Alrightreads: Pan-demonium

Various, The Sixth Pan Book of Horror Stories

1931-65 (collected 1965) / Audiobook / 222 pages

***

I was expecting mouldy macabre tales, so the gorier and generally distressing ones caught me by surprise. I wouldn't have got through the dreary longer ones if they weren't being passively read to me on YouTube.

Faves: 'The Unforgiven,' 'No Flies on Frank,' 'My Little Man'

Various, The Seventh Pan Book of Horror Stories

1902-66 (collected 1966) / Audiobook / 239 pages

***

Mixes some then-vintage chillers with contemporary gross-outs and humdrum encounters with unknowable entities.

Faves: 'The Monkey's Paw,' 'The Last Experiment,' 'The Island of Regrets'

Various, The Eighth Pan Book of Horror Stories

1945-67 (collected 1967) / Audiobook / 236 pages

***

Notably shorter and snappier, often literally. I've stopped paying as much attention, to be honest, except when there's a jarring historical or disturbed child.

Faves: 'Playtime,' 'The Bean-nighe,' 'The Brindle Bull Terrier'

Various, The Ninth Pan Book of Horror Stories

1947-68 (collected 1968) / Audiobook / 252 pages

****

More surprisingly vicious and graphic yarns from before they were allowed to show that shit in films.

Faves: 'The Fly,' 'Thou Shalt Not Suffer a Witch,' 'Old Feet'

Various, The Tenth Pan Book of Horror Stories

1958-69 (collected 1969) / Audiobook / 236 pages

**

A distinctly pervier and sexist batch at the end of the decade, maybe they'd worn out the good writers by now.

Faves: 'The Necklace,' 'The Fat Thing,' 'Magical Mystery Trip'

Alrightgames: Sushi Go Party!

Sushi Go Party!

2016 / Card game / 2-8 players

****

A premature impulse purchase when the six year old went briefly crazy for the original game for about a day over Christmas, it went straight into indefinite storage until such time as she got re-obsessed and demanded more sushi or when we just needed something new to do, which turned to be the next half term break.

The equivalent of an unlocked game-of-the-year edition of the card game, this bigger box replaces the original in every way except portability, which wasn't enough to keep it from being eBayed. The new dishes are quick to learn and varied enough to reignite her interest for a while, at least. I mean, it's no Sailor Moon Monopoly or Monster High: Share or Scare.

Alrightgames: Some Gloom of Kilforth expansions

Some Gloom of Kilforth expansions

As a Kickstarter project, all manner of extravagant and unnecessary extras are available for the photogenic RPG, now at more affordable prices since their formerly devoted backers largely moved on and I can scavenge the scraps. I don't really need to upgrade from cardboard standees to miniatures, or to buy alternate art packs where they show slightly more cleavage (which actually exist), but a bit of variety's always nice.

Promo Pack 2 **

This puny pack isn't worth more than the couple of pounds I bid for it. Encounters with boom sticks and aliens are a bit out of place, and the alternate art card's pointless, but the versatile vagabond's helpful at least, and friendlier than the one in Stew. I later found a more worthwhile use for these when mocking up one of the sequel games on the cheap (work in progress).

Gloom of the North Fan Expansions *****

Finding some mysteriously home-printed Sagas in my second-hand game box, I tracked them to a fan site and discovered other passionately and clinically crafted free resources that I've already started mixing in to give the game legs. It's enough to inspire you to come up with your own, if you're the sort of person who can be bothered with that sort of thing.

Bitter Nights ***

Another fan variant for those repetitive Night cards that simplifies it to two lists and dice rolls. Using numbered cards from The Game makes it even simpler, even if they clash with the atmosphere somewhat.

Alrightgames: Gloom of Kilforth

Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game

2017 / Roleplaying card/board game / 1-4 players

****

Another chapter in the saga to find my solo RPG comfort zone, from restrictive gamebooks and tedious journalling to impenetrable ordeal Machina Arcana, this repetitive activity of hopping around a scenic grid collecting keywords is more Advanced Forbidden Island than Morrowind, giving players the freedom to weave disparate prompts and random encounters into a coherent narrative or not bother as they see fit, and I always come away feeling like I've had an immersive experience. It's mainly noteworthy for its stunning art that helps with that immersion, even if much of the cast seems to have wandered in from a porn parody.

Alrightgames: Eiyo expansions

The Matchbox Collection: Eiyo expansions

If the samurai survival simulator somehow wasn't challenging enough already, here's some more flagellation.

Path of the Warrior ***

This is included in the main rulebook, but it's in the same spirit. I like to add these pests in so I have someone to blame when I clearly almost win.

