Reviews

Reviews of books, games, software, and other things

Review - Affinity Publisher

April 29, 2020

Move over indesign, there is a new kid on the block and Affinity Publisher is better for indie game designers than you!
(5 minutes read)

Review: The Kraken Wakes

April 12, 2020

John Wyndham was a master of writing dystopia science fiction from the point of view of ordinary people. I think this is one of his finest, with elements which are directly applicable to our international response to climate change.
(4 minutes read)

Review: Love Letters of the Great War

February 1, 2020

In these days of instant messaging, WhatsApp and texts, the pleasure of writing and receiving letters is perhaps in danger of being forgotten.
(4 minutes read)

Review - Blades in the Dark

December 31, 2019

Why I think Blades in the Dark is an important new design in tabletop RPG’s
(11 minutes read)

Metatopia 2019 Report

November 27, 2019

Metatopia is the game design festival run by Double Exposure which I attended again in 2019
(24 minutes read)

Review - Fate Core

October 10, 2019

Description and mechanics brought together beautifully through the rules for 'Aspects'
(6 minutes read)

Review - Timewatch RPG

August 15, 2019

Time travel as an RPG genre is one with infinite possibilities, but really hard to do right. For my money, Timewatch is the best example out there today, and I’m going to tell you why.
(4 minutes read)

Review - Between Silk and Cyanide, a code makers war

January 22, 2019

Leo Marks was the principal code-maker for the SOE during the war. This book which is filled with wry humour and bureaucratic frustration covers his war from 1942-45. He was considered the “one who got away” from Bletchley Park, and has amazing insights into the secret war of the SOE.
(6 minutes read)

Review - Lonely Courage by Rick Stroud

January 6, 2019

This is the true stories of seven of the SOE heroines who fought to free Nazi-occupied France. The author has taken a chronological view of events from the rise of Hitler in 1933 to the end of the war. Structurally the book has a good table of contents and index, and contains black and white photographs and maps. There is a bibliography of over one hundred books which have been used as sources.
(3 minutes read)

Metatopia 2018 Report

November 18, 2018

What does a tiny game design company do in order to get high quality feedback on a new game they are developing? Why, go to Metatopia of course!
(14 minutes read)

Review - Grey Ranks

November 14, 2018

I had always wanted to try a 'story game', but was afraid to try. I didn't think I'd have the creative wits to be any good at it, let alone enjoy it. So it was my great good fortune that my first exposure was via the amazing Grey Ranks.
(4 minutes read)

Review - Ten Candles

October 28, 2018

I have come to understand that some of the very best games have mechanics which support the theme of the game in some way. For me the outstanding example of this is Ten Candles by Cavalry Games.
(3 minutes read)