Friends
10x16 The One with Rachel's Going Away Party [6th or so watch]
Not Going Out
14x01 House Move
[Watch it (again) on iPlayer.]
Poker Face
2x01 The Game Is a Foot
I'd kind of forgotten how good this show could be it (it is over two years since I finished season one, after all). It's feels a step above other 'murder mystery' shows, quality-wise.
Richard Osman's House of Games
8x68 Week 14: Wednesday
8x69 Week 14: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Watson
1x10 The Man with the Alien Hand
Wednesday, 24 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Only really booted it up today because there were reports saying it was now Unsupported on Steam Deck. Ran fine for me. Decided to also play around with the graphics too, basically bumping them up... and it still ran fine. So that was nice.
Still spent half-an-hour in it just testing that.
Only really booted it up today because there were reports saying it was now Unsupported on Steam Deck. Ran fine for me. Decided to also play around with the graphics too, basically bumping them up... and it still ran fine. So that was nice.
Still spent half-an-hour in it just testing that.
Tabletop Games
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 24th [the end]
Although this has been more disappointing than I'd hoped, I've still seen it through to the end, so that's nice.
The Silent Storm
December 24th [the end]
Although this has been more disappointing than I'd hoped, I've still seen it through to the end, so that's nice.
Tuesday, 23 December 2025
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
8x66 Week 14: Monday
8x67 Week 14: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
8x66 Week 14: Monday
8x67 Week 14: Tuesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Monday, 22 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Can't believe I went a whole weekend without playing Skyrim! But I had other stuff I wanted/needed to do (like finishing off the 100 Films Challenge), so it made sense. How much I'll play it over Christmas (lots more non-work time, but also lots more family time required) remains to be seen.
I feel like I'm at a bit of a crossroads anyway. Today, I spent an hour-and-a-half basically just doing admin (collecting / buying / selling resources, making stuff for my house, changing followers around) rather than actually persuing any quests or storylines; in part because that's stuff I wanted and planned to do, but I was noodling around with it because I'm not quite sure which region / questline I fancy engaging with next. Maybe a break is a good idea?
Can't believe I went a whole weekend without playing Skyrim! But I had other stuff I wanted/needed to do (like finishing off the 100 Films Challenge), so it made sense. How much I'll play it over Christmas (lots more non-work time, but also lots more family time required) remains to be seen.
I feel like I'm at a bit of a crossroads anyway. Today, I spent an hour-and-a-half basically just doing admin (collecting / buying / selling resources, making stuff for my house, changing followers around) rather than actually persuing any quests or storylines; in part because that's stuff I wanted and planned to do, but I was noodling around with it because I'm not quite sure which region / questline I fancy engaging with next. Maybe a break is a good idea?
Tabletop Games
Daggerheart:
Dragon Heist in the City of Splendors
&
Curse of Strahd
Maybe I should just aim to mention these fortnightly, as last Monday I forgot them again! They're still both very much ongoing, it's only logging them here I forget about.
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 22nd
Dragon Heist in the City of Splendors
&
Curse of Strahd
Maybe I should just aim to mention these fortnightly, as last Monday I forgot them again! They're still both very much ongoing, it's only logging them here I forget about.
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 22nd
Sunday, 21 December 2025
TV
Apocalypse Slough: A Murder, They Hope Mystery
Enjoyed it more than the last one. I mean, it was still utterly ridiculous tosh, but I laughed with surprising regularity and kind of admired how daft it was prepared to be. These have never been truly “good”, but I’ll be damned if I’m always gonna watch 'em.
Enjoyed it more than the last one. I mean, it was still utterly ridiculous tosh, but I laughed with surprising regularity and kind of admired how daft it was prepared to be. These have never been truly “good”, but I’ll be damned if I’m always gonna watch 'em.
Films
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
[#100 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
Blindspot 2025 #12
And there we have it: for the second year in a row, my 100 Films Challenge is complete. Hooray!
[#100 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
Blindspot 2025 #12
And there we have it: for the second year in a row, my 100 Films Challenge is complete. Hooray!
Fiction
Doctor Who: Ten Days of Christmas by Steve Cole
7. Gifts from Afar
8. The Big Store
Although I started this at just the right time for its ten stories to serve as a kind of mini advent calendar leading up to the 24th, I didn't necessarily intend to treat it that way (I've already got two on the go, after all), so I'm happy to get 'ahead' on the weekend.
On a more "about the actual book" note: with no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, it's been nice to have something Who-y and Christmassy in the season.
7. Gifts from Afar
8. The Big Store
Although I started this at just the right time for its ten stories to serve as a kind of mini advent calendar leading up to the 24th, I didn't necessarily intend to treat it that way (I've already got two on the go, after all), so I'm happy to get 'ahead' on the weekend.
