Anime Review: Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! - Magical girl anime is, admittedly, not something I'm hugely accustomed to. I saw a bit of Sailor Moon growing up and never really saw any more of the genre. So then when I was told that there was an anime by the name of Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!, I laughed. I thought it was a brilliant name, albeit a little bit on the nose. So I looked it up, found that it was completely available on Crunchyroll and went "yeah, I guess I can give this a watch". After all, what good is the magical girl genre, if we can't get a magical boy anime?
Magic: the Gathering – Drafting M20 - So, same as last year, I picked up a box of the latest core set from Magic, because while Throne of Eldarine looks very pretty, I can’t say I’ve seen enough to draw me in past the hydra-turtles. Usually for me that’d be enough, but finances are what they are. M20 has a very particular […]
GeekOut Bristol Meet – September 13th: Knights Gathering - With a "Ni", our knights gathered around for an evening of fun and games, a hugely crafty competition and a lot of games across the board. From our typically large selection of games, through to a special drink presented to our noble warriors, we had a blast. September's a strange time of year; a lot of folk are back to the grind after the summer holidays, the weather doesn't quite know what to do with itself, it's all a bit muddled. Thankfully though, we were there for another month, hopefully allowing people to get some much needed geeky familiarity within the Old Market Tavern.
Ratchet and Clank Original Trilogy Retrospective Part 3 - Ratchet and Clank 3: Up Your Arsenal - or just Ratchet and Clank 3 in other places - was released in 2004 on the PlayStation 2, once again one year after the game before it. The game opens with Ratchet and Clank enjoying life in the Bogon Galaxy, before revealing that Clank is now a Holovid star playing “Secret Agent Clank”, a news story plays showing Ratchet’s home planet of Veldin being invaded by Tyhrranoids under the command of Doctor Nefarious...
Top 10 – Hunters - Shh, do you hear that? It sounds like the trees rustled over this way, quickly, hide in the underbrush. Now, careful, for today we’ve got to keep on the low-down, lest we become prey for them. Whether you’re a vampire, a beast, or even just an ordinary human, today we’re going to check out the […]
My Thoughts on Minecraft PE - A while back I bought Minecraft Pocket Edition (or PE for short), but my phones just could never handle it. Now that I've got a phone that can handle it, I decided to play about with Minecraft PE and I couldn't believe just how far it had come along. I've had a few days playing around with it now and I can see some issues, as well as some areas where it truly excels. In all honesty, I love Minecraft and just about everything about it, so here're my thoughts on Minecraft PE.
Studying Video Essays - I’m a great proponent of the internet as a tool for delivering easy to digest learning materials, and yes, YouTube is awash with exactly the kind of tools I’m talking about. Movies especially have an abundance of video essayists who talk at length about films and the film industry, taking wildly different approaches to the […]
Opinion: Was Free-To-Play Inevitable For The Games Industry? - Throughout history, we're told that change is inevitable. Whether it's changes to your work, or changes in the form of a balance patch in your favourite fighting game, change is inevitable. However some change is a lot more necessary than others. Some change is born out of a need to move from the status quo, whereas other changes are to try and improve and innovate. So in an industry filled with innovation, was Free-To-Play simply inevitable?
Black Blades – Moorcock’s Influence on Fantasy - Michael Moorcock is a big name in fantasy. He tends to fall off the radar a little in the face of Tolkein’s masterful mythologues, Pratchett’s wondrous mirror, and Martin’s political complexity, but Moorcock’s legacy runs as deep as any others. Most famous for the Eternal Champion, a title given to a series of figures who […]
Video Game Review: DragonBall FighterZ - Steam sales means that I get to pick up titles I've sought after at a great price; let's be honest, we've all been extra tempted by Steam sales - And recently, Steam put up a sale for all DragonBall related games and lo and behold, the fighting game DragonBall FighterZ came up in that list. Anyone who's ever read this website before will know that I do love a good fighting game. When DragonBall FighterZ first came out, I was hugely interested. It was a massive success story that was able to quickly rival the other 3v3 or 'tag' style fighting games, especially as it's been a while since the last big one.
Anime Review: Attack on Titan - When humanity is hunted, it’s time to fight back. Living within Walls, humans live a bleak life, living off rations, whilst the Titans come swaming in, feasting on humans - All whilst not needing to eat them to survive. A cruel, bleak world, with a really interesting overall premise, Attack on Titan is a gritty, brutal series filled with interesting characters. It’s been around for a while, but I’ve recently been checking it out for the first time on Crunchyroll.
