The ferociously talented Hideo Kojima, creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, shares his perspective on the stories and movies that influence his work! Ever since he was a child, Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was a voracious consumer of movies, music, and books. They ignited his passion for stories and storytelling, and the results can be seen in his groundbreaking, iconic video games. Now the head of independent studio Kojima Productions, Kojima's enthusiasm for entertainment media has never waned. This collection of essays explores some of the inspirations behind one of the titans of the video game industry, and offers an exclusive insight into one of the brightest minds in pop culture. Ever since he was a child, Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was a voracious consumer of movies, music, and books. They ignited his passion for stories and storytelling, and the results can be seen in his groundbreaking, iconic video games. Now the head of independent studio Kojima Productions, Kojima's enthusiasm for entertainment media has never waned. This collection of essays explores some of the inspirations behind one of the titans of the video game industry, and offers an exclusive insight into one of the brightest minds in pop culture.

Two great books by Neil McDonald from the Everyman Chess Library, Starting Out the Reti and Starting Out: The English, brought together in one volume. ----- The Reti is a popular opening at all levels of chess. The great advantage it possesses over other openings is that it's a thematic system which can be adopted against many different defences, and because of this it's a firm favourite amongst those who prefer the understanding of ideas over dry memorization of moves. ----- In this book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald examines the Reti by going back to basics, introducing the key moves and ideas, and taking care to explain the reasoning behind them - something that has often been neglected or taken for granted in other works. ----- The English is a sophisticated and popular opening system that is suitable for all types of players and can lead to both positional and tactical middlegames. Many of the world's top players, including Kasparov and Kramnik, include the English in their openings weaponry. ----- In this groundbreaking book, Grandmaster Neil McDonald revisits the basic principles behind the English and its many variations. Throughout this easy-to-read guide the reader is aided by a wealth of notes, tips and warnings from the author, while key strategies, ideas and tactics for both sides are clearly illustrated. This book is ideal for the improving player.

'I love playing the King's Indian, but no-one ever allows me to reach my favourite opening!' Does this sound like an all too familiar complaint? The answer to this problem lies here.The truth is you will reach your favourite opening in barely half the games you play against 1 d4, and that's why this book is a godsend to those players fed up with blindly searching for the right way to play against these annoying White systems designed to avoid the main lines: the Trompowsky; the London System; the Torre Attack; the Barry Attack; the Colle System; the Veresov; the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit - the list goes on and on!Yelena Dembo, who as a hardened King's Indian and Grunfeld player has considerable experience facing these irritating openings, deals with them in no uncertain terms, in each case offering Black a no-nonsense solution that enables you to face the future with confidence. *Covers all of White's possibilities*Also includes King's Indian and Grunfeld solutions to 1 Nf3 and 1 c4*Written by an renowned opening expert Yelena Dembo is an International Master from Greece with numerous tournament successes to her name, including the bronze medal at the 2005 European Women's Championship and one Grandmaster norm. She's a renowned chess coach, who has taught students from over 30 countries. She's also an experienced chess writer and a regular contributor to the quality publication "Chess Informant," This is her second book for Everyman Chess, a follow-up to "Play the Grunfeld,"

This hilarious sequel includes 40 new games, plus the outrageous Beer Catalog.

PLAY AND LEARN: learn Shakespeare as you play this new board game for all the family SCREEN-FREE FUN for 2-5 players aged 8 and up SOMETHING TO TREASURE: this is a quality product made to last, with bespoke illustration and sleek and stylish packaging EXPLORE THE ENTIRE SERIES: this game is part of our bestselling Shakespeare range illustrated by Adam Simpson, including The World of Shakespeare: 1000-piece Jigsaw Puzzle and Shakespeare Playing Cards Journey from Stratford to London in the footsteps of the world's best loved playwright, collect characters and race round London's theatres to put on as many plays as you can before other playwrights steal your ideas, burn down your theatres or spread the plague! In this fun family board game, you will absorb details of Elizabethan England as well as learn loads of references to Shakespeare's plays. The winner is the player whose plays take the most money at the box office, and the fastest in the race to fame and glory.

PLAY BINGO AND SWEAR LIKE A SAILOR! WARNING! Contains deeply offensive words, smut and all round bad language THE PERFECT GIFT: ideal for sweary friends and family GLOSSARY INCLUDED: to explain some more unusual terms and generally raise your swearing game FOR 3-12 PLAYERS: the ultimate party game for large and small groups Play bingo with 64 colourful and highly offensive swear words! Each player gets a game card with 16 random expletives: the first to complete their board gets to shout BINGO - or something far worse... BOX CONTAINS: A master board, 12 player boards, 64 tiles, 100 counters, Fold-flat tile box, Sweary Glossary

This comprehensive reference work presents detailed bibliographical information about worldwide chess periodicals past to present. It contains 3,163 entries and many cross-references. Information for each entry includes year and country of publication, frequency, sponsors, publisher, editors, subject, language, alternate titles, mergers, continuations, and holdings in chess libraries. Includes an index of periodicals by country and a general index of periodical titles.