On a more "about the actual book" note: with no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, it's been nice to have something Who-y and Christmassy in the season.
Saturday, 20 December 2025
Films
Out of Sight (1998)
[#99 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2025 #12
[#99 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2025 #12
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
In the final update before Christmas, just two additions, both foreign releases (one a French Kickstarter, one a US-only 4K) that I ordered a while back and have taken a while to wing their way to me. In a similar situation: a pile of Australian 4Ks that I'll be very surprised (flabbergasted, even) if they reach me before Christmas now. In time to be included in the final totals of 2025? We'll see...
Number of titles in collection: 3,650 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,671 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 492 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,769 [up 2]
Number of films: 4,682 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 478 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader, for whatever I get for Chrismas (as nothing else is likely to turn up between now and then at this point!)
In the final update before Christmas, just two additions, both foreign releases (one a French Kickstarter, one a US-only 4K) that I ordered a while back and have taken a while to wing their way to me. In a similar situation: a pile of Australian 4Ks that I'll be very surprised (flabbergasted, even) if they reach me before Christmas now. In time to be included in the final totals of 2025? We'll see...
Number of titles in collection: 3,650 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,671 [up 2]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 492 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,769 [up 2]
Number of films: 4,682 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 478 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader, for whatever I get for Chrismas (as nothing else is likely to turn up between now and then at this point!)
Friday, 19 December 2025
Films
How to Train Your Dragon 2 3D (2014)
[2nd watch]
[#98 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
It's over 10 years since I last watched this?! Jeez, where does time go!?
[2nd watch]
[#98 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
It's over 10 years since I last watched this?! Jeez, where does time go!?
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
An hour-and-a-half today spent entirely messing around in the console trying to clear a completed-but-bugged quest, collecting materials to build stuff, and building my house. I feel like this isn't what the game's meant to be about... (It's all my choice, of course. I just need to go back to choosing to do adventure-y stuff instead of home-build-y stuff!)
An hour-and-a-half today spent entirely messing around in the console trying to clear a completed-but-bugged quest, collecting materials to build stuff, and building my house. I feel like this isn't what the game's meant to be about... (It's all my choice, of course. I just need to go back to choosing to do adventure-y stuff instead of home-build-y stuff!)
Thursday, 18 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x08 Fanged Revenge [final hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Critical Role Cooldown
Campaign 4, Episode 8
[Watch it (again) on Beacon.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Thought I'd stop after a reasonable hour-and-a-half today... but then later I went back and played for another two-and-a-half hours. Oopsie.
Thought I'd stop after a reasonable hour-and-a-half today... but then later I went back and played for another two-and-a-half hours. Oopsie.
Wednesday, 17 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x08 Fanged Revenge [3rd hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Over 2 hours of "okay, I should stop... but I could just do this first," over and over. But it's fun, so...
Over 2 hours of "okay, I should stop... but I could just do this first," over and over. But it's fun, so...
Tuesday, 16 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x08 Fanged Revenge [2nd hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Before I installed Skyrim almost on a whim (more about that here), I was putting proper effort into trying to decide which many-hour RPG to start playing. My recent Steam Deck and 3DS acquisitions, and acquiring tonnes of games for each, have meant I've ended up with a raft of options in my backlog, and the fact RPGs are some of the most praised games around nowadays (Disco Elysium and Baldur's Gate 3 have between them topped PC Gamer's Top 100 for years; Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already scooped several major Game of the Year awards for 2025) means they're close to the forefront of my mind.
Anyway, the reason I was putting so much thought into it is because they're so long. Obviously how long varies based on how much time and effort you invest (that's why HowLongToBeat has multiple types of playthrough and shows ranges for each), but many suggest 50+ hours just to do the main story (Persona 5 Royal averages 100+ for that). Those numbers boggled my mind — my main frame of reference is point-and-click adventure games, which typically last 6–8 hours (The Longest Journey's forecast 18 hours used to sound epic to me). The upper estimates for RPGs (where people have spent 400+ hours on just one of these games) I figured came from multiple playthroughs and the like, so they didn't bother me so much; but the length of 12 or more adventure games for just the main story? When this is a genre that has a rep for diverting you with side quests? Jeez!
Well, my perspective has changed now, because here I am passing 100 hours in Skyrim, still not having properly started the main story (no dragons in my game yet!), still not having progressed most of the major secondary stories, and still not even having visited many major locations (I'd been intending to go to Falkreath almost since the start, when I got invited there (at the time it felt I'd been playing for a while, but with hindsight it feels like it was near the start!), and I've only made it there in the past few hours...)
Who knows when I'll finish. I guess I will someday. But I think it will have two effects on future RPG choices. Firstly, the times won't feel as daunting, because I know what it's like now; that it can be done, that I can do it; that 100 hours can still feel like you're barely getting started. But secondly, that I will take those lengths seriously, because if the game promises playthroughs of several hundred hours, there's a chance that will happen to me.
