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Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Tag: Games Page 1 of 2

Retro Gaming Consoles at Karori Youth Night

Young people aged 14— 18 are invited to join us at Karori Library’s last youth night of 2023 on Saturday, 18 November from 5 – 8pm.

Television displays the video game Sonic the Hedgehog

Testing our retro gaming consoles!

These after-hours events are for teens who are into books, gaming, making music, watching movies, crafts, eating pizza, and generally just hanging out!

This month we explore the fourth & fifth generation of gaming consoles from the 16 bit and early era of 3D graphics capabilities! Yes, that does mean the original Sonic the Hedgehog from 1991 will be making an appearance!

The retro consoles we will get a chance to use include the Dreamcast (1999), Sega Megadrive II (1993) and the Nintendo 64 (1996).

Our Youth Nights are totally free (pizza included!) but you do need to be 14+ in order to come, so please come prepared to show your student ID. Once you’re in, our space is yours! Check out the event calendar for more details.

Youth Nights will be back in February, so send any ideas for activities to karori.youthnight@wcc.govt.nz.

Pukapuka about gaming history!  

The greatest stories ever played : video games and the evolution of storytelling / Hansen, Dustin
“A lifelong gamer with over 20-years experience in the gaming industry examines the storytelling skills in some of the most beloved and moving games of the past thirty years in this fun and informative YA non-fiction title”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Gamer girls : 25 women who built the video game industry / Kenney, Mary
“Discover the women behind the video games we love–from the iconic games they created, the genres they invented, the studios and companies they built–and how they changed the industry forever. From classic games like Centipede and Solitaire to popular modern games like Final Fantasy, Uncharted, and Halo, this book explores the work and history of 25 influential women in the video game industry and how their contributions ultimately built and transformed the medium that we know today…” (Abridged from catalogue)

Video game creators / Arbona, Alejandro
“Did you know that Nintendo started in the mid-19th century as a playing card company and that the Japanese giant also sold rice and operated taxi cabs? And did you know that the very first video game was called Tennis for Two and was created by a US government scientist named William Higinbotham? Today, video games play a gigantic role in our culture and none of this would have been possible without people like Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative mastermind that turned a failed business venture into the game that eventually inspired him to build Donkey Kong and Mario Bros., or Donna Bailey, who created the arcade sensation video game Centipede…” (Abridged from catalogue)

Gamish : a graphic history of gaming / Ross, Edward
“This… illustrated book transports us through the history of video games, from the pioneering prototypes of the 1950s to the modern era of blockbuster hits and ingenious indie gems. Exploring the people and politics behind one of the world’s most exciting art-forms, this is a love letter to something that has always been more than just a game.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Johnsonville Youth Night – Yu-Gi-Oh! Special

Trading card illustrated with a large magic library. This weekend, young people aged 14— 18 are invited to join us at Youth Night, Saturday, 6 May 2023, 5 – 8pm at Johnsonville Library! This month’s optional activity is all about Yu-Gi-Oh! Speed Duel.

Seeing as I saw the Yu-Gi-Oh movie three times in theatres in 2004, I feel I’m the best bet for introducing you to the Yu-Gi-Oh universe!


25 Years ago, Japanese manga artist Kazuki Takahashi created Yu-Gi-Oh! the story of a boy who solves an ancient Egyptian puzzle and awakens the spirit of the King of Games! Yu-Gi-Oh quickly turned into a trading card game sensation globally, with 12,500 unique cards being created!
Yugioh GIFs | Tenor

Dueling decks contain cards divided into three types: spells, traps, and monster cards. Originally, spell cards were called ‘magic cards’… but Magic the Gathering didn’t like that too much. Amongst those thousands of cards, I am pleased to say there are at least a couple of librarian monster cards.

In 2023, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Yu-Gi-Oh! and commemorating the work of Kazuki Takahashi, who sadly passed away last year, while saving three people from a rip at sea. We’ve added a selection of the original manga to our collection on Libby. Check em out!

Book coverYu-Gi-Oh!, Volume 1 / Takahashi, Kazuki                          Sitting by himself in the back of the class, 10th-grader Yugi always had his head in some game—until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, an Egyptian artifact containing a powerful spirit from the age of the pharoahs… the King of Games possesses Yugi, recklessly challenging bullies and evildoers to the Shadow Games, where the stakes are high… (abridged from catalogue).

book coverYu-Gi-Oh!, Volume 2 / Takahashi, Kazuki                            Meet Seto Kaiba, master of the world’s most dangerous collectible card game. When Kaiba discovers that Yugi’s grandfather owns the incredibly rare “Blue-Eyes White Dragon” card, he will stop at nothing to get it…even if he has to duel with Yugi’s dark alter-ego… (abridged from catalogue).

