Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber
III. The Two Best Thieves in Lankhmar
Saturday, 9 May 2026
Video Games
Buffet Knight: Decadent Full Course
Got completely stuck on this for a bit. I ended up wandering around for ages, trying to find the way forward — it looked like there was nowhere else on the map I could get to, no one else I could talk to, nothing else I could complete... I ended up skimming through a playthrough I found on YouTube that showed me I'd overlooked a single passageway that led to an area I'd not been yet, which unlocked exactly what I needed to do next. Oopsie! And phew — thank goodness for the internet.
Though it also highlights the 'danger' when playing smaller indie games like this. With something like Skyrim, which is phenomenally popular and has a decade-and-a-half of people playing it, there's an overabundance of guides and tips and help out there. But a small title like this, which only has a handful of reviews on Steam even, I couldn't find any guides, couldn't guarantee someone else who'd played it would answer if I posted on a forum or whatever, and was lucky that video existed. Let's hope I don't get so stuck again, then.
Got completely stuck on this for a bit. I ended up wandering around for ages, trying to find the way forward — it looked like there was nowhere else on the map I could get to, no one else I could talk to, nothing else I could complete... I ended up skimming through a playthrough I found on YouTube that showed me I'd overlooked a single passageway that led to an area I'd not been yet, which unlocked exactly what I needed to do next. Oopsie! And phew — thank goodness for the internet.
Though it also highlights the 'danger' when playing smaller indie games like this. With something like Skyrim, which is phenomenally popular and has a decade-and-a-half of people playing it, there's an overabundance of guides and tips and help out there. But a small title like this, which only has a handful of reviews on Steam even, I couldn't find any guides, couldn't guarantee someone else who'd played it would answer if I posted on a forum or whatever, and was lucky that video existed. Let's hope I don't get so stuck again, then.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Five new additions this week, including a pair of 4K upgrades from All the Anime, Wolf Children and Summer Wars, but only one replaces my previous copy for now. The latter I own in a box set with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which AtA are supposedly going to be releasing a matching set of later, so I'll hang on to my current copy for now. (I say that as if I instantly sell them — I have hundreds of DVDs and Blu-rays that I've 'replaced' but not sold on yet. I really should get on that.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,689 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,724 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 527 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,855 [up 10]
Number of films: 4,743 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 493 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Five new additions this week, including a pair of 4K upgrades from All the Anime, Wolf Children and Summer Wars, but only one replaces my previous copy for now. The latter I own in a box set with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which AtA are supposedly going to be releasing a matching set of later, so I'll hang on to my current copy for now. (I say that as if I instantly sell them — I have hundreds of DVDs and Blu-rays that I've 'replaced' but not sold on yet. I really should get on that.)
Number of titles in collection: 3,689 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,724 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 527 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,855 [up 10]
Number of films: 4,743 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 493 [up 3]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 8 May 2026
Fiction
Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber
II. Stardock pp.52–65
It's a little ridiculous how many teeny-tiny pieces I've broken this single story down into over the past two weeks (started because I didn't have time to read the whole thing one evening but wanted to read some, and then just kinda continued from there). There are four more novella-length stories in the Lankhmar canon and (barring them having chapter breaks of their own) this isn't a division I intend to repeat... although, despite being classed as a similar length, two are actually 50% longer and one is over 2½ times as long, so maybe I shouldn't be so certain.
II. Stardock pp.52–65
It's a little ridiculous how many teeny-tiny pieces I've broken this single story down into over the past two weeks (started because I didn't have time to read the whole thing one evening but wanted to read some, and then just kinda continued from there). There are four more novella-length stories in the Lankhmar canon and (barring them having chapter breaks of their own) this isn't a division I intend to repeat... although, despite being classed as a similar length, two are actually 50% longer and one is over 2½ times as long, so maybe I shouldn't be so certain.
Video Games
Buffet Knight: Decadent Full Course
It's funny that the general narrative around video game prices is they're so expensive nowadays. Yeah, sure — if you're buying a AAA title when it's brand-new, and/or if you're locked into an ecosystem like the Nintendo Switch. On PC, however, almost everything's dirt cheap, especially if you're buying indie titles or waiting for sales and bundles. That's led me into the habit of just buying stuff. I mean, you can't go wrong if a game's only a quid or two, right? Even if you don't like it (or, even more likely, don't get round to playing it), it's pocket change.
Nonetheless, for some reason I decided to play the demo of this rather than just purchase it... and have really enjoyed it, so I'm gonna buy it. And because I've started it (and already sunk an hour-and-a-half into it, and only about finished the content in the demo in that time — it's a very generous trial!), I might just keep going with it — whereas if I'd outright bought it, I'd probably have just added it to my backlog. Funny old world, eh.
It's funny that the general narrative around video game prices is they're so expensive nowadays. Yeah, sure — if you're buying a AAA title when it's brand-new, and/or if you're locked into an ecosystem like the Nintendo Switch. On PC, however, almost everything's dirt cheap, especially if you're buying indie titles or waiting for sales and bundles. That's led me into the habit of just buying stuff. I mean, you can't go wrong if a game's only a quid or two, right? Even if you don't like it (or, even more likely, don't get round to playing it), it's pocket change.
Nonetheless, for some reason I decided to play the demo of this rather than just purchase it... and have really enjoyed it, so I'm gonna buy it. And because I've started it (and already sunk an hour-and-a-half into it, and only about finished the content in the demo in that time — it's a very generous trial!), I might just keep going with it — whereas if I'd outright bought it, I'd probably have just added it to my backlog. Funny old world, eh.
