Alrightreads: C'est Magnifique...

R. L. Stine, Fear Street Super Chiller: Broken Hearts

1993 / Audiobook / 218 pages

***

A long, soapy bloodbath.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: The Cheater

1993 / Audiobook / 125 pages

**

This cautionary thriller didn't feel very on brand with only one killing and a plot that was just depressing rather than scary. Still better than ghosts, I guess.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: Sunburn

1993 / Audiobook / 150 pages

**

The sunny setting and laughable ending made this one of the more memorable ones, though not really in a good way.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street Super Chiller: Silent Night 2

1993 / Audiobook / 196 pages

**

I would've preferred a festive anthology series over a straight-up sequel with the same annoying protagonist who disappointingly isn't allowed to die.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: The New Boy

1994 / Ebook / 150 pages

***

Hitchcock suspense given a teen chick drama twist, though similarly written, and now ultimately read, by middle-aged men.

Alrightreads Special: Red Dwarf – Titan

Rob Grant and Andrew Marshall, Red Dwarf: Titan

2026 / Hardback / 406 pages

****

Red Dwarf fans had clamoured for Rob Grant's return for decades, but I wasn't especially thrilled when the Titan prequel project was first touted as a recast reboot (and even a cartoon at one point). But when network disinterest led to it morphing into a novel, where I can imagine the characters looking and sounding like they should, it became much more up my dingy alley. Like its predecessors (most of them, anyway), it'll be a book that's with me for the long run, with, hopefully, many return journeys to appreciate its uniqueness, pontificate pointlessly on forums and recreationally nitpick all those cute flaws. The first visit was a real good treat. RIP Rob.

Alrightgames: Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS: All Members!! Championship Contest

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon SuperS: All Members!! Championship Contest

1996 / Super Nintendo emulator game / 1-2 players

**

Choose best girl in worst season and beating shit out friends but don't special power not work.

Alrightgames: Basic Fantasy Adventure – The Lost Tome (Adapted)

Basic Fantasy Adventure: The Lost Tome Teddy (Adapted)

2012 / Roleplaying game adventure / 2+ players

****

Dusting off some previously stalled characters – practical handypony Lillie Roase and scruffy alchemist Tatty Bogle – for their first thinly-disguised dungeon delve (this one's a musty occult library with traps and monsters; totally different), which was easily repopulated with established baddies and new allies, culminating in an annoying logic problem of my own invention that I helped her along with to ease the tedium. I should probably put more effort into developing our characters and their talents than just letting us find relevant power-ups in chests, but sometimes you just want the simplicity of Diablo.

Junior Gamesmaster: Tails of Equestria – Shiva

My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria – Shiva

DIY roleplaying game adventure

Besides some plot holes I didn't poke into, there's now little difference between this six-year-old's semi-planned RPG sandbox challenges and my own, to the extent that she preempted the specific plot point of finding a password in a book in a library that was going to feature in my follow-up. She pointed out that we were both nicking it from Final Fantasy VII anyway.

Alrightgames: SpaceShipped expansions

SpaceShipped expansions

As with Anthelion before it, the expansions for the 18-card interstellar trade simulator are small themed decks that replace rather than supplement other cards. One difference is you have the freedom to mix and match sets at your leisure this time, unless you prefer to set the theme for today's episode.

Expansion Collection: Debts and Damages, Out of Route & The Dynasty Seal ****

Each set of 6 cards has a fairly distinct theme that manages to stand out when only diluted by 12 others. Once you've played each of them once and learned their quirks, you can mix them all together and pick randomly. Some work better when they have enough related cards to synchronise with (especially the enemies), but the universe generally sorts itself out.

Lockdown ****

A slightly more game-changing enemy makes this the most interesting of the expansions and is the enemy I'd probably choose if I didn't leave things to fate. It was presumably left out of the wallet compilation for space. I say, let 'em bulge.

Alrightgames: SpaceShipped

SpaceShipped

2019 / Card game / 1 player

****

The Elite computer games as an ingeniously compact card game (which I obviously decompressed by getting it with all the expansions to give the universe some breathing room).

I was wary of dense multifunction cards after failing to grasp the likes of Deadeye Dinah, but this leisurely/boring activity of buying low, selling high and trying not to explode is up my space lane, and I can even win sometimes. Some humour wouldn't have gone amiss, but insisting on that retro computer font despite it making everything unnecessarily hard to read is quite amusing.

Alrghtgms: RNSM (DY)

RNSM (DY)

2024 / Wrd crd gm / 1-4 plyrs

**

Not going to keep that up. Button Shy's wallet games are renowned for ingeniously fitting complex games into small packages, often achieved through multifunction cards that can be flipped and rotated for a variety of purposes. RNSM is the most opposite case I've seen yet.