Along with the seven volumes of the original manga, we also have the first five volumes of the follow-up Yu-Gi-OH! Duelist which focuses on the card game sensation and became the basis for the original season of the international anime!


Book coverYu-Gi-Oh! Duelist, Volume 1 / Takahashi, Kazuki                    A mysterious videotape sends Yugi and his friends to Duelist Kingdom, the island home of super-rich American game designer Maximillion Pegasus. There, Yugi must compete with the world’s greatest Duel Monsters players for the honor of fighting the man who made the game! (abridged from catalogue).

Among the physical stacks, we have a few Yu-Gi-Oh novellas aimed at a younger readers, from the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX era, where teens attended a duel monsters academy. We also have a couple of volumes of the Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal manga.


Game on / West, Tracey
“Jaden is determined to be the King of Games in spite of facing two powerful rivals.” (Catalogue)

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Volume 1, The name’s Yuma / Yoshida, Shin
“In a futuristic city, augmented reality Duels are all the rage… With more awesome monsters and unbelievable cards, the future of Yu-Gi-Oh! starts right here! No one loves Dueling more than Yuma Tsukumo, but unfortunately for him, no one is worse at it! ” (abrudged from catalogue)

It’s time to duel! 

Collectively Hallucinating: A Librarian’s Guide to Dungeons and Dragons!

Mother dearest has kicked you out of your room, off your phone, off your games, off the books. Apparently you have to “be social”, “touch grass”, and “go outside”. But you know that’s hogwash. The real world is boring. You want magic, adventure, excitement. You want to delve into stories, tales of great heroes, of great villains, of the epic fights between good and evil. But alas, parental figures are to be obeyed. So what is one to do? Interact with people?

Why yes! But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom!

Behold! I present to you Dungeons and Dragons! You may have heard of it, it is getting mildly popular with you young’uns on your ‘interwebs’.

But what is this D and D? Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game where a group of people play-act through adventures in (what is usually) a fantasy world. Players play characters of their own creation, heroes or villains together in a team to journey on quests of magic and wonder. One player, known as the Dungeon Master, or DM, plays as the everything else besides the players’ main characters. The DM makes the stories and world and characters for the players to interact with. With your friends you can spin your own epic tales, express your imaginations, and have plain old fun!

“Well,” you may be asking, “that’s all well and good great and amazing J’Shuall, but doesn’t that game require very expensive books? I hear they sell for like $70 a pop! And there’s like a million of them! That sounds expensive.”

You see, incredibly accurate strawman reader, that is where the Library comes in! For I, J’Shuall of Jackanapery, Librarian Supreme, come baring the gift of knowledge! The Library contains many of these D&D books, available for free! So, dear reader, both players new and old, let me explain our collection!

Editor’s note: Interested in playing D&D, but not sure where to begin? A number of our branches host campaigns for beginners. Check out our event calendar to find your nearest session.

The Basics!

There are a lot of books released for Dungeons and Dragons, so it can be difficult to know where to start, but that is where I come in! The most important book for you to begin is the Player’s Handbook, which details the rules of the game and how to make characters. While it may seem a lot, the book clearly explains things to you, and a lot of the content is various options for you to play. This is the only book you really “need” if you are starting out.

Player’s handbook
“An essential reference for every Dungeons & Dragons roleplayer, this text contains rules for character creation and advancement, backgrounds and skills, exploration and combat, equipment, spells, and much more.” (Catalogue)

Dungeon Mastering!

If you are lucky, you may already have friends who play DnD, and may be able to join an existing game or be roped into a friend’s new one, where you can create your player character (PC) and begin playing.

But sometimes you have to be the one to start things, to create the group.

To be the Dungeon Master.

But how do you do it? What do you need? Easy, two books: The Dungeon Master’s Guide and The Monster Manual.

The Dungeon Master’s Guide is what it says on the tin, a resource for people wanting to be DMs. It has a bunch of helpful information about running games and is a great resource for making content for them. However it’s also important to read the Player’s Handbook so you have a good understanding of the rules.