Thursday, 7 May 2026
Wednesday, 6 May 2026
Video Games
Bubumbu
Played the entire game again to mop up all achievements. First time was on my desktop Mac, this time on Steam Deck — if anything, I enjoyed playing it with trackpads more than with a mouse... although my thumb felt surprisingly tired afterwards.
(Also, you'll be pleased to hear that Bond reward turned up in my IOI account today. I've uninstalled Hitman again already, probably forever this time.)
Played the entire game again to mop up all achievements. First time was on my desktop Mac, this time on Steam Deck — if anything, I enjoyed playing it with trackpads more than with a mouse... although my thumb felt surprisingly tired afterwards.
(Also, you'll be pleased to hear that Bond reward turned up in my IOI account today. I've uninstalled Hitman again already, probably forever this time.)
Tuesday, 5 May 2026
Video Games
Hitman: World of Assassination
After my disastrous first attempt at this game, I never thought I'd be back; but, long story short, there's a free Bond tie-in level that, if you play it, unlocks a bonus in the forthcoming James Bond game, and I'm told all you have to do is "play it" in the sense of "start it" (as opposed to "complete it") to unlock the bonus — so I did that.
The content isn't in my account yet, but I guess it takes time to sync up — hopefully that's all it is, anyway, because I don't want to have to work out how to actually complete the level or something. I did also give the game a go again... in the sense that I actually finished the tutorial this time, before heading into the relevant content, where I wandered around a bit, realised I had no real idea what I was doing, got into a shootout, and kept firing 'til I got killed, because fuck this.
I hope the Bond game isn't too much like Hitman, because this isn't really my kinda fun.
After my disastrous first attempt at this game, I never thought I'd be back; but, long story short, there's a free Bond tie-in level that, if you play it, unlocks a bonus in the forthcoming James Bond game, and I'm told all you have to do is "play it" in the sense of "start it" (as opposed to "complete it") to unlock the bonus — so I did that.
The content isn't in my account yet, but I guess it takes time to sync up — hopefully that's all it is, anyway, because I don't want to have to work out how to actually complete the level or something. I did also give the game a go again... in the sense that I actually finished the tutorial this time, before heading into the relevant content, where I wandered around a bit, realised I had no real idea what I was doing, got into a shootout, and kept firing 'til I got killed, because fuck this.
I hope the Bond game isn't too much like Hitman, because this isn't really my kinda fun.
Monday, 4 May 2026
Sunday, 3 May 2026
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
4x26 Week 6: Monday
4x27 Week 6: Tuesday
Having caught up, it's back to some old episodes I missed at the time and fortunately downloaded (because they've not been on iPlayer for ages).
Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady
Part 1 (of 2)
Part 2 (of 2)
4x26 Week 6: Monday
4x27 Week 6: Tuesday
Having caught up, it's back to some old episodes I missed at the time and fortunately downloaded (because they've not been on iPlayer for ages).
Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady
Part 1 (of 2)
Part 2 (of 2)
Saturday, 2 May 2026
TV
Leverage: Redemption
1x14 The Great Train Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x99 Champions Week 3: Thursday
9x100 Champions Week 3: Friday [season finale]
Sort of a series finale, too, as this is Osman's last full season as host — it will be Michael Sheen's House of Games soon; but I believe Osman is hosting one final week first.
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x14 The Great Train Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x99 Champions Week 3: Thursday
9x100 Champions Week 3: Friday [season finale]
Sort of a series finale, too, as this is Osman's last full season as host — it will be Michael Sheen's House of Games soon; but I believe Osman is hosting one final week first.
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 524 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,845 [up 3]
Number of films: 4,737 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 490 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 524 [up 1]
Number of discs in collection: 8,845 [up 3]
Number of films: 4,737 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 490 [up 1]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 1 May 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
2x01 Where Were We? [2nd watch]
2x02 The Scorpion and the Toad [2nd watch]
Poker Face
2x06 Sloppy Joseph
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x96 Champions Week 3: Monday
9x97 Champions Week 3: Tuesday
9x98 Champions Week 3: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
2x01 Where Were We? [2nd watch]
2x02 The Scorpion and the Toad [2nd watch]
Poker Face
2x06 Sloppy Joseph
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x96 Champions Week 3: Monday
9x97 Champions Week 3: Tuesday
9x98 Champions Week 3: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Thursday, 30 April 2026
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x95 Champions Week 2: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
9x95 Champions Week 2: Friday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Wednesday, 29 April 2026
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Fiction
Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber
II. Stardock pp.1–6
Stardock is about the same length as Ill Met in Lankhmar, which I did read in one sitting; but it’s not that much shorter than Adept’s Gambit, which I did not. However, like the former and unlike the latter, it does not have chapters, hence page numbers.
II. Stardock pp.1–6
Stardock is about the same length as Ill Met in Lankhmar, which I did read in one sitting; but it’s not that much shorter than Adept’s Gambit, which I did not. However, like the former and unlike the latter, it does not have chapters, hence page numbers.
Monday, 27 April 2026
TV
Critical Role
4x12 The Giant's Belt [2nd half]
Watching one episode a month is not a great way to go about catching up.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Critical Role Cooldown
Campaign 4, Episode 12
[Watch it (again) on Beacon.]
4x12 The Giant's Belt [2nd half]
Watching one episode a month is not a great way to go about catching up.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Critical Role Cooldown
Campaign 4, Episode 12
[Watch it (again) on Beacon.]
Fiction
Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber
I. In the Witch's Tent
After a little time off for some other books, it's back to Nehwon for the fourth volume of adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. This is a low-key start — a "short story" so short that it barely qualifies as a story — but next up is one of the longest tales so far.
I. In the Witch's Tent
After a little time off for some other books, it's back to Nehwon for the fourth volume of adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. This is a low-key start — a "short story" so short that it barely qualifies as a story — but next up is one of the longest tales so far.