Or maybe there's nothing else quite like Skyrim and I won't spend this much time on one game ever again. We'll see!
(It also crossed my mind to use the 100-hour mark as a point to take a break, to play some other games (I have hundreds awaiting, and several I was already in the middle of), but I'm in the middle of stuff and don't want to! Maybe sometime soon. Or not, who knows.)
Before I installed Skyrim almost on a whim (more about that here), I was putting proper effort into trying to decide which many-hour RPG to start playing. My recent Steam Deck and 3DS acquisitions, and acquiring tonnes of games for each, have meant I've ended up with a raft of options in my backlog, and the fact RPGs are some of the most praised games around nowadays (Disco Elysium and Baldur's Gate 3 have between them topped PC Gamer's Top 100 for years; Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has already scooped several major Game of the Year awards for 2025) means they're close to the forefront of my mind.
Anyway, the reason I was putting so much thought into it is because they're so long. Obviously how long varies based on how much time and effort you invest (that's why HowLongToBeat has multiple types of playthrough and shows ranges for each), but many suggest 50+ hours just to do the main story (Persona 5 Royal averages 100+ for that). Those numbers boggled my mind — my main frame of reference is point-and-click adventure games, which typically last 6–8 hours (The Longest Journey's forecast 18 hours used to sound epic to me). The upper estimates for RPGs (where people have spent 400+ hours on just one of these games) I figured came from multiple playthroughs and the like, so they didn't bother me so much; but the length of 12 or more adventure games for just the main story? When this is a genre that has a rep for diverting you with side quests? Jeez!
Well, my perspective has changed now, because here I am passing 100 hours in Skyrim, still not having properly started the main story (no dragons in my game yet!), still not having progressed most of the major secondary stories, and still not even having visited many major locations (I'd been intending to go to Falkreath almost since the start, when I got invited there (at the time it felt I'd been playing for a while, but with hindsight it feels like it was near the start!), and I've only made it there in the past few hours...)
Who knows when I'll finish. I guess I will someday. But I think it will have two effects on future RPG choices. Firstly, the times won't feel as daunting, because I know what it's like now; that it can be done, that I can do it; that 100 hours can still feel like you're barely getting started. But secondly, that I will take those lengths seriously, because if the game promises playthroughs of several hundred hours, there's a chance that will happen to me.
Or maybe there's nothing else quite like Skyrim and I won't spend this much time on one game ever again. We'll see!
(It also crossed my mind to use the 100-hour mark as a point to take a break, to play some other games (I have hundreds awaiting, and several I was already in the middle of), but I'm in the middle of stuff and don't want to! Maybe sometime soon. Or not, who knows.)
Monday, 15 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x08 Fanged Revenge [1st half]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Fiction
Doctor Who: Ten Days of Christmas by Steve Cole
1. Under Control
This short story collection was released to tie-in with the 60th anniversary two years ago. I bought it then and didn't read it, obviously, and then didn't get round to it last year either, so this is third time lucky, I guess. It's not quite as advent-calendar-y as the previous Christmas-themed collections (which I read both of in 2021 (I never would've gussed it had been so long!), because with 25 stories between them they made an advent calendar), with only ten stories (because it marked the return of David Tennant... let's just overlook the fact he was actually the 14th Doctor at the time), so I don't feel as beholden to reading one a day. Hopefully that'll help me actually finish it in time...
1. Under Control
This short story collection was released to tie-in with the 60th anniversary two years ago. I bought it then and didn't read it, obviously, and then didn't get round to it last year either, so this is third time lucky, I guess. It's not quite as advent-calendar-y as the previous Christmas-themed collections (which I read both of in 2021 (I never would've gussed it had been so long!), because with 25 stories between them they made an advent calendar), with only ten stories (because it marked the return of David Tennant... let's just overlook the fact he was actually the 14th Doctor at the time), so I don't feel as beholden to reading one a day. Hopefully that'll help me actually finish it in time...
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
After days away from Skyrim, I could have played for hours and hours and hours — especially as I'd just arrived in a whole new area, replete with new things to do — but I cut myself off at 4½ hours, having done a few (but by no means all) of those new things, including buying my first piece of land and beginning to build a house of it. Along with all the crafting and smithing stuff, I seem to be enjoying that side of things more than I thought I would. Despite the endless praise it receives, I always thought I'd find Stardew Valley boring and/or like work, but maybe I should try it after all...
For those keeping track ('future me' only, I suspect), said new 'area' is the city of Falkreath, the third city I've visited out of ten cities in the game. It isn't as big as Whiterun or Markarth,* but I still kicked off a good few quests as soon as I arrived and spoke to everyone.
