direction. Eventually those steps add up to a better life.
• justonceokay 1y ago
  In my opinion the entire structure of scrum and sprints is structured to help people with autism and adhd. Most workplaces that produce creative output are much more focused on soft power, networking, and hard deadlines—things that really don’t work for the “au-dhd” crowd. It’s easy to remove the locus of control by saying “this environment wasn’t built for me” but do appreciate how much it actually /is/ created for you.
  • jurschreuder 1y ago
    If there was a fund to help remove sprints, scrum, Jira and standups I would donate to it. It's like a factory but the people are the machines. Probably many of the people who hate writing code for a PM at work, love working on their own open source project. And the difference is freedom.
    • footy 1y ago
      I wonder how much of this is company- or team-dependent. I don't mind sprints, but I also choose what to put on them myself with very rare (like twice-yearly, tops) requests from my manager. I don't have a PM.
      • bambambazooka 1y ago
        Scrum gives you (the team member) the power to decide what your commitment for the next sprint will be. If you have a manger, that decides this, or the PO decides this, IMO that’s a key problem of your scrum implementation.
    • SoftTalker 1y ago
      Why would you expect freedom at work? Employment is by definition working for someone else, so you are going to be working on their goals, not yours.
      • tikhonj 1y ago
        Working on somebody else's goals, and being systematically micromanaged are two very different things.
• ralusek 1y ago
  I woke up, didn't focus on self care, didn't take medication, and got fired immediately. That doesn't feel very realistic
• jmkni 1y ago
  The last game I want to play is "Me Simulator" Right off the bat, I don't do "self-care" in the morning and I don't eat breakfast, so I can't get past #1
• f0e4c2f7 1y ago
  I don't like the premise of this game. If you're autistic, don't mask. Live authentically as yourself and find people who love you for who you are. You'll annoy the hell out of some people, and thats fine. They can find other people to spend time with. You can probably find a good community where you are, and if not just move to SF which is something like the autism homeland. Being autistic there is valorized and even imitated in sort of amusing ways. Masking is a kind of hell, living someone else's life. Unmasking and living as yourself feels scary at first but the people who will love you that way can only find you if you live that way.
  • dfltr 1y ago
    > You'll annoy the hell out of some people, and thats fine. Some of those people sign my paycheck though.
  • idiotsecant 1y ago
    That's an interesting take. Most humans have a viscerally negative reaction to unmasked autistic behaviours, in the same way they might react to a strange spider. A mix of fear and disgust. You quite literally cannot build a life for yourself without masking unless you're already financially independent. Once you have enough power and F-U money, sure, go for it. In the meantime it's not really a realistic solution.
    • supportengineer 1y ago
      Spiders are good, especially in your house. They are eating something. Whatever they are eating, is worse than a spider.
      • dooglius 1y ago
        For example?
        • klausnrooster 1y ago
          Somewhat orthogonal, but if the spider is not a Brown Recluse (if you live where those are), then it is competition for them.
• shrx 1y ago
  I've just got fired for calling my mom.
• jakey_bakey 1y ago
  Lol my life is an autism simulator
• andy_ppp 1y ago
  Oh, am I autistic then? :-| Honestly I think everyone feels like this to some degree and most people are hiding their contempt for the structures at work.
  • deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
• idiotsecant 1y ago
  Wow this game gives me some serious anxiety, haha.
• darepublic 1y ago
  Love the aesthetics of this. Very cool. Love that its a game for web and just a really interesting choose your own adventure deal. As for the game itself, it seems a bit punishing / too pessimistic? I don't want to be insensitive but I don't think my choices would lead my character, who was maintaining a full time job for this long, to collapse at their desk midday and be fired.
• byearthithatius 1y ago
  "Masking" to me just sounds like being a person. I want to tell my boss fuck you, but I can't. So I say I am frustrated.
• rcarmo 1y ago
  Not enough meetings or e-mail.
• landl0rd 1y ago
  This is sort of silly. Everyone has to "mask" at work. I do not care if the HR lady tells you to "bring your whole self". Unless your whole self happens to be precisely what they want, it is a lie. And nobody is that conflict avoidant, fake-happy, and deeply committed to shareholder value while upholding the strongest standards of ethics and work ethic. This is a grind for pretty much everyone. To give you the other side, to someone extroverted and socially attuned, the fake nonsense is more grating and insulting than it is to you, I'd guess. Life is hard and everyone has his cross to bear.
• byearthithatius 1y ago
  [flagged]
  • senorrib 1y ago
    I had this exact thought the other day when I was in a convo with my wife about autism.
  • eurekin 1y ago
    Unfortunately being normal doesn't sell books, courses, consulting. Doesn't work well as a sales funnel.
  • refulgentis 1y ago
    Thanks for saying this. My sister was autistic, like, back in the 90s autistic, and it’s driving me insane to see this game passed off as some well thought out simulation. The scoring algorithm itself tells the story, literally everything is masking. This can be spun as “enlightening” if you’re looking to be educated, but it’s just not.
    • moc_was_wronged 1y ago
      [dead]
      • refulgentis 1y ago
        It’s not about having different triggers and issues, so much as flattening autism to being indistinguishable from, say, a depression simulator.
        • moc_was_wronged 1y ago
          [dead]
  • thr0waway001 1y ago
    It definitely feels like it. It has lost meaning for me as a normie. It’s the same thing with the word “depressed” . When I was in school in the ‘90s hardly anyone identified as such. These days, when I talk to my kid, and she tells me that so many people claim to be on the spectrum even though they seem ordinary. It’s hard to know what it means since it’s so broad.
• Glyptodon 1y ago
  A lot of the behaviors this seems to force I don't understand - like railroading whether to skip breakfast or not. I am well aware that for kids with autism frequently there are feeding issues, but what's going on in the "simulation" is very not clear to me. Similarly, I don't understand the decisions related to the driving environment: it appears to be a personal vehicle, surely you, as the owner, can make the interior environment something that's as close to personally comfortable as possible? Maybe I'm missing the takeaway from the driving decisions. Related, what is or isn't masking seems very confused. To begin with, it's not just code for "hiding or not hiding behaviors that appear socially irregular." But it's also not the case that deciding whether to participate in a non-working-hours event is or isn't masking in of itself. Presenting behavior in a socialized way when necessary is a skill that's harder (as I understand it) for those on the autism spectrum, but I don't think that makes every application equivalent to masking.
  • s777 1y ago
    > like railroading whether to skip breakfast or not. I can relate to this in that I barely have any energy in the mornings to do anything no matter how early I set my alarm, then end up skipping everything except the bare minimum to function, or maybe less depending on if I happen to have more energy that day.
    • timcobb 1y ago
      Is there a connection to autism there?