Fukushuu **

Another boss of medium scariness added to the random draw options, this could have been worse, so I don't have to yell his name as a curse.

Adversity *

A super hard mode that's just taking the piss, I'm not going to bother.

Alrightgames: Eiyo

The Matchbox Collection: Eiyo

2020 / Card game / 1-2 players

****

How do you encapsulate the struggle of a lone samurai fending off an enemy horde in card game form? By making it overwhelmingly hard, that's how! The theme comes through nicely with the directional attacks and metal shield tokens (it's not humanly possible to play this without vocalising sound effects), which was encouragement to keep honing my skills to the point where I can almost succeed, when luck's on my side and I don't include the sadistic mini expansions. I won't use the little samurai figures for the two-player mode, but they've found honourable employment in Carcassonne.

Alrightgames: Sprawlopolis expansions

Sprawlopolis expansions

Sprawlopolis is a delicately-balanced game in just 18 cards, so naturally they had to release a bunch of expansions to ruin that. I don't love all of them, but it's nice to have the variety. Combining them all into a 32-card metropolis somehow maintains the balance (meaning I still narrowly lose on average), but unusually for me, I prefer to play with the basic cards most of the time. Being small and fast is sort of the point.

Wrecktar **

The first one I tried out, because silly. Its devastation is relative to how early or late it emerges from the deck, but having the fire-breathing colossus rampaging through your commercial districts is generally less trouble than it should be.

Points of Interest **

Mildly handy as half of an extra starting card and potential bonuses at the end, but in practice it tends to get buried and forgotten about.

Construction Zones ***

Describing itself as an "irritation" wasn't the best first impression, but they aren't too hard to deal with, and it's a nice dynamic element to bring you back to the theme if you've started seeing abstract colours and lines.

Beaches ****

Hard edges that punish and reward in the customary delicate balance while also just looking nice, this is easily my favourite of the expansions. They could have taken it further and made some kind of Seafarers of Sprawlopolis.

Interstate ***

Mainly designed to make the turn-taking puzzle a more viable two-player activity, the solo mode of taking turns on alternating sides also makes for an interesting change-up, though I don't use it very often, preferring not to hasten the inevitable mental breakdown.

48 Alternate Sprawlopolis Scoring Conditions (Fan Variant) *****

The permutations may be vast, but the 18 standard scoring conditions get familiar before long. BoardGameGeek user parchmentEngineer devised additional tasks, including putting the Points of Interest to use. Handy, clever and free, what's not to like?

Alrightgames: Sprawlopolis

Sprawlopolis

2018 / Card game / 1-4 players

*****

Ever since an X-Files knock-off of Circle the Wagons introduced me to the microscopic realm of Button Shy wallet games, I'd been particularly intrigued by this erratic urban planning puzzle, and I finally saw it for a bargain price (along with the expansions and sequel), so I didn't have to settle for a buggered-up print and play. The hype I'd built up for this 18-card microtropolis was deserved, as randomised goals and ongoing obligations merge and clash to create an ever-changing solo challenge that I even win occasionally. It may be less enchanting than solo classic Onirim, but it's a lot less hassle.

Alrightgames: 7 Wonders Duel – Pantheon

7 Wonders Duel: Pantheon

2016 / Card drafting game expansion / 2 players

****

Adding gods to an already convoluted game makes things more complicated, as in life. While the base game didn't need any fixing, this expansion adds variety, atmosphere and more interpersonal drama that at the very least makes it a worthy variant. I miss the guild cards, but the temples add tension in the final stretch, and adding extra wonders and tokens to the mix probably tips it into essential. Besides, the board would look naked now without the add-on. Hey, what are all those notches on the other side for...?

Alrightgames: Monopoly Expansion – Free Parking Jackpot

Monopoly Expansion: Free Parking Jackpot

2025 / Board game expansion pack / 2-6 players

**

Another one of these, but only after the young Monopoly fan agreed I could try to sell one of her outgrown Junior versions (it went to a charity shop in the end) and one of her disappointing Christmas games as an exchange. It's not as fun or crazy as Buy Everything, being closer to the normal game with loads of freebies and blowout jackpots to swing things (with more end conditions imposed), but you can combine the two to drive out even further from the centre and any sense of monetary value. Technically, you can't combine them, but you can.

Alrightgames: Carcassonne – The Flier

Carcassonne: The Flier

2012 / Tile placement board game mini expansion / 2-6 players

****

The most fun looking and borderline essential of the old mini expansions has always flown a bit higher in price than I could reasonably pay for 9 bits of cardboard and a dice, but after a satisfying auction win, it's finally landed in my overloaded Big Box, complete with its own diddy box. The only failing is it doesn't come with its own spring-loaded launchpad, so you have to do the action and noises yourself.