* I keep saying the game has ten cities, but they're really split into two types: major cities (when you enter them, the game loads it as a separate area) and other/small cities (effectively big towns/villages, which you can just walk into as part of the overall open world of the game). There are five of each (one was added by an expansion, but the Special Edition includes all expansions), with Whiterun and Markarth being examples of the former and Falkreath the latter.
After days away from Skyrim, I could have played for hours and hours and hours — especially as I'd just arrived in a whole new area, replete with new things to do — but I cut myself off at 4½ hours, having done a few (but by no means all) of those new things, including buying my first piece of land and beginning to build a house of it. Along with all the crafting and smithing stuff, I seem to be enjoying that side of things more than I thought I would. Despite the endless praise it receives, I always thought I'd find Stardew Valley boring and/or like work, but maybe I should try it after all...
For those keeping track ('future me' only, I suspect), said new 'area' is the city of Falkreath, the third city I've visited out of ten cities in the game. It isn't as big as Whiterun or Markarth,* but I still kicked off a good few quests as soon as I arrived and spoke to everyone.
* I keep saying the game has ten cities, but they're really split into two types: major cities (when you enter them, the game loads it as a separate area) and other/small cities (effectively big towns/villages, which you can just walk into as part of the overall open world of the game). There are five of each (one was added by an expansion, but the Special Edition includes all expansions), with Whiterun and Markarth being examples of the former and Falkreath the latter.
Tabletop Games
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 13th–15th
I haven't abandoned this, it just wasn't important enough to make time for over a busy weekend. Shame. Anyway, onwards!
The Silent Storm
December 13th–15th
I haven't abandoned this, it just wasn't important enough to make time for over a busy weekend. Shame. Anyway, onwards!
Sunday, 14 December 2025
Films
The Boss (1973)
[#97 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
I actually started this on Friday, but paused it less than half-an-hour in and promptly fell asleep! No fault of the film, I was just more tired than I realised. (I guess I could/should have logged the beginning then, but here we are.)
[#97 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2025]
I actually started this on Friday, but paused it less than half-an-hour in and promptly fell asleep! No fault of the film, I was just more tired than I realised. (I guess I could/should have logged the beginning then, but here we are.)
Fiction
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
2 The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
4 The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
For some reason, my copy has Solitary Cyclist before The Adventure of the Dancing Men, though every other source puts the latter first, hence why I seem to have skipped a story here.
2 The Adventure of the Norwood Builder
4 The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist
For some reason, my copy has Solitary Cyclist before The Adventure of the Dancing Men, though every other source puts the latter first, hence why I seem to have skipped a story here.
Saturday, 13 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x07 On the Scent [final hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Critical Role Cooldown
Campaign 4, Episode 7
[Watch it (again) on Beacon.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Three additions this week, all new 4K releases of older films.
Number of titles in collection: 3,648 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,669 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 491 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,767 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,680 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 478 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [no change]
It feels like Christmas is imminent, but there's actually another 'regular' week to go before my Christmas haul comes in. I say "Christmas haul" — for years now, any given regular week has the potential to be much, much bigger than the trifling few titles I can persuade people to buy me as presents. Ah well. Not long after that, it'll be time for the end-of-year totals, and that's always fun.
See you over the next few weeks for all of that, faithful reader.
Three additions this week, all new 4K releases of older films.
Number of titles in collection: 3,648 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,669 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 491 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,767 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,680 [up 3]
Number of additional cuts: 478 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [no change]
It feels like Christmas is imminent, but there's actually another 'regular' week to go before my Christmas haul comes in. I say "Christmas haul" — for years now, any given regular week has the potential to be much, much bigger than the trifling few titles I can persuade people to buy me as presents. Ah well. Not long after that, it'll be time for the end-of-year totals, and that's always fun.
See you over the next few weeks for all of that, faithful reader.
Friday, 12 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x07 On the Scent [middle hours]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
The Game Awards 2025
I wasn't planning on watching this, although I was aware it was happening, I guess because I'm into games now or whatever; but I happened to notice it was about to start a few minutes before it began and so thought, hey, why not? Especially as I didn't have to be up in the morning (a good thing, as it went on past 4:00am my time). It was... interesting. The whole awards bit seemed kinda arbitrary, when they rushed through whole clumps of seemingly-major awards without even giving a statuette to the winners, and instead invested tonnes of time to adverts and announcements. Very different to... every other awards show I've ever watched. Equally, maybe the Oscars could learn something from this. If they had trailers/reveals/etc for major upcoming films sprinkled throughout the show as exclusives, maybe they'd attract lapsed/new viewers?
[Watch it (again) on YouTube.]
Comics
2000 AD
Prog 2456
I may not have read any for almost three weeks, but I'm still aiming to get caught up on 2000 AD by the end of the year, so here begins the final push.