Top 10 – Rocks and Stones - Hey, it looks like we’re on a roll. Whilst you may be rocking away, things are going to get a little cold, a little stone cold! Ahh, I crack myself up, so whilst we boulder towards this week’s list, let’s get some ground rules out of the way with. This list must at least feature […]
Kickstarter Highlight – Muffin Time: The Random Card Game by Big Potato - Not going to lie, I have to blame Joel entirely for finding out about this. Asdfmovie is a series of random comedy skits by YouTuber, TomSka. Last month, they released the latest asdfmovie, asdfmovie12. These short animated clips always get a chuckle out of us and admittedly, there's little I can do to support the guy except maybe buy some merch. Until I watched asdfmovie 12, that is, as I've now seen that he's been working on his own card game - and considering as of the time of writing there's only 7 days left (6 by the time you read this), I figured it'd be good to share it with you all.Review – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - I think I watched the original Jim Henson production a couple of years ago, a double bill with Labyrinth which – to be entirely honest – I never remember watching as a child. But Dark Crystal, the original Dark Crystal, I most certainly saw many years before. One of my earliest experiences of pure fantasy, […]
NaNoWriMo 2019 - Every year, I like to mention NaNoWriMo. It's an exciting month, where writers across the world take up the challenge. Can they get their novels written? Can they do it in just one month? That's the challenge laid before all takers in November, where writers must write at least 50,000 words and submit their daily accomplishments to the NaNoWriMo website. Every year, I've been fortunate enough to watch people take part. From friends and acquaintances, to complete strangers across Twitter and Facebook. This year, I want to be one of the crazy people who completes their novel in November. Here's some more information on NaNoWriMo.
Magic: the Gathering – Different Win Conditions - “How To” videos for Magic are in high demand right now, with Arena being featured as a sponsor for a lot of YouTube series right now. Well here’s one I’ve yet to see, one we’ve yet to address, and one that’s actually quite interesting. The basic rules of Magic are astonishingly easy to learn. Your […]
Ratchet and Clank Original Trilogy Retrospective Part 2 - Contributor Murray is back to talk about the next game in his three-part series, Ratchet and Clank Original Trilogy Retrospective. Come check out Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando (also known as Ratchet & Clank 2: Locked and Loaded).
GeekOut Shrewsbury August ’19 – Netflix and GeekOut - This may have been our biggest GeekOut Shrewsbury ever. I’ve given up on counting these days because with people flowing in and out it’s all I can do to keep an eye on the games to make sure the library stays intact – you guys make that job easier, but a jam packed August has […]
Top 10 Characters With Crazy Hair - These characters know how to show off their unique personalities. This list is to celebrate characters who hair is literally an extension of themselves and their personalities. It’s also for if they can use their hair as weapons, or just general talking points. Whether it’s a cultural thing or if it’s just how they roll, we’re going to celebrate hair in all of its ridiculousness. Yes, this list is only for Characters with Crazy Hair. 
GeekOut UK – Front Page Updates and More - Hey all - From time to time, it's nice to talk about some of the changes that are being made on the website and the reasons behind them. The astute amongst you may have noticed our front page banner has been updated; it now finally says GeekOut UK. But along with that, if you're a regular visitor to the website, you'll have likely seen a couple of changes - Not just to the front page. If you're not a regular visitor and wondering what changes have been made, then look no further. Today I'm going to talk about some of the behind-the-scenes and what changes we've made and why.
Retail Rant: The Magic Brother-In-Law - I recently handed in my notice to go full time in the professional Dungeon Master-y gig; it’s going well. And with my new found freedom, there is a rant I have been meaning to share with you. A simple formula of words that will guarantee your friendly electrical retailer will immediately hate you, with a […]
Video Game Review: Aviary Attorney - Objection! At least that's what I would say, except in this example we don't need to object to anything. Instead, we just need to point out contradictions politely and in the most effective ways possible - With cold hard facts. Thankfully, we have a professional duo to help uncover the facts of these murder cases, in a pun-filled game akin to Phoenix Wright. If you're a fan of courtroom games, then this is definitely one you should add to your list. Before you do, come check out our thoughts on the bird-based Aviary Attorney. Before I continue with this review, a huge thanks to Vivi who sent me this game as a gift on my birthday. You know my sense of humour far too well!
Monstrous Ecology - A quick soapbox moment, August has been a busy month and what little bit of time I have had for myself should not be spent watching mediocre films. So that Netflix had something to suggest when people looked for A Quiet Place, they produced The Silence. The shameless similarities are well documented, it’s practically an […]
Video Game Review – FAITH: Chapter 1 - On an unsanctioned mission, not approved by the vatican, we find ourselves playing FAITH. A pixelated horror game that can be found on Itch.io. In usual fashion, indie games and horror seem to go hand in hand, but how good is this one? What makes this one so thrilling? Does the religious theme have anything controversial thrown into it? I decided to check it out for myself, as I delved deep into the world of FAITH - And who knows? Perhaps if it's requested, we could move onto FAITH: Chapter 2? Anyway, here's what I thought of the first title.
