Demo Disc

A minute’s silence in memory of the demo disc, if you please. Coup de grâced by broadband, the wafer of wonders* that once clung limpet-like to the front cover of almost every games mag is no more. Denied these monthly mix tapes, the gamer of today is, I reckon, less inclined to reconnoitre and genre-flit than their predecessor. Because in 2023 you rarely find yourself installing kite flying sims, apian Settlers clones, and puzzle games inspired by Underground Railroad quilts, out of boredom-tinged curiosity, there’s less chance of unlikely love affairs blossoming.

Read More
Friday Foxer #146

Every Friday, Tally-Ho Corner’s cleverest clogs come together to solve a ‘foxer’ handcrafted by my sadistic chum and colleague, Roman. A complete ‘defoxing’ sometimes takes several days and usually involves the little grey cells of many readers. All are welcome to participate.

Read More
The Lions of Lodowice: Turn 16

At the close of turn 15 both teams receive startling news. German forces have blown the bridge at Sandomierz meaning ‘Ivan the Terrible’, the Red Army’s self-propelled 800mm siege mortar, must now cross the Vistula at Lodowice if it wishes to continue its ponderous westward progress. Because the city’s southern and northern bridges aren’t strong enough to support the prodigious weight of the Soviet leviathan, control of Boleslav Bridge in the centre of the map suddenly assumes new importance.

Read More
Dev diaries: the successors to manuals?

Over the past couple of decades numerous words have been written about the disappearance of the lavish printed game manual, but until this Open October submission from Cornerite Tom Goodfellow (aka Wilson) landed on my desk, the idea that we had a passable substitute in our midst had never occurred to me.

Read More
Getting started with Grand Prix Legends

Revered race sim Grand Prix Legends turns twenty-five today. To mark the occasion I’m publishing an Open October submission from long-time reader Colonel K. Beyond the break you’ll find the good Colonel’s step-by-step guide to installing, configuring, expanding, and modding one of Simulatia’s crown jewels.

Read More
Friday Foxer #145

Every Friday at 1300 hours, Tally-Ho Corner’s cleverest clogs come together to solve a ‘foxer’ handcrafted by my sadistic chum and colleague, Roman. A complete ‘defoxing’ sometimes takes several days and usually involves the little grey cells of many readers. Don’t be shy. All are welcome to participate.

Read More
Pigeon post

Marauding peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks are taking an alarming number of THC carrier pigeons at the moment. The last seven days have been especially grim. Since last Friday we have lost Intrepid, Inkspot, Introvert, Insufferable, Insurgent, and Interlagos. As Insurgent was equipped with the new Mk VII flare dispenser, hopes that the tide could be turned with improved countermeasures have taken a bit of a knock. ‘Top cover’ for every sortie is back on the table as a potential solution.

Read More