Play with structure board games is developmentally appropriate for latency-age children but is seldom discussed in the child therapy literature or seen as therapeutically useful. This book describes ways that structured board games can reveal the internal psychodynamic working of the child and can be understood as projective material. Clinical examples of children's play reveal parallels between their dramatic and their board-game play. Both show unconscious content, defensive needs, and interpersonal and transferential relationships. As therapists, we can search for the same underlying dynamics we would look for in these other symbolic expressions."This book also discusses a child's developmental changes and how the dramatic, magical play of childhood is replaced by the structured, rule-oriented play of the middle years. Therapists must sensitively follow hem in this development, rather than force them to continue the more regressed play of childhood or push them prematurely into the verbal world of adolescents and adults. Children's Use Of Board Games in Psychotherapy demonstrates ways to work with the material which children give us at this stage, even when expressed in the form of structured games.

Three hundred ancient Egyptians - from gods and goddesses to pharaohs and sphynxes - populate the board of this game. Pull a counter from the box featuring one of the 300 characters in this game and be the first to spot that character on the board! Coming in a triangular box with a hexagonal board (designed to prevent players from being able to remember where certain characters are) this game features charming illustrations by Caroline Selmes. Simple to understand but addictive to play, this fun and challenging game will delight adults and children alike.

Mikhail Tal, the 'magician from Riga, ' was the greatest attacking World Champion of them all, and this enchanting autobiography chronicles his extraordinary career with charm and humor

Zona Alfa is a set of simple, fast-play skirmish rules for scavenging, exploring, and surviving in a near-future, post-apocalyptic Eastern European setting. Players take on the role of bandits, mercenaries, and military units fighting over the blasted Exclusion Zone and its abandoned artefacts. Customise your fighters with a variety of weapons and specialisms to create your ideal warband. With extended rules for campaigns, character progression, terrain, and environmental hazards, Zona Alfa contains all the tools required to engage in blistering firefights within the Exclusion Zone.

Imagine a land of dark, sweltering jungles filled with nameless monstrosities and savage reptilian head-hunters... hacking through thick undergrowth to uncover forgotten overgrown ruins filled with glittering treasures... discovering mysterious cities of gold hidden high up between the sheer mountain peaks, filled with foul sorceries... uncovering ancient temples still used by secretive cults to practice their abhorrent sacrifices... and worse still, if those gods arose as titanic beasts beyond mortal comprehension, to destroy those that dare despoil their worshippers...Then imagine you've arrived, shipwrecked or magically transported, to this tropical hell and that there is no escape.Welcome to the horror of Monster Island!Monster Island is a fully detailed sandbox setting which can be used in almost any existing campaign, from Swords & Sorcery through to 1930's Two Fisted Pulp. It contains enough material to run a game for years, including: An examination of the native cultures, their strange habits and unsettling magical practices Almost a hundred new creatures, plants and spirits to use in any Mythras campaign Comprehensive tables for encounters, random events, poisons, diseases, treasures and the like New spells, miracles and fully defined cults for those that wish to dabble in the dark arts Several dozen places of interest, half of which have been fully detailed for immediate play Countless plot hooks and scenario ideas, as well as guidance on how to incorporate Monster Island into an existing campaignWith its foetid secrets and gritty adventure, the comprehensive content of Monster Island is guaranteed to inspire any Game Master. Delve back to a time of classic Sword & Sorcery with priceless jewels, fierce dinosaurs and dark horror!Comes complete with a separate full colour map of the Island.

CUTE BABY ANIMALS: can you reunite them with their parents? BOXED GIFT perfect for animal lovers of all ages INCLUDES BOOKLET with fun facts about the animals and their relationship with their babies Pair up the baby animals with their parents in this cute new memory game. 44 cards feature photographs from animal portraitist Gerrard Gethings, plus text about all the creatures in the accompanying booklet. Can you be the first to match all the babies and parents? Play as a memory game with the cards face down for added entertainment. Collect the most pairs to win! This is the perfect gift for animal lovers of all ages.

When the day becomes the night and the sky becomes the sea, it's time to shuffle these cards together and deal them around the tea table. This deck is a standard poker set, with the four classic suits. Each celebrates Lewis' iconic characters, featuring William Penhallow Henderson's illustrations for a 1915 Chicago stage production of Alice in Wonderland. The Cheshire cat is spades; The White Rabbit represent clubs; Alice is diamonds; but beware the Queen of Hearts. Her suit will take your head.

