Hi there! Welcome to the latest edition of Later Levels.
One day back in February 2013, Kim came across a book which listed the top 1,001 video games released between 1971 and 2010 that everyone should play. And after a conversation with a couple of friends in the pub the following evening, she thought: wouldn’t it be great if we could do just that?
Then she realised how completely unrealistic that was. And how writing an introduction in third-person was a really bad idea.
Later Levels originally started as an attempt to review all those games, then gradually evolved into something far more laidback. A full-time job in IT, crazy family life and adult responsibilities keep me busy nowadays, but I still manage to fit in a few precious hours for video games and writing about them each week.
Inventory: what you’ll find here
A lot of gaming websites publish mission statements full of lofty aims about how they’re going to make the world a better place. That sounds like it’s going to require way too much effort though, so I’ll go with something simpler: I just want to find video games I enjoy playing and discuss them with cool people.
Later Levels has been around in one form or another since 2013 and has always been a project of love, adventure games and ice-cream. If you’re a fan of narrative-based releases or are interested in finding out more about the positive effects of gaming, then come on in and make yourself comfortable.
You’ll find a mixture of opinions, event coverage and reviews, usually focused on adventures and point-and-clicks but with a sprinkling of other genres thrown in. Occasionally there’ll be a subject that’s off-topic and unrelated to video games – because variety is the spice of life and all that. There’s no set schedule for posts as I like to keep it casual, and new articles will be published whenever there’s something I’d like to share.
Visit the contact page and get in touch if there are any releases you’d recommend checking out, or if you’re looking to sell fine leather jackets.
Protagonist: meet the blogger
I’ve had a thing for wannabe pirates and point-and-clicks since finding The Secret of Monkey Island on my Amiga as a kid in the 1990s. Adventures have held a special place in my heart since and no matter how much the genre changes over the years, there’s nothing I like better than a damn good story.
In the real world, I work with best practice and service quality in an IT department in higher-education, and am also in the middle of completing a Data Fellowship apprenticeship. That means I’ve often got my head stuck in a SQL script or spreadsheet.
When I’m at home and don’t have a controller in hand, you can find me in the kitchen cooking something with far too much chilli in it or being nagged by my husband Pete to make more roast potatoes.
You’ll have the pleasure of meeting him if you bump into us at one of the gaming expos around the UK as we often volunteer at these for SpecialEffect. We also take part in the annual GameBlast marathon and casual streams, during which my teenaged stepson Ethan and cat Zelda sometimes make an appearance.
Growing older isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You know what they say about becoming older and wiser: XP comes with age.
Head over to the FAQ page if you’re interested in finding out more, and get in touch using the details on the contact page if you have a question which isn’t answered there.