Sunday, 26 April 2026
Films
A Wednesday (2008)
[#21 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2026 #2
[#21 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
"What Do You Mean You Haven't Seen...?" 2026 #2
Non-Fiction
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
Chapters 23–26
Epilogue [the end]
This being a non-fiction / journalistic / historiographic work, there's also an extensive amount of notes and bibliography at the end. Some of it looked quite interesting, but other bits are dry citations, and my Kindle said it was over an hour of reading time — it wasn't that interesting.
Chapters 23–26
Epilogue [the end]
This being a non-fiction / journalistic / historiographic work, there's also an extensive amount of notes and bibliography at the end. Some of it looked quite interesting, but other bits are dry citations, and my Kindle said it was over an hour of reading time — it wasn't that interesting.
Audiobook
Doctor Who: The Code of Flesh
written by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Starkey
I've been meaning to continue these audio-exclusive 8th Doctor adventures ever since I listened to the first two-and-a-half years ago. Yes, I know that's ridiculous; but hey, I got here eventually. Hopefully I won't leave it so long before the next one (there are four in this sequence, so far) because they're quite good.
written by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Starkey
I've been meaning to continue these audio-exclusive 8th Doctor adventures ever since I listened to the first two-and-a-half years ago. Yes, I know that's ridiculous; but hey, I got here eventually. Hopefully I won't leave it so long before the next one (there are four in this sequence, so far) because they're quite good.
Saturday, 25 April 2026
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Nothing new this week — the one title I was expecting got pushed back. Doesn't really matter — I don't get round to watching stuff anyway, do I?
But to stop this being wholly pointless, it's that time of the month: the running time update.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [no change]
Number of films: 4,737 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
617 days, 7 hours, and 25 minutes.
(Up 23 hours and 9 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Nothing new this week — the one title I was expecting got pushed back. Doesn't really matter — I don't get round to watching stuff anyway, do I?
But to stop this being wholly pointless, it's that time of the month: the running time update.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [no change]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [no change]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [no change]
Number of films: 4,737 [no change]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
Total running time of collection (approx.):
617 days, 7 hours, and 25 minutes.
(Up 23 hours and 9 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 24 April 2026
Video Games
Bubumbu
Having finished the first two Monument Valleys, it's on to some of the other puzzle games in my backlog. This is a very short one (about half-an-hour), but it's got cute art and the puzzle mechanics are fun. It's high quality so worth even the short playtime, but it would be even better if there was even more of it. Nonetheless, I didn't get all the secrets on my playthrough (navigating around the maps is a bit tricky, and once you complete the main objectives you're locked out of the bonus ones without a replay), but as it's so short I'm tempted to go back through and find them all.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Having finished the first two Monument Valleys, it's on to some of the other puzzle games in my backlog. This is a very short one (about half-an-hour), but it's got cute art and the puzzle mechanics are fun. It's high quality so worth even the short playtime, but it would be even better if there was even more of it. Nonetheless, I didn't get all the secrets on my playthrough (navigating around the maps is a bit tricky, and once you complete the main objectives you're locked out of the bonus ones without a replay), but as it's so short I'm tempted to go back through and find them all.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Thursday, 23 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
I didn't reach a particularly significant milestone today or anything (I've played 208½ hours; didn't visit any new towns, or complete any major quests; etc). But, for various reasons, I decided to log the third in my occasional and slightly random series of "how are things going?" screenshots (the first was at 73 hours, the second at 151 hours).
Despite being only 57½ hours on from 151 hours, my Quests Completed has more than doubled in that time. I guess I went through a period of focusing on quests more, before tailing off again. I'm intending to get back on that soon. Somewhat interestingly, though, my Side Quests Completed has gone from 4, to 8, to 12 — if you didn't know better, it would look like that was the stat dictating these updates.
One additional thing I thought to do this round is create a graph to show my progress over time, because that's the kind of thing I think is fun. I've picked a few select stats to include, and it looks like this:
Skyrim tracks loads of other stats for you — locations discovered, people killed, spells learned, ingredients harvested, locks picked, and about 90 more (including, somewhat infamously, "bunnies slaughtered") — but, sadly, I haven't been screenshotting them all along, and the game itself doesn't offer any history or graphs or anything (more's the pity). It feels a bit late in the day to begin tracking it all... but I took screenshots of everything this time, just in case I want to. And if I ever do a second run,* you bet I'll be screenshotting from the start!
* There are plenty of "forever players", who start the game over and over again, trying all sorts of different things, for thousands of hours overall. It's one of the reasons the game has endured for so long. But I can't imagine that'll be me — I've got literally hundreds of other games I want to play, including multiple other hundreds-of-hours-long RPGs, so I'm not likely to do Skyrim over again when I've got those other adventures to experience. Doesn't mean I won't come back to it one day though, especially as there's definitely stuff I won't do in this playthrough (you can only join one side in the Civil War, for example; and I'm pretty sure at least one quest is already bugged to unplayability for this run; and, to be honest, I've got so much left to do, there's still a chance I'll want a change before I finish it all).
I didn't reach a particularly significant milestone today or anything (I've played 208½ hours; didn't visit any new towns, or complete any major quests; etc). But, for various reasons, I decided to log the third in my occasional and slightly random series of "how are things going?" screenshots (the first was at 73 hours, the second at 151 hours).
Despite being only 57½ hours on from 151 hours, my Quests Completed has more than doubled in that time. I guess I went through a period of focusing on quests more, before tailing off again. I'm intending to get back on that soon. Somewhat interestingly, though, my Side Quests Completed has gone from 4, to 8, to 12 — if you didn't know better, it would look like that was the stat dictating these updates.
