you are the one fixed point in a changing age

Super Important Announcement for April 1st 2026

If you've been keeping up with this blog you'll know that after releasing my cosy Sherlock Holmes game The Beekeeper's Picnic, I've been working on another game called The Museum of Everything, an Edwardian gaslamp fantasy mystery where the Mona Lisa gets stolen from a giant museum housed in a space station.

BUT

The truth is, I just find myself so drawn to Arthur Conan Doyle's most beloved literary creation. I can't keep away.

That's why I've created a BRAND NEW GAME that you can PLAY RIGHT NOW featuring him.

And by 'him', of course I mean Professor Challenger.

Presenting...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Poison Belt The Game!

An interactive retelling of the original sci-fi novella from 1913, with added silly bits.

Customise your characters profession and choose from appropriately Doylean hobbies. Will you be (for example) a spiritualist who can see ghosts, a wannabe cowboy with amazing science skillz, or  a doctor with strangely intense sexual magnetism?

I made this in 48 hours while chugging down lots of Mountain Dew so just temper your expectations, ok?

Screenshots of this real game which is real:

Play it online here: (Yes, this is entirely real, for real, it's real and I made it.)

“For me,” said Sherlock Holmes, “there still remains the cocaine-bottle.” And he stretched his long, white hand up for it. ~~ The Sign of Four

Sleepy doodle

Sleepy doodle

Irene: "No, I think he knows exactly where to look."

(Developed in collaboration with the Letters From Watson server, thanks folks)

On a scale of 1-10, rate your Dr Watson for the following qualities:

Buff - strength and build

Fluff - handsomeness and kindness

Gruff - sternness and anger potential

Stuff - can he do things besides just watching Holmes

Bluff - how unreliable a narrator is he/can he lie

Chuffed - is he happy to be there? Does he like hanging out with Holmes?

On a scale of 1-10, rate your Sherlock Holmes for the following qualities:

Deductive - can he detect?

Seductive - does he have sex appeal? (he should ideally have zero points in this category)

Destructive - does he blow things up and cause chaos?

Productive - can he do things that actually help people

Obstructive - is he lying to the police? is he meddling? does he identify as a problem?

BKP Watson

Buff - 7 - Not as built as he was, he's still recovering from WW1 and it strained him more than a bit, but strong enough to follow holmes around all day long Fluff - 9 - Handsome retired gentleman, very very kind, magnificent moustache Gruff - 5 - CAN get angry, will try to avoid doing so Stuff - 10 - He's very competent! He followed Holmes around the whole day and didn't get caught Bluff - 10 - He's a lying liar who lied Chuffed - 10 - There's no where he would rather be

BKP Holmes