Prog 2456
I may not have read any for almost three weeks, but I'm still aiming to get caught up on 2000 AD by the end of the year, so here begins the final push.
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Ended today's 3¾ hours of play by arriving in Falkreath, a place I was invited to... wow, so long ago I can't even remember; but it's been a loooong time, in terms of how many hours I've spent in this game. So, that's city 3 of 10 I'll be venturing into next time. Busy weekend ahead for me, so that might actually not be until Monday — gasp!
Ended today's 3¾ hours of play by arriving in Falkreath, a place I was invited to... wow, so long ago I can't even remember; but it's been a loooong time, in terms of how many hours I've spent in this game. So, that's city 3 of 10 I'll be venturing into next time. Busy weekend ahead for me, so that might actually not be until Monday — gasp!
Thursday, 11 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x07 On the Scent [1st hour]
I've got tomorrow off work, and when I booked that however-long-ago I thought, "hey, maybe I'll stay up and watch the new episode of Critical Role when it goes out!" Well, tonight is Episode 9, so... yeah, you can see how that's going. Maybe I'll manage to use said day off to finish this one more quickly than I did the last one, at least.
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Started today with over an hour spent on various smithing activities. It's harder to achieve anything significant than with alchemy — at least at the moment, when I don't own any houses (where you can build equipment and storage), so I have to store stuff where I can and then move it around to places I can use. So, ingredients are very light and therefore easy to transport, but metals and leathers are heavier, and it's better to use them to improve weapons and armour you've already got, so you have to lug those around too. Plus, it's all well and good making expensive items, but then you can only sell a few of them because of merchants' limited gold.
So, actually, I spent a lot of time getting almost nowhere. Sure, I made some money and got shot of some bulk, but I've still got tonnes of loot just lying around. I either waste real-world time lugging it about slowly, and maybe waste in-game time using the 'wait' function to stand around until merchants' gold refills; or I keep sitting on it, improving and selling it gradually. As I noted yesterday, though, I really think it's time for me to stop picking up everything I can and only retain high-value stuff. And once I hit the 100,000 gold mark and gain that achievement, maybe I'll stop caring so much.
Started today with over an hour spent on various smithing activities. It's harder to achieve anything significant than with alchemy — at least at the moment, when I don't own any houses (where you can build equipment and storage), so I have to store stuff where I can and then move it around to places I can use. So, ingredients are very light and therefore easy to transport, but metals and leathers are heavier, and it's better to use them to improve weapons and armour you've already got, so you have to lug those around too. Plus, it's all well and good making expensive items, but then you can only sell a few of them because of merchants' limited gold.
So, actually, I spent a lot of time getting almost nowhere. Sure, I made some money and got shot of some bulk, but I've still got tonnes of loot just lying around. I either waste real-world time lugging it about slowly, and maybe waste in-game time using the 'wait' function to stand around until merchants' gold refills; or I keep sitting on it, improving and selling it gradually. As I noted yesterday, though, I really think it's time for me to stop picking up everything I can and only retain high-value stuff. And once I hit the 100,000 gold mark and gain that achievement, maybe I'll stop caring so much.
Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
I can’t quite decide what I want to do next (I’ve mainly been focused on quests from and around Markath for a long time now, but should I finish off the few that are still outstanding? Or do I head back to Whiterun and resume the Companions quest line that I paused partway? Or do I pick up one of the threads I’ve had waiting for hours and hours and hours that would lead me to Falkreath or Riften or Windhelm or Solitude? Or, heck, I could do something else entirely (even the main quest!), but those seem like more than enough broad, lengthy options).
Rather than make a choice today, I dove into the pile of ingredients I’ve been saving up for yonks (it's over 60 hours of playtime since the last time I spent a whole session on this) and crafted a shedload of potions. I spent over 2 hours doing that in the end, with my Alchemy stat surging up multiple levels while I did it. I then sold a few of them, but all the merchants I already know aren’t rich enough between them to touch the sides of what I have to sell. I’ve got the same issue with tonnes of weapons (and raw materials to improve them) stashed away. Maybe they’ll be my focus tomorrow… It wouldn't be so ridiculous if I could break the habit of looting every little thing I see in dungeons, etc, but... well, we already know I’m a hoarder by nature.
I can’t quite decide what I want to do next (I’ve mainly been focused on quests from and around Markath for a long time now, but should I finish off the few that are still outstanding? Or do I head back to Whiterun and resume the Companions quest line that I paused partway? Or do I pick up one of the threads I’ve had waiting for hours and hours and hours that would lead me to Falkreath or Riften or Windhelm or Solitude? Or, heck, I could do something else entirely (even the main quest!), but those seem like more than enough broad, lengthy options).