      • s777 1y ago
        Not sure, it's just my experience and I was diagnosed autistic at an early age
      • PaulHoule 1y ago
        Autism has become a culturally dominant force that's displaced other kinds of neurodiversity almost completely. All kinds of people have to "mask" aspects of themselves to get along. Black people have to talk white, Asian people have to present themselves in a way white people think is assertive. Gay people have to stay closeted. Just try academia when you grew up in a working class family. The "simulator" paradigm pretends to promote empathy but it actually does the opposite.
• INTPenis 1y ago
  It changes with age too. Like the first question I was presented with was 1. Take time for self-care, 2. Get straight to breakfast and work prep. Yeah in my 20s, and early 30s, I could eat breakfast while logging onto the computer and starting to work. But now in my 40s I take some time for self-care, not sure if it counts, but it's difficult to answer a question like that with either or. Decades on the computer has forced me to do Yoga every morning too. So it's not like I want to do it, I just realized that I have to. I lost when I went to a work outing instead of staying home, but I had RSVP'd to the outing. This is what the game doesn't cover, I never RSVP unless I can keep my word. Never commit!
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Similar experience here. I used to just be able to brute force mask and burn energy against the problem. Eventually it caught up with me.
• legitster 1y ago
  I guess I don't really understand "masking". I made all of the decisions I would make if I was feeling overstimulated. I scheduled the coffee date for later. I put on headphones to block out the noise. I turned down going to the charity thing. But then I lost because I was "masking too hard"? In my mind these decisions were literally the opposite - I was being honest about what the character wanted and was making space for myself. Is masking about faking interactions with other people? But nearly everything that I get dinged for about masking doesn't even involve others. Is it about hiding symptoms from others? Or from hiding things you don't like from yourself?
  • refulgentis 1y ago
    Replied a bit more on another comment, tl;dr this is a quite silly simulator that is not representative of autism and you’ve found the biggest tell (almost everything is masking by the scoring algorithm). You could replace it with an HP bar or Foobar bar and it’d have just as much meaning. I grew up taking care of my autistic sister and have a couple diagnoses of my own, I found it almost offensive that this claims to be representative of autism because of how generic and distanced it is (ex. “Masking” is collapsed down to being the same as “spoon” discourse with depression)
• senordevnyc 1y ago
  Hmm...I recognize the opening description well as someone who has ADHD. But honestly I don't know anyone who is neurotypical for whom the description wouldn't apply as well.
• languagehacker 1y ago
  Thanks, I hate it. Keep an eye out for Nathan Grayson sliding into your DMs though.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Will do - best ingest for DMs is my substack https://blog.drjoshcsimmons.com/ https://blog.drjoshcsimmons.com/
• estimator7292 1y ago
  Extremely disappointed about the amount of ableism in the comments. Yes, some kids these days pick the autism label when they probably shouldn't, but that does NOT mean you get to shit on actually disabled people Plenty of autistic people experience actual disability. And masking isn't just "what everyone does at work". Masking is a trauma response. Autistic people in genral have been abused for their 'abnormal' behavior to the point of being so traumatized that masking is not even a choice. They must hide for fear of further abuse and harassment. Abuse such as "everyone's a little autistic" and "that's not a disability" or "you just want attention" Making passing judgements on someone's disability that you clearly don't understand makes you a bigoted asshole. Stop it.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Thank you for saying this.
  • senordevnyc 1y ago
    Yes, some kids these days pick the autism label when they probably shouldn't, but that does NOT mean you get to shit on actually disabled people You shouldn't shit on anyone, but you do raise a good point: how do you know who the actually disabled people are? If some people who claim autism offer as evidence experiences that almost all neurotypical folks can relate to, people are going to be skeptical. You can call them bigoted assholes, but you're unlikely to shame anyone into suspending their skepticism.
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
  • asacrowflies 1y ago
    Hear!hear!
• BestHackerOnHN 1y ago
  [dead]
• sudohalt 1y ago
  can you migrate this off of vercel
• LouisSayers 1y ago
  On sounds - as a non autistic person but as someone with a good "audio memory", music and sounds especially in an office can absolutely get on my nerves. It's mostly the repetitiveness. Being able to hear songs in your head sounds great until you have the same one on repeat for days. This morning it's "the things we do for love". Not sure where that one came from. Also high pitched sounds (seagull deterers) or electricity buzzing. I learnt at a physics class at high school that I could hear higher pitches than other kids as well, although now that I'm older I've probably lost some of that.
• vpribish 1y ago
  ok, I went through it as a relatively normal software engineer (though i certainly can empathize with a lot of on-the-spectrum behavior in kind if not in intensity) - I have 3 takeaways. 1. Things that I brush off or bounce back from have a cumulative effect that leaves some autistic people 'in the red'. It affects them and sticks with them more than it does to me. 2. Options that are not at all realistic or sensible to me like 'not taking meds' - i would never consider skipping a prescription. several cases offered responding with formal processes and complaints that are wildly inappropriate for the offense. Are you showing that to an autistic person these terrible choices somehow seem to be viable? 3. This sample environment is over-the-top with caricatures of the worst sort of job activities populated by judgemental and sneering villains. Are you trying to show that to an autistic person they only see a day full of the very worst things - that they fixate on these problems and don't put them in context with the rest of the experience? An uncharitable person could take away that autistic people are fragile, make poor choices, and only see the worst in the people around them. Maybe this was more meant as a comic rant that autistic people could enjoy as a parody of their shared experiences? I'm not actually sure this is accomplishing what you want.
• mtlmtlmtlmtl 1y ago
  It's been long enough(about 7 years) since I worked in an environment like this that I've been seriously considering going back to it lately. I played one round of your game, and that was enough to make it completely obvious to me what a fucking terrible idea that is. Thank you for making this, I think you just saved me from flushing two years of personal progress down the toilet in the name of... What? Fucking business logic? I'll pass on that, I think, and keep improving my life on my own terms. And maybe address the question why, again and again, I keep finding ways to convince myself that this is what I want my life to be. No matter how many times it leads me to crash and burn and have to spend years picking up the pieces. Seriously, thank you. If I ever meet you, I will buy you a beverage to your liking, to go, so you can go home and enjoy it in peace. /g
• russellwolf 1y ago
  I love the idea of a tool to help people build empathy and better understand the experience of someone with autism. I wonder what this simulator would be like from the perspective of a young child going through school. Is that something that sounds interesting to you that you would consider creating? Thanks for sharing.
  • s777 1y ago
    If you're from a well off family, you can be oblivious to everything and still have what you need to live so in my experience things were a lot easier. For me once I became self-aware, it turned into a tradeoff of outgrowing sensory issues (i.e. fire drills being pure hell) and weird speech issues and learning social skills, with worse executive functioning and anxiety and energy and still not being socially proficient enough to not be some level of offputting, and now the social skills matter much more so it's a bigger obstacle even though I'm a lot better at them.