Dungeon master’s guide                   “This book contains tools a Dungeon Master needs to provide stories and game play. A resource for new and existing Dungeons Masters to engage in both adventure and world creation, with rules, guidelines, and advice from the game’s experts. Created as part of a massive public playtest involving more than 170,000 fans of the game.” (Catalogue)

The Monster Manual is another kinda self-explanatory book. It’s where all the statblocks for monsters are. With the Player’s Handbook you have the heroes, with the Dungeon Master’s Guide you have the story and world, but the Monster Manual gives you the monsters to be defeated. What’s great about the Monster Manual is that it gives you information and pretty art on each of the monsters, which makes it great fun to flick through. Luckily you don’t have to read the entire thing, often you’ll only need the pages that have the monsters you want. It’s a great tool for sparking the imagination of DMs and it even tells you how to make your own beasties!

Monster manual
“The Monster Manual presents a horde of Dungeons & Dragons creatures, including dragons, giants, mind flayers, and beholders — a monstrous feast for Dungeon Masters ready to challenge their players and populate their adventures. The monsters contained herein are culled from the D&D game’s history, with game statistics and stories. This book details all manner of creatures that characters might encounter over the course of their adventures.” (Catalogue)

Stories!

You’ve manage to drag your friends into a group together, everyone has read the rules and knows how to play. But as you think of what game you want to make as a Dungeon Master your brain freezes. Nothing clicks. You know how to set up a game, but you don’t know what to do. If only you had a story idea…

But wait!

There’s a solution!

Not only are there DnD books explaining how to play the game, but they also have campaigns, stories you, as the DM, can run! But wait, there’s more! These campaign books are available for free at the library! These stories give the DM everything they could want to run a story: people for the players to interact with, plothooks for them to follow, dungeons to explore! There are a wide variety of different campaigns to choose from, so I have gathered a select few for inspiration.

Happy Adventuring!


Curse of Strahd
“Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd’s face forms the barest hint of a smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they came — all according to his plan. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited.” (Catalogue)


Hoard of the dragon queen / Baur, Wolfgang
“In an audacious bid for power the Cult of the Dragon, along with its dragon allies and the Red Wizards of Thay, seek to bring Tiamat from her prison in the Nine Hells to Faerun. To this end, they are sweeping from town to town, laying waste to all those who oppose them and gathering a hoard of riches for their dread queen. The threat of annihilation has become so dire that groups as disparate as the Harpers and Zhentarim are banding together in the fight against the cult. Never before has the need for heroes been so desperate.” (Catalogue)


Icewind Dale : rime of the frostmaiden / Perkins, Christopher
“Beneath the unyielding night sky, you stand before a towering glacier and recite an ancient rhyme, causing a crack to form in the great wall of ice. Beyond this yawning fissure, the Caves of Hunger await. And past this icy dungeon is a secret so old and terrifying that few dare speak of it. The mad wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood long to possess that which the god of winter’s wrath has so coldly preserved–as do you! What fantastic secrets and treasures are entombed in the sunless heart of the glacier, and what will their discovery mean for the denizens of Icewind Dale? Can you save Ten-Towns from the Frostmaiden’s everlasting night?” — back cover.” (Catalogue)


Baldur’s Gate : descent into Avernus
“This heroic adventure book takes players from levels 1 to 13 as they journey through Baldur’s Gate and into Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells. The text introduces the infernal war machines to fifth edition D&D–battle-ready vehicles”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Introduction to Warhammer

During the school holidays, we have all kinds of cool stuff going on under the banner of General NerderyNow, we would hardly be doing that title service if we ignored the kingpin of all things nerdy and wonderful: Warhammer 40K.

Ain't no party like a Warhammer party.

Warhammer is a miniature wargame set in the fantastical realms of a far future society in which human civilisation has stagnated and is beset on all sides by aliens, supernatural creatures, arcane powers, and Lovecraftian horrors. Since its inception in 1987, it has become the most popular miniature wargame in the world.

The excellent folk at Te Awe Library on Brandon Street are staging an Introduction to Warhammer event on Sunday May 2, 2-4pm, so you can learn all about the game, the hobby, the world and its characters, and receive a free figure to paint and take home, either to add to your army or start a new one. We are generously supported by the kind and dedicated bunch at Warhammer Wellington — your source for all your (other)worldly needs.

To register for this event or to find out more, email the team at Te Awe Library, or message us on Facebook or Instagram. To find out what else we have going on for the school holidays, visit our calendar or check out our blog.