Rather than make a choice today, I dove into the pile of ingredients I’ve been saving up for yonks (it's over 60 hours of playtime since the last time I spent a whole session on this) and crafted a shedload of potions. I spent over 2 hours doing that in the end, with my Alchemy stat surging up multiple levels while I did it. I then sold a few of them, but all the merchants I already know aren’t rich enough between them to touch the sides of what I have to sell. I’ve got the same issue with tonnes of weapons (and raw materials to improve them) stashed away. Maybe they’ll be my focus tomorrow… It wouldn't be so ridiculous if I could break the habit of looting every little thing I see in dungeons, etc, but... well, we already know I’m a hoarder by nature.
Tabletop Games
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 9th—10th
I was rather looking forward to this — as someone who enjoys puzzles or riddles, especially when narratively connected (like point-and-click adventure games), I thought it would be a bit of fun every day — but I'm finding it increasingly frustrating and therefore disappointing. Perhaps it's a skill issue (maybe I'm just not as good at puzzles as I thought), but I do think it's at least partly weakness of design. Day 2 was, at best, overambitious; at worst, poor; and I think that left a sour taste that future days haven't been ingenious enough to overcome. Day 9 is another example where execution doesn't seem to match intention.
It leaves me resorting to the hint guide, which I don't like to do. It offers two hints and then just the solution — I keep finding the first two hints are the 'obvious' bit I've already worked out, so I have to go straight to the solution, rather than getting a 'final step' hint for the point I've got stuck at. More frustration.
I've started so I'll finish (especially as, y'know, I've paid for it), but it's all-round a shame.
The Silent Storm
December 9th—10th
I was rather looking forward to this — as someone who enjoys puzzles or riddles, especially when narratively connected (like point-and-click adventure games), I thought it would be a bit of fun every day — but I'm finding it increasingly frustrating and therefore disappointing. Perhaps it's a skill issue (maybe I'm just not as good at puzzles as I thought), but I do think it's at least partly weakness of design. Day 2 was, at best, overambitious; at worst, poor; and I think that left a sour taste that future days haven't been ingenious enough to overcome. Day 9 is another example where execution doesn't seem to match intention.
It leaves me resorting to the hint guide, which I don't like to do. It offers two hints and then just the solution — I keep finding the first two hints are the 'obvious' bit I've already worked out, so I have to go straight to the solution, rather than getting a 'final step' hint for the point I've got stuck at. More frustration.
I've started so I'll finish (especially as, y'know, I've paid for it), but it's all-round a shame.
Monday, 8 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
I've got to be up relatively early for a long day tomorrow, so I knew I wouldn't be watching a film or much TV or anything like that this evening. I still jumped on Skyrim, of course... for 5¼ hours (to be precise). Part of that was making the mistake of going "yeah, I'll just do this quest" and then spending over 2 hours completing it. That's just how they go sometimes (others seem to only take minutes).
I've got to be up relatively early for a long day tomorrow, so I knew I wouldn't be watching a film or much TV or anything like that this evening. I still jumped on Skyrim, of course... for 5¼ hours (to be precise). Part of that was making the mistake of going "yeah, I'll just do this quest" and then spending over 2 hours completing it. That's just how they go sometimes (others seem to only take minutes).
Tabletop Games
Daggerheart:
Dragon Heist in the City of Splendors
&
Curse of Strahd
I forgot to mention these last Monday, not because they stopped, but because I'm still playing them both every day and so sometimes forget to log them just once a week. (Listing them every day feels like clutter, especially as some days it's only a couple of minutes' interaction.)
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 8th
Dragon Heist in the City of Splendors
&
Curse of Strahd
I forgot to mention these last Monday, not because they stopped, but because I'm still playing them both every day and so sometimes forget to log them just once a week. (Listing them every day feels like clutter, especially as some days it's only a couple of minutes' interaction.)
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 8th
Sunday, 7 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to pop on Skyrim for a bit, do a couple of things..."
2 hours later, I'm forcing myself to put it down. Do that a couple of times each day and, well, that's how I spent over 6 hours playing it today. I did consider doing something else, like watching a film or some TV (the new Doctor Who spinoff started today!), but I decided I'd just rather play Skyrim.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to pop on Skyrim for a bit, do a couple of things..."
2 hours later, I'm forcing myself to put it down. Do that a couple of times each day and, well, that's how I spent over 6 hours playing it today. I did consider doing something else, like watching a film or some TV (the new Doctor Who spinoff started today!), but I decided I'd just rather play Skyrim.
this week on 100Films.co.uk
This week month on 100Films.co.uk, it was time for the final monthly review of the year (sure, there's another 2025 monthly review to come, but it'll be published in January).
And with it, as always, a whole host of failures...
More... someday.
And with it, as always, a whole host of failures...
More... someday.
Saturday, 6 December 2025
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
A few new titles this week, including a 4K upgrade for Criterion's Barry Lyndon, a DVD-to-4K leap for Hammer's Scars of Dracula (although the former is in a box set so goes nowhere), a trio of '60s Fantomas films from Eureka, and an early arrival for Indicator's 7th Columbia Noir set.