A simple but tricky word game that skips vowels, its plain letter cards are so simple to substitute using Scrabble tiles or going method with real newspaper and magazine cuttings that paying for the official game seems pointless, especially when it's not even that far beyond Lex Go.

Vexing Letters ***

The customary mini expansion adds 6 less common letters to the pile and an optional twin word variant that seems like the preferable way to play, since I'm stuck at 4 letters either way.

Alrightgames: Pictionary (DIY)

Pictionary (DIY)

1985 / Drawing board game / 3-16 players (played with 2)

***

Well, not really. The internet suggested that the board and most of the other components were unnecessary, so we ended up at a sand-timed sketch guessing game using prompt cards borrowed from Stella. Is this Pictionary? I dunno, but it was wholesome family fun.

Alrightgames: Sea Salt & Paper fan expansions

Sea Salt & Paper fan expansions

The two small, official expansions are already pushing out the lid as it is, but more variations are always welcome, especially when they're free to print and play. Or, in my case, awkwardly substitute existing cards and read what they're supposed to do off a screen.

Fanmade 8-card Expansion **

This fan sequel to the first expansion does pretty much the same ideas as the official second expansion, making it unnecessary now, but it at least made me realise how badly the game's lacking an origami turtle.

Solo Variant ***

Various solo modes have been proposed involving flow charts, character abilities and multiple stacks that likely provide a tougher challenge at the cost of fiddliness. This one that determines a stupid opponent's move using dice rolls is difficult to lose and not very satisfying, but approachably simple for the lazy solo player, before I came up with my own that's even simpler:

• The opponent draws 3 cards (2 from the deck, 1 from either discard pile) and discards 1 (your choice)
• They play duos as soon as they have them (include Starfish when available)
• Last chance triggers at 10 points
• Generally try to make them play poorly, but quantity may triumph over quality

Try it.

Alrightgames: Carcassonne – Mage & Witch

Carcassonne: Mage & Witch

2012 / Board game mini expansion / 2-6 players

***

Someone was selling off their old pieces, so I got to upgrade the unofficial placeholders I'd been using, though I still base them around the Shrines for want of bespoke tiles. It adds some supernatural drama/annoyance.

Alrightreads: We'll Cut Jugulars at a Stroke

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: Cheerleaders – The First Evil

1992 / Audiobook / 166 pages

***

Buffy's cheerleading stint fortunately only lasted one episode, so I wasn't thrilled by the background of this quintet, but it doesn't take too long for the cheesy supernatural angle to take over, including the first recurring Big Bad of the series.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: Cheerleaders – The Second Evil

1992 / Audiobook / 167 pages

***

A solid sequel that kills off more regulars and leaves an increasingly incredulous status quo.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: Cheerleaders – The Third Evil

1992 / Ebook / 165 pages

***

Drawn out for a good if inevitable twist, a shame it wasn't allowed to be the ending.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street Super Chiller: Cheerleaders – The New Evil

1994 / Ebook / 199 pages

**

The bumper quadquel is as fine and necessary as your standard Part IV.

R. L. Stine, Fear Street Super Chiller: Cheerleaders – The Evil Lives!

1998 / Ebook / 167 pages

**

The second grand finale (and counting) injects fresh blood, time travel and desperate chapter titles, but it's not even funny any more.

Alrightgames: Choose Your Own Adventure – The Rescue of the Unicorn

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Rescue of the Unicorn

2021 / Adventure gamebook / 1 player

***

Back for another round of punishing ordeals and inappropriately traumatic deaths that are impossible to deduce using logic or any method other than brute-forcing all avenues. I do find it quite comforting that they still make this shit.

Alrightgames: Six Second Scribbles

Six Second Scribbles

2021 / Doodling game / 1-4 players

***

Another one you could do yourself, but it was only £1 from a charity shop and it was good to have the prompts provided, plus ever-useful spare pencils.

Alrightgames: Euphrates & Tigris – Contest of Kings

Euphrates & Tigris: Contest of Kings

2005 / Strategy card game / 2-4 players

****

The unpopular diet, card-bonated version of the esteemed board game has one advantage in being several orders of magnitude cheaper than its parent. I was tempted by an unloved eBay listing for several months until it eventually dropped to a desperate enough price to be worth a try.