• peteybeachsand 1y ago
  you are advertising this in the wrong place
• ineedaj0b 1y ago
  [flagged]
• sleight42 1y ago
  Thank you! I sent this to my family so that they may get a clue!!!
• maxglute 1y ago
  So autism feels like meter managing survival games? Not saying to be dismissive, because I can see how stressful living like that is.
• nico 1y ago
  Amazing. Loved the ADHD interruption with the wikipedia page, spot on, and hilarious Really appreciate the effort you put into this and being vulnerable sharing your own personal experience so openly with us Thank you
• truelson 1y ago
  So, bigger and more important question here. How do I help neuro-divergent folks in a work environment? There's no one size fits all here, everyone is different, and not just on a spectrum sliding scale. How do I glean what is important for neuro-spicy individuals beyond "just ask?" Welcome thoughts on what has worked and what has not worked.
  • wizzwizz4 1y ago
    Create an environment where people feel safe requesting adjustments. (This is a general disability thing, not just a neurodivergence thing.) Nobody can tell you how to do that, because any public description of a reliable signal will be diluted by bad actors. (See also: signalling theory, euphemism treadmill.)
  • wheybags 1y ago
    Pay attention to people and try to be empathetic. Do this to everyone, not just those you suspect of being autistic. That's all anyone can ask of you, and it works. Autistic people aren't aliens - if you engage empathetically they will respond positively, like any other person.
    • dimal 1y ago
      This is the answer. I’m autistic and I don’t want anything for myself that I don’t also want for everyone else. All I want is to be treated like the individual human being that I am. I have specific things I’m good at and other things that are difficult or impossible for me. Other people have different abilities and challenges. Stop acting like there’s some “normal” that we all need to aspire to. No individual is normal.
  • imp0cat 1y ago
    Chew with your mouth closed. And no apples or other crunchy foods.
  • z3t4 1y ago
    This is generalisations and doesn't work as all autistic people are different, but I'll give some tips anyway. Let them do what they are good at and gives them motivation. Ask for their opinion, and you will likely get a straight answer. If it's a highly ambitious and motivated person you need to protect them from over-working. Protect them from internal politics and bullying. Also be a good example for social interactions and culture because they will do like you do, so better be nice and smile.
• Aardwolf 1y ago
  It's easy to get Energy or Masking to 0, but no matter what I tried I can't have the game end by getting Competence or Relationships to 0. Is it possible at all? I'm just curious what the ending texts will be for those... Even when clicking responses that seem like they should make relationship go down and energy up, like giving a minimal response, instead it makes energy go down a lot and relationships go up.
• cracki 1y ago
  I chose to skip breakfast. I am never hungry in the morning. I almost never have breakfast. I eat "late" the night before, like around 8-10 pm. Maybe that's bad? IDK. While the topic is eating, I hate lunch around noon on a workday because it disables my higher brain functions for a couple of hours. It is almost mandatory however because what else am I supposed to use that mandatory break for? Just vegging out? That's pointless. I'm not working construction, I don't need to rest my body, I'm doing screen work. What I need is them not riding my back about how I'm not always laser focused on the BS they have us do. My brain decides when I need to put work aside and think about things that aren't such tedium.
• HiPhish 1y ago
  > To keep your job and avoid conflict, you must "mask." Masking means hiding your natural habits and feelings, while imitating the social behaviors that coworkers expect. Isn't that just part of everyday life as a grown-up?
  • integralid 1y ago
    For some people it comes easier than for others. I personally don't feel like I mask all the time, only sometimes when I want to tell my colleague that he's a moron, but I don't.
  • crooked-v 1y ago
    Yes, but it's more intense for people who find eye contact distracting or outright unpleasant on a visceral level, or who are suppresssing stimming urges that a 'normal' person doesn't experience in the first place.
  • Bjartr 1y ago
    Some people find this process intuitive to the point they don't realize they're doing it, and others have to be actively thinking about it or it doesn't happen at all. Those with autism are more likely to tend towards the latter.
  • 98codes 1y ago
    This seems in the same direction as "doesn't everyone get sad?" for folks with depression. It's not a matter of this not being an experience for others, as much as it is how much energy it takes to get through it. "Energy" in this case as a stand-in for willpower, for emotional regulation, for actual physical energy.
  • zer00eyz 1y ago
    > Isn't that just part of everyday life as a grown-up? Yes it is. The question isn't if you mask, it's what you are masking and to what extent. There is a big difference between having sense enough not to wear your favorite gimp suit to work and not knowing how to make small talk and have to do it as performance everyday when you are at work.
• hairypitts 1y ago
  Autism is not atypical but normal evolutionary marker for higher intelligence: https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/42/9/msaf189/8245036 https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article/42/9/msaf189/8245036 "Story mode" thinkers should be considered atypical, detached from reality, IMO. Coworkers convinced the political prison of job culture is just and honorific, for example.
• wingworks 1y ago
  I like the bit about the rattling hvac or whatever. Years ago before I knew I was on the spectrum, the A/C system in the office I worked at was noisy (to me), and barely worked in the summer. Nobody seemed to notice or care. The noise was distracting to me so to complained, after a long while they eventually got someone in... but they just put in a really noisy fan in the office close'ish to our desk. They didn't fix it the extra fan did nothing, it couldn't pull more air then it was given.. obv.. so then I had even more noise and the A/C system still didn't work. I gave up trying to get it improved, and worked with headphones most of the time. No one else finds it an issue. At the end of the day when staying late and the A/C systems turns off, I can feel a huge load lifted of my shoulders, and I can think much clearer. Also the lights are horrible, if I'm working alone in the weekend I'll leave them off, it's so much nicer, less harsh. But again I seem the only one who noticed and is affected by it. I eventually got so burnt out, crashed and quit... have been unemployed for... many many years now. Hard to say why I couldn't another job. I think maybe PTSD of my (first) and last experience, along with intense anxiety to just start. (interviewing is a painful experience, not only do I have to answer and ask questions, but need to fake eye contact, make small talk etc, all to get a job I'll probably have to bail out of. I've tried to do some self-employed stuff, but nothing has given much income. (living with parents, I feel terrible about it, but no idea how to escape my living hell)
• tempaccountabcd 1y ago
  [dead]
• bentt 1y ago
  I’ve had a rough week. Clicked on this from the couch while screwing off work, Game of Thrones on the TV. Had to laugh.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Great minds think alike.