And all that just in time for the penultimate running time update of 2025. Yes, in a month's time we'll find out the (no doubt crazy) figures my collection has increased by this year.
Number of titles in collection: 3,645 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,666 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 488 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,760 [up 9]
Number of films: 4,677 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 476 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [up 2]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
613 days, 9 hours, and 43 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 17 hours, and 53 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
A few new titles this week, including a 4K upgrade for Criterion's Barry Lyndon, a DVD-to-4K leap for Hammer's Scars of Dracula (although the former is in a box set so goes nowhere), a trio of '60s Fantomas films from Eureka, and an early arrival for Indicator's 7th Columbia Noir set.
And all that just in time for the penultimate running time update of 2025. Yes, in a month's time we'll find out the (no doubt crazy) figures my collection has increased by this year.
Number of titles in collection: 3,645 [up 3]
Of which DVDs: 979 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,666 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 488 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,760 [up 9]
Number of films: 4,677 [up 10]
Number of additional cuts: 476 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,188 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,280 [up 2]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
613 days, 9 hours, and 43 minutes.
(Up 2 days, 17 hours, and 53 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 5 December 2025
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
"I ought to go to bed... but I could just play a little Skyrim first..."
An hour-and-a-half later: another "oopsie".
That was last night, so obviously I went back later and played even more. I'm now past 73 hours total, and my quest stats look like this:
For perspective, there are 270–350 named quests in Skyrim (estimates vary due to some being repeatable), and I've completed just 10. Sure, you can't complete them all in a single playthrough (there are instances where choosing a side locks out the other side's quests), but that only affects a handful. Also of note, I've done a lot of "miscellaneous quests", i.e. unnamed ones — that's why my "Misc Objectives" total is so much higher. Nonetheless, either I knuckle down to more questin' or it might be 2,500+ hours before I 'complete' this thing...
"I ought to go to bed... but I could just play a little Skyrim first..."
An hour-and-a-half later: another "oopsie".
That was last night, so obviously I went back later and played even more. I'm now past 73 hours total, and my quest stats look like this:
For perspective, there are 270–350 named quests in Skyrim (estimates vary due to some being repeatable), and I've completed just 10. Sure, you can't complete them all in a single playthrough (there are instances where choosing a side locks out the other side's quests), but that only affects a handful. Also of note, I've done a lot of "miscellaneous quests", i.e. unnamed ones — that's why my "Misc Objectives" total is so much higher. Nonetheless, either I knuckle down to more questin' or it might be 2,500+ hours before I 'complete' this thing...
Thursday, 4 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x06 Knives and Thorns [final half-hour]
Not that I didn't enjoy the episode, but getting through it by breaking it down into five parts has felt like a bit of a slog. Spreading those over two weeks won't have helped, either. I guess I need to go back to dedicating longer single periods to watching it (damn you, Skyrim!)
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Critical Role Cooldown
Campaign 4, Episode 6
[Watch it (again) on Beacon.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
"I haven't been playing that long, I guess I can do one more dungeon..."
"Now I'll just travel to my next destination..."
"Well, the last dungeon was quite short, so maybe just one more..."
"One more" turned out to be a really long one. I even ended up stopping somewhere in the middle of it (possibly near the end, but there's a whole new location to open next) because by that point I'd played for 4½ hours today. Oopsie.
"I haven't been playing that long, I guess I can do one more dungeon..."
"Now I'll just travel to my next destination..."
"Well, the last dungeon was quite short, so maybe just one more..."
"One more" turned out to be a really long one. I even ended up stopping somewhere in the middle of it (possibly near the end, but there's a whole new location to open next) because by that point I'd played for 4½ hours today. Oopsie.
Wednesday, 3 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x06 Knives and Thorns [4th hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
4x06 Knives and Thorns [4th hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
After about 30 hours of play, I woke up in Markarth — only the second city I'd visited in the game — and immediately got waylaid by a bunch of stuff. After several hours there, I set out into the world to complete those freshly-started quests, intending to further several at once before returning to the city to finish them all off together. Well, over 30 more hours later — and with no new cities visited in that time, mind — I'm finally back! Who knows how many more hours before I leave again. Who knows how many hours to visit all the places I haven't yet.
I know I write a version of that a lot, but it's because it continues to amaze me just how much there is in this game. Obviously it can all be done a lot quicker (I'm avoiding fast travel for immersion purposes, and also because that way you stumble across more stuff — and that stumbling makes the game take even longer again, of course), but even still, it's incredible. I know this isn't the only game like this... and, frankly, that's exciting: even when (if) I finish with Skyrim, I can head off into the world of The Witcher 3, say. Maybe I'll get bored of fantasy-world questing in open worlds before then, but, right now, that feels unlikely.