Alrightgames: Lex Go! – Jungle Animals

Lex Go!: Jungle Animals

2021 / Spelling card game / 2-4 players

**

She recently wanted a marathon of all her ex-Happy Meal animal card games (took about 10 minutes), so I checked which others were going for a sub-postage price on eBay to add to the multicoloured collection.

There might be some educational benefit in this minimalist spelling game, but there weren't any Jungle Animals to be seen, outside of that panda on the card backs. Weak and totally irrelevant, but still not as bad as  Dos.

Alrightgames: Atmosfear IV – Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Vampire

Atmosfear IV: Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Vampire

1993 / Video board game expansion / 3-6 players

***

Growing up with The Harbingers, I hadn't considered bothering with the original, presumably inferior Atmosfear, until I found scans of all the cards from the expansions on BoardGameGeek and realised that – with printing and YouTube VHS rips – a cheap base game was all we needed to open a whole world of Nightmares (up to 4 hours, anyway. Not that we ever get very far into the tapes).

My daughter wanted to play the vampire one first, which was as punishing as its reputation suggested. By seven minutes in, she'd already been randomly gifted all of her keys while I moped in a black hole and was headed for the finish line when she rolled an unfortunate 1 and was banished from the board to join the legion of the damned. We were then reminded why you need more than two players as further random punishments made what was supposed to be the exciting pursuit of my flesh and soul drag on until we switched off out of boredom. She was getting a bit creeped out by the Countess' transformation anyway.

Suffer!

Alrightgames: Pocket Mars

Pocket Mars

2017 / Worker placement card game / 1-4 players

***

I'd been intrigued by this budget colonisation simulator for a while, but lukewarm reviews put my space program on hold until I saw an irresistible price and could get my ass to Mars. Ultimately, it is just about moving coloured cubes between cards, but I think it's a neat little game. The solo mode feels justified as the feature attraction rather than an afterthought, and you can increase the difficulty when you quickly work it out.

Alrightgames: Boss Monster

Boss Monster

2013 / Card game / 2-4 players

****

I don't need card games to look like they're video games to get me to play them, and was sceptical that this wouldn't have much more than nostalgia bait going for it when trying out a cheap eBay listing. But it hits that sweet spot of lightweight games that involve a bit of tactical thinking, but are so dependent on the luck of the draw that things are mostly out of my hands (see also: Star Realms), so I can just relax and enjoy it. More than I'd enjoy playing a lightweight video game nowadays, plus I'll still be able to play this after the great EMP destroys all computers to save us from the AI revolution, so it's got that going for it.

Alrightgames: 7 Wonders Duel – Solo

7 Wonders Duel: Solo

2020 / Card drafting game variant rules / 1 player

***

For want of similarly aged and boring opponents, I'm happy enough fighting a Me1 vs Me2 Duel and trying our best to wreck each other's civilisations, but the lockdown solo rules are a slightly streamlined alternative.

The automated leaders' privilege means they get to take most of the red and green cards for free, making military and science victories a lot more likely than when I'm scuppering my own plans, which at least means less points admin. When I do manage to make it to points, it's not pretty. The whole thing feels unbalanced and unfair, which is appropriate to the theme, but I generally prefer playing with myself.

Junior Gamesmaster: Tails of Equestria – Finding a Kid

My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria – Finding a Kid

DIY roleplaying game adventure

We hadn't played "story game" in a while, but after giving an impromptu presentation about the game system to her Nana, she naturally wanted to have a go with our latest, untested characters. I had another generic dungeon occult library ready to go, but she preferred to tell her own story and set her own challenges, which turned out somewhat reminiscent of a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Being preoccupied as Game Master and going easy on herself meant she neglected her character's development, but I squeezed some educational alchemical accidents in to help my guy along, I can't afford to be complacent with her in charge.

Babyliography CCXXXVIII

Dana Simpson, Unicorn Crush: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure

Collected 2024 / Paperback / 176 pages

***

Gentle introduction to bestiality.

Richard Jones, An Anthology of Butterflies and Moths: A Collection of Butterflies and Moths from Around the World

2025 / Library book / 128 pages

***

Mainly used as a freaky flip book, no offence to the lepidopterans.

Unknown, Colour Illusions: Visual Tricks, Fantastic Facts, and Impossible Puzzles

2014 / Hardback / 32 pages

***

A shame the 3D glasses and other bits of plastic we're supposed to look through were long gone, but I complained and got a refund, so the rest of the permanent vision damage was free.