Ratchet & Clank Original Trilogy Retrospective: Part 1 - Ratchet & Clank is a series of 3D platformer/action games developed by Insomniac Games, then known for developing Spyro the Dragon and known nowadays for developing Sunset Overdrive and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
In this series of articles, I’m going to talk about the original 3 games, covering off their major features, plot, equipment, control, and how it felt finishing them today. I’m going to be upfront, these games were some of the first I played; I still adore them today 15/16/17 years later, so gushing may occur.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
Top 10 Charging Beasts - Chaaaaaarge... With bestial rage, these beasts will charge at great speeds! Whether or not they’re portrayed as charging everywhere, or if they just charge when they have to, this week’s Top 10 is dedicated to those beasts who would charge everywhere. Whether they’re charging into action, or they’re just charging and tearing through their enemies, these are the beasts that just keep moving.
GeekOut Bristol Meet – September 13th: Knights Gathering - Bristol-based knights, on your horses, for this month's event we're getting all defensive. Gather your best steed, steel your swords and let's take on those bad guys... Over a board game or two!
On Your Left – The Importance of Falcon in the MCU - With the recent news of Sony’s reclaiming Spider-Man I feel like anything I write on the subject of the Marvel Cinematic Universe right now will feel increasingly post-mortem, but there’s nothing wrong with the odd retrospective. I don’t know why I found myself dwelling on the character of Sam Wilson, but his introduction in The […]
What Is WooCommerce? - Wordpress users will likely have heard of WooCommerce, but may not be fully aware as to what it is. WooCommerce is a way to set up eCommerce on a Wordpress.com, or a Wordpress.org website. This is a powerful platform for anyone looking to make some sales and to have ultimate control over their content, such as how their products are displayed or even the types of methods used for getting paid for their products. If you're a small business and wanting your own shop, this may be a great route for you to go down. Here's a bit of info on the platform:Advice for Creatives – Buy A Good Notebook - Sounds pretty dumb, right? We all do it, at least all writers I know have notebooks at home that never get written in because dammit they’re just too damn pretty. Despite the acres of prime note-taking real estate on £30+ leather bound acid-free paper, instead we swamp our desks with post-its, cast off receipts and […]
BlueStacks: Android Emulation - A while back, I wrote about a game I was getting into - RAID: Shadow Legends. This game has kept me pretty entertained since May, but I constantly have so much energy due to how I played the game so slowly. Considering I have so much, but a phone that is a little bit on the older side, I decided I wanted a more reliable way to play the game. Thankfully, that's what BlueStacks allows me to do - Play RAID (or any other mobile game) on a much more reliable machine, which can handle all of the games that I throw at it. How does BlueStacks stack up to just owning an Android phone? Here are my thoughts on the emulator. Quick Website Update - Hey all, without lying about it, I had nothing planned for today as I've been out with our friends at Later Levels this weekend. Was awesome catching up with them all, so this post is literally just going to be a very short update on the website, what sort of directions we're heading in and over to you. Basically, this is just a short catch up post, so I can also catch up with sorting other bits of the website out.
Top 10 – Magical Menageries - A menagerie is a collection or group of animals, in today’s case, we’re going to be looking at magical ones. This isn’t just a list of herds or groups, but rather areas which feature a collection of the most magical creatures. In this week’s Top 10, we’re going to get all magical and in some […]
The Addams Family (2019) - They're kooky and they're spooky, but will this latest adventure of The Addams Family be at all memorable? An animated story, which presents itself in a great old-school way, but will modern audiences connect with it? Furthermore, will they get the characters right? A huge proponent to the 90's films and before was how every character had a role within the family; so will this still be the case, or will this now be washed down? I've gone ahead and watched the trailers, seen the promo's out there and I have to say, this is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Here're my reasons why - And let's see how much you agree (or disagree) with.
Gen Con – Meeting Zombie Orpheus - Ok, last article about Gen Con* or I’m not coming off the subject until October and frankly I’ve got some other stuff wants writing sat in my to-do pile, but this one’s a big deal for me. Regulars here know I have a particular fondness of the works of Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, more specifically The […]
SummerSlam 2019’s Greatest Moment - SummerSlam 2019 has now come and gone. It was a night filled with very few title changes, although a major one changed. We also saw a couple of non-title feuds, which I’m honestly a big fan of. Sometimes, I prefer to watch an angle between people who just want to get to one another; take the current storyline between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon for instance. Great stuff… But there is one story that I think will have people talking for arguably years to come.