The Mad Mage of Merton: A D&D One-Shot for the Holidays

During the upcoming school holidays, on Sunday the 2nd of May, we are incredibly lucky to have the talented, creative and yes, magical, Dungeon Master and podcaster extraordinaire Julz Burgisser join us to run a D&D one-shot for you folks out there who are new to the game. Julz will be running a campaign of her own making, The Mad Mage of Merton, set in the homebrewed World of Isen created by Brad Zimmerman. Find out more about this mage, Julz herself, and our event, below.

Maybe you can play D&D, Will Byers! And if you do it at Johnsonville Library, you won't even be sucked into the Upside Down!

The Mad Mage of Merton

The Mad Mage of Merton’s Terrifying Tower is a well known landmark on the outskirts of the city of Merton, separated from the town by a small forest. Rising into the sky upon the cliff face, it seems impossibly tall and now it seems like the Mad Mage has pierced the heavens themselves. Thunderstorms surround the tower and Merton has been hit with a wave of static electricity that holds the town at a standstill of frizzy hair and an inability to touch anything metal without getting zapped and flying across the room. They’ve called for help to the best and most famous mystery solving adventurers they know, the Wistal Whistles! (*ps. That’s you!) Can you stop the Mad Mage’s latest experiment before he blows up the whole town? You’ll have to play to find out!

Set in the homebrewed World of Isen, created by Brad Zimmerman. Session DM’d by Julz Burgisser who plays Marley Kraff in the D&D 5e actual play podcast ‘Fate of Isen’ available for download on iTunes, Spotify and all good podcasting apps. See www.fateofisen.com for more details on Isen.

The Mad Mage of Merton is a homebrewed one shot basic monster encounter adventure created by Julz, based in The World of Isen created by Brad Zimmerman. The one shot is played over 3 hours, with pre-generated level 4 characters.

What you need to know:

  • This one-shot is for teens aged 14-18 who have not played D&D before. We hope you get hooked!
  • The game is set at Level 4, as the game has been designed to teach about all the different types of problems you may come across in a typical D&D dungeon.
  • You do not need to bring anything along to play. Character sheets, pens and dice will be supplied for the length of the game. However you are welcome to bring your own dice, rollers or trays if you have them.
  • We’ll be playing for a while! So make sure you think about maybe bringing a drink or a snack for your comfort.
  • We keep our players’ safety in mind at all times and run a respectful table with safety tools to keep it that way.
  • Spots at this event are strictly limited. Please email johnsonville.library@wcc.govt.nz to register.

This Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot with Julz Burgisser is part of General Nerdery, our April school holiday programme for kids and teens. Click here to check out the full schedule of events!

Join us for the mayhem and magic of the Mad Mage of Merton!

These School Holidays, General Nerdery Awaits

So the April school holidays are only a couple of weeks away. We thought we would cordially invite you to join us in revelling in our collective General Nerdery throughout the holidays.

This .gif will never not give us life. Amen.

Everyone has something that they get nerdy about. For some it’s board games and tabletop RPGs (here’s lookin’ at you, D&D kids), for some it’s comics or movies (or movies about comics), for yet others the thrill of creation and expression will be what gets their Spidey-senses a-tingling. The good news is, we have a pile of events to suit you, whether you’re a digital nerd or more of a hands-on type. Dear reader, this is your chance to let out your inner geek and let them strut around with the rest of us! Read on to find out more, or click here for the full breakdown of what’s on where.

Tara Black x Dylan Horrocks: Talk and Draw!

Talk and draw with Tara Black in discussion with Dylan Horrocks
If you’re a graphic artist, zine artist or comic book fan, this event is a must-see! Come along to hear Tara Black in conversation with Dylan Horrocks. Part workshop, part overview, part discussion — join us for what promises to be a fabulous, informative, and entertaining event.

We’ve already blogged extensively about this event — click here for the full and juicy deets!

  • Johnsonville Library, Saturday 17 April, 1.00-2.00pm

Arapaki Games Night

Join us at Arapaki Library on Manners Street for a night of boardgame fun! People of all age groups are welcome, and you can come along as an individual or as a group. We have a great selection of games, but you are welcome to bring your own favourites to share with others as well. BYO snacks!