    • Becky2412 1y ago
      [dead]
• k2052 1y ago
  Scrolling through the comments and noticed that they are a pretty good autism simulator for working in tech with autism. The entire cast of typical characters is represented. - guy that thinks everyone has the tism and the spectrum is everyone - this guy has more trouble reading the room than anyone. but it is the lack of empathy and not autism - guy that thinks everything is a microaggression towards his autism and ironically makes it harder for other autists - guy with probable schizoid personality disorder that thinks struggling with people and social issues is just life because everyone is stupid and annoying - guy who read Bad Therapy once and now thinks autism is a tiktok trend - insufferable fedora guy that thinks psych is unscientific - probably secretly has severe depression and is making it everyone else's problem by being a jerk. whenever called out 4 being jerk blames the autism he probably doesn't actually have - guy who thinks the solution is just be yourself - guy with trauma from being themselves landing them on a PIP A primary problem in tech is how everyone is seriously lacking in social skills and empathy. This is exhausting for autists and everyone. The real autism simulator is just existing in tech.
  • joshcsimmons 1y ago
    Extremely well put. Probably best comment on this post.
• macinjosh 1y ago
  Not sure about this. I am high functioning autistic. It ended my game because I called my mom and that was somehow overly taxing. I call my parents and sibling sometimes when I feel drained emotionally. Not everyone hates communicating with their family.
• septimus111 1y ago
  Thank you for sharing your experience.
• xvector 1y ago
  Energy burnout isn't real. No one collapses at their desk cause they skipped breakfast and had to give an update in standup. Unless you're super hypoglycemic I guess.
• fnord77 1y ago
  My idea of self care is trolling reddit. Suggestion: rather than hard coded choices, allow free-form input and use an LLM to convert that into a metric
• unconed 1y ago
  Changes in mood result from changes in behavior. If you don't feel like doing something you know is good for you, do it anyway. You'll feel better afterwards.
• ianberdin 1y ago
  For me, life is not living, but fighting “bad” behavior every day, which gravitate me easily towards sun. I even build a custom AI therapy tool for myself.
  • cindyllm 1y ago
    [dead]
• fullshark 1y ago
  [flagged]
  • tailspin2019 1y ago
    “Get up out of that wheelchair and stop being lazy! You’re an adult!”
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    • asacrowflies 1y ago
      Excellent counter lol
  • dimal 1y ago
    While everyone deals with some version of these issues, what you’re missing is the scale and quantity of these issues for autistic people. Would you want to work in an office that smelled like rotting garbage, loud distracting music was constantly playing, and strobe lights randomly flashed in your eyes? This might get you close to what it’s like for me to work in an open office. I can often smell the people around me. Generally, they don’t smell good. I can often hear conversations that are on the other side of the office. (Have you ever tried to add up numbers while someone else says other random numbers at you? It’s like that.) When people walk past my field of vision, I can’t focus on my screen. When I try to tune out all of these distractions, it consumes a lot of energy. Doing it hour after hour, day after day would leave me depleted, exhausted, unable to focus. I’d be unable to do the work that I was hired to do. How is that reasonable?
    • rrrhys 1y ago
      > I can often smell the people around me. Generally, they don’t smell good. I can often hear conversations that are on the other side of the office. (Have you ever tried to add up numbers while someone else says other random numbers at you? It’s like that.) When people walk past my field of vision, I can’t focus on my screen. When I try to tune out all of these distractions, it consumes a lot of energy. Doing it hour after hour, day after day would leave me depleted, exhausted, unable to focus. I always just thought putting up with this was what I got paid for. Like isn't this why working on-site sucks?
• jccalhoun 1y ago
  "A PM appears at your desk with an urgent ask that lacks acceptance criteria. " I don't know what this means and I don't understand the first choice: Open a template and force crisp AC: "Given/When/Then"
  • disillusioned 1y ago
    Generally speaking, a lot of firms follow best practice where "issues"/"tasks"/"stories" are written (by a Product Manager, or PM) to include both a prescriptive request as well as a list of acceptance criteria that can be checked off to act as a mutually understood list of requirements for that issue to be considered complete. The "given/when/then" model is basically, "given this circumstance, when the following occurs, the following behavior is observed" as a framing device for building ACs, though not everyone uses that.
• dzink 1y ago
  You should allow people to pick more options to resolve the issues. If energy is low, enable a nap, or food, or some other way to replenish, instead of “watching tv”.
• m348e912 1y ago
  Have any HN autists here had any luck with Folinic acid as an adult relieving some of the aspects of the condition? Leucovorin, a prescription/medical form of Folinic acid, was mentioned recently by RFK Jr./HHS as an effective treatment for some forms of childhood autism. Politics aside, I recently saw some anecdotal cases of marked immediate improvement in young children. https://www.tiktok.com/@cassie.hudgins/video/7556018510166592799 https://www.tiktok.com/@cassie.hudgins/video/755601851016659... Has anyone tried the over-the-counter version as an adult? The over-the-counter version which seems to be basically the same compound as Leucovorin, just not produced in a medical setting and exacting medical standards. PS, please don't just downvote, reply to the comment instead with your objection or correction to what I wrote (if you have one)
• gtirloni 1y ago
  I find it amazing how some people here lack the empathy to understand this is the author's personal experience and that they feel entitled to cosplay the confused person thinking all of this is absurd and makes no sense from their point of view.
  • awithrow 1y ago
    How do you tell someone earnestly asking vs "cosplaying the confused person"?
    • gtirloni 1y ago
      By their costume, of course.
  • rmwaite 1y ago
    “You can’t tell people anything” I read this on a blog article a long time ago and I’m constantly reminded of it. This gives me that same feeling where someone is attempting to give some insight into their POV (precisely /because/ it’s alien to so many) and the responses (well, some of them) miss this point entirely.
  • sherburt3 1y ago
    I think you can have empathy for their situation and also recognize the gluttonous amount of self pity in this.
  • graublau 1y ago
    It's all so tiresome. I find it amazing people are not as tired of adult make-believe.
• atleastoptimal 1y ago
  This just seems like "burnout" simulator. What makes it unique to having autism vs being overworked in a job you hate in an alienating urban environment not congenial to human thriving? Everyone would rather be cozy on the couch under a warm blanket than wake up at 6:30AM every day before commuting to type meaningless stuff at a computer desk, be exposed to a sensory environment that is far from ideal, and converse with people they would never associate with if they didn't have to. The experience of the wage worker is a universally reviled existence that is far from a unique plight afflicting those with high-functioning autism. Is the implication that someone without autism could deal with all these stressors effortlessly with no need to think or put any effort in?
  • anonwebguy 1y ago
    I answered this as somebody with 20+ years in this industry. I burned out instantly. I had my wife do it, as a stay at home wife. She still burned out and has no reason too. She made it 6 questions. She said she wouldn't have chosen half of the optional questions. I'm burned out. She's burnt out from the quiz. I'm going to take a PTO Friday.