Gencon 2019 – A Foreigner’s Guide - Foreign from another English speaking country, but I had to get on a plane and go over real water. Still, you take my meaning, America – to me – is a strange country with no mountains, straight roads, and personal injury billboards. Your food does strange things to my stomach, and you don’t appear to […]
Why I Love Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Throughout it’s 20+ year history, the Pokémon franchise has enjoyed several spinoff games with each new generation. Ranging from photography in Pokémon Snap, to Tactical RPG gameplay in Pokémon Conquest, even letting you battle Pokémon in 3D - long before the main series games made the jump - in Pokémon Stadium and Battle Revolution.
One section of their spinoff games made their mark on me: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.
GeekOut Bristol Meet – August 10th: All The Anime Gallery - Another month has gone by and another gallery post! Yes, we got together, we spoke all about anime and we shared our love for the medium. There were people who travelled from far and wide, as well as a couple of costumed people to accompany. We also had a competition where we saw some incredible art drawn by the friends of GeekOut. With a good gathering of geeks, drinks were a-flowing and of course, we had plenty of games to play. So with all that said, let's take a look at the images that makes up yesterday's GeekOut Bristol Meet.
Top 10 – Oddly Adorable Critters - For fairly simple reasons, this is a pretty video game heavy list. However, other media may get through as well. Critters are small creatures that, typically, aren’t all that harmful. However we decided that there were two lists; one for conventionally adorable critters and one for oddly adorable critters. Today we’re focusing on the latter, […]
Tekken Season Pass 3 – A New Character? - Not too long ago, the Tekken world got an announcement; there will be more characters and amongst them is a brand new character. If you're a fan of fighting games, the resurgence of the genre has been an incredible thing to watch. When Tekken 7 came out (worldwide) back in 2017, people across the world got the itch to play the long lasting franchise and it pulled in new and old fans alike. Two years on, Tekken 7 is moving into Season Pass 3, where they will be adding another couple of characters, one of which is a totally new character; although there are similarities to an old favourite.
Gencon 2019 – In Brief - Oh boy do I have a lot to talk about, but I’m going to try and keep my week of experiences brief, which means I’ll only be talking about it for a couple of weeks*, and for this article in particular I’ll be painting in broad strokes. Getting to Indianapolis was a saga in its […]
Anime Review: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Golden Wind - Another season of JoJo is over and this one was all about becoming a Gang-Star. Young Giorno Giovanna is the son of DIO, which gives Jotaro and co a reason to be suspicious. They send Koichi to find and investigate Giorno, but after a brief encounter with the wannabe Gang-Star, they part ways. How does Giorno fit into the overarching JoJo story and what was this arc all about? This article features very minor spoilers, but now that this season is over, read on!
Making A Private Wiki - Making a wiki has never been easier in this day and age; all you have to do is start to write a new wiki on a website such as Wikia (now known as Fandom). Great. But wait, when you make a Wikia page, it has to be public. I first made this mistake, as I was looking to make myself a private wiki. I'm sure you may be wondering why anyone would make a private wiki; isn't the point of them to share information with others? To have other people help moderate and update information as it comes in? Whilst you're right, you may want a private wiki to keep track of your stories, your adventures, your games, you name it... And just because it's private doesn't mean it has to be a one-person wiki.
AmeChibi 2020 - On Saturday at around 8:30pm BST, it was announced that AmeChibi would be making its return next year. Fans of Kitacon and AmeCon didn't get an event this year, but for good reason. Kitacon is currently undergoing major changes, with a lot of the committee changing and AmeCon did an event last year. The usual venue of Warwick University is also undergoing changes, as the venue is currently in the middle of a lot of construction work. Therefore, the only logical conclusion was that 2019 would have no convention from either event. Nevertheless, AmeChibi have announce that they are back. Here's the information we currently know about the upcoming event.
Anime Review: Dr. STONE - A world in which civilisation needs to be restored? That sounds exhilarating! But what would it take to rebuild from nothing? Would it require genius? How about brawn? No, it’d require both. Fortunately, Senku and Taiju are a genius and braun team when they’re combined. As such, they take to the task to try and free people who have been encased in stone, but how successful will they be in their endeavours?
Top 10 Basilisks - Creatures of immense size and power, a Basilisk has become synonymous with power, cunning and intimidation. Whatever serpentine thoughts these slithering snakes have, you know their gaze will be captivating. No matter what you think of them, they’ve been in pop culture for ages, as well as ancient texts. Fear not, for today we’re going to… attempt… to uncover the Top 10 Basilisks in pop culture.