After about 30 hours of play, I woke up in Markarth — only the second city I'd visited in the game — and immediately got waylaid by a bunch of stuff. After several hours there, I set out into the world to complete those freshly-started quests, intending to further several at once before returning to the city to finish them all off together. Well, over 30 more hours later — and with no new cities visited in that time, mind — I'm finally back! Who knows how many more hours before I leave again. Who knows how many hours to visit all the places I haven't yet.
I know I write a version of that a lot, but it's because it continues to amaze me just how much there is in this game. Obviously it can all be done a lot quicker (I'm avoiding fast travel for immersion purposes, and also because that way you stumble across more stuff — and that stumbling makes the game take even longer again, of course), but even still, it's incredible. I know this isn't the only game like this... and, frankly, that's exciting: even when (if) I finish with Skyrim, I can head off into the world of The Witcher 3, say. Maybe I'll get bored of fantasy-world questing in open worlds before then, but, right now, that feels unlikely.
Tuesday, 2 December 2025
TV
Critical Role
4x06 Knives and Thorns [3rd hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
4x06 Knives and Thorns [3rd hour]
[Watch it (again) for free on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
I've been setting out to complete some very specific things... and along the way I keep finding more distractions! I've ended today's session finally reaching the place I've been aiming to go "next" for a good few days — hours of playtime spent aiming there but coming across something else to do first. And this isn't a complaint!
I've been setting out to complete some very specific things... and along the way I keep finding more distractions! I've ended today's session finally reaching the place I've been aiming to go "next" for a good few days — hours of playtime spent aiming there but coming across something else to do first. And this isn't a complaint!
Tabletop Games
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 2nd
A complete damp squib today. The puzzle involves moving and shaking the box to release a part… except in my copy it had already shaken loose (I actually found it yesterday and guessed it was a future puzzle gone wrong, so at least I didn’t have to wait long for the answer). I’m sure it seemed like a very clever idea at the concept stage, but including such a puzzle in a product that’s inevitably going to be shaken around while being transported, delivered, examined, etc, is just inherently ill-conceived. Hopefully the game doesn’t try such things too often or it’s going to wind up a very disappointing month.
The Silent Storm
December 2nd
A complete damp squib today. The puzzle involves moving and shaking the box to release a part… except in my copy it had already shaken loose (I actually found it yesterday and guessed it was a future puzzle gone wrong, so at least I didn’t have to wait long for the answer). I’m sure it seemed like a very clever idea at the concept stage, but including such a puzzle in a product that’s inevitably going to be shaken around while being transported, delivered, examined, etc, is just inherently ill-conceived. Hopefully the game doesn’t try such things too often or it’s going to wind up a very disappointing month.
Monday, 1 December 2025
Tabletop Games
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar:
The Silent Storm
December 1st
I don't log 'toys' here, so I don't think I've ever mentioned that, for a few years now, I've been getting a LEGO advent calendar each year (maybe I should log building LEGO...) I haven't stopped that tradition this year, but I have also got this: an "escape room in a box"-style advent calendar. It's got a story book that guides you through each day, then each compartment you open has little bits for a daily puzzle, the solution to which tells you which compartment to open tomorrow (only Day 1 is actually numbered).
Today required a bit of a set up (reading rules, reading the intro to the narrative, cutting up and putting back together a 'decoder table' to use each day going forward) as well as the first puzzle, but it still only took 20 minutes or so. Should be a good bit of fun every day until Christmas, I think.
The Silent Storm
December 1st
I don't log 'toys' here, so I don't think I've ever mentioned that, for a few years now, I've been getting a LEGO advent calendar each year (maybe I should log building LEGO...) I haven't stopped that tradition this year, but I have also got this: an "escape room in a box"-style advent calendar. It's got a story book that guides you through each day, then each compartment you open has little bits for a daily puzzle, the solution to which tells you which compartment to open tomorrow (only Day 1 is actually numbered).
Today required a bit of a set up (reading rules, reading the intro to the narrative, cutting up and putting back together a 'decoder table' to use each day going forward) as well as the first puzzle, but it still only took 20 minutes or so. Should be a good bit of fun every day until Christmas, I think.
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Crossed the 60-hour mark today. That puts me only a few hours off the halfway mark of "all play styles", but I still haven't done most of the things I mentioned at the 50-hour mark. Guess I'm going to be one of those multi-hundred-hour players. Unless I get bored before then. It's not looking likely right now, but you never know.
Crossed the 60-hour mark today. That puts me only a few hours off the halfway mark of "all play styles", but I still haven't done most of the things I mentioned at the 50-hour mark. Guess I'm going to be one of those multi-hundred-hour players. Unless I get bored before then. It's not looking likely right now, but you never know.
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