It's no 7 Wonders Duel, but it's convoluted enough to be an engrossing contest of wits, fortune and risks, though admittedly less risky when you're playing against yourself and have a rough idea of whether the other you has any reds or not. To solve this, I came up with a moderately engaging solo bot:

• The player sets up and takes their turns as normal. Catastrophe cards are not used.
• Place the opponent's kings on the even-numbered treasure cards at the start, in any order. They will never move to another kingdom. The opponent has no hand.
• On the opponent's turn, they draw 6 cards (easy), 7 cards (normal) or 8 cards (hard). They play ALL matching pairs (one card to the kingdom under the matching leader, one to their victory pile) and discard any leftovers.
• If the player instigates a challenge, the opponent draws 6, 7 or 8 cards in response (depending on difficulty) and plays all red cards drawn as defence, discarding the rest. This does not count as its turn.
• If an opponent's king is dethroned, it will use all red cards drawn on subsequent turns to try to reclaim its former kingdom until successful, playing and discarding other colours as normal.
• If the opponent plays 4 blue cards in a row, the player chooses their ship.
• The game ends when any kingdom reaches its maximum size or when the deck runs out.
• I think that's everything. Make up the rest or tweak it yourself.

Alrightgames: Kingdomino solo variants

Kingdomino solo variants

I get to play multiplication landscaping enough with my daughter, but when she's at school I sometimes want something lighter and quicker than Gloom of Kilforth, so it's good to have options. Here are some that players have come up with.

Crown of Thorns ****

Its single rule (the better the tile you choose, the more limited your options next time) is easy to remember, simulating a four-player game in 5x5 grids without bothering with the other three players. The only downsides are you don't get the satisfaction of denying someone their coveted tile and there's no one to blame for your rubbish options but yourself.

Dwindling Choices ***

A less distinctive title and more unnecessarily convoluted approach to doing basically the same thing, this time restricting your options to one of each of the four positions per four-round phase. I'd happily play this if he hadn't already come up with the more straightforward version above.

Princess Dorothy **

Simulates the two-player game with unclear scoring rules that seem to put the greedy automated opponent at a great disadvantage. More trouble than it's worth.

Bruno ***

Simpler automated placement and scoring if I ever feel I really need to beat an imaginary opponent rather than my high score, or if I really need to play with the giants.

Babyliography CCXLIX

Clare Helen Welsh and Sarah DeMonteverde, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Oodles of Noodles

2020 / School book / 24 pages

**

I liked how they couldn't be bothered to end the story, so used those pages for a recipe instead.

Ann M. Martin and Gale Galligan, The Baby-Sitters Club: Dawn and the Impossible Three

2017 / Paperback / 150 pages

***

The new artist-adapter had a tough act to follow, but thanks to her imitably expressive faces, Gale Galligan is the young reader's favourite.

Unknown, Mad About Gymnastics

2015 / Library book / 32 pages

**

Only a little more helpful than the last one, we'll stick with YouTube tutorials.

Various, Usborne Art Ideas: Drawing Faces

2002 / Library book / 64 pages

***

Unfortunately too "scary" to give much of a go.

Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson, Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia

2025 / Library book / 128 pages

**

The latest quick-reading, interchangeable kids' comic team, but not one of her favourites.

Babyliography CCXLVIII

Michael Basman, Chess for Beginners

2021 / Library book / 48 pages

**

For want of Final Fantasy VII books in the library, we found an unhelpful guide to another game she's got into.

Unknown, How to Measure Everything

2018 / Library book / 18 pages

***

It doesn't go subatomic, admittedly, but it seemed more worth a try than another time-specific book she wouldn't bother with.

Sally Morgan, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Beetles Around the World

2020 / School book / 24 pages

**

Another "disgusting" but educational one. I honestly think they're trying to toughen them up.

Paul Mason, Sports Academy: Gymnastics

2021 / Library book / 48 pages

*

Skipped the basic moves kids can try at home and went straight into the equipment you need to buy.

Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier, The Baby-Sitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day

2015 / Paperback / 160 pages

***

Reinforcing Mary Anne as our favourite.

Babyliography CCXLVII

Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier, The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea

2015 / Paperback / 192 pages

***

A birthday boxset started early as a reward for helpfully downsizing her preschool library.

Anna Claybourne, Body Works

2014 / Library book / 120 pages

***

Just another body book.

Liz Miles and Monica Auriemma, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Around the World in 72 Days

2020 / School book / 24 pages

***

They're almost real books now.

Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Archita Khosla, Little People, Big Dreams: Princess Diana

2023 / Library book / 32 pages

**

An extremely sanitised retelling that doesn't mention the accident, except on the timeline at the end.

Shoo Rayer, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: A Helping Hand

2019 / School book / 24 pages

*

Even she found this one bloody tedious.