The Elder Scrolls Online: My Journey to CP810 Is Over - I play Elder Scrolls Online quite a bit, so earlier this week marked a massive milestone for me. I reached CP810; or Champion Point 810. This is effectively the level cap of the game (as of the time of writing). I’ve spoken to people who’ve been playing for years and have never reached this level; and it’s not like I grinded specifically to get to this level. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts of the game now I’ve done sort of just about everything (with the exception of the absolute hardest content).
Writing Fictional Languages - From Tolkien to… Furby’s? Fictional Languages can be found everywhere, but what sort of thought goes into these seemingly innocuous snippets of new, unfamiliar words?
Video Game Review: Doki Doki Literature Club - When I first picked up Doki Doki Literature Club, I knew the sort of wild ride I was going to get into, thanks to...
... Just Monika.GenCon 2019 – On My Way - By the time you read this I should… hopefully be on my way to GenCon (assuming you’re reading this on day of publish, I may already be there, I may have left). After a disastrous and costly mixup with the flights, the only thing I have to be nervous about now is being on my […]
The History of Monopoly - Many geeks groan at the board game Monopoly; it's a friendship killer, it's a poorly designed game, you name it. I've heard people say all sorts about it, but that doesn't stop the fact it's been around the block. Over the years, Monopoly went from the de facto board game for families to one that doesn't get any recognition at all. However the history of Monopoly is pretty interesting, especially considering it was designed to be educational in its own weird way. So how did the property buying game come to be and let's also have a look at some of the variants out there.
GeekOut Shrewsbury July ’19 – Convention Season - We shouldn’t cancel GeekOut during heatwaves, no matter how tempting it might be. Who’d go outside in that? No one should have to endure those kind of temperatures but… y’know if I start down this path, the discussion gets dark. There were cold drinks and board games, ultimately that’s what’s important here. The Pour House […]
Top 10 Fictional Scientific Failures - Science fiction and science in general; there is an abundance of media grounded in science. Whether it’s purely fictional science, aka nothing like the real thing, or a heavy dose of reality mixed in, there are successes and failures alike. With that in mind, today we’re going to look at our Top 10 Fictional Scientific Failures. Which of these do you know about and which of these are forgotten like the mistakes they were?
Pokémon Go: Team GO Rocket Has Arrived - This week saw the arrival of a new mechanic to Pokémon Go; the introduction of Team Rocket. Well, more specifically, Team GO Rocket. These criminals have been capturing Shadow Pokémon, using them for their nefarious schemes and are attacking players. Now you can go and fight some Rocket Grunts yourself, becoming the hero you had always wanted to be. Well, sort of… I think we need to have a chat, Niantic.
Future Content: Over To You - Regular readers of our website will know the types of content we write about. We love to chat gaming, anime, writing and lots more. We dabble into all sorts of territory when it comes to geeky passions. But the one thing that’s eluded us all of this time is you; the reader. We often get comments of “It’d be good if you would write this” or “could you cover that”, but rarely do we hear from our readers. We want that to change.
Why Start Blogging? - Blogging is hugely popular, especially with tools such as Wordpress and Blogger at our disposal. Many people get absorbed into this way of life; to put their thoughts and feelings to the internet, for everyone to see and share. For some people, blogging becomes a primary source of income, but for the vast majority of bloggers, they may never see any true success. With this in mind, why do people blog?
SDCC Trailers 2019 - The last time I did one of these was four years ago, I really ought to make it a more regular thing because San Diego Comiccon is a prime event to promote new material and media coming up in time for the mass indoor-migration. Here are a few of the highlights I’ve picked up on: […]
Dubious Double | A Magic: the Gathering Discussion - Ever since their introduction in the original Innistrad block; double-faced cards have remained a very popular mechanic in Magic: the Gathering. Today, our guest Murray shares his ideas for a different type of Planeswalker card.
Let’s Talk About Bigger Companies on Kickstarter - As of the time of writing, Trial by Trolly by Cyanide And Happiness has surpassed 1.5 million pounds. They were asking for a mere £55,529, which is fair enough; the game would cost money to produce, this is a good way to cover those costs and get on with it. This is a success story, akin to those such as Joking Hazard (one of their previous Kickstarter campaigns) and their own adventure video game that was backed but is not finished yet. So, as they're a company with a proven track record and has done immensely well off of Kickstarter in the past, it makes sense they'd use it again.
Top 10 Secrets In Games - The media form so massive that it’s possible to leave thousands of details for the players to uncover… or never to uncover. Sometimes they’ll discover it decades later, or maybe players have to travel the world to uncover the truth, or devote hours monitoring every little detail. Sometimes it’s an easter egg, sometimes it’s facts about the game dispersed throughout the game or hidden behind puzzles so elaborate, it’s impossible to even begin to know how to begin!GeekOut Bristol Meet – August 10th: All The Anime! - You know who loves anime? We do.
