Games

Games are fascinating.

An emerging art form, a new way of learning and, above all, absorbing fun.

I've been hooked since the early days of the Sinclair Spectrum, and that shows no sign of abating.

Currently playing

An independent game that envisages a dystopian future after a solar apocalypse where the few survivors of humanity band together in heavily-armed vehicles for survival, and for sport.
You control a gang, not a character, and permanent death of favourite characters is a real threat, which changes the approach to games. I have written a fictional account of a gang in Darkwind in my Vanguards blog.

Jagged Alliance 2

My favourite game of all time. It suffers from a poorly-explained (although intuitive) interface and dated graphics, but is a perfect combination of strategy and tactics in a turn-based shooter. I can (and often seem to) play this game over and over again.

Medieval II: Total War

Maybe it's the historian in me, but I love this game. The strategic and diplomatic battle is entirely absorbing, while the implementation of morale on the battlefield is a masterstroke of the series that enables well-led armies to defeat a vastly superior force. Sega might be pleased to know that I feel that I have learnt significantly about the influence of geography on the sweep of European and middle-Eastern history as a result of playing this game: the tactical significance of owning Normandy and Brittany if you are playing as England; the need for trade and outposts if you are the Venetians; the folly of a land invasion of Russia. All played out within an artifical intelligence environment. Genius.