How the world thinks- book review
Julian Baggini’s (now quite old) book bites off a little more than it can strictly chew, but still does a great service. a very lovely cover Send I have...
Highlights from UK Games expo
So after years of dipping my toe into the vast sea of nerdery that is the UK Games Expo,I finally experienced the full-fat, three day experience. It was… a...
My big lovely box of horror
Eldritch horror is a terrible, messy joy. In my last post about games, I talked with relish about something new, tiny and smart. Today I want to talk about...
A Peculiarly British Amnesia
Sathnam Sanghera's Empireland is an ambitious book, which mainly delivers on its aims.
12 chip trick and the magic of microgames
The way that a minimal ruleset can cascade into a deep decision space is one of the genuinely miraculous features of the hobby. Here's the latest example (that I have played)
Sense about screens
I expected Pete Etchells' book about screen time to be authoritative and sensible, and it is. I didn't expect it to be so warm and personal.
Cat cafe: the joy of pencils
A largely forgotten game has brought our family unexpected joy- I think it's the pencils, mainly.
Maybe The Fraud is all of us, after all?
Zadie Smith's historical novel confused me, in ways that annoy but also ways that entice.
Nanty Narking- a (really good) game out of time
Martin Wallace's chirpy re-skin of Ankh Morpork deserves more love- the reasons why it doesn't get it shed interesting light on the state of the hobby.
We need to listen to Aubrey Gordon- and watch, and read
The fat activist makes a compelling case for empathy and societal change. We doctors should be first in the queue to listen.
A review of How to be Perfect, by Micheal Schur.
And, in passing, a defence of audiobooks
Emergent theme and the sheer magnificence of the Unmatched system.
A simple ruleset allows for infinite variety in this duelling game system.
Talonsister review- thoroughly modern classic fantasy
The most charming fantasy novel I've read for a very long time… curl up with it.
Disco Elysium and pessimism in games
The renowned video game RPG really got me down. I hated it for that, but now I'm not sure…
Where's Wallis?
Our finest writer about tabletop games deserves more attention, and respect from publishers.
Three way Skrull fudge
What George Eliot could teach Marvel about effective storytelling
What is play? Why do I care? Why should you?
The way we see play matters for how we see ourselves, and others.
Review: The Anarchy, by William Dalrymple
This review is by a non-historian, for other non-historians. Given that’s most of us, I felt like it might be of interest.
Tribes of the wind review
The apocalypse has never looked prettier, or felt less... apocalyptic. A straightforward game review this week- if you're not much of a gamer, at least have a look at the pictures...
Ian Dunt and the limitations of being right
The journalist and podcaster has produced a brilliant analysis of the shortcomings in the Westminster machine- but will it make a difference?