During the pandemic years, many people discovered the joy of walking. It is meditative, healing, uplifting, healthy, inspiring, and generally transformative, whether it’s your mood that needs changing or your whole outlook. Walking helps us to really see the things around us that we might otherwise take for granted, such as a flowering tree, a new coffee shop, or an unexpected view. This charming journal links the act of walking to the benefits of journaling, with a wellness perspective that encompasses body, mind, and spirit. Every spread offers thoughtful prompts and lots of space to capture what was special about your walk, from the route to the weather - and a gratitude moment. Fun sidebars capture your favourite routes, bucket-list walks for future travels, walking companions whose company you treasure, best photo-op destinations, city walks and country walks, fitness walks, and much more. Quotes from famous walkers over time ground your experience in history. Let this walking journal help you take your perambulations to a more transcendent place by capturing the meaningful moments along the way.

The sequel to the bestselling Yoga Deck from Olivia H. Miller. This handy deck of cards provides detailed instructions for a variety of yoga poses that help alleviate and prevent pain and enhance overall wellbeing. Whether you're a yoga novice interested in pain prevention and relief, or if yoga is a part of your everyday routine, these handy cards can help you take control of your health. Each card has an illustration of a pose, step-by-step instructions, and options for more or less of a challenge-ensuring that people of different ages and physical abilities can safely use the deck and reap all the benefits. The tri-fold introduction card includes a table of contents, suggestions for using the deck, a brief explanation about the benefits of yoga, and suggested sequences. * Shows how to perform 60 yoga poses, meditations, and recommended sequences to alleviate pain, prevent chronic conditions, and boost overall well-being * Contains illustrations for more than 50 new poses * Each illustrated card includes step-by-step instructions, a list of benefits, and an affirmation Fans of The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit, The Stretch Deck: 50 Stretches, and The Chakra Deck: 50 Cards for Promoting Spiritual and Physical Health (Relax and Rejuvenate) will love this card deck. * Idea cards for anyone who wants an alternative way to alleviate pain * Great gift for yoga enthusiasts of all ages and levels * Perfect, portable deck for those practicing self-care and wellness rituals

CLEVER AND CONTEMPORARY ILLUSTRATIONS - 50 witty illustrations by Baltimore-based illustrator, designer and educator George Wylesol THE PERFECT GIFT - Design-led, high-spec illustrated product for maximum gifting potential LEARN ABOUT ART, YOUR WAY - These portable cards can be taken with you everywhere and encourage the development of a highly personal approach to art TEXT BY ART EDUCATOR - Accessible ideas for learning about art from practicing art educator DISCOVER THE SERIES - Collect the series with mindfulness-based Ways of Tuning Your Senses, and wanderlust-whetting Ways of Travelling, also by Laurence King Transform your relationship to art with 50 illustrated prompts. Rethink how you see - each card offers a different way of looking at anything from graffiti to sculpture, painting to tapestry. Have a fresh encounter with whatever artwork comes your way.

Before the enormously successful NES console changed the video game landscape in the 1980s, Nintendo became famous for producing legendary arcade machines like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. Drawing on original interviews, news reports and other documents, this book traces Nintendo's rise from a small business that made playing cards to the top name in the arcade industry. Twenty-eight game titles are examined in-depth, along with the people and events that defined the company for more than four decades.

The fun and easy way to take poker online Five years ago, 50 million people were playing poker recreationally or professionally. Now that number is more than 100 million, including a huge influx of young people. Online betting is up nearly four-fold over the past year, with total wagers running over USD30 billion. Winning at Internet Poker For Dummies provides the lowdown on the hottest game around, highlighting the best sites and virtual games and showing how to make secure online bets. The book covers setting up an account, securing funds, navigating a basic online poker game, using Internet abbreviations and lingo, observing online poker etiquette, playing popular online poker games such as Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha, devising a winning strategy, and participating in tournaments. Mark "The Red" Harlan (Santa Clara, CA) is cofounder of CyberArts Licensing, a company working on the next-generation Internet poker room, gamesgrid.com. During the course of his 20-year Silicon Valley career, he designed eBay's bidding schema, was the Human Interface Evangelist at Apple Computer, and wrote the popular "Notes from the Fringe" column at InfoWorld.; Chris Derossi (Henderson, NV) is also a co

Celebrate your love of ramen with this playful memory game. Featuring 25 different styles and flavors of this popular Japanese dish -- from Soy to Tonkotsu and even Instant noodles -- this unique game is an ideal gift for noodle-lovers of all ages. This noodle-filled memory game includes: * 50 matching cards * 16-page illustrated booklet featuring ramen profiles and trivia

Getting an electric shock every time you laugh out loud, or washing your mouth with soap every time you swear? Always sit on a strangers lap in public transport, or eat from your neighbours rubbish bin one day a week? In this game there is only one real rule: you HAVE to choose! Dilemmarama's absurd dilemmas have been moulded into a fun social card game that will not only make you laugh, but will also cause heated debates and duels. There are two game options to choose from. After all, everything in life is a dilemma. In one of the game options the aim is to become the Dilemmaestro by creating as-difficult-as-possible dilemmas for the other players. In the other option, you play in teams and try to guess what your teammates choose. This way you will really get to know your friends and family! The game consists of 60 parts of a dilemma, enough to create over 1,000 different dilemmas.