We love anime so much that we're dedicating this event to anime. Join in with our anime-themed competition, wear your favourite cosplays and let's chat anime over a board game.
Endless Character Sheets - Today’s article is late, that is a fact. Which is not to say that I’m sat staring at a blank page in desperation trying to reach a deadline, no I’m being quite productive. Folder after folder is filling up with 5e character sheets ready for this Summer’s Insomnia, at which I will again play ten […]
Board Game Review: The Quacks of Quedlinburg (Quacks) - Being introduced to this game purely as 'Quacks', I was expecting a game about ducks. Turns out this is actually all about quack doctors; quackery, as per the Wikipedia term, is in regards to "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill". Now that your duck-based expectations are out of the way, The Quacks of Quedlinburg is an entertaining, simple, easy to play little romp through potion creation. If you've ever wanted to make some of the strangest potions imaginable in board game form, then this may be the game for you. Are you interested in how making potions translates to a board game? Read on to find out more!
Three More Netflix Reviews - I had fun with the last one, and there’s a few things I have opinions on that I didn’t review while I was in my last run of Dungeon Situationals. Rather than review one at a time, let’s take a short look at each.
Writers Corner: Keeping a Log - Recently, I've found myself jotting snippets down. No matter how big or small the idea, I've been writing words down that sound like a good sentence. Sometimes, they end up over several different documents, before finally being merged into one. No matter what, I'm going to keep this log down. If you're getting into writing as a hobby, or even a career, why not come up with your own writers log? Here's a few tips on how I write my log, how often I write in it, the types of things I keep and how the information gets used.
GeekOut Bristol Meet – July 12th: Best of British Geeks Summary - Every month I like to do these roundups, as a way to show people that hey, there are people out there who like to game. This month was a quieter affair for us, but it's just as well as it was also the day before Bristol Pride, meaning the bar was pretty damn busy at points. Nevertheless, we had a great night out with plenty of games. Lots of people interacted with us, discussing games and getting involved in the quiz which had 14 entries - All in all, a successful night. Here's how the day went and a few quick bits of information about next month's event.
Top 10 – Druid-Type Characters - To be one with nature is the way of the druid; whether it’s to be one with their more animalistic side, or unleashing a plant-based frenzy. Druids are a huge archetype in gaming, but today we’re not going to look at whether a character is called a druid. Instead, we’re going to check out and celebrate the idea of a druid. In this week’s Top 10, there’ll be some strange entries, as you may not have thought of them as druids, or they may be a perfect fit to the term.
Kickstarter Highlight: The Isle of Cats - A 60-90 minute long game, made by an experienced gamer for experienced gamers? Nice! However I really do love a board game that comes with nicely crafted pieces and thankfully, that's exactly what we've got today. The Isle of Cats by Frank West looks like a wonderful, simple experience with a lot of complexities added in. With a standard game mode and even a solo game mode, these cats are sure to keep you company. With a beautifully presented box, what do we make of The Isle of Cats Kickstarter Campaign?
TDSM XI – Wake Up World - So these are exciting times. Three people today have sent me an article about other professional DMs around the world (many of whom charge a damnsite more than I do), and this hobby that was just barely sticking its nose out from its niche back in the mid 2000’s when I was learning to play […]
UKGE Kickstarter Roundup – Part 2 - Chris has been checking out more of the games from the UK Games Expo 2019. Check out these fantastic new titles!Journey Quest Season 4 – Kickstarter - This is a campaign is trouble, so this is a short article to reach out to anyone who wants to hear it. I’ve talked Journey Quest before, it’s a series set in a D&D world without going so thoroughly referential as Order of the Stick or Goblins, more that the internal logic of things like […]
Spider-Man: Far From Home - Guest contributor Ed has returned to us, following his previous article discussing Spider-Man: Homecoming. Since then, a new spidey-film has been released and he's back to tell us all about it. Check out Ed's review of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Gaming Achievements – Share Your Memories - Last night, whilst playing Elder Scrolls Online, I managed to finally do something that had taken me months to do. I cleared Veteran Maelstrom Arena with no deaths, giving me a brand new title in the process, The Flawless Conqueror. Arguably the hardest solo content in ESO, I was so chuffed to have done it at last. To make it better, I did it on a class that doesn't often get through Veteran Maelstrom Arena, as showcased by the lack of entries on the leaderboard. Today, I'd like to step back, chat about gaming achievements and open this up to you, to share yours with us.