  • Arapaki Library, Monday 19 April, 5.00 – 6.45pm

Embroider Your Own Patch

Join us at Johnsonville Library during the school holidays to learn how to embroider your own patch that you can sew onto your clothes, schoolbag, or jacket! Wear your nerdy finery with pride and chill with like-minded folx in the library while picking up a rad new skill and levelling up your DEX stat at the same time! We’ll provide the materials; all you need to do is turn up!

  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 20 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm
  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April, 2.00 – 5.00pm

Experience VR!

Virtual reality (VR) offers us a new and exciting way to learn about and experience the world around us. From 3D painting and virtual sculpting to exploring some of the world’ most extreme location (and, okay, maybe a bit of Beat Sabre thrown in for good measure), this is your opportunity to experience VR from the safety and comfort of your local library.

  • Karori Library, Tuesday 20 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm
  • Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, Thursday 29 April, 3.30 – 4.30pm

Zine Make ‘n’ Swap

Come on down to Arapaki Library on Manners Street every Tuesday evening to spend some time making zines and socialising with other local zinemakers. We’ll supply plenty of materials, but feel free to bring your own as well. Once you’ve finished putting your zines together, you can swap with other zinemakers and/or donate your completed zines to the library, which people will then be able to browse and borrow!

  • Arapaki Library, Tuesday 20 April, 5.00 – 6.45pm
  • Arapaki Library, Tuesday 27 April, 5.00 – 6.45pm

Chess!

If you enjoyed The Queen’s Gambit, come along to Arapaki Library on Manners Street and join us for some games of chess! We have two chess sets available, or you are welcome to bring your own, for an evening of challenging games. People of all age groups and ability levels are super welcome.

  • Arapaki Library, Wednesday 21 April, 5.00 – 6.45pm
  • Arapaki Library, Wednesday 28 April, 5.00 – 6.45pm

Fort Night

Okay, we baited you, it’s not what you think it is. Come along to Tawa Library to literally turn the teen section into a giant box fort. That’s it. That’s the event. You’ll love it, we promise! Maybe you’ll even love it so much that you want to do it twice!

  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 22 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm
  • Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, Thursday 29 April, 4.00 – 6.00pm

Teen Zine Machine

Wellington Zinefest’s Lucky Drop Zine Machine has its temporary home with us at Johnsonville Library. Join us for this special zine-making workshop to learn how you can write and construct your own zines, either to take home or to add to our library’s collection! Your work will be proudly displayed alongside other works of ziney genius such as ButtsJudith Collins on Race, and Butts. Did we mention we have a zine called Butts? We’re not exactly setting the bar high here!

  • Johnsonville Library, Friday 23 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm
  • Johnsonville Library, Friday 30 April, 2.00 – 3.30pm

Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop

Johnsonville Library is excited to work with VIVITA Aotearoa to bring this VIVISTOP Mini pop-up programme to the library. During this 5-day workshop, you will learn about the concepts of design thinking, engage in creative problem solving, learn to use software and hardware and other tools in the library’s Tūhura HIVE Makerspace, and then apply these lessons to the creation of a board game centred around the theme of conservation.

This workshop is FREE, but space is limited to 15 participants. Click here to register. Nature Heroes: Board Game Creation Workshop is suitable for young creators aged 9-15.

  • Johnsonville Library, Tuesday 27 April to Saturday 1 May (inclusive), 10.00am – 12.00pm

Waitohi Youth Night

Come to our after-hours Youth Night to find a space to be yourself in all your nerdy glory, and meet other like-minded teens. Check out the coll tech in Tūhura | The HIVE, record music, play games, watch movies, read a book, or just hang out — our space is yours! And yes, we will feed you pizza.

During Youth Night, the library is closed to other customers. You need to be over 14, so make sure you come ready to show your school ID at the door.

  • Johnsonville Library, Saturday 1 May, 5.00 – 8.00pm

Dungeons and Dragons One-Shot with Julz Burgisser

Join superstar Dungeon Master and podcaster Julz Burgisser for this Dungeons and Dragons one-shot for teens. Pre-generated characters will be available to choose from, so we get into the game as quickly as possible, and no prior D&D experience is required. Character sheets, pens, and dice will all be provided — but make sure you bring a drink or snack, as we’ll be playing for a while!

This event is for teens aged 14-18 who are wanting to try D&D for the first time. Please register your interest by emailing johnsonville.library@wcc.govt.nz as spaces are strictly limited.

Find out more about Julz, and this one-shot, here!