  • movpasd 1y ago
    Everyone's different. Some people genuinely thrive under the conditions you're describing, others don't like it but are able to put up with it no problem, and others can't stand it but are forced to. The perspective I've found most useful is this. There is a constellation of correlated "autistic traits", which everyone has to a degree, but which like most traits become disabling if turned up too much. "Autism" is a term describing that state. So, it is much less a particular switch that can be turned on or off, not even a slider between "not autistic" and "very autistic", but more a blurry region at the outskirts of the multidimensional bell curve of the human experience. People on the furthermost reaches of this space are seriously, unambiguously disabled, by any definition. They're what people traditionally imagine as "autistic". But the movement in psychiatry has been to loosen diagnostic criteria to better capture the grey areas. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is a social question, not a scientific one, in my opinion. Most of us want to live in a society that supports disabled people, but how many resources to allocate to that is a difficult question where our human instincts seem to clash with the reality of living in a modern society. On your last paragraph: I think this is a serious problem with the discourse around neuroatypicality today. My opinion is that the important thing is that we become more accepting and aware of the diversity of the human experience, and that this is a necessary social force to balance the constant regression to the mean imposed by modernity. If that's the case, then drawing a border around any category of person, staking a territorial claim to a pattern of difficulty the group experiences, and refusing to accept that the pattern exists beyond it: it's just unfair, it's giving into defensiveness.
• jbrooks84 1y ago
  Burned out in record time lol
• analog8374 1y ago
  brekky : A handful of raw pumpkin seeds, a banana and (premade) coffee. How hard is that?
• analog8374 1y ago
  Fuck masking.
• TJSomething 1y ago
  I played one day and I had to quit because it was stressing me out too much. Good job!
• amplify-backup 1y ago
  Based on this simulator, I have concluded that most of "autism" is just a pathologization of normal human personality characteristics which are simply not well aligned with the expectations of the culture which presently dominates. For example, sensitivity to background noise is an extremely normal thing which is strongly correlated with intelligence. Similarly, the tendency to get caught up in learning about interesting things instead of paying attention to boring things. This is just another sign of intelligence. Another example: I also have to "mask" in social situations, and I find it exhausting. But it is only exhausting in the presence of alien people who expect alien behavior. If I am around my own people, or if I have enough power to simply defy expectations and behave normally, then there is no exhaustion. If people like me were in control, then "normal" people would have to mask, and they would find it exhausting. So, there is no "disorder" here. You are just an intelligent person who lives in enemy territory, and who struggles to conform to their expectations, which are completely alien to your nature. Conclusion. If you are struggling with "autism", the solution is to band together and seek power.
  • amplify-backup 1y ago
    Also, stop medicating yourselves.
• gnarlouse 1y ago
  I’ll have you know, I took the Quatum mechanics ADHD interlude VERY PERSONALLY.
• deevus 1y ago
  I don't have an official diagnosis, but I have markers for ADHD and Autism as suggested by a professional. It's quite expensive to pursue these as an adult, so I haven't done it yet. That being said, I found several of these situations triggering. I am definitely a high masking ND, so I can deal with much more than what this game allows. 40 y/o. Often skips breakfast. Puts in AirPods on noise-cancellation mode with nothing playing. Wakes up at 2am with a song repeating in my head making it so I can't sleep.
• raspasov 1y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_autism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_autism Interesting to read about the origin of the term.
• paraxion 1y ago
  I think a thing a lot of people are missing in the comments - which OP even mentions in the description above - is that this simulates their experience, not every experience. It's like the oft-repeated mantra "if you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person". For one person, maybe both eating and skipping breakfast aren't great choices - sometimes there aren't any good choices. You're either dealing with a caloric defecit and you're going to risk doing something that'll make you stand out - ie: unmasking - or you're doing something that doesn't feel good at the time, and will sap your immediate energy. It might be as simple as 'eating breakfast gives me time which I'll unwisely use for circular thinking or stressing'. For me, even though I didn't personally relate to a lot of the situations and experiences - not a software dev, working for a small company that knows and supports my neurodiversity - the overall feel had just enough familiarity for me to go "yep", and it actually got me thinking about my own choices and self-care, on a day where I'd been beating myself up about things outside my control. Good work, OP.
• webprofusion 1y ago
  I'll be honest, it feels a bit whiney. Many of us in tech are somewhere on the spectrum, but owning your problems is the first step to handling them and this doesn't feel like that, it feels more like blaming the diagnosis.
  • Aeglaecia 1y ago
    "blaming external factors for your situation inherently diminishes your sense of your own power, even when external factors are actually to blame" - some redditor i wonder how a slave would react to the idea of autistic burnout ... isn't 'masking' just a way of shifting blame by juvenilizing impulse control ?
    • mayhemducks 1y ago
      I cannot understand this sentence: " isn't 'masking' just a way of shifting blame by juvenilizing impulse control ?" shifting the blame of what? what is being juvenilized? Impulse control? How does masking make or keep young or youthful; or arrest the development of Impulse control? The whole point of masking is to try to hide things that others would find socially uncomfortable or inappropriate for the context. Masking is the continuous effort you pour in to maintaining decorum and professionalism. And I have worked for many bosses, managers, and clients who have utterly failed at both on several occasions, but nobody would call their behavior some sort of failure in impulse control. That would only happen for people with less authority and influence.
  • lemonlearnings 1y ago
    Half true, Half snuffing out lamps to trick you.
  • kovek 1y ago
    > a bit whiney > owning your problems What do you mean? That makes me think about how people react to others having depression symptoms, saying that they should "just" get better... The best course of action is to ask for help.
    • 1y ago
• robrenaud 1y ago
  My biggest insight on my (self diagnosed, high functioning) Autism. For most people, the golden rule works. Treat other people as you want to be treated, and modulo rare interactions with asshole people, you get along well. For autistic people interacting with most non-autistic people, you've got to use the diamond rule. Treat other people as they want to be treated. I love when people just straight up tell me directly that I am wrong because of X and Y. Give me Crocker's rules. This works very poorly in most situations, however. My superpower is offending people by telling them my (readily correctible) perception of the truth.
  • whatsupdog 1y ago
    > Treat other people as you want to be treated I want to be left alone, and when I do that to others (leave them alone) they think I'm arrogant.
  • dankwizard 1y ago
    Wouldn't be an autism thread without all the self diagnosers coming out to throw in their two cents.
    • egoisticalgoat 1y ago
      Would you instead like to have a conversation about the costs and difficulties associated with getting an autism diagnosis as an adult?
      • phito 1y ago
        Not to mention the risks of being on a list.