Top 10 Powerful Magic: the Gathering Cards - Magic: the Gathering is a game best enjoyed with almost any number of people. When you play, you can end up facing a deck that is outright stronger than yours. This wouldn’t be so bad, if it weren’t for the fact that sometimes, it’s because of one specific card. This one card can change the course of a game, or even end it. As avid Magic: the Gathering fans, we’d like to offer you to have a look at some of Magic’s most powerful cards… Why We Write - Every day, Joel and I come up with new articles to share. Some days, we struggle to come up with something; you can call that writers block. Other days, we are bursting with ideas. No matter what though, we want to provide articles because we have a desire to write about topics that excite us. We hope that our topics excite you too, but the main crux of why we write is more than just writing to entertain. Today, I'd like to just take a step back and talk about why we write, how your input is invaluable and how we would love to hear from more of you.
Hero Forge Has Been Busy - You guys know Hero Forge? The service has been running for a few years now, one of the cheapest and easiest ways of getting hold of custom miniatures, 3D printed to order using a simple creator that grants a range of options in multiple genres. Without question their largest range of options has been in […]
Returning To Games You’ve Not Played In A While - Ever find yourself going back to an old game and going "why am I here again?" Perhaps an hour in, you remember how much you loved this old game? Yeah, this happens to me too. Here are some thoughts about nostalgia and returning with a newly critical eye changing your gaming experience.
The “Level Up” Illusion - It’s a staple mechanic of so many games, a simple metric for measuring advancement, a point of comparison to where you were compared to where you are, and where other people are around you. Levelling up unlocks new skills and powers, grants access to new gear, and ultimately makes the whole process of murder-hoboing through […]
Time To Watch: Naruto (Season 2 complete) - Okay, I'm not going to lie, I set out to watch maybe half the episodes. I ended up binge watching this whole season in under two weeks. Again, I'm a slow watcher, take it easy on me, would you? Nevertheless, this has been an excellent season which shows a lot about the characters. Most of this season revolves around two parts of the exam, one part being a survival experience and the second part being a sort of tournament. The Chunin exam section is pretty much complete and yes, as I mentioned, I'm going to watch this whole damn series, no matter how big it is. So, here are my thoughts of season 2 of Naruto.
GeekOut Shrewsbury June ’19 – Board Game Beginners - Board game beginners, bring your friends, those who haven’t touched a dice since Ludo, someone who with the bitter aftertaste of Monopoly finally fading. If you can’t shuffle a deck of cards to save your life, this is your month to dip a proverbial toe firmly in the metaphorical water. Premeet – Sweet I did […]
Top 10 Worst Games on Release - Video games are to be enjoyed and can be a lot of fun, but sometimes you pick up a game on its release day and you’re gutted. It’s not what it claimed to be, or it just isn’t very good. Sometimes games stay this way, other times games rebuild themselves into something better. Today, let’s check out some games that were really not particularly good on release for various reasons - Bear in mind, these haven’t all been fixed. Some are still bad to this day...
The Boys Trailer Looks Damn Good - Being a PG-13 website, it's kind of hard to show too much about The Boys, but we'll tell you all about some of the key parts of the series. Coming soon to Amazon Prime Video, The Boys looks to take the superhero world and put it back in its place. I'm sure I'm not the only one to suggest there are too many superheroes out there, so here's a series dedicated to keeping collateral damage down and keeping these heroes in check. But here's a little bit of backstory behind The Boys, including the source material.A Begrudging Defence of The Big Bang Theory - I am very… very proud to be a nerd in the 21st century. Our culture, is culture, we took over in a big way, we’re not the counterculture or the underground any more. Comics break the box office, games outsell every form of modern media, we’re in music, literature, we’re on every screen, and even […]
Ultimate Games Master – Preview - You probably already know that I build web-based applications for people to fund my nerdy habits. With the launch of the now popular DnD Beyond, I began to wonder just how long it might take someone to come along and challenge it. If there was any way you could beat the behemoth that is Wizards Of The Coast, it would be to design an app that did more than just Dungeons & Dragons, which is precisely what Ultimate Games Master (UGM) does.
Review – Jessica Jones Season 3 - After a spate of cancellations, Jessica Jones included, I wasn’t expecting to see another Defenders series, and this final season of Jessica Jones arrived with surprisingly little fanfare. The meta-series hit rocky reception from the back-half of Luke Cage, grew worse through Iron Fist and generally the ensemble piece was… just bad to be honest, […] GeekOut UK – Our New Name - Hey all, I decided not to do a full post today, but rather I'd quietly slip in a tiny update.
Sega Mega Drive: The Games I Loved Growing Up - The Sega Mega Drive was, to most of the rest of the world, the Sega Genesis. I had one of these excellent consoles growing up and I often end up looking up videos, remembering the great games the console had. Oh sure, there's Sonic, for sure, but that's not all the console had. Today I'm just going to chat about four or five different games from the Sega Mega Drive that I absolutely adored as a kid. For obvious reasons, I am not going to count Sonic, because I think that's a given. Nevertheless, check out some of these more obscure games.