One additional thing I thought to do this round is create a graph to show my progress over time, because that's the kind of thing I think is fun. I've picked a few select stats to include, and it looks like this:
Skyrim tracks loads of other stats for you — locations discovered, people killed, spells learned, ingredients harvested, locks picked, and about 90 more (including, somewhat infamously, "bunnies slaughtered") — but, sadly, I haven't been screenshotting them all along, and the game itself doesn't offer any history or graphs or anything (more's the pity). It feels a bit late in the day to begin tracking it all... but I took screenshots of everything this time, just in case I want to. And if I ever do a second run,* you bet I'll be screenshotting from the start!
* There are plenty of "forever players", who start the game over and over again, trying all sorts of different things, for thousands of hours overall. It's one of the reasons the game has endured for so long. But I can't imagine that'll be me — I've got literally hundreds of other games I want to play, including multiple other hundreds-of-hours-long RPGs, so I'm not likely to do Skyrim over again when I've got those other adventures to experience. Doesn't mean I won't come back to it one day though, especially as there's definitely stuff I won't do in this playthrough (you can only join one side in the Civil War, for example; and I'm pretty sure at least one quest is already bugged to unplayability for this run; and, to be honest, I've got so much left to do, there's still a chance I'll want a change before I finish it all).
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Last time I said I should definitely concentrate on quests more than crafting going forward. So today, I... spent an hour-and-a-half mostly building my third house, and moving materials around to do said building, and other such tasks (and one very minor quest along the way). Oops. But hey, at least this is the last house, so once it's built I won't feel the need to do it again (because I won't be able to) — hurrah! Although, all my houses (eight owned, ten not — yet) still need a lot of decorating...
Monument Valley II
The Lost Forest
Whereas Monument Valley I's expansion was like a whole extra game, more-or-less doubling its length, the sequel's is just a single level.
There's now a third game, but as it only came to PC less than a year ago (following a period of Netflix mobile exclusivity), it's still a bit overpriced for my liking (assuming it's of a comparable complexity and length to the first two). I'll get it someday.
Last time I said I should definitely concentrate on quests more than crafting going forward. So today, I... spent an hour-and-a-half mostly building my third house, and moving materials around to do said building, and other such tasks (and one very minor quest along the way). Oops. But hey, at least this is the last house, so once it's built I won't feel the need to do it again (because I won't be able to) — hurrah! Although, all my houses (eight owned, ten not — yet) still need a lot of decorating...
Monument Valley II
The Lost Forest
Whereas Monument Valley I's expansion was like a whole extra game, more-or-less doubling its length, the sequel's is just a single level.
There's now a third game, but as it only came to PC less than a year ago (following a period of Netflix mobile exclusivity), it's still a bit overpriced for my liking (assuming it's of a comparable complexity and length to the first two). I'll get it someday.
Tuesday, 21 April 2026
TV
Critical Role
4x12 The Giant's Belt [2nd hour]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
4x12 The Giant's Belt [2nd hour]
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Video Games
Monument Valley II
Finished the main game. It's probably better than the first game's original levels, because it's a bit longer and has more variety; but that was greatly improved by its expansion, so it's much for muchness overall. That's not a criticism — these are both fun puzzle games.
Finished the main game. It's probably better than the first game's original levels, because it's a bit longer and has more variety; but that was greatly improved by its expansion, so it's much for muchness overall. That's not a criticism — these are both fun puzzle games.
Monday, 20 April 2026
TV
Critical Role
4x12 The Giant's Belt [1st hour]
Dear God, I am so far behind — this episode is from January. It was a lot easier to watch tonnes of CR when I also hadn't got back into gaming and reading and was just ditching film watching for it. Ah well, I persevere, because whenever I do make time for it, I still enjoy it.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
4x12 The Giant's Belt [1st hour]
Dear God, I am so far behind — this episode is from January. It was a lot easier to watch tonnes of CR when I also hadn't got back into gaming and reading and was just ditching film watching for it. Ah well, I persevere, because whenever I do make time for it, I still enjoy it.
[Watch it (again) on YouTube, or for subscribers on Beacon or Twitch.]
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
After another few days off, back to Skyrim! It's not that I've got bored of it or something, it's just about finding time while also doing other things. And, y'know, I have played over 205 hours of it — I'm getting a little bit of an itch to play other stuff as well (not instead). Still tonnes to do though, and I completed a lengthy-ish quest today which felt rewarding and reminds me that there's still a lot of fun to be had... though maybe I should now focus more on those kinds of storylines instead of the tonnes of random exploring and crafting I've been doing for so long.
Monument Valley II
Stuffed
Can't remember where I got this from (in a bundle of some kind, I guess). Played the tutorial and had a brief go at the main game. Didn't care for it. Well, that's another one off the "to try" list, at least!
After another few days off, back to Skyrim! It's not that I've got bored of it or something, it's just about finding time while also doing other things. And, y'know, I have played over 205 hours of it — I'm getting a little bit of an itch to play other stuff as well (not instead). Still tonnes to do though, and I completed a lengthy-ish quest today which felt rewarding and reminds me that there's still a lot of fun to be had... though maybe I should now focus more on those kinds of storylines instead of the tonnes of random exploring and crafting I've been doing for so long.
Monument Valley II
Stuffed
Can't remember where I got this from (in a bundle of some kind, I guess). Played the tutorial and had a brief go at the main game. Didn't care for it. Well, that's another one off the "to try" list, at least!
Saturday, 18 April 2026
Video Games
You Suck at Parking
After over a week, this had settled enough in my memory that I felt like it was worth another go. I lasted about 5 minutes. It feels like it could be fun, but the controls are unintuitive and that makes it suck. Uninstalled.