        • egoisticalgoat 1y ago
          True, as someone whose country of origin just this year had debates about registries for mentally ill people, i feel like i should've added that point as well, thanks
• pfooti 1y ago
  This is also fascinating from the perspective of me, someone who is autistic and open about it at work. My work collaboration profile comes out and says "I'm autistic", and sets out a few things to know. When I hit the workspace rearrangement event I felt it in my bones, since my employer did that. However because I have a doctor's note about my noise and light sensitivity, they were able to accommodate me with a dedicated desk in a quieter area. It isn't the quietest, and I still get shuffled around, but I get to preview the new location and pick the best spot for my sensitivities each time I've moved. So in my case, being open with my management (and reports) about my autism has been a very helpful thing.
• Babkock 1y ago
  It's not perfect, but considering all the bullshit and misinformation out there about autism spectrum disorder, it's a step in the right direction. I'm sure all of the other autistic people will tell you why it sucks, why it's not good, and nitpick and criticize, but it's fun, it looks cool, and it's decent media representation for a marginalized community that has almost no real representation in media. I don't really like how the goal is to just be a productive worker and exist in society that works against you in every way? There should be more than 4 meters under "Stats", and one of them is just labeled "???" and goes to 0 for no reason.
• holysoles 1y ago
  This was great and a really unique idea. In thinking about sharing it with people who don't have a dev background, changing some of the situational descriptions could be helpful: "vendor kickoff", "standup", etc
• dailyfin 1y ago
  I found the “masking” meter the most interesting—and contentious—design choice. It seems to bundle two different phenomena: the active effort of conforming (costly even alone, via internalized norms) and the risk of social detection. That may explain why self-care choices can still deplete masking in private, which confused many. Two ideas that might deepen the simulation without adding complexity: - Make the intent explicit by labeling masking as “conformity effort” (with a short tooltip), and split “detection risk” into a separate, slower-moving gauge that mostly changes in social contexts. - Offer a couple of selectable “profiles” (e.g., sensory sensitivity high/low, ADHD comorbid/not) so players see how the same day plays out differently. As you open-source it, a “debug view” showing the per-choice deltas and rationale would also help neurotypical players connect the dots. Would you consider parameterizing those profiles so the community can contribute balanced variants?
• t1234s 1y ago
  This game is hard to win at. The poverty simulator was easier: https://playspent.org https://playspent.org
• lazy_afternoons 1y ago
  This is pretty interesting. I wonder why in my 30 years of lived experience (in India), I never met or heard of anyone being autistic or needing meds for mental health, even amongst the software engineers. But this seems to be fairly prevalent in the US. It might be under diagnosis but medical services and pharma are extremely cheap and fairly competent, at least for the engineers. May be they don't openly talk about it due to stigma. I can't imagine what they would go through here, it's a extremely social culture where you are socially forced into group festivals, gatherings and frequent visits from relatives.
  • jgilias 1y ago
    It might as well be that the prevalence differs between different populations.
  • delis-thumbs-7e 1y ago
    Nobody in India has mental health problems. Yep. That checks out. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10438407/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10438407/
• alex77456 1y ago
  Would you consider making a version/mode with resulting effects disclosed before the choice? I feel like that would make the whole experience smoother and more illustrative.
• neverkn0wsb357 1y ago
  The comments in the threads are interesting. A surprising amount of people are saying they don’t get it. I can shed light into the food thing (I don’t think of myself as autistic but the people around me do, my kid is diagnosed - I was the last one to clue in “that’s just being a kid” I would say); so food, making yourself a proper breakfast is self-care, and self care takes energy. Making yourself breakfast is a lot of work, so you do it and it eats your energy, or you don’t do it and you feel shittier later because you didn’t eat. It’s a shitty catch-22. And some days you’re tired from the day before; I love that the sim carried over the energy levels from the day before because sleep does help but there’s no real reset, the day before carries into the next day so you’ll be like “I know I should make myself food, but I’m exhausted” so you avoid it and it turns out worse, or you do it and now you’re tired for the next task.
• lemonlearnings 1y ago
  Seems like a ME/CFS simulation too. Well done.
• flippantHippo 1y ago
  So interesting to me how many comments here, which are intended to be critques of the game, unknowingly end up giving insights into the autistic experience. I'm not sure if this is intentional, but there's some elegance in how that's played out. - I don't like the choices given - Why did both options, make my x score drop? - I don't understand how this game is scored - I don't agree with how this game is scored - That's not what masking is/everybody has to do that In my experience at least, these are the responses to the real world that are at the centre of autism - especially for those undiagnosed / late-diagnosed. Why don't I understand this thing that everyone else seems to, and nobody understands this thing that I've clearly explained 3 times now? Why is x that is so easy for everyone else so hard for me? I don't understand what I did wrong. Games like this are never going to be perfect simulations of even a single person's experience, but are great for demonstrating that others might not experience the world in the same way as you. And the more people understand that, the more empathy and less conflict there will be in the world.
  • spiralcoaster 1y ago
    Perfect. So if I'm understanding you correctly, I can throw together a game with arbitrary/irritating rules that many people won't like, and I'll just call it an autism simulator.
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
  • delis-thumbs-7e 1y ago
    I think the point of the game is that it is almost impossible (the character is already at the end of the rope in the beginning, surprisingly realistic, since I been there), showing how hostile and random the corporate office jobs are - for anybody, but especially if you have any type of disabling factor. But instead people complain ”But it is not a fun game :cry:”. Sigh.
    • Dylan16807 1y ago
      If people aren't expecting an "end of the rope" simulator then it's reasonable if they get confused and object to how decisions are working out. It's not your strawman about funness.
• MrHorsetoast 1y ago
  I, for one, thought it was a fun game. I can’t speak to the authenticity, but I appreciated the concept and the retro interface.
• fblp 1y ago
  I got home, chose to call my mom and then immediately got fired at work because I had run out of masking points :(
• willio58 1y ago
  This was awesome, mainly because the paths I could choose were real things I might do. So relevant to my life. And I’m not taking the stats too seriously as it seems so many others are, which is almost comical given the topic. Thank you!
• tpoacher 1y ago
  > Energy Burnout: You collapse at your desk [...] HR schedules a 'wellness check' but the writing is on the wall. You're fired. Congratulations! You've successfully burned out in record time. The HR department will be in touch about your "performance improvement plan." To be fair, this doesn't scream autism, it screams abusive employer. Given the workday that was described, I'd have been out of energy too. If anything, if you've disclosed autism as a disability, it would be harder for them to fire you, especially if they failed to provide "reasonable adjustments". Reminds me of the the old quote: "before you diagnose yourself with depression, make sure you're not in fact surrounded by assholes".
