gaming

All posts tagged gaming

Yule Love This

Posted by Jam on November 23, 2021
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, Charity, Fantasy, Fighting Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, illustrators, Readers, Reading, RPG. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

Back in the eighties game books were at the height of their popularity, selling in their hundreds of thousands. Come the nineties, the video game era took over and game books saw a decline, with even the most popular series being pulled from the shelves. With game book fans of yesteryear now adults, they now wish to introduce their children to the genre, with many of them becoming authors of interactive adventures in their own right. The game book market is now reviving, as this generation looks for ways to bring children back to reading rather than screen time.

My new book, JAMTHOLOGY, is an introduction to game books with four thrilling pre-bedtime sized adventures, which start off easy and grow progressively more involving until you finish a seasoned game book adventurer. It is ideal for readers of all ages who wish to begin a journey into interactive stories and pit their wits, rather than read standard cover to cover books.

All profits go to charity. Click here to view on Amazon

Joining The Mods

Posted by Jam on February 12, 2021
Posted in: adventure, Fantasy, Gamers, Games, gaming, LARP, LARPING, online, RPG. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , .

I’ve been participating in The Storymaster’s Tales Online LARP since it’s maiden adventure late last year. Last night I was honoured as a moderator in The Storymaster’s Tales Interactive Theatre Facebook group. Thank you. As a celebration, I have now added a page to my blog devoted to it, and highlighting what they do and what we as the players get up to. If you are into interactive adventure , rpg , larp , or even a fan of the old television classic Knightmare then check out my page http://www.jamsplace.co/walraven

Hotel Lovecraft

Posted by Jam on October 6, 2020
Posted in: Fantasy, game, Gamers, Games, gaming, horror, Kickstarter, RPG, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Oliver McNeil, creator of The Storymaster’s Tales, invited myself and other gaming fan Helen Donovan, to take part in a live cam session of his latest game named Hotel Lovecraft. Thankfully my inferior internet allowed me to stay the duration, and what an incredible time we had.

The game differs tremendously from previous successes, Weirding Woods and Dracodeep Dungeon. While it is still card/book/dice based, the setup differs in that you are not building a map like in the aforementioned, but playing 6 levels (floors) of a creepy hotel based heavily with a feel of the titular name’s works. The chilling atmosphere when you explore each room is started with an accompanying soundscape and narration at the start of each scenario as usual. This works to great effect, creating a real sense of intensity and dread like in such games as the Room app series. The intensity grows tenfold as you get nearer the end of the game, say, the final two floors, where the end is in sight but you are scrambling round trying to complete your objective or avoid falling foul of any terrors out to suck you stat points away.

Even though Helen and I were the only two players, the six levels of five rooms kept the game going for two hours in total. She got away. I died in the last location. Because of her as it ultimately turned out, yet we’d been working together perfectly well until the final location. Women! 😄

Even though this game differs to Oliver’s others, it isn’t a far flung effort being traditionally easy to pick up and more importantly, great great fun. This will be the third ten on ten Oliver McNeil game when I score it on BGG. Thanks for all the fun, laughs, and games you bring to the world Mr McNeil. Originally crowdfunded on Kickstarter, you can order a late backer copy if you CLICK HERE.

A Box Of Horrors

Posted by Jam on July 30, 2020
Posted in: adventure, Fantasy, game, Gamers, Games, gaming, horror, Kickstarter, RPG, survival, witchcraft, wizards. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

From the rising popular games legend Oliver McNeil, creator of Weirding Woods and Dracodeep Dungeon comes a new avenue of tabletop Horror gaming. Will your stay in Hotel Lovecraft be long…. or will you get lucky? Watch the video and CLICK HERE to get it!!

Lockdown And Live

Posted by Jam on April 18, 2020
Posted in: adventure, competition, Fantasy, Fighting Fantasy, game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, garden, hobbies, horror, internet. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

Who remembers all those great classic TV programs of the 80s? The Box Of Delights? The Chronicles Of Narnia? Knightmare? The Adventure Game? These were shows that boosted the imaginations of an entire generation, and inspired many. One of those inspired was Mr Oliver McNeil, who has managed to carve himself a career out of said inspirations, creating games, and interactive theatrical performances. Now YOU can join in as he takes the show live online.

Oliver’s latest venture was a hybrid RPG boardgame named The Storymaster’s Tales – Weirding Woods and it’s already became something of a cult hit in the gaming community, with a second game Dracodeep Dungeon currently funding on Kickstarter. However, combining the elements of theatre, game, visual FX and internet you are all able to watch and take part in a LIVE interactive version on his Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/groups/339654010167488/?ref=share

Image © Oliver McNeil

Hosted by Oliver himself alongside other actors and clever puppetry, he brings the Grimm Brothers-esque setting of Weirding Woods to life and you get to explore and take part in subplots as you strive to fulfill your primary mission be it slaying Evil Sorcerer’s or saving the world from a plague of living dead. With an ever expanding land, equipment, foes and treasure, this is a great way to spend time and liven up the pandemic lockdown. If you’d like to take part in one of the upcoming shows, click here and join the group for performance times https://www.facebook.com/groups/339654010167488/?ref=share

The Storymaster’s Tales LIVE

Posted by Jam on March 21, 2020
Posted in: game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, RPG. Tagged: , , , , , .

Regular visitors to my site especially gaming fans will have already seen my write up on The Storymaster’s Tales – Weirding Woods. A hybrid gamebook and tabletop RPG that has achieved wonderful success creates by my good friend Oliver McNeil. Well today it went triple hybrid, with the very first audio streaming experience over several live video platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Hangouts.