After over a week, this had settled enough in my memory that I felt like it was worth another go. I lasted about 5 minutes. It feels like it could be fun, but the controls are unintuitive and that makes it suck. Uninstalled.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Five new releases this week, all of them genre fare but from boutique labels. The highlight is John Woo's The Killer in 4K from Arrow, although Tsui Hark's remake of The One Armed Swordsman, The Blade, is very exciting too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,737 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Five new releases this week, all of them genre fare but from boutique labels. The highlight is John Woo's The Killer in 4K from Arrow, although Tsui Hark's remake of The One Armed Swordsman, The Blade, is very exciting too.
Number of titles in collection: 3,685 [up 5]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,720 [up 5]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 523 [up 2]
Number of discs in collection: 8,842 [up 7]
Number of films: 4,737 [up 5]
Number of additional cuts: 489 [up 2]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 17 April 2026
Video Games
Balatro
It's been over 6 months since I last played this game that's supposedly soooo addictive and soooo unputdownable and soooo amazing. I always feel I should play it more because of that reputation, but I never quite got it. It came up somewhere today and I thought, "maybe it's time to try again".
First chunk of time was spent trying to remember how the hell it all works. And then... yeah, it's still fine, I guess. Feels like there's too much going on, too much to work out, and it takes too long* for it to just be fun. Still don't get it.
* people talk about the addictiveness of "just one more run", but even one go through takes over half-an-hour for me?! That's not "play multiple runs", that's "hope I have time for one" territory.
Monument Valley II
It's been over 6 months since I last played this game that's supposedly soooo addictive and soooo unputdownable and soooo amazing. I always feel I should play it more because of that reputation, but I never quite got it. It came up somewhere today and I thought, "maybe it's time to try again".
First chunk of time was spent trying to remember how the hell it all works. And then... yeah, it's still fine, I guess. Feels like there's too much going on, too much to work out, and it takes too long* for it to just be fun. Still don't get it.
* people talk about the addictiveness of "just one more run", but even one go through takes over half-an-hour for me?! That's not "play multiple runs", that's "hope I have time for one" territory.
Monument Valley II
Videos
007 First Light Title Sequence
Watched some of the BAFTA Game Awards this evening, mainly to see the premiere of this — the title sequence for the forthcoming James Bond game. I wasn't sure about the song at first, but it plays really nicely with the titles, which I think they've done an excellent job on. Excited for the game... though not sure when I'll actually get to play it as I doubt it'll run on my Steam Deck.
Beyond the Light
Episode 4 Music
And to go with the above, they released the fourth instalment of their behind-the-scenes dev diary, looking at music and sound.
Watched some of the BAFTA Game Awards this evening, mainly to see the premiere of this — the title sequence for the forthcoming James Bond game. I wasn't sure about the song at first, but it plays really nicely with the titles, which I think they've done an excellent job on. Excited for the game... though not sure when I'll actually get to play it as I doubt it'll run on my Steam Deck.
Beyond the Light
Episode 4 Music
And to go with the above, they released the fourth instalment of their behind-the-scenes dev diary, looking at music and sound.
Thursday, 16 April 2026
Films
3-D Rarities (2015)
Part 2: Hollywood Enters the Third Dimension
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
Concluding yesterday's programme. This half contains a mix of shorts and trailers for 3D features, as well as the only 3D newsreel.
Part 2: Hollywood Enters the Third Dimension
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
Concluding yesterday's programme. This half contains a mix of shorts and trailers for 3D features, as well as the only 3D newsreel.
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Films
3-D Rarities (2015)
Part 1: The Dawn of Stereoscopic Cinematography
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
A programme of tests, shorts, and the like from the early days of 3D film. I only watched the first half because of my usual poor time management. Part 2 tomorrow, hopefully.
Part 1: The Dawn of Stereoscopic Cinematography
[#17 in The 100 Films in a Year Challenge 2026]
A programme of tests, shorts, and the like from the early days of 3D film. I only watched the first half because of my usual poor time management. Part 2 tomorrow, hopefully.
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Monument Valley II
Casually chipping away at this one short level at a time — I may have played it on three occasions, but my total playtime is still under half-an-hour.
Monument Valley II
Casually chipping away at this one short level at a time — I may have played it on three occasions, but my total playtime is still under half-an-hour.
Monday, 13 April 2026
Fiction
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Chapters 23–25 [the end]
There's also an epilogue exclusive to a collector's edition, although fans have shared it online. I always assume bonuses like that are going to be inconsequential little something-and-nothings to persuade completist fans to buy a new copy, but this one is actually substantial — longer than most (possibly all) chapters in the book proper, and with some significant events that cast everything in a different light. I have to wonder: is it Hoover's preferred ending? Or one of those 'my publisher made me do it' kinda extras that wouldn't be in a 'preferred text' edition?
Chapters 23–25 [the end]
There's also an epilogue exclusive to a collector's edition, although fans have shared it online. I always assume bonuses like that are going to be inconsequential little something-and-nothings to persuade completist fans to buy a new copy, but this one is actually substantial — longer than most (possibly all) chapters in the book proper, and with some significant events that cast everything in a different light. I have to wonder: is it Hoover's preferred ending? Or one of those 'my publisher made me do it' kinda extras that wouldn't be in a 'preferred text' edition?
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Celebrated (I guess) my return to Skyrim by visiting my seventh city, Morthal, and acquiring a nearby house. It's only a minor one, so not a whole lot to do there, but it's another milestone.
Monument Valley II
Celebrated (I guess) my return to Skyrim by visiting my seventh city, Morthal, and acquiring a nearby house. It's only a minor one, so not a whole lot to do there, but it's another milestone.