Zanna Davidson and Nuno Alexandre Vieira, Fairy Unicorns: Kingdom Under the Sea

2022 / Hardback / 112 pages

***

This inexplicably rare volume finally dropped to a regular price before she grew out of fairy unicorns (as if!). Kicking off the sequel trilogy, it's a refreshing change from the old formula, replacing it with a new formula.

Zoë Clarke and Edu Coll, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: The Stone Shadows

2021 / School book / 24 pages

**

More of a boy one, she helpfully explained to me what "peril" and "urgent" meant.

Babyliography CCXXXVII

Ben Clanton, A Waffle Lot of Love: A Narwhal and Jelly Book

2026 / Library book / 96 pages

***

The duo return to aromantically tick off Valentine's Day.

Harriet Muncaster, Isadora Moon and the Pop Stars

2025 / Library book / 150 pages

***

Practically tailor made for her interests, but she still didn't care for more than a few chapters. Needs more unicorn.

Clare Helen Walsh, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Amazing Webs

2022 / School book / 24 pages

***

I'm convinced they're trying to desensitise kids to yucky bugs, and it seems to be working. Plenty for parents to learn too.

Gale Galligan and Ann M. Martin, The Baby-Sitters Club: Logan Likes Mary Anne!

2020 / Library book / 176 pages

**

Drawn back to the series for her first chaste teen romance story, she couldn't put it down. Update: She then read it again from cover to cover by herself over several days.

Jamie Smart, Max & Chaffy: What a Delicious Discovery!

2025 / Library book / 128 pages

***

The perpetually grumpy Foghorn steals the show again with just one word of dialogue.

Babyliography CCXXXVI

Unknown, Minecraft Epic Bases: Builds to Spark Your Imagination

2020 / Library book / 96 pages

**

Unachievable standards to shoot for. I like her more modest houses.

Chris Bradford and Korky Paul, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Jake and Jen and the Balloon of Doom

2021 / School book / 24 pages

**

I genuinely didn't see the twist ending coming.

Nel Yomtov, Anything but Ordinary: Strange Beasts

2020 / Library book / 48 pages

***

Cool weird stuff.

Rob Alcraft, Collins Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: This Is Our Planet

2020 / School book / 24 pages

***

One of the more worthwhile entries, even if they're fixated on kite birds at the moment.

Jake Banfield, Magic Tricks with Coins, Cards and Everyday Objects

2016 / Library book / 120 pages

**

Not much new for a six-year-old veteran.

Alrightgames: HeroQuest

HeroQuest

1989 / Dungeon crawling board game / 2-5 players

****

Resold

Better late than never, and a crazily underpriced eBay listing meant I could finally experience the junior roll-n-hack proto-RPG, before deciding it wasn't really for us and selling it on to the next adventurer. I can't tell if it would have been a childhood favourite in an alternate timeline, but it didn't have a great deal to offer a 40 year old, nor a 6 year old pony RPG veteran, who got bored by the repetitive quests and preferred to use it as a weird doll house.

Alrightgames: 15 Days expansions

The Matchbox Collection: 15 Days expansions

These matchboxes are roomy enough for more cards and tokens, so fortunately Kickstarter backers helped to sort that out (before deciding they weren't interested after all and selling their unopened sets at a loss on eBay).

Feathers & Lag Season ***

Extended season sets win the game, so here are more extensions to fight over.

Mid-season **

Upgrades the wooden animal actions to be more powerful. Possibly overpowered when playing against humans, this feels more like a fix for the difficult solo mode that means I can actually win now, unless I'm cheating.

Alrightgames: 15 Days

The Matchbox Collection: 15 Days

2020 / Card game / 1-4 players

***

I was sceptical about the quality matching the quantity when bidding on this set of five purpose-built microgames for the usual price of one (plus "expansions," that I'll get to), but if some Italians could be bothered to design, produce and market these, the least I can do is play them.

This first outing is a pleasantly dull set collection card game (Spoiler: They're all card games). Its wooden animal totems and pastel nature clipart are a welcome break from my usual dark and exciting themes, though the bastard solo automaton keeps it from being too relaxing.

Alrightgames: Stew – Fungus Among Us

Stew: Fungus Among Us

2018 / Card game mini expansion / 2-4 players

**

I don't know whether this mini expansion really enhances the microgame or just makes it more annoying (especially when the card stocks from the same publisher don't even match), but introducing supernatural gnome and mutant entities makes it trippier. You might just be hallucinating in the mushroom fumes anyway.