  • Johnsonville Library, Sunday 2 May, 12.00 – 3.00pm

Lasers, Feelings, and RPGs

Tabletop roleplaying, such as Dungeons and Dragons, has experienced a revival in recent years, with liveplays and podcasts such as Critical Role and The Adventure Zone gaining large followings of their own. But one of the biggest sides of this is the internet allowing for not only the creation of games and systems, but the permitted sharing and remixing of them as well.

Whether you’re a tabletop veteran or someone just wanting to dip their toes into roleplaying, “micro” or “one-page” RPGs are both an excellent introduction to the hobby and a fun way to spend an afternoon with a group. The games featured here are quick to set up, don’t require massive or complex character sheets, only require six-sided dice, and can be played in the space of a single session.

Hours of nerdy fun are but a roll of the dice away!

While there are dozens of games out there based on this system, here are six to get you started.

Lasers and Feelings
The game on which all these others are based sees the party take on the roles of the crew of the interstellar ship Raptor. Their mission to explore the vast reaches of space is interrupted when their captain is overcome by a strange entity known as Something Else, leaving only the crew to handle what happens next.

Oh, Dang! Bigfoot Stole My Car With My Friend’s Birthday Present Inside
Its premise obvious, Oh, Dang! leads you on a wacky roadtrip in pursuit of a grand theft auto-committing cryptid. Its sequel Ah, Dang! Mothman Won’t Move Out (He Said It Was Just For The Weekend), sees you dealing with even more cryptid problems.

Wits and Chivalry
You are the Knights of the Round Table, sent by the great wizard Merlin to recover the Holy Grail to save an ailing King Arthur. (This is the only game I know of where Monty Python references are not only permitted, but practically mandatory!)

Magic and Mischief
Ever wanted to go to magic school like Mildred Hubble or Harry Potter? Here is your chance. After a Dark Curse befalls the headmistress of the Young Wizards’ School for Arcane Excellence, a distracted staff and student body makes for the perfect time to solve mysteries or cause mischief.

A Dream In The Woods
Inspired by Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, players take on the servants of Titania and Oberon to cause mischief and magic while attempting to please their fickle royals.

Sturdy & Wilde Detective Agency
When the players’ employers go missing it’s up to them to follow the trail and solve the mystery in this steampunk mystery game.

If you enjoyed those and/or want to try something different, there are plenty of other options out there from science fiction to fantasy to horror to mystery. There is even a blank template (appropriately enough named Blanks and Spaces) for you to create your own game. Let us know how it all goes!

Pottermore, finally

Last year – in June, in fact! – it was announced that Pottermore was, well, something, but we weren’t sure what. Then special people got to play while they were beta testing. Now everyone can! You can sign up to enjoy Pottermore: a unique online Harry Potter experience from J K Rowling. Here’s a sneak peek:

Twihards rejoice!

Are you familiar with the Scene-it? series of DVD games? They’re a series of movie quiz games you can play on your DVD player – sort of like Buzz, but don’t require a console. Anyway, the exciting news is that a Twilight one is coming very soon and is even coming to the Nintendo Wii in some sort of super deluxe package. Team Edward can face off against Team Jacob in trivia showdowns very soon then.

Gamers rejoice

The 2009 Tokyo Game Show is under way, and a massive trailer for Final Fantasy XIII (that’s 13 in Roman numerals) has been released. It’s in Japanese! So probably difficult to follow, unless you’re able to understand Japanese. Either way it sure looks good. It won’t be available outside Japan until about the middle of 2010.

Update! There’s a subtitled version. Enjoy.

The trailer is available below –

Read More

Free Realms very nearly open

Free Realms, the mostly free MMO from Sony, opens today (the website is currently under maintenance in preparation). It’s a game for all ages, and is laden with minigames, pets, PvP, cardgames, and all that. People who have played it seem to love it and find plenty of things to do.

Check out the trailer for it below:

Similarly, take a gander at Wizard101, another MMO for all ages.

Previous MMO posts.

Pew pew pew

Here’s some games for the weekend, before school starts again.

Gemcraft Chapter 0 – Haven’t played it, to be honest.
Bridgecraft – Build bridges (using physics) to help cute little jelly alien things not drown.
Scarygirl – This is really, REALLY cool.
Capeoira Fighter 3 – a fighting game, where you can play against the computer, or against other people.
Deepleap – Make words from the letters for points, and before the timer. Like Scrabble + Tetris + Space Invaders.
Hex Empire – a realtime strategy game, sort of like Empire or Risk. I’m a bit useless at it.
Don’t Look Back – this has the most basic graphics, but don’t be put off – the gameplay is madly addictive.
Viking Defense – You’re a viking! Yay!
Hands of War – Old-school RPG.