• amai 1y ago
  Staying in home office is not possible? Then you should really switch your employer, especially if you think your on the spectrum. It is not 201x anymore.
• qwertytyyuu 1y ago
  Hey! that wikipedia article was interetsing don't close it for me!
• egoisticalgoat 1y ago
  Kudos, this was a lot of fun to experience my own autism from an outside perspective for once, haha Made it to day two without issues, then crashed on energy. Didn't crash on masking like a lot of others, guess i'm too used to doing that.
• Sweepi 1y ago
  Continuity bug: I was done with work, back at home, decided to call mom back - and then fell asleep at the office desk?!
• kaelyx 1y ago
  Choosing autism speaks as a place for support and advocacy is an interested and, in my opinion, a short-sighted choice. They don't hold a strong track record or convey an image of trust towards the ND community. Even when they tried to improve their brand image, their funding mostly going into advertisement and their current choices such as comparing Autism to Cancer and stating that it is a hopeless condition (At least changing away from the autism is curable stance they had) are less than ideal.
• makerofthings 1y ago
  I wanted to like this but it doesn’t reflect my experience in the uk or that of close family members. It seems to be some sort of burnout simulator?
• l___l 1y ago
  Does it ever go beyond the second day? I tried many options but it goes from energy 73 to burnout in one step. Some of the options don't show at all, I get a blank screen. Coming from Tor.
• nullbyte808 1y ago
  Wow fired on the second prompt... "Energy Burnout: You collapse at your desk, your body desperately trying to atone for days of fragmented sleep. As the waves of deep, restorative, dreamless sleep wash over you, you're roused by a gentle shake. It's 2AM and security has found you asleep at your desk. HR schedules a 'wellness check' but the writing is on the wall. You're fired. Congratulations! You've successfully burned out in record time. The HR department will be in touch about your "performance improvement plan."
  • crnkofe 1y ago
    I survived one day. Feels accurate. I don't get why there are so many serious comments around this game. Its not rocket science. We often make fun of autism in the team, its just a nice way to chew the fat in the modern workplace.
• angch 1y ago
  If there isn't a way to get pass more than a few days, regardless of any choices made, the one lesson simulator is giving is "there's no way an autistic developer can last a few days without burning out". Or from a coworker's perspective: "my coworker is struggling, but there's nothing I can do to prevent burn out in my coworker". Perhaps tune the choices, and the effects to have a net neutral bonus and penalties to have a longer gameplay loop. Having random weights to the actions might work as well.
• theasisa 1y ago
  I am AuDHD and this is 80% my experience. I saw this post in the morning pondering if I call in sick or work because of insomnia and being unable to have the energy. I commute to work by train and even though I have great headphones and listen to music on Spotify some mornings it just crackles in my ears. The audio is fine, but I'm extra sensitive sometimes. At the office people are sometimes very loud. They are excited and having fun but when it goes over my sensory limit (which varies a lot) I become unable to do anything. Ears crackling with headphones means I can't shut their noise out either. And we're supposed to be social at the office but they talk about stuff I don't know what to say about. When I get home I am beyond exhausted. Can't sleep because of anxiety or adrenaline or something. I just zombie out streaming series or movies while reading Hacker News, Reddit or Bluesky. I promise myself I'll go to sleep early but if I do I can't fall asleep until 2-4am. If I stay up until 1am I have better chance of falling asleep faster. Weekends are spent catching up with sleep, wanting to tidy up and do side projects as well as gaming but most times I spend half the day in bed and then stay up gaming or something because it is my time and I want to do the fun stuff. Rince and repeat unless I get lucky and catch 10 to 12 hours of sleep. I'm a 47 year old female principal engineer. I feel like I'm just drifting through the days and months. But I do live my work, the people and challenges. I just wish I could deal with everything better. Thanks for making this game.
  • instakill 1y ago
    are you me? are we definitely autistic together? should I go see a shrink?
    • freehorse 1y ago
      Nice to meet you me and me
  • klohto 1y ago
    based on my experience im going to assume you don’t keep the strict 8 hours maximum and also work at home. you need more boundaries, that helped me a bit
    • 1y ago
• jwmoz 1y ago
  Don't really understand how this is meant to work. I burned out. Am I autistic?
• lorentzoh 1y ago
  I called mom back because she left 3 voicemails, and it took so much energy, that I lost. What's so bad about calling your mom back?
  • Minor49er 1y ago
    I did the same thing and lost a ton of energy and masking. Maybe Mom is a boss character in this game
• SwtCyber 1y ago
  I hope tools like this help normalize conversations around neurodiversity. If nothing else, it reminds me to be slower to judge and quicker to offer flexibility where I can
• lupire 1y ago
  I'm not interested in "raw dogging" your game, "champ".
• krageon 1y ago
  On a more meta level I found the game quite satisfying to play because it captures the essence well and went into the comments expecting to see a little empathy for different modes of thinking. Very much for a change. Instead it's long threads of neurotypical people insisting to "just fix it" with "this one tip" or aggressively misunderstanding everything and saying it's nonsense. It's hilarious in the sense that this too is part of a daily experience and alienation, but it's really depressing and tiring to see that even when hands are held people are still shitheads about it. Why is this the case? I genuinely don't understand why everyone can't take a deep breath and figure out that the obvious has been tried, doesn't work and therefore isn't useful? That maybe people deserve a little patience and understanding, instead of yet more pushy bad attitude?
• ripped_britches 1y ago
  HN’s response: “As someone neurotypical, I think this is completely wrong” Honestly I appreciated the one comment from someone with autism and everyone else complaining just seems like they think they know everything. One commenter even called it whiney!
  • graublau 1y ago
    Do you honestly think in the future, Gen Z and Alpha have demonstrated any willingness continue the childish "neurotypical" LARP?
• mglazebrook 1y ago
  This is a fun way to try and experience for just a second what it is like to be on the spectrum. I think a lot more people are (including myself) than people even realize. It can really effect our sense of normal and how we go about our day. thanks for making this!
• psram1986 1y ago
  try vagus nerve stimulation yoga. kegel with diaphragmatic breathing whenever you get anxious. and limit cortisol inducing food/drink. coffee/tea/meat. sweets are okay if they make your cortisol lower but moderation is key. also eat all meals of the day. and listen to gamma waves music at work. and sleep in a room with open shades so you wake up at sunlight. these steps will ensure your body actively tries to be in the parasympathetic instead of sympathetic. side effects.. bladder and bowel might become a little bit overactive but that is okay as you r strengthening the pelvic floor.
  • psram1986 1y ago
    also replace coffee with decaf if possible or the one with chicory and milk to reduce caffeine but still give you the taste.
