My apologies for the delay on this one. Over the last two weeks, I’ve been busy with the day job plus some testing that had a few significant deadlines. Hence, my time has been full and it’s only now (April 14th!) that I’m sitting down to write this. As it happens, it’s my day off and I really feel I need it. Not because I feel burned out, just that my forty-four years are screaming at me that I can’t burn the candle at both ends like I used to. I’ve learned during these latest years of mine that, aside from exercising, I need more sleep, stretching, and water, than ever before.

So, anyway, what have I been up to? I had my first ever appearance on the podcast I mentioned last time, kindly invited to by Middle Aged Gamer Guy (AKA MAGG) and that was so much fun. They run a really cool show and I can recommend following them for gaming updates and conversation, as well as checking out their gaming event, Timeless, being held on 13th August in Liverpool. As for my podcast debut, you can find it below.

If there’s a next time, must. get. a. better. camera. 🧐

This appearance also meant the very first mention I’ve given to testing upcoming point and click adventure, Foolish Mortals. I’ve had this going on in the background since last year and, in my personal opinion, it is shaping up to be one of the best point and click adventure games I have ever played, and I’ve played a few crackers. I’m not able to talk too much about it but I highly recommend giving it a wishlist via this link, and also following the devs on their social media channels found via their website here.

There’s also a late pledge link if you’re interested in some very cool digital and physical rewards, available here

Foolish Mortals has been the one game that has taken up most of my time lately, and that’s due to making sure it’s ready and accurate for the next stage of development: dialogue recording in April! This requires some focused and in-depth testing. It’s a massively important step, and one that brings the game ever-closer to release. My advice is to keep your eyes on Foolish Mortals. 💚

Outside of testing, I did manage a small but significant gaming highlight in getting all the achievements on Microsoft Solitaire. I’ve been playing this in one form or another since the 90s and I use it to calm my mind so that I can focus on whatever task I do next. I’ll often play a few rounds before I start testing so I can switch from the day job to the project ahead of me. It works really well. Anyway, a nice gamer milestone for me. I am surprised that I’ve played more Freecell than Klondike though. Just don’t pay too much attention to the time played…

Moving on, one of the things I often say is that I’m happiest when creating and learning. I’ve followed @konstantinosd.bsky.social on social media for a while and noticed there was a History of Video Games course to be held over four sessions, running from 24th March to 4th April so I signed up. I know a lot about video games but there are definite gaps in my knowledge and this course helped join up the dots. I can honestly say that every session was interesting and I had a really good time. You can find the link to this course and many other courses here.

My S.C.I.O.N. tape arrived! I’m proud to have been a part of this one by SausageWare Games. These Spectrum games take me back to when I started gaming and I never thought I’d ever be involved in helping test one, (Knightmare), let alone two! Another credit and another game added to my ‘Testing Shelf’.

I also backed a Kickstarter for new editions of the Fighting Fantasy game books and, if you’re a fan, it’s worth keeping an eye on. I have repurchased some of the originals but it’s very difficult to find them at reasonable prices and in decent condition so I’ve switched to these. It looks like there are at least 50 planned for re-release, according to this campaign, so that’s what I’ll focus on now. Late pledges are also available.

Finally, I picked up a few display cases from Tony Warriner via this link: Ko-fi. I have some PC-style big box games on my shelf that need some decent protection and these are perfect. I ordered a few because I’d previously backed some Kickstarters that also have big boxes coming in the future. There are still some display cases left, if I don’t get my hands on any more first…

And that’s it for now. Until next time, stay safe, and thank you for reading.

Paul.