Enjoy.

Online Gaming

Free Realms is an MMO (massive multiplayer online game) that is due out later in the year. It’s free in that you don’t need to pay to play it (like you would with World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, and others) and that you are free to do just about anything you want; you can race cars, raise pets, be a wizard, or whatever. It’s kid-friendly and intended for all ages.

Open beta begins in April, and you can sign up for it now.

Another MMO on its way is Star Wars : The Old Republic; an online webcomic set in the Old Republic, with new issues popping up twice a month, is available here.

Googlewhack: An Idle Google Game Part 2

An oldie but a goodie for wasting time.

Googlewhack is a game where you type two words into a Google search to yield only one result (it even has its own website). It’s pretty difficult but infinitely rewarding (as all time wasters are). In a few minutes of trying the best I got was two results for “shwar aardvark”. You have to spell things correctly of course or else you’re cheating (even with spelling errors it’s still hard since lots of people can’t spell).

The first rule of Googlewhack: don’t brag about your Googlewhack find on the internet; you’ll unGooglewhack yourself. So if you get one we’ll just have to take your word for it.

An Idle Google Game

If you’re bored try this, courtesy of John Green’s blog (and here, Hank is his brother) via Marshall County Library’s Young Adult Blog:

Type your name into Google followed by a verb then hit ‘search’ to make all sorts of discoveries.

Example number 1:
Grimm says…
… he is ready for Steelers’ top coaching job.

I sure am, yes siree, let me at them! The Steelers, they play American football right?

Example number 2:
Grimm does… 
… not need to hide behind some absurd mask

Actually yes I do – it’s much easier to write with mask firmly intact.

Other verbs to consider: eats, loves, needs, wants, wears, loves… basically anything you can think of.

This really is totally a great way of looking like you’re doing important work.

A squid to call your own

We’ve all wanted to design and name our own squid; now we can, thanks to Te Papa. Mine is named Tom! (After Tom Sawyer, not Tom Cruise.) He just passed the research ship, Tongaroa.

Update: He just had a fight with a diver! Oh, Tom.

Update: He passed a vampire squid – no fighting this time though. (Tom would’ve won.)

Update: Tom’s now 22-days-old, and just passes a leaking submersible. Will he help it? Like heck!

Flash 3

It will probably be sunny all weekend, but that’s no reason not to stay indoors and play these great online flash games.

Fold – you’re an ant with the ability to create gravity wells so as to avoid … well, death. It’s a bit tricky to get the hang of it, but not too difficult.
99 Bricks – It’s the opposite of Tetris. Frustrating!
QWOP – I was terrible at this incredibly difficult racing game.
Run – Great fun! And addictive too, in the good way that some games are.
Amorphous Plus – Kill the gloobies with a big sword! (Not as violent as that sounds.) We liked this one – it’s very satisfying.
Physics Invader – Old-school Invader, but with physics!
Wooden Paths – Build wooden bridges across rivers – curiously engaging and relaxing.
Aether – once you’re sorted (it’s quite hard to get off the planet) this game is kind of serene.

See these earlier posts (here and here) for more games!

I put a spell on you

The previously-mentioned online game, Wizard101, is now up and running. Your character is studying to be a wizard at Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. You can level your character, choose a school of magic and cast spells, duel other wizards, explore far-off worlds, and collect magic cards. The trial is free (and doesn’t expire); otherwise, the monthly subscription is US$9.99.

Bond. Young Bond.

Young Bond is a free online game that will run until the 8th of October. It was started by Charlie Higson, the author of the Young Bond books (they’re in the children’s fiction section, but are also good for teens), to encourage reading. You can choose to be a British spy or a Soviet agent – although I think we know how that turned out. And the site has free downloads!

NZ wins gold – /grats

Our Olympic medal tally mightn’t be too wonderful, but NZ has done very well at the World Cyber Games Asian Championship in Singapore, winning a gold medal in Guitar Hero III and a silver medal in DotA All Stars – and so earning them the Asian Championship Trophy. NZ’s top gamers are represented by the eBlacks (you can listen to an interview with an eBlack that aired on National Radio this morning here). Nice one!

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