• ajkjk 1y ago
  I can't shake the feeling that the whole ontology here is subtly-yet-totally wrong. Sure: all of the symptoms and conditions here are real; the characterization of the conditions is true; the categorization of people into "those who have this condition" and "those who don't" (or as a gradation) is true. Even the "essentialization" of it, the idea that these people can't change the way they are, that's mostly true also. And yet... it's all wrong somehow. Something about this model misses the entire nature of what's going on, and thinking in this way makes it impossible to fix it, and this sort of logic is making everything worse in some fundamental way. One reason I believe this is that my own experience is that I go into and out of this state. When I'm unhappy and unfulfilled, I find that I can't adapt to new information, and noises stress me out, and getting through the day is draining, and being around other people requires masking. When life is going better, everything seems more manageable, when I'm able to relax... all the symptoms subside again. But the state where the symptoms are real can last for months or years, because it's so hard to find the path out. It is like the feeling of being in a relationship that's not going well but not so badly that you've found a justification for breaking up. Your whole mind shuts down and you can't put your finger on why... but then later, after a breakup, or maybe some time later, you wake up and realize that that wasn't actually you; you were sick somehow, starved of something essential to being yourself and unable to perceive what was going on. The world feeling "hopeless" induces this in me, and I think everyone around me also. More political polarization; more people seeming disconnected or unempathetic; urban ennui and disenchantment and corporatization---these all make it worse. It feels impossible for some people to grow and change in a world that feels rigid instead of fluid; that expects them to already "be there" and judge them or react with confusion to them if they're not. Whereas a dynamic environment, where people are curious about each other, where they show compassion and empathy to new people or any one who is struggling... that seems to allow them to open up and change and grow. "Essentializing" this condition is harmful: you are not essentially broken; you are broken vis-á-vis the world around you, but it can be due to problems with the world instead of you. Actually there is something very very wrong with how the world works. People and institutions and norms are supposed to set up an environment in which nobody feels like this, but they don't, so everyone is "sick". I like to call this "The Virus". The Virus is a condition that almost everyone has---it's the virus of being closed off, nervous, and unable to open up with strangers in a way that makes them feel comfortable and able to grow. When everyone in a community has the Virus, other people around them don't get the ability to change and heal and grow the way they need to, so they get the Virus too, and spread it on. It's a condition of omission: it is only really possible to be healthy in an environment where the majority of people around you are also healthy, and when 90% of people are unhealthy, the last 10% follow inevitably. Hence the Virus is contagious, even though it's not a "physical" condition. The trap of it is that everyone is masking, and at different skill levels. The people who mask well seem "fine", although they are not, which makes the people who mask less well feel like something is horribly wrong with them. Since nobody is able to conceptualize what is happening, they search desperately for explanations, and "autistic and/or ADHD" is the most agreeable model they find. It's wrong, but in the setting where nobody has a better model, it's the best you can do--at least it explains and justifies their immediate needs. "Something is wrong with me, and you can't understand it because our minds work differently, but I need you to accomodate it." True, entirely, yes, but not the best model. "Something is wrong with all of us and we need to blow this paradigm up and change it to a new one so that everyone can flourish" would be a better model that would actually have a hope of succeeding. I believe that the above characterization is true, and I believe that it's important to believe it's true, because "essentializing" the condition locks you out of the inductions that actually have a chance to do something about it. If you believe it's in your head, then you can cope by trying to adapt, but you're doomed to mostly fail because it's not actually in your head. Whereas if you believe it's a problem in the world, then the natural conclusions are things like "How do I start to change the world around me? How do I protest the way it is? How do I get people on board with changing it also?" And that's going to be more productive, long-term. Revolt, damnit. The thing to be talking about is how to do something about it. Coping is just coping. in short, please join my revolution, stop calling yourself autistic, call the world around you fucked up. I am so sure that many of the people who call themselves autistic would thrive if the people and institutions around them weren't so devoid of human warmth and connection and dignity. Probably you've even experienced that -- in school or in some other setting in your life. Probably the reason you feel so broken now is that you vaguely remember what it felt like to flourish and you're floundering at figuring out why it's so hard to find again. It's because the world is broken as shit! It's the Virus! Everyone has it! You would be fine if they didn't; if the world wasn't broken! You've been fine before! That's not a lie; you're not broken; you're suffering because you're not getting anything like oxygen for your soul and you're suffocating in that feeling but nobody around you is even able to acknowledge it.
• deleted 1y ago
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• nkrisc 1y ago
  Maybe I'm not supposed to get it, since I'm not autistic, but why does turning off the radio with an annoying sound reduce energy? From my perspective, I can't find any logical correlation between the choices made and the outcomes. Seems like turning off the annoying sound would be a good thing. This, unfortunately, just makes autism seem inscrutable and something I will just never understand.
  • whamlastxmas 1y ago
    It is mental effort to have to recognize what is triggering you and to take positive action to fix it. The radio is more symbolic of having to do it 40 times a day across all the things you find triggering, or having to find ways to live your life outside common neurotypical ways that take more energy. For example, finding dishes clinking to be really triggering means I have to use ear protection to unload the dishwasher, and if I can’t find ear protection that I have to spend time looking around for it, and now dishes have taken me 3 minutes longer than it would someone else. Over a dozen instances a day of something like this adds up
• mayhemducks 1y ago
  Does this "game" have a win condition?
  • glonq 1y ago
    Only if you stop taking Tylenol, maybe /s
    • mayhemducks 1y ago
      LOL! Yep that's the solution. Thanks Bob!
• RicoElectrico 1y ago
  The "press y to start" is a nice touch, regardless of validity of the whole experience. (It's probably meant as an OCD trigger; barely anyone uses anything but space/enter/any key to dismiss the splash screen)
• fgbarben 1y ago
  This game is going to make some people commit suicide because it's rigged such that you always lose. Reality is not so simple. There are always ways you can change your life or your job that don't require you to hurt yourself. You should think more deeply before publishing something like this
  • kridsdale1 1y ago
    Fun fact, everyone IRL loses the game, eventually.
• ozozozd 1y ago
  Loved it. Amazing how rewatching the same show the umpteenth time is so relaxing.
• fsckboy 1y ago
  just reading the blurb here I thought, "Austism simulator with masking?" Ironic, autistic masking is already a simulation"
• jesaemolisa 1y ago
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• jesaemolisa 1y ago
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• replwoacause 1y ago
  I have ADHD-PI and have never been diagnosed as autistic, but many of the traits described around masking and socializing are relatable to me. I’ve always just referred to myself as an introvert though. Being around people is such a drain and feels so performative. I’m not claiming to be autistic either, just saying I sometimes question if there isn’t a condition that may fit the ways I feel when it comes to being around people. The Covid lockdowns were a godsend. I imagine they were for many others too.
• bigjobby 1y ago
  Yep. This gets it