Monument Valley II
Sunday, 12 April 2026
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Unbelievably, it's been two whole weeks since I played Skyrim. Any regular readers* would be forgiven for thinking I'd accidentally given up on it, knowing my MO. Well, I guess if I left it too long I might've, as that is the kind of thing that typically happens to me. But no: hitting 200 hours gave me a little bit of decision paralysis about what to do next in-game, then real life got in the way and left me without much time, and once I'm out of a habit...! Of course, the only fix was just get back in the saddle. I didn't play too much today, but I progressed enough to feel like I was getting back into the swing of it. Onwards to 300 hours!
* don't worry, I know I don't actually have any readers except future-me.
Unbelievably, it's been two whole weeks since I played Skyrim. Any regular readers* would be forgiven for thinking I'd accidentally given up on it, knowing my MO. Well, I guess if I left it too long I might've, as that is the kind of thing that typically happens to me. But no: hitting 200 hours gave me a little bit of decision paralysis about what to do next in-game, then real life got in the way and left me without much time, and once I'm out of a habit...! Of course, the only fix was just get back in the saddle. I didn't play too much today, but I progressed enough to feel like I was getting back into the swing of it. Onwards to 300 hours!
* don't worry, I know I don't actually have any readers except future-me.
Saturday, 11 April 2026
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
Not everything I mentioned last week has arrived (the lingering effects of the Easter double Bank Holiday, I guess), but there was still this...
Number of titles in collection: 3,680 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,715 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 521 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,834 [up 9]
Number of films: 4,732 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Not everything I mentioned last week has arrived (the lingering effects of the Easter double Bank Holiday, I guess), but there was still this...
Number of titles in collection: 3,680 [up 4]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,715 [up 4]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 521 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,834 [up 9]
Number of films: 4,732 [up 6]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 10 April 2026
Video Games
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator
Can't really say I "played" this, but I certainly left it running in the background for an hour-and-a-half and collected (and named) a bunch more ducks.
Can't really say I "played" this, but I certainly left it running in the background for an hour-and-a-half and collected (and named) a bunch more ducks.
Thursday, 9 April 2026
Fiction
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Chapters 1–3
Not usually my kind of thing, but something inspired me to buy this... only I can't remember what because it was so long ago now. Quite possibly that it's supposed to have an incredible twist — according to its own blurb, at least. It's largely Romance-y so far (even if the very first thing to happen is someone being brutally killed by a car!), so we'll see.
Chapters 1–3
Not usually my kind of thing, but something inspired me to buy this... only I can't remember what because it was so long ago now. Quite possibly that it's supposed to have an incredible twist — according to its own blurb, at least. It's largely Romance-y so far (even if the very first thing to happen is someone being brutally killed by a car!), so we'll see.
Video Games
Inertial Drift
As I said, I may have finished 'story mode' (with one character, anyway — I wonder how different the others are...), but there's still a load of options and unlockables. If I had one criticism, it's that the game could be a bit more guided about what I could/should do next.
Monument Valley II
New 'story' (it barely qualifies as such, but sure, technically there's something), same gameplay... which is fine, because the first one was hardly an epic that exhausted the concept.
You Suck at Parking
Got this in a mystery bundle — I never would've chosen to buy, but thought I'd give it a go. Played for 16 minutes and had kind of had enough. Maybe I'll get an itch to try it again. Maybe I never, ever will.
As I said, I may have finished 'story mode' (with one character, anyway — I wonder how different the others are...), but there's still a load of options and unlockables. If I had one criticism, it's that the game could be a bit more guided about what I could/should do next.
Monument Valley II
New 'story' (it barely qualifies as such, but sure, technically there's something), same gameplay... which is fine, because the first one was hardly an epic that exhausted the concept.
You Suck at Parking
Got this in a mystery bundle — I never would've chosen to buy, but thought I'd give it a go. Played for 16 minutes and had kind of had enough. Maybe I'll get an itch to try it again. Maybe I never, ever will.
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
TV
Leverage: Redemption
1x13 The Hurricane Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x92 Champions Week 2: Tuesday
9x93 Champions Week 2: Wednesday
9x94 Champions Week 2: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
1x13 The Hurricane Job
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x92 Champions Week 2: Tuesday
9x93 Champions Week 2: Wednesday
9x94 Champions Week 2: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Videos
Beyond the Light
Episode 1 Gameplay
Episode 2 Cast & Characters
Episode 3 Story
Quite looking forward to the new James Bond game, so finally caught up with this series of behind-the-scenes promo videos. Not sure if the game will run on my Steam Deck so don't know when I'll actually play it, but someday...!
Episode 1 Gameplay
Episode 2 Cast & Characters
Episode 3 Story
Quite looking forward to the new James Bond game, so finally caught up with this series of behind-the-scenes promo videos. Not sure if the game will run on my Steam Deck so don't know when I'll actually play it, but someday...!
Tuesday, 7 April 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
1x22 Come On [season finale; 2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x90 Champions Week 1: Friday
9x91 Champions Week 2: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x18 The Good, The Bad, and The Oscar [season finale]
1x22 Come On [season finale; 2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x90 Champions Week 1: Friday
9x91 Champions Week 2: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x18 The Good, The Bad, and The Oscar [season finale]
Monday, 6 April 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
1x21 Milk [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x87 Champions Week 1: Tuesday
9x88 Champions Week 1: Wednesday
9x89 Champions Week 1: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x16 The Return
7x17 Mutiny and the Bounty
1x21 Milk [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x87 Champions Week 1: Tuesday
9x88 Champions Week 1: Wednesday
9x89 Champions Week 1: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x16 The Return
7x17 Mutiny and the Bounty
Sunday, 5 April 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
1x20 Best Prom Ever [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x84 Redemption Week 2: Thursday
9x85 Redemption Week 2: Friday
9x86 Champions Week 1: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x14 Mad About Murder
7x15 A Deadly Secret
1x20 Best Prom Ever [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x84 Redemption Week 2: Thursday
9x85 Redemption Week 2: Friday
9x86 Champions Week 1: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x14 Mad About Murder
7x15 A Deadly Secret
Tabletop Games
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Trick-Taking Game
Really should get round to buying the Two Towers game they released...