Top 10 90’s Geek Films - Before we delve into this list, we’re defining a 90’s Geek Film as one that was set out to entertain geeks. Therefore we’re going to include the likes of the 90’s Batman films, but not things like Home Alone which went on to become a cult classic. Some films toe the line between geeky and simply a good movie, so some of these may be contentious. Without further adieu, these are our Top 10 90’s Geek Films.
Cosplay Project: ‘The Fiend’ - It's been a while since I crafted my last cosplay, so today, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. He's called The Fiend. He's coming to a GeekOut Bristol Meet and a GeekOut Shrewsbury Meet near you in October... So let him in!
Dungeon Situational – Ten Ghosts (pt 2) - More ghosts, here’s part one. … And One for the Man in the Corner In the Ox and Puncheon there’s a table with a candle that’s never lit, a cup that never empties but is regularly refreshed, and chairs that are never moved and never sat in except by those approaching the end of their […]
GeekOut Bristol Meet – July 12th: Best of British Geeks - Brits don't really give themselves enough credit. There are so many fun, quirky and creative geek things that we've done, that in our latest GeekOut Bristol Meet, we're going to celebrate being a British geek. Come along, share your thoughts of what being a British geek is all about and join in with our competition!Dungeon Situational – Ten Ghosts (pt 1) - Three short of a mediocre film. Also this is going to have to be a two-parter by necessity! Expect part two on Thursday, and then a pause on Dungeon Situational for a few months while I get a few other article ideas out into the world. Here are the first five examples of ghosts, hauntings, […]
Kickstarter Highlight: Cover Your Kingdom – Card Game - Card games and Kickstarter are like ducks to water; many good card games come from the platform and today we're going to chat about another. I recently found Cover Your Kingdom, which claims to conspire to acquire punderful creatures. If that isn't a tagline that gets you excited, I'm not sure what you get out of bed for in the morning. Puns, creatures and medieval themes? Sounds ace to me. There's not much time to back this one, so check out Cover Your Kingdom today. If you want the lowdown, then read on for our summary of the campaign, along with the lower reward tiers.
Time To Watch: Naruto (Episodes 12-26 (Season One Finished)) - Just shy of two weeks ago, I did a summary post of my thoughts and feelings of Naruto as a first time sitting down to just watch it all. I am pleased to say that in less than a month, I’ve finished one season - Yeah, yeah, I know, some of you are laughing at that child’s play, I struggle to binge watch. Anyway, now that I’ve completed season 1, here are my thoughts of the series so far.
Top 10 Tech Distractions - Here’s a quick look at what the Wikipedia definition of what a ‘distraction’ is; “Distraction is the process of diverting the attention of an individual or group from a desired area of focus and thereby blocking or diminishing the reception of desired information”. Now that you’ve looked at another website’s definition, I hope you were distracted enough to not notice the doomsday device I just planted. Anyway, we’ve got a brand new Top 10 for you to check out! No doomsday device here.
Metal Music and Video Games - Metal music and video games go hand in hand. What? You don't believe me? I've got some amazing games to talk briefly about, all of which have some massive metal soundtrack. You may not like metal, or you may absolutely love the genre, but I'm hopeful everyone will come away from this thinking "okay, that was a good soundtrack". As a rule of thumb, I will not be including any Rhythm games, simply because it's kind of implied that music will be a major point and we all know that metal music likes to be nice and tricky to play on a guitar or otherwise. Right then, let's put up them devil horns and mosh away.E3 2019 – Actually Quite Interesting - I’ve had a couple of years of just not caring about E3. I know I’m not alone in that, a lot of hype that rarely gets fulfilled, a lot of the hype we want nowhere to be seen, and it’s usually just a chance for big publishers to let us down and make us worried […]
WordPress.com Support Forums - I've been an avid fan of Wordpress for some time. The company, Automattic, do a lot of good. As well as running the software that runs this website, they power a huge proportion of the internet. Many of your favourite blogs, as well as a huge number of business and eCommerce websites all use the Wordpress platform, which is separated by Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org. Recently, I won't lie to you, I've been taking a vested interest in the people behind Wordpress. I've logged onto the Wordpress Support Forums and I've been trying my hand occasionally at helping those with Wordpress issues. This has been my experience so far.Dungeon Situational – A Magic: the Gathering Adventurer - As Wizards of the Coast have already, very kindly, bridged the gap between both M:tG and D&D, this should be nice and easy, right? But that’s not the point of these articles, a shamelessly self-indulgent stretching of the creative muscles made public for anyone to use, and a bit of mental exercise at the same […]
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