The Storymaster’s Tales

With my trusty sidekick Colin Deady, aka Wizard Frin, my Pirate character Captain Jam tackled the as yet unreleased Dracodeep Dungeon, the follow up to the Weirding Woods game. Our quest was to slay an evil Vampire Lord that has woken beneath a not desecrated church above the Dungeon. But it wasn’t just about Colin and I communicating, others could also view our progress and call out tips to Ollys wizard presenter. It was a fantastic and modern experience, and the dungeon sported many new locations, items and characters to mingle with making a lovely alternative to the woodland romp. Somehow Colin managed to get a haircut and I purchased a goat that bit me on the arse. Dracodeep Dungeon will be a huge must for those that have played Weirding Woods, and a great standalone if you wish to give the world of RPG a try in a lighter way than D&D. I can only award it 10/10 for all the right reasons.

If you fancy giving this gaming great a go, please visit http://www.storymasterstales.com and for a mere £2.50 you can purchase audio files of the incidental music. This will enter you (but not guarantee you) in a pool for a place for the next game. It also helps if you like The Storymaster’s Tales Facebook page.

Check out Colin and mines progress as we spend two hours in a subterranean deathtrap. 😉 https://youtu.be/Yv-mH-Zzr90

Mistress Of Sorrows – review

Posted by Jam on March 12, 2020
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, Fantasy, Fighting Fantasy, game, Gamebook, horror, RPG, witchcraft. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’ve done a little bit of proof reading and play testing for Mark Lain in the past, including the mini’s in Destiny’s Role book 0. Book 1 on the other hand is an absolute epic by comparison. Here we have a single adventure a whopping 500 references long with three artists on board, Alan Langford for the gorgeous cover, the ineffable Malcolm Barter on cartography and Mike Tenebrae for the internal illustrations. Having backed this on Kickstarter my likeness has been included in a very prestigious place in the book. Must admit, Mike did exceptionally well as I’m not easy to photograph let alone draw.

He’s a barman get your minds out the gutter

Anyway back to the story. The premise is to hunt down and destroy the Redcap and her witchly associates before her power becomes far too strong she can take over the land. And boy is it a tough ride. You need to make sure you get as many objects and provisions as possible as you will be in so many situations where these will be useful, not to mention the combats in Mistress Of Sorrows come thick and fast. You’re surely guaranteed not to complete it first time. I stopped counting at my twelfth death, most of them in fights.

Mark has clearly researched a lot on the subject matter, and evidence of this is none so obvious if you manage to get to Covan. This particular part of the book is my favourite area and the descriptive of events therein has writing in a style suitable enough for a film screenplay. This surpasses the authorship of other gamebook writers that have been in the game for years, just like Victoria Hancox did with Nightshift.

Whilst I managed to complete the quest and slay the Bigbad, she took me with her and I succumbed to her final hex. (So didn’t manage to meet myself lol) I hear a third book is in the works as well, so soon after Mistress Of Sorrows and I’m deliberately holding back credit so I can be part of that Kickstarter also when it comes about. If you don’t own Destiny’s Role books, it’s high time you did as you’re missing out on the cream of modern gamebooks crop. 10/10

Mistress Of Sorrows

Posted by Jam on September 30, 2019
Posted in: adventure, art, Authors, books, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG, Uncategorized, witchcraft. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’m proud to announce my good friend and author Mark Lain has launched a follow up to his Destiny’s Role gamebook on Kickstarter. With a colour cover art by the legendary Alan Langford and interior art by modern illustrator Mike Tenebrae, you can help fund this amazing interactive project by CLICKING HERE.

Check out the great rewards on this chart.

The Storymasters Tales – Weirding Woods

Posted by Jam on September 27, 2019
Posted in: adventure, cards, Fantasy, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, RPG, Uncategorized, witchcraft, wizards. Tagged: , , .

So the fabulous Olly McNeil (pictured here with the equally fit and young virile one) has brought out his third tabletop game after an uber successful Kickstarter funding. The Storymasters Tales – Weirding Woods.

Jam with Olly McNeil, the games creator.

So how did the game bear up? Restricted by time due to two under 3y.o’s, we had to wait for an alloted window to turn up. Tonight we opened the box, familiarised with the rules and to keep it simple my Mrs, Victoria, played solo and I was storyteller. She created a character called Gladys who was a witch. I chose the Night Of The Dead storyline as I’m a Romero fan lol.

We soon picked up the gist of the game, it’s easiness being in not having too many stats to worry over. The cards for the game are beautifully illustrated and help conjure up an atmosphere. Each turn, Vic took a card and I read out the plot, at one point she was very happy to have purchased a dog from a trader. She then proceeded to choose one of four options and Gladys the Witch was swiftly torn to shreds by a dreaded Blood Wolf only a few turns in. (If only she had a squeaky tennis ball)

Just swigging some mead between FATE rolls.

As a player of D&D back in the 80s, Vics only gripe with the game is there are only four options per plot. She wanted to stay their, craft arrows, set snares, etc so I had to say it wasn’t a saga of a game to that scale. Nonetheless she still loves it so we had another go. It was meant to be my go but as Vic was felled so soon I gave her another chance. Same quest, different character. This time, a Soldier called Bwian. She did much better this time but still fell foul of a monster. This time the Devil himself. (fancy fighting him… duh?).

All in all we have become rather attached to this game after only a couple of goes and will be swapping rolls tomorrow night so I get to play. Well recommended, easy to pick up, and beautifully presented. The only thing I’d say is add a wee slip case or rubber band for the card deck.

Go on, get yours here!

Seek and aquire a copy!