Really should get round to buying the Two Towers game they released...
this week on 100Films.co.uk
For the first time this year (well, unless you count December 2025's posts being in January), both parts of a 100Films.co.uk monthly review have arrived in the same week!
As always, it begins with a general overview of the month...
...and concludes with my "failures"...
More next Sunday? Stranger things happen at sea...
As always, it begins with a general overview of the month...
...and concludes with my "failures"...
More next Sunday? Stranger things happen at sea...
Saturday, 4 April 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
1x19 Mary the Paralegal [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x80 Redemption Week 1: Friday
9x81 Redemption Week 2: Monday
9x82 Redemption Week 2: Tuesday
9x83 Redemption Week 2: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x12 April Fools
7x13 Three Billboards
1x19 Mary the Paralegal [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x80 Redemption Week 1: Friday
9x81 Redemption Week 2: Monday
9x82 Redemption Week 2: Tuesday
9x83 Redemption Week 2: Wednesday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x12 April Fools
7x13 Three Billboards
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
I expected a bunch of preorders to turn up today, but I guess yesterday's Bank Holiday has delayed them. Next week, then — along with the preorders for the week after, I'd hope. It won't be anything like a record-breaker, but it could be my biggest week since... um, a couple of weeks ago.
Number of titles in collection: 3,676 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,711 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 518 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 8,825 [up 1]
Number of films: 4,726 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
I expected a bunch of preorders to turn up today, but I guess yesterday's Bank Holiday has delayed them. Next week, then — along with the preorders for the week after, I'd hope. It won't be anything like a record-breaker, but it could be my biggest week since... um, a couple of weeks ago.
Number of titles in collection: 3,676 [up 1]
Of which DVDs: 965 [no change]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,711 [up 1]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 518 [no change]
Number of discs in collection: 8,825 [up 1]
Number of films: 4,726 [up 2]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [no change]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
See you next week, faithful reader.
Friday, 3 April 2026
TV
How I Met Your Mother
1x17 Life Among the Gorillas [2nd watch]
1x18 Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x77 Redemption Week 1: Tuesday
9x78 Redemption Week 1: Wednesday
9x79 Redemption Week 1: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x10 Chaos Agent
7x11 Speed
1x17 Life Among the Gorillas [2nd watch]
1x18 Nothing Good Happens After 2 AM [2nd watch]
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x77 Redemption Week 1: Tuesday
9x78 Redemption Week 1: Wednesday
9x79 Redemption Week 1: Thursday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
The Rookie
7x10 Chaos Agent
7x11 Speed
Thursday, 2 April 2026
TV
Richard Osman's House of Games
9x76 Redemption Week 1: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
9x76 Redemption Week 1: Monday
[Watch various episodes (again) on iPlayer.]
Fiction
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle
Part 2, Chapters 6–8 [the end]
Well, I enjoyed that a good deal more than its reputation would suggest. It's still probably the lesser of the four novels, and so short that it barely warrants calling that; and the Sherlock Holmes-starring first part is really an aggrandised short story, which could have been considerably brisker if it didn't repeat iself so often; and the second half is very pulpy, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. So, perhaps it borders on "guilty pleasure" territory, but hey, at least I enjoyed it.
Part 2, Chapters 6–8 [the end]
Well, I enjoyed that a good deal more than its reputation would suggest. It's still probably the lesser of the four novels, and so short that it barely warrants calling that; and the Sherlock Holmes-starring first part is really an aggrandised short story, which could have been considerably brisker if it didn't repeat iself so often; and the second half is very pulpy, not that that's necessarily a bad thing. So, perhaps it borders on "guilty pleasure" territory, but hey, at least I enjoyed it.
Wednesday, 1 April 2026
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Monday, 30 March 2026
Video Games
Inertial Drift
Completed 'story mode' in just over 2 hours. There's a lot of other content, though — in some respects, the story just feels like an extended tutorial.
Completed 'story mode' in just over 2 hours. There's a lot of other content, though — in some respects, the story just feels like an extended tutorial.
Sunday, 29 March 2026
TV
Peaky Blinders
6x06 Lock and Key [series finale]
Hmm. This does feel like a series finale... but also, there are quite a few things left unresolved, so it's no surprise they've always said there'd be a movie continuation. I had somehow garnered the impression that the series per se had ended and the movie was a kind of additional story and/or epilogue, but from this it feels like it would be necessary to actually end things. Well, I guess I'll see when I watch it.
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer or Netflix.]
6x06 Lock and Key [series finale]
Hmm. This does feel like a series finale... but also, there are quite a few things left unresolved, so it's no surprise they've always said there'd be a movie continuation. I had somehow garnered the impression that the series per se had ended and the movie was a kind of additional story and/or epilogue, but from this it feels like it would be necessary to actually end things. Well, I guess I'll see when I watch it.
[Watch the whole series (again) on iPlayer or Netflix.]
Fiction
The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle
Part 1, Chapters 1–5
There are 60 canonical Sherlock Holmes stories (56 short stories and four novels) and I've read 44 of them, including three of the novels. So what better way to mark reaching 75% — or, to put it another way, arriving at the final quarter — than by reading that fourth novel.
