These are books, films, games and experiences that show the highest levels of craftsmanship or storytelling, or that moved me in beautiful or peculiar ways.
Stevyn Colgan is, among other things, a highly experienced ex-copper with a penchant for writing. A Murder to Die For is his first published novel, and is a wonderfully funny take on the classic cozy murder-mystery.
Inside Number 9 is an anthology series of peculiar and unusual stories from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, the co-writers of League of Gentlemen and Psychoville. I missed it the first time around and have been catching up on Netflix. I should not have waited so long…
The makers of Limbo have delivered another dark and mysterious side-scrolling adventure. As before, a strange young boy travels a dangerous landscape towards an unknown destiny. Are the Playdead team resting on their laurels, or is there more here than meets the eye?
It’s nearly ten years since the original Dear Esther was released, and nearly 5 years since the commercial version changed the landscape of storytelling in games. Now The Chinese Room bring last year’s Unity console port to the PC, and add a long awaited developer commentary to this definitive edition of the classic game.
Celebrating 20 years since its first London outing, Art returns for a limited run with a new cast. A tale of three friends and a plain white painting, Art remains a masterful observation of the tragedy hiding within fragile relationships.
In 2012, The Chinese Room made a name for themselves with the lovely Dear Esther, an experimental new way to tell stories in games. Now this talented team demonstrate their exceptional craft with a beautiful and elegiac story about the end of the world.
Alan Garner’s classic children’s adventure has enchanted generations with its tale of dark magic and ancient myth. I read it in 1982, aged 10 and was instantly hooked. Thirty-four years later, can it still capture my adult imagination?
Kent based Changeling Theatre perform a wonderful outdoor rendition of the classic comedy-of-manners by Oliver Goldsmith. The performance was funny, fresh and delightfully modern and encouraged me to see more from this wonderful group of actors.
A pitch-perfect mystery adventure set in 1980s small-town America. Influenced by early Spielberg, Stephen King and John Carpenter, this is a love-letter to all those 80s films that shaped my childhood.
This is a dark fairy-tale for any adult that has ever been seven years old. Gaiman takes us on a timeless tale of the extraordinary wonder of childhood discovery, and the loss that follows in adulthood.
When injury stops Carol Lear playing piano, she believes her life as a musician is over. For those who live to make music, what is their life when the music can no longer be made?
When the answers to your life are found in a terrifying wilderness, you may want to avoid the questions and stay at home. VanderMeer’s creepy tale of Area X is weird, fascinating and deeply unsettling.