(Not that it's really an occasion that needs "marking". But that's probably for the best, considering this novel is widely regarded as one of the weaker adventures. Either way, it comes next in publication order (more or less), considering I last finished Return; although I've jumped around plenty in the past (I've already read four stories from the remaining two books), so that's immaterial as well.)
Part 1, Chapters 1–5
There are 60 canonical Sherlock Holmes stories (56 short stories and four novels) and I've read 44 of them, including three of the novels. So what better way to mark reaching 75% — or, to put it another way, arriving at the final quarter — than by reading that fourth novel.
(Not that it's really an occasion that needs "marking". But that's probably for the best, considering this novel is widely regarded as one of the weaker adventures. Either way, it comes next in publication order (more or less), considering I last finished Return; although I've jumped around plenty in the past (I've already read four stories from the remaining two books), so that's immaterial as well.)
Video Games
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
I crossed the 200-hour mark today. And to think the fact it would take at least 27 hours once gave me pause, and I could scarcely conceive of spending 130+ hours finishing it. And yet I’m still nowhere near done — here’s a little “state of the game”…
I have:
• visited 4 major cities and 2 minor cities
• cleared 5 Civil War forts
• bought 2 ‘vanilla’ player houses
• bought 2 plots of land and fully built houses on them
• acquired 2 Creation Club houses
• joined the Companions.
I have not:
• visited 1 major city and 3 minor cities
• visited the island of Solstheim
• cleared 4 Civil War forts
• bought 3 ‘vanilla’ player houses
• bought the 3rd plot of land
• acquired 8 Creation Club houses
• progressed the main quest beyond the very beginning (there are no dragons flying around my Skyrim)
• become a werewolf
• joined the Imperials, nor the Stormcloaks
• joined the Thieves Guild
• joined the College of Winterhold
• joined the Dark Brotherhood
• joined the Dawnguard nor become a vampire.
Obviously a whole bunch of very specific stuff could be added to both of those lists, but that’s an overview — the point being: I have done quite a lot, but there’s still so much to do. I wonder where I’ll be at 300 hours? Because, based on what I haven’t done, it’s hard to imagine I won’t hit that mark — at least.
Great game.
I crossed the 200-hour mark today. And to think the fact it would take at least 27 hours once gave me pause, and I could scarcely conceive of spending 130+ hours finishing it. And yet I’m still nowhere near done — here’s a little “state of the game”…
I have:
• visited 4 major cities and 2 minor cities
• cleared 5 Civil War forts
• bought 2 ‘vanilla’ player houses
• bought 2 plots of land and fully built houses on them
• acquired 2 Creation Club houses
• joined the Companions.
I have not:
• visited 1 major city and 3 minor cities
• visited the island of Solstheim
• cleared 4 Civil War forts
• bought 3 ‘vanilla’ player houses
• bought the 3rd plot of land
• acquired 8 Creation Club houses
• progressed the main quest beyond the very beginning (there are no dragons flying around my Skyrim)
• become a werewolf
• joined the Imperials, nor the Stormcloaks
• joined the Thieves Guild
• joined the College of Winterhold
• joined the Dark Brotherhood
• joined the Dawnguard nor become a vampire.
Obviously a whole bunch of very specific stuff could be added to both of those lists, but that’s an overview — the point being: I have done quite a lot, but there’s still so much to do. I wonder where I’ll be at 300 hours? Because, based on what I haven’t done, it’s hard to imagine I won’t hit that mark — at least.
Great game.
Saturday, 28 March 2026
Fiction
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
13 The Adventure of the Second Stain [the end]
Considering I only opened this up as an interim measure between novels, it feels like an achievement to finish off another volume — and a very good story to end on, too... although I might just read some more Holmes next.
13 The Adventure of the Second Stain [the end]
Considering I only opened this up as an interim measure between novels, it feels like an achievement to finish off another volume — and a very good story to end on, too... although I might just read some more Holmes next.
Collection Count
Collection Count tracks my DVD/Blu-ray collection via a number of statistics every week.
The headliner this week, as far as I'm concerned, is John Woo's Hard Boiled on 4K UHD from Arrow. There was a time when Woo's movies from that time were among a whole bunch of classics that seemed like they might never get released again due to rights reasons. I even caved and bought some bootlegs a while ago, just to get them in HD (I do still have DVDs knocking around). It's wonderful that we now get proper restorations in full UHD.
Number of titles in collection: 3,675 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 965 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,710 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 518 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,824 [up 6]
Number of films: 4,724 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [up 2]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
Also, it's time for the latest monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
616 days, 8 hours, and 16 minutes.
(Up 13 hours and 30 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
The headliner this week, as far as I'm concerned, is John Woo's Hard Boiled on 4K UHD from Arrow. There was a time when Woo's movies from that time were among a whole bunch of classics that seemed like they might never get released again due to rights reasons. I even caved and bought some bootlegs a while ago, just to get them in HD (I do still have DVDs knocking around). It's wonderful that we now get proper restorations in full UHD.
Number of titles in collection: 3,675 [up 2]
Of which DVDs: 965 [down 1]
Of which Blu-rays: 2,710 [up 3]
— of which Ultra HD Blu-rays: 518 [up 3]
Number of discs in collection: 8,824 [up 6]
Number of films: 4,724 [up 4]
Number of additional cuts: 487 [no change]
Number of TV episodes: 10,134 [up 2]
Number of short films: 1,293 [no change]
Also, it's time for the latest monthly running time update...
Total running time of collection (approx.):
616 days, 8 hours, and 16 minutes.
(Up 13 hours and 30 minutes from last month.)
